Thanks to Townsmith for sponsoring this video! Check out The Townbuilder: www.townsmith.de/tb-info ...and use code "GinnyDi" at checkout to get 30% off!
@@thetownsmith3303 Townbuilder looks really amazing, but I haven’t dived into the world of 3D printing yet. If I wanted to start though, is there a not-too-expensive printer you’d recommend for a novice?
@@SumnerHomeVideos If you want to get into terrain printing, I can recommend Creality and their lineup of printers. For most things the Ender 3 pro served us very well here at Townsmith. If you want to get into Miniatures and Resin printing, I would recommend you wait a couple of months. The market is currently being shaken up by larger form factor machines that make use of a new screen technology. Therefore the prices will probably drop and the print sizes rise within the next couple of months. But if you want to get something now, check out the Elegoo Mars or Anycubic Photon!
As great improv/rp tips as those were, Townsmith really made me go 'oh dang thats cool' when you dropped 'em there, that's some rad use of 3d printing.
"One of the most selfish things you can do in role playing is actually doing nothing, it's totally checking out when the story isn't focused on you". That's pretty great advice period, thanks Edit: Spelling
Yes! Nothing makes me happier than when one player is RPing with an NPC and the entire rest of our group is dead silent and listening to every word (and occasionally reacting to some bomb dropped).
As a dm I would counter that if the player's character isn't in the scene it leads to a more genuine kind of telephone scene when the party returns and information is shared, if the player wasn't actively listening when they weren't present. That is not to encourage not paying attention to the game, but to say you don't need to be completely focused in when you are certain that your character isn't involved.
I don't mind that tbh sometimes I'll check out of scenes I don't want to hear especially if my char isn't present. So my char can encounter the scenes or not as it were. I find this useful for accidental meta gaming and for a more genuine role play experience
As someone who has a hard time finding those "ins" or windows to speak when in a large group, having someone come back to you and say "What were you saying before?" is the GREATEST feeling in the world. It shows that even if you're not a super talkative person, your ideas are still valued and you're a part of the team.
my dm's are extremely awesome with that im extremely bad with social cues because im autistic, so they try to make sure im heard when i actually do have ideas
As a DM, I feel it's my duty to do that, especially now when all my games are via Zoom/Discord/Skype. DMs wear many hats and one of them should be Moderator.
I appreciate this too. I'm soft spoken, instinctively wait my turn to speak, currently still a lil newbie at DnD and is in a group with 2 or 3 people who easily dominate conversations cuz they're natural at it and/or they're just louder (they're good peeps but this can be an issue for me). This is more of an issue for me in regular conversations than RP. But even so, someone doing this is honestly really nice and gives me "yay im still part of this" inner vibe; I'm working on being louder/being more assertive. But ya, i def agree
As someone who played a low intelligence character, but is naturally inclined to problem solving, I feel you. What I ended up doing was suggesting solutions that were just wrong, and I knew were wrong. It was a little rough at first, but the rest of my party eventually learned that maybe, just maybe, the 6 INT sorcerer was not an idiot savant and they probably shouldn't be trying the solutions he's suggesting. It made for some amusing roleplay while letting me steer the party towards a workable solution without breaking character.
I played a somewhat stereotypical big dumb goron in one campaign, and it was really hard at times to keep my mouth shut. Even with that, he was still one of the most fun characters I've played.
I always play characters with an int bonus because of this. I gave my trickery cleric a con penalty because I knew he needed the intelligence for his cunning and conniving behavior
I do personal rolls with dice to decide if i'd even have a clue about things. Aka should i hold back real life mes' knowledge on the problem so im unsure what the solution is, should i actually speak up, or should i even hinder it. Because of this sometimes my low int characters do have the right idea, but because ive been wrong so often the others don't think it could be right, but hey broken clock and all that. >< it adds a bit of realistic roleplay since even if someones not to smart they will have their knowledge niche.
As someone who is a low intelligence character, but naturally inclined to problem solving in smashy way... uh... whut? Lol, seriously though, I may not be the smartest person at the table but I always “need” to solve problems, even when playing characters that are less than “clued in”. I just love solving puzzles naturally, so it’s a hard habit to break at times.
@@randomalex5119 So, after he killed your dad, your mother couldn't handle him? Understandable... or your mom told you a story because she couldn't remember which lizard folk drone it was during the solstice celebration. Just saying.
@@jloren4647 oh lol no. Her father died before she was born and her mother died when her daughter was 17 in an orc raid which my character joined a village to defeat. Really good idea though!
My gnome druid, trying to bond wholesomely with the (very shy player) kobold: "DM, before we leave, can we look for flowers and bugs around the stables? " =u= DM: "No. So, anyways..."
Might be worth having a word with the GM out of game. if they don't realise they just shut you down when you were trying to help another player, they need to know it.
@@BlueTressym I ended up leaving that group. It was Immensely railroady despite 3/4 players genuinely wanting to interact and RP when allowed too. Super disapointed, but, the shy player reached out to me a couple of days after the game fell out and we played a couple of Werewolf The Apocalypse games which were SUPER RP heavy, haha. Scheduling became an issue sadly, but, it was a good experience to have. Once I get back into my preferred 32 hour work week I hope I can throw my hat into the DM ring and see if they're still interested in it ☺️
@@Sheghostly the fact that you pay attention to what's going on the table and care about helping others rp is a pretty good indicator for your future as a GM. I hope you get your chance and that it goes well.
@@Sheghostly Even if it weren't about helping out a shy player, A "No" from a DM is usually a bad sign. I mean there are things that are impossible to do, that a DM is free to just say it's impossible, but wanting to do something in game should not be told "No".
A good DM knows when to “Yes, and”. A great DM knows when to STFU. Even if there were other plot points he wanted to get to, who’s to say they couldn’t stumble into that rail WHILE looking for bugs and flowers? If you haven’t watched it yet, watch the GMs of Exandria Roundtable with Matt, Aabria, and Brennan. It’s a master class on the power of letting the table breathe and develop. I think Brennan said something along the lines of “having to use rails in your game can suck, but it sucks less if the rails come from the players.”
When DMing or roleplaying I find myself getting overexcited and talking over shyer folk. When I catch myself doing so I apologize and ask them what they wanted to say. I can hear them instantly lighting up and sharing their thoughts, I feel they wouldn't share otherwise.
@@r.r815 me tooooo I just started a campaign with more experienced role players and all I can think about is if I’m playing my character well enough or if I’m steam rolling them bc they know what they are doing and I reeeeally dont
"The key is to think beyond just 'what would my character do' and also remember to think 'we're playing a game'". It is so good to hear more people saying this. Too often people use the "its what my character would do" defense for doing things that are really crappy. Acknowledging that their character does not, in fact, actually exist, and that they are collaboratively telling a story with others and need to be considerate of that first would improve everyone's experience. Such a useful video, especially for super anxious players like me who are always afraid of being selfish!
In my experience, I have so little cognitive bandwidth for this sort of thing that, in the moment I struggle to even figure out what my character MIGHT do, or say, or think, in any given situation. There's literally nothing left over for "how does this affect the game". Therefore, in practice, something, ANYTHING is greatly preferable to the awkward silence that typically ensues whenever our DM tries to nudge us to RP a bit more. But that's just me and my stunted ways.
When someone says "thats what my character would do" theres a 90% chance its something they know they SHOULDNT do as a player in a collaborative game. Its at that moment when the table should remind them that they are a player, and to not make the experience shit for everyone else.
This exactly. One of the players in my Friday night game and I got into a big fight a while back because I was getting really angry with her character's behavior, and we had to have a long talk afterward where I had to directly remind her that her character's actions don't live in a vacuum, and the reason I was angry was because her character's actions were directly interfering with mine and making the game not fun for me. She's been better about checking with the other players before doing anything weird now, to be sure she's not affecting the party in a negative way.
Well also people aren't 100% consistent automatons. There's no such thing as "what your character would do" because the same person is likely to have more than one possible thing they could do in a given situation.
Our party got invited to dinner, my PC specifically. She figured it was a trap, so we had the Changeling Bard shapeshift and go in my stead. Listening to him nail my characters mannerisms was some of the best 30 minutes of role play I've had, and I wasn't even participating.
"If there's another character who has experienced loss.." My character started out as an orphan (so far so stock character) tried to help another party member save his parents, and failed (and constantly apologises for it.) The bromance that grew between them as a result of their shared pain however has been a lot of fun.
I've been there. Best tip I have: "Roll some dice, and look up some tables, wait, then do that again." If you're playing online, let the players see the dice-rolls. Players will notice the dice-rolls, and start wondering what you're looking up. What you are looking up? Oh, the loot they missed for not paying attention to the DM.
@@ThePhoenixpaw Usually when I did this I was finishing prep work I didn't get to. If the topic got too far from the game a simple "okay, now roll initiative" would bring things back.
The cast of Critical Role is really good at most of these, and I feel like that’s their amazing influence on role playing in general. I’ve been playing D&D since I was little and consistently trying to improve all these skills are SO important!
That, in my opinion, is the real core of why their game is great. It’s less about their acting chops or production quality, and mostly about them being generous and supporting with each other in the story.
I think also another good tip is don't make assumptions of people's characters or literally make decisions for other people's characters. for example: I have a character that I want to be a bit flirty, maybe even not be a good guy with relationships and cheat on their significant other, but my table as dubbed them as a 'Cute and romantic Himbo' as such whenever I go to do something I want with my character i get a ton of 'Noooooo's' and '(my character's name here) isn't like that' and 'You don't need to do that, you're character is happy' and stuff like that. The DM then proceeds like my character didn't do something. At first i thought it was because they weren't huge fan's of cheating characters, but then they let someone joined who describes their character as cheating on their significant others, so it wasn't that. They've written my character's personality in their minds and don't allow me to express my character how I want or let them have an arch because of it. It's super frustrating and takes me out of the experience
@@fariahcriss5696 Agreed, wtf. Are you less experienced than the other players? I wonder why they feel like they can essentially make decisions for you. Very uncool and you have every right to mention it to your DM -- they should be making sure you have the space to make your own choices for your character, and acknowledging them when you do.
you need to put your foot down and turn to them and say, "Nope, he's doing this" and do it. If the dm ignores you, you need to turn them and say, "Ah hey, I was serious, they're doing this" And if they complain that isn't your character you can kindly remind them that they don't let you do the actions he wants to do. But I agree with others, this is something you need to speak to your dm about so they can back you up when it does happen again.
When I first started roleplaying, I made the mistake of focusing a little bit *too much* on everybody else's characters. I would just get so drawn into watching others roleplay, especially because they were all so much more experienced than I was. I was too used to consuming a story rather than participating in one. I wanted to learn everything I could about the other PCs mysterious backstories and little character quirks. If I was involved in a scene, I would always swing the conversation around to my character simply asking another character questions about themselves, and not because my character was necessarily supposed to be super curious or suspicious, but because I, the player, was. My own character would rarely have strong reactions to things, because I was too busy dangling metaphorical carrots in front of other characters to see how *they* would react. I thought I was being a generous roleplayer, but I eventually realised that I was making things kinda boring. Not only did I quickly start to lose interest in my own character due to my own neglect of them, I realised that my unselfish playing was actually kinda selfish, because I wasn't letting the other players enjoy everything that me and my character had to offer to the story. I wasn't maintaining a balance. Anyway, thank you for this video, Ginny. Every single tip is super useful. And as one of those "quiet people" who is always waiting for the pause before speaking, it's nice to know that there are some lovely chatterboxes out there who see us and have our backs! :D
“It’s what my character would do” should serve as an invitation and not a justification. It should clue the rest of the party into “something else is going on, maybe we can help.”
I use a lot of these tips in the current Vampire game I play in on Saturdays. My character is the Sheriff, so the actually has authority over the others, and is constantly scheming (he's a Lasombra) so it's very easy for me to end up dominating the role-play. So whenever things end up focusing on me too long I'll ceade the floor to someone else, or seek out their input on what's going on. I also use my position as the coterie leader to delegate tasks so everyone has something to do
Dude I just was doing a thing with my Changling character where she came to the group in her real form and legit NONE of them, other then my bf who has long time experience with rping, reacted to it. It completely shut down a moment of growth for her. And it's not like I was trying to make it all about me, I had her alone without her other form and she ended up chasing after something. I had made it clear that this was nerve racking for her and the butler character convinced her to show her true form to the group. It's my first campaign and I left because none of the people in the group vibed with the story😅
I think thats probably a problem with managing expectations, if you want things to go the way you've planned and your character to have meaningful growth writing might be more fun, dnd doesn't usually go like that, especially with inexperienced players. You can't really force people to be good roleplayers, it's just about finding a group that matches the style of game you want to play
@@butasimpleidiotwizard D&D can absolutely go in the direction of meaningful growth with inexperienced players! My own group is an example of that; most of us had never played before. It's a little gatekeepy to say to someone who was invested in a game "you're not going to get what you want, maybe you should just take up writing instead." Yes, we do have to be willing to collaborate and not be attached to plot expectations. But I totally understand this person's disappointment -- and it sounds like it was the right choice to leave, unfortunately. OP, you'll find another group that's more RP-focused, and while not every interaction will go how you hoped, it can definitely be more fulfilling
@UC44EPNBjs1H19c-3OPrSEvw True! That would be a perfect moment for the DM to fill them in by saying something like "none of you have ever seen such a thing before" or "a stranger appears in your group and starts talking as if they know you." This player mentioned that they had made it clear that the situation was nerve-wracking for the character, so ideally the DM should pick up on such things. And it's okay to decide to leave because people aren't in tune with each other -- I do think they'll find something that fits them better!
@@annafantasia thank you seriously it sucks tho. I always carry super low expectations but like the dm didn't even try to pull the players together. Like we all did our best to pull ourselves together but he never showed he truely cared about the story unless it was about his self insert
@@annafantasia can you maybe not call me a gatekeeper because I suggested that she might enjoy writing since it doesn't rely on other people having their shit together and she'd get to explore her characters in more depth, that doesn't mean she can't play dnd as well just that when you're invested in your character's development it helps if dnd isn't your only story telling outlet because you are just going to be disappointed, dnd isn't critical role, most groups can't play like that and many struggle to roleplay at all, let alone seriously.
I grew up always being told to quiet down/shut up, and so my D&D career has been years of not getting any kind of spotlight or even any room for roleplay. I've been told to "just speak up", but no matter what, I always got interrupted or talked over. I've left groups because of it. I really hope that eventually I'll get to actually roleplay... but first I need a group to play with u_u
I know the feeling. I've been there, and currently is there, too. For me it became an interesting situation when I was GM'ing. Seeing some of the people who were used to taking up space finding the game grinding to a halt when the GM/DM just waited for silence. Had a player leave the group because they couldn't stand the silence.
I feel the exact same way >.< I always end up having side role plays with people sitting next to me because there's always someone who steam rolls me when I'm trying to finally say something in the main story. I feel like I end up never talking to the DM, with the npcs, even the time I played a bard, trying to branch out and say more. The players around me still would just talk over me, and since I'm so passive, I just let it happen >.
The way I combat being spoken over is directly taking it up with both the DM and the player(s) who might be giving me a hard time interacting in the story/gameplay, of course in a private setting and out of sessions. I know it's easier said than done, but I can 100% recommend taking it up and talking about it, since it's too draining to wait for a chance for others to let you speak, especially if they don't know you need to be given a space to speak out! In my current DnD group, we are only 3 players, but we have one player who can get very very loud and she takes a lot of spotlight at times, especially during NPC conversations. I took this up with her, met her in person, and we talked it over about how anxious I at times got when she interrupted me/my character or downright ceased my character doing an action I ended up taking really personal. Now, she doing so much better, letting other players speak and even actively seeking out our responses on whatever is happening in the gameplay. (Mind you, I am terribly anxious and I hate socializing with people I don't know very well, but if I never got the problem fixed, I knew I would just have left the DnD group all together, so I'd say it's worth to at least try and repair the problems before completely giving up on the group completely)
I understand completely and have had that situation with online groups. I know it may not be, but if possible find an irl group to join. It becomes much more obvious to those around you that you are waiting your turn and if you can get into the roleplaying they may go out of the way to encourage you to speak up because they enjoy it. Even if the players get too into roleplaying and don't give an opening just have a conversation with your dm and explain what you are after. Every other dm I have met loves when the players go out of their way to explain how they feel and their thoughts about the game. That way the dm can know to try to plug in spaces asking what your character would do or thinks. When I dm I want to provide a good experience for everyone involved, and when players pull me aside to talk about the game it both gives me clarity on the situation, but also it helps me learn what clues and details I need to look for and pay attention to, and the better I know the situation the better a dm I can be. I hope you find the group for you, and good luck!
This is how me and my sister grew up as well haha... as a DM I make a point to notice quiet players and engage them when i can, specifically when its something i know they are interested in.. as a player i look to these players and get their help with a task. I should talk about that a little bit on my next making a d&d encounter video as well.
I definitely have some of the selfish tendencies when I play and some of these I try to mindful of, but as a human I am also forgetful or get swept up in a moment. At one table we have mostly newer players, so I'm sometimes also trying to fill a gap or silence when I could/should be mentoring someone into that gap or silence. I think what I love about these tips is that they're also just pretty good tips for new roleplayers who need general advice. Not to mention great things for just about anyone at any level of roleplay experience to be reminded of from time to time, I think. I'll likely be recommending this video to all of my fellow players ... and maybe ask a couple of them to call me out when I fall short!
Also, remember some players don't want to roleplay, and are chill just watching you do it. If you invite them to, and they don't, its not a failing on your part, just them not desiring to join.
I will also add on to the point that some times people will play the character that is either focused on something so they don't care to much or they are just playing someone that wants to be alone which is also a hard thing to rp as.
As an actor DM who plays in games run by less experienced dungeon masters, I worry about if I'm hogging the spotlight constantly. This is the most directly useful D&D video I've seen in years. Thanks!
My favorite way to interact with the "memers" is to, in character, ask them what they mean by a "glizzy", or why they think the best way to fight off the enemy horde is to apparently... show them the sights of the town? Is that it? We're fighting a war, Varrin- I don't think the zombies are interested in being "brought around town" or whatever that was. ...It brings back immersion and also, if they aren't just a jackass, immediately kicks off a hilarious scene where they have to justify why their dnd character knows about Wojack.
Omg, I really needed this. I tend to talk over people a lot with out even realizing, so this is definitely something I need to work on. I liked the tip about finding something my character has in common with the others, I think it's gonna help me to engage with them more in the future. Thank you!
Every time you swing the conversation back to the quiet person who was interrupted, you make the world a little bit better! Seriously, it helps so much!
Our group in DND has this problem. I recorded the first game we had in a new game and I was shocked how bad we were talking over eachother. There was two of us that barely talked at all. Thank you so much for the advise, I'm going to try and talk to our DM about it.
My DM recently pointed out that my character takes up a lot of space during roleplay, which I never initially wanted of course. My enthusiasm takes over during a session which can sometimes lead to me steamrolling over more quite players. Or by creating plothooks which is only interesting for me and one other player, but the rest has to backseat. I want to change that, so these tips are very useful!
I'll add my own experience to the mix: I'm the guy who unintentionally hogs the spotlight from time to time. We play online, so without being physically present - it can be difficult to 'read' who wants to speak. I became self-concious about it a time when I had spent, what I felt was, too much time doing a minor side-thing alone (Rogue meeting with his Juliet) So after the session, I dm'ed one of the other players and asked about it - to my surprise he very much enjoyed it, and love when I surprise the party with a plan B, C and D - and notes on how to murder everyone in the party, in case someone turns evil/is possessed (Yes, Batman) I brought it up when we prepared for next session and everyone else agreed with him - not that everyone wanted me to hog the spotlight, but that they didn't mind I sometimes did my own thing for a bit, as they actually loved the Noir/Batman-style in contrast with our regular, more light-hearted comedic tone: It was a welcome change of pace every once in a while. Tl;dr - Communicate! Your party might love your selfish roleplay - or they might be frustrated. Taking the initiative to have the discussion will, at the very least, be appreciated in the party and you will be respected for it.
10:35 a thing you could do here is have your character come with suggestions that will not actually solve the puzzle. Even if you Ginny know it won't, your character could believe it would and brings forth that "solution", and then there is roleplay for the smarter characters to explain to you why it won't work, or even let you try and and get hurt, then fix you up and solve the puzzle. Playing a not very smart character can bring about some very interesting situations :)
Ahh, I grew up in LA, and when I moved to the South to be with my wife, I had a big learning curve to get through adjusting my conversation habits! I had no idea I interrupted all the time because everyone around me did and that was just how conversations went, which ended up shutting her down a lot until we figured out how to address it. Very good tips!
I know I tend to be a "spotlight hog" just by nature of trying to engage the world and characters the DM puts around me. I specifically struggle because, being aware of this, I tend to pause periodically and ask for input from the party but it's like PULLING TEETH. There's one who also is very high-engagement, but the rest we can sit there and try and engage and be met with like 20 seconds of silence. It's so frustrating e_e
Same. I have the same struggle. I actually want to explore the world the DM made and so I talk more and the other players like do the minimum amount of interaction needed just to get to the end of the plot 🤦🏼♀️ and I've been laughed at for it, like sorry I want to be immersed
THIS. WAS. SO. HELPFUL!! Thank you so much for the tips! I tend to get pretty socially anxious around roleplay and hugging the spotlight, especially as an extrovert, so thank you for handing me the tools to slowly work to fix those issues!
Thank you, I'm an extrovert with ADD and steam-rolling my fellow players is my worst habit, because I always want to blurt out the thought or idea that just came to me. It's something I'm still working on, and one thing I've been trying is, when the group needs to make a decision, I count to 10 before I speak up to give my fellow players a chance to get their ideas in.
I have been waiting for a video like this for so long. You did great on recapping everything positive around how to be a selfless and inviting person at the table!
I love this video! Thank you for posting it. I'm definitely one of those chatty people who just accidentally dominate a roleplay session. As I've started playing consistently with a group, I've learned to actually love amplifying other characters. All of your tips are so effective. I really try to play a D&D session asking myself, "How can each of us say or do something particularly memorable?" as my vague, guiding light.
I recently got into D&D and my anxiety makes me think that I’m overtaking the RP a lot... I don’t know if I’m being selfish at all; I tend to go silent when others are role-playing with each other. I do speak when I’m told to and I join in when possible. I’m just... Not very confident in what I’m doing. I know I make mistakes on occasion and I know I’m not perfect, but this video helped me feel a bit more confident. Thank you.
Also, use that to your advantage. If it feels like your character is hogging the spotlight, maybe think about why they tend to do that and add it to your backstory. Then it might give you something to work with story wise.
Something I really appreciate in a DM is the ability to use NPCs to engage with the quieter characters. I bet you can still apply these tips as you're running a game to help the shy players be more involved (even something as simple as having a chatty shopkeeper turn to the silent fighter and ask, "you've been awfully quiet. Isn't there anything you might be wanting to purchase today?" etc. And if nothing else, you can share this video with your group and see if that helps.
@@caramelwen137 yeah im not a dm but this is our first dnd campainge amd we're kind of dysfunctional or at least me and another player. i just sent it and told them it was just helpful
These are some very helpful tips. Thank you for posting this. I play in many RP games (and non-games) and i tend to notice these kinds of things. I try to make only comments as my character and since i love voice play you can hear my voice tone when i do. Like when my party had a unconscious person in the wagon that was just starting to wake up and were talking to them, in the middle of the conversation i just randomly had my character lean up and throw a shoe at them and tell them to be quiet, that he is trying to sleep. It was random and funny and got the plot suddenly going haywire. It was stupid, effective, in character and made things interesting. The DM gives my character bad karma for the stuff he does but my chaotic butt loves it. That and people that don't get into character. Some friends got mad at me because my character was being mean to their character but that is just who my character is. I am sorry for staying in character. The thing i feel bad about if when you have a very detailed character that has a lot of plot hooks cause you talk with the DM and make their history with them. -sigh- Like. I feel bad cause at times I feel like that character starts to feel like the main cause they have many plots that can play out while others don't have the same amount of depth that can be explored. Not sure if you have this but maybe make a video on good character building?
This is all really good advice! I haven't actually played any tabletop RPGS in a long time, but lately, I've been worried that I might try to be the center of attention without realizing it. I'm going to be playing in a campaign soon where I'm the only experienced player, besides the DM, and I don't want to unintentionally take to fun away by being a selfish roleplayer, especially since it might have have a negative effect on how the first-time players view D&D.
I definitely need to work on some of these. As a stage actor, I love the RP side of games. I do tend to back down if someone else also speaks up at the same time, but I know I do also tend to dominate because the others are slightly quieter. One thing my DM does that I really like, is that if more than one person speaks up at once, she'll go through us one by one and ask if we have anything to say or do. Not as organic, but it does give everyone the chance to say or do something they wouldn't have otherwise.
I steamroll all the time and am trying so hard to notice when I have been (really excitedly) monologuing 😬😬😬 these tips are GREAT, thank you so much!!!
This is also really good advice for a DM too because DMs can interract this way too by deliberately inviting quiet players in or bringing up ideas or conversations that each can answer with the others or whatnot. I love it!
Also work your way into each others arcs and backstories. It’s a strat I’ve been using and it not only gives other players more rp opportunity, but it includes everyone in the story and pretty much forces them to engage
These are all great! We switched to playing on Zoom with the pandemic in March and that distance can also make it difficult to not talk over others, and easier to forget about the quieter players at the table. When we’re not all at the same table, I found everyone needs to work a little harder to push the forward TOGETHER rather than individually, and keeping these in mind is definitely going to help. Something we started doing recently that’s helped a lot is rather than asking “who is taking next watch” is “who do you wake up for next watch” and spurring a little interaction every time. It’s created some great mini moments between characters that don’t typically share scenes
Man, these are fantastic. I know I need to work on a bunch of this in my own games. One of the downfalls of DM'ing all the time is being USED to doing most of the talking, so it's important for us to lean into giving your fellow players room to shine! =) Thanks Ginny!!
I know I’m guilty of hogging scenes and my method of dealing with it was just shutting down for a few sessions and not talking with anyone. These tips will definitely help!
The last one on supporting other players' stories is so important. I've experienced scenes where its just a dialogue with the DM and they could be so much more if other players at the table just engaged and empowered each other.
I am one of those "Tends to talk a bit too much" types of people. For a while, I had been actively working on breaking a lot of bad habits I had from when I played with a smaller group so I completely agree with all of these tips! My being so darn invested in every character including my own was both a strength and a weakness because I would get so excited when something happened to other characters and end up interjecting something without realizing the way I'd done so was bothersome to others. I've since learned how to be a proactive type of excited without having to tune down my passion for every individual story. Investment in the other characters and passion for their stories will never be a problem, it's becoming proactive with that excitement that helps one become a better player! Thanks for this, it will be so helpful for so many other players ❤
Always had a great time asking people if their character would do a specific thing if they seemed to be lost for what actions to take. It seems best to ask as open ended as you can, or to provide 2 or 3 possible ideas for actions they could take, and I would ask the rest of the party for ideas if I was stuck too. We often had to make moral decisions, and the DM was generally cool with us asking for nudges or whether something was a "good idea" or a very "bad idea" xD It made things REALLY fun, and we also had plenty of guest characters who would never need help getting themselves into trouble for years
Alternative title of this vid: How not to be an Orion Acaba. Lol, in all seriousness though all of these vids are amazing Ginny. Especially for someone like me who is as introverted as they get, drama was NOT a good subject for me in highschool. I hope it's ok but i just made a playlist of most of your RP focused vids. They definitely are helping me to try & flesh out how I'll play my first character (whenever I get to play him, lol).
@@sagesaria Tell me about it. Don't get me wrong, I 100% get that he was going through some health issues (cancer, hiv, etc) at the time but still, the guy did not handle them well/ was a complete douche & it forced Matt & co's hand & he's gone. This isn't even going in to the screwing over of people on Kickstarter or GoFundMe or whichever one it was. Or the mental abuse of his exes.
You're an awesome youtuber. Your advice is organized, clear, and has examples. You explain things well and do a great job of simplifying nuanced issues without ignoring the complexity of the topic. You've even got great lighting and sound lol. I've spent so much time getting dnd advice on youtube from creators whose styles made getting the info more difficult, so I wanted to compliment you on making really excellent and helpful videos. You go girl
I once saw a video on what good roleplaying attitudes players can learn from Travis Willingham. That video taught me a lot and it's been great noticing that the stuff I learned there really does help make the other players shine. These tips remind me of that video, some overlap, but also some entirely new tips that I'm excited to try out! I'm currently playing in a group of 3 players, where I am the most experienced. It's been wonderful seeing the other players grow out of their shell and the story has gotten to a point where I know their backstories will come up soon. So this is the ideal time to practice ways to make their characters shine!! Thank you, Ginny! You continue to make content that makes this community better
Keep these videos up. You are for sure helping people. These are social skills that really help invite people to engage with the group, which of course makes people want to come back to play. Well done!
My party and I just finished a big story arc in our campaign and we actually sat down to talk about ways we can improve on role playing and talking in character. I sent some of your vids because I know we’re already open to improving and I hope they’ll help them
This channel is sooo good. This video in particular feels really great and helpful. I wish all my players and GMs could have your level of expertise and kindness!
I totally did #1 just out of default when my DM wanted more interaction early in our campaign. As the character with the highest charisma, I started tossing things that were presented to me to people I thought would know better but who might not speak up as easily. Thank you for SO many great ideas. Some I've applied, and some I haven't. But this is excellent to have in video form to help players and DMs like me figure out encouraging suggestions to help balance the gameplay and more importantly roleplay.
I shared it with my entire group because we all could do just a little better about any number of these - myself included. I think this is a good refresher for anyone and it might help people realize that they were doing something that they didn't know they were doing. Great video, thank you for being awesome Ginny!
Wow! I just realized you have the video segmented into your bullet points! Props on that professionalism, that's super cool! I now wonder how many other videos you've done this to and I haven't noticed before...
This is really good and well thought out. Sharing this with my party because even having done RP for 20+ years, this is awesome to have reminders, and a few tips and tricks to help actively get the quieter folks involved. Absolutely love it.
All great advice. It makes for a more enjoyable game, when players can work together to role play & encourage shy folk to speak up. The bit about constant references is so true! It derails the in-game convo so quick. Occasional bits are fun, but we had to drop a player who would not stop themselves (it was CONSTANT and he outright refused to stop). It's so hard to translate online though! No one in my group can use their cameras bc our internet is too slow to handle it (yay rural mountain community). I can't wait to see my friends irl again
Ginny this has helped so much! ive kinda taken these advice as a DM because i sometimes forget a player that hasnt been talking that much because my attention span sucks lots, and i only remember whatever is making noise at the moment, so as a player and a DM this tots work, ive already messaged my normally quiet player to see if he´s comfortable and if i could do something to help him as a DM.
Nice video and important topic! Thank you for keeping an eye out for the quieter folks (like myself). The comment you made about how some folks wait for an opening while others assume an opening will be made was spot on.
Such a good video! I started playing my first ever campaign a few months ago, and although I am usually a pretty quiet person, I discovered I am quite extraverted when playing D&D for some reason (I also chose to make a character whose main trait was "social butterfly that's been lonely for too long", to force myself to be a bit more daring in conversations) ! Which is great for me, because it's been a super fun outlet, but also quickly made me realise that I was so excited to feel "at ease" playing this game that I would take center stage quite often in our first few sessions! The first time we played after I realised this, I made it a point to be quieter and leave room for the others, but ended up not really saying anything at all, which wasn't good either. Since then I've been trying to follow pretty much the different approaches you describe! Trying to find a balance, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, inviting quieter players in! And this has worked so well, it's so worth it, because suddenly, players who wouldn't say much are getting more and more confident, and we develop dynamics between ourselves! Something else I've been trying is reacting more outwardly to everyone's rolls. I found that the quieter players wouldn't react much when rolling their dice, or that some of us would react MORE for our rolls, and I think that also encouraged the DM to focus his attention on us in situations where we all had to make the same Perception Check for example. Now I kinda make it a point to be like "Oof! So close!" or "HELL YEAH !!!" when a nat 20 hits, and I feel like they kinda dare be more excited about their rolls, and start commenting too, which prompts everyone to be more in tune overall, have more fun with that aspect of the game, and also prompts the DM to find fun results for every roll!
Wow, you really hit the nail on the spot! I've recently joined a campaign and have been wondering if I've been stepping on other people's roleplay experience, and I hope I can use your advice from here on out. Thank you for these incredibly useful tips!
Love this video, my group is typically pretty quite so 1-2 people always speak up and dictate things...I end up being one of those people. I'll be using these tips to help get others involved!
How is this not the most watched video on the channel? This video spoke directly to two of the groups I had this summer, and made me reflect quite a bit as well. Fantastic stuff!
I'm the forever DM of my group, and recently one of my players has started an awesome campaign. As a player I've been very consciously trying to shut the hell up and give others the spotlight so thanks so much for the tips dude
Thank you for this! So much really helpful advice, and really tactfully phrased as always. This is definitely something I'm going to rewatch a few times so that I can start to internalize these concepts and act on them.
I’m joining a table tomorrow and know I’m a loud and overwhelming person often (who takes over in panic when there is awkwardness/silence) so these tips have been super helpful! Thank you 🙏🏼
Omg, I know exactly what you mean by "conversational combat" and I despise it. Forcing this type of conversation is probably my most hated personality trade right after being rude to strangers because you feel entitled. I can deal with it for a short period, but it becomes draining quickly and I lose interest to talk to you at all. My usual way to deal with it is to become completely silent and stare at the other person without blinking. Then I wait for at least 5 seconds of awkward silence before I answer. Unfortunately that doesn't work in groups very well and I try to be the person that interrupts the talker and says: "X has something to say." when I notice that X just doesn't find the moment to interrupt the talker her/himself. Kudos for realizing this is a problem and working on it. Also you can cross out the 'roleplayer' in the title. These are some great tips for any conversation.
There was a moment last session, where we had to trick a gargoyle into saying the word trickery, it looke like 30 minutes of me and the dm going back and forwards, with others chipping in. After i got jt, i made my chracter pass out, so everyone else had a chance to speak and do rp. The quiest person at out table made an off hand comment that they attended a fae wedding, so im soooo taking to them next session. My point is, when i started playing i was very loud, and steam rolled people all the time, but im activity trying to get better, and thats all that matters!!! If ur watching this, then u probably allready want to be mlre fun, so well done! Keep going! Ull do amazingly!!
I always jump at a plotline aimed at me. It supports what the DM is trying to do and I pull in the other PCs to help me at every opportunity. But... I'm also a heck of a rules lawyer, so I take conscious steps in my character "blueprint" to keep myself in check. 1 - play a support character... someone who cannot be the main tank in the combat or level everyone with offensive magic. Like a healer, buffer, archer, or.. my current favorite... the charisma rogue! 2 - have a niche... make sure I'm the best at one or two things (that are NOT combat) and have glaring omissions that I need the other PCs to cover. 3 - have a limited spell selection... I do not trust myself with being able to pick any spell in the book each day. I do not give myself that power so I play a class that can't. 4 - make another character shine... use the above three things to absolutely make the day or make the scene for another character, and don't pick the same one each time.
I am so glad to see a video like this out, I hope it helps alot of people. My last group I got to play with (I left the group for this reason plus others) were bad about this, specially two people who wanted spotlight, all kills, or all loot every session. These two often took control and had the flow of the game fit what they wanted (the DM was not super experienced so they were not the take control back sort, especially since one of these selfish players made the DM believe they were such a veteran that the DM looked and thought the player could help the session. However this player did this just because they wanted the focus more on them and it not be stopped by the DM.) Well because of this I literally had two sessions in a row where my character didn't even get to speak or partake in anything. I rarely got combat (since I had bad rolls so I was always last in the order) because they metagamed on max damage and kills instead of working together. I also had an entire shopping session to where I was skipped over, didn't get to buy or do anything my character wanted to do. I haven't even gotten any loot (this was 5-6 sessions in) while others have, so to not get any reward and not get to buy something I was very lacking compared to others. I talked with the DM eventually and to try and give me some spotlight, he decided to flow the story down to a personal story for my character....which the other two players took control and left me with little to nothing to do with my own personal story. I just killed my player off and left the group after that. I lost interest in playing anymore since it made me feel like my character and be as a person was not interesting enough to be included. It's been a year since I played with a group but I been looking, just not finding any luck. I hope to have a better experience the next game.
Great video, Might have been good to touch on more warning signs to look out for in your own roleplay or to know when you are around selfish players. One thing that I've often struggled with is when another player constantly strong armed the party because their character could only be played a certain way and they imposed this playstyle on the rest of the group. If the scene didn't directly involve them they would completely tune out until they had a way to make it about themselves or their story again.
:47 this can be true, but also don't forget that some people are introverts and don't want a spotlight and have fun just watching and taking everything in. Sometimes trying to egg them on to participate makes introverts very uncomfortable and the last thing they want is to be the center of attention. Overall good tips in the video! I would just add that sometimes it's also a good idea to read the room or even just ask if a person prefers to have a more quiet character. - The Innkeeper
All excellent advice, and all good things to take on board for everyone! And it is absolutely to your credit that you take note of your own personal shortcomings, and meet them!! I kinda know where you're coming from familywise. As the youngest in my family, if I ever needed to be heard, I always felt I had to speak incredibly quickly, and pack as much into a sentence as I could! Something I still do to this day, but I have learned to keep an eye on it. And no matter what it is you play, tabletop, or video games, or whatever, when you roleplay, it is always going to be you at the core of your characters. And we take these experiences into the real world, and our real lives. When we can be good players, we can be good people, and all these tips (with slight modifications) apply to the real world as well. I have always said that you bring incredible goodness to people's lives, and inspire us to be the best people we can possibly be, and this is all testament to that!!!! You're an absolutely awesome person, who speaks from your heart, and encourages true kindness and warmth in our lives!!!! Always hold on to that knowledge, as it is absolutely the truth, and something you should keep in your heart!!! Also as a side note, your paintwork on the 3d model was badass!!!
Great video! I also am someone who jumps in, talks over others at times, and excitedly can take over play. I have found it helpful to tell the DM I want to do something or say something when he has a moment, and then he will either tell me to go ahead or tell me to hold on a moment. We have 2 players who are brand new to D&D, and although we've been playing our campaign nearly 2 years (supposed to be once a week but we've had lots of gaps) they still need reminding, patience, and a moment to speak their voice. 😄❤
oh my gosh YES THANK YOU on the "it's what my character would do" comment. making it fun for everyone is so important, and people always seem to forget about people outside of the game too. i love how this can all be condensed to, basically, don't get so deep into character that you forget where you really are. this is a great list, and you present it so clean and concise too. you've put into words some things i struggle with, and i really want to work on improving my role playing for the better now. thank you
I mean I don't think a person should be such a dickhead so as to ruin it for everyone but I can't enjoy the game without getting deep into it. I need to believe that I am my character in the world to experience the escapism.
That is, I feel, the most important topic for a group playing as a group and I appreciate your tips and your very inspiring explanations so so much! ❤️
Honestly this video was super helpful!! I'm always super interactive, which hasn't been bad in the past, but right now I'm in a game my brother DMs and most of the party is shy roleplayers. Because I've been in my bro's games before, we've already got a great rp chemistry going on, which means I tend to get a little more spotlight than the other characters. I've been trying to work on reaching out and pulling other characters in! (Though this doesn't tend to work on the brooding mercenary bad boy...) When I get excited I tend to forget to check in with others, though, and I seriously work on restraint. I've taken to pausing and trying not to speak first in situations, and sometimes I step back entirely. It doesn't help that I've been elected party leader -which is so strange for me, I'm not used to that at all.
Thanks to Townsmith for sponsoring this video! Check out The Townbuilder: www.townsmith.de/tb-info ...and use code "GinnyDi" at checkout to get 30% off!
Happy to be working with you! We are thrilled to see the Tavern arriving safely at your place :D
@@thetownsmith3303 Townbuilder looks really amazing, but I haven’t dived into the world of 3D printing yet. If I wanted to start though, is there a not-too-expensive printer you’d recommend for a novice?
@@SumnerHomeVideos If you want to get into terrain printing, I can recommend Creality and their lineup of printers. For most things the Ender 3 pro served us very well here at Townsmith.
If you want to get into Miniatures and Resin printing, I would recommend you wait a couple of months. The market is currently being shaken up by larger form factor machines that make use of a new screen technology. Therefore the prices will probably drop and the print sizes rise within the next couple of months.
But if you want to get something now, check out the Elegoo Mars or Anycubic Photon!
As great improv/rp tips as those were, Townsmith really made me go 'oh dang thats cool' when you dropped 'em there, that's some rad use of 3d printing.
Hey Ginny, your link broke, but I still explored Townbuilder! What an insanely cool thing!
"One of the most selfish things you can do in role playing is actually doing nothing, it's totally checking out when the story isn't focused on you".
That's pretty great advice period, thanks
Edit: Spelling
Yes! Nothing makes me happier than when one player is RPing with an NPC and the entire rest of our group is dead silent and listening to every word (and occasionally reacting to some bomb dropped).
As a dm I would counter that if the player's character isn't in the scene it leads to a more genuine kind of telephone scene when the party returns and information is shared, if the player wasn't actively listening when they weren't present. That is not to encourage not paying attention to the game, but to say you don't need to be completely focused in when you are certain that your character isn't involved.
@@NightSwift271 True! I think it depends on the tone of the scene. Information gathering would be different than some very emotional RPing. :)
@@annafantasia I agree with that
I don't mind that tbh sometimes I'll check out of scenes I don't want to hear especially if my char isn't present. So my char can encounter the scenes or not as it were. I find this useful for accidental meta gaming and for a more genuine role play experience
The “How to be Travis Willingham” guide
YOU'RE RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT!!
Its true... only missing the gym time I'm guessing he puts in with Joe Manganiello...
True!! I admire how he makes the other players shine while also having good moments for himself
Right!?!
Exp to level 3 has a video that is exactly what you describe.
As someone who has a hard time finding those "ins" or windows to speak when in a large group, having someone come back to you and say "What were you saying before?" is the GREATEST feeling in the world. It shows that even if you're not a super talkative person, your ideas are still valued and you're a part of the team.
my dm's are extremely awesome with that
im extremely bad with social cues because im autistic, so they try to make sure im heard when i actually do have ideas
As a DM, I feel it's my duty to do that, especially now when all my games are via Zoom/Discord/Skype. DMs wear many hats and one of them should be Moderator.
@@RPG_Angie i actually started dming just on saturday, and since i have problems with social cues, my players are almost running the sessions :,)
I appreciate this too. I'm soft spoken, instinctively wait my turn to speak, currently still a lil newbie at DnD and is in a group with 2 or 3 people who easily dominate conversations cuz they're natural at it and/or they're just louder (they're good peeps but this can be an issue for me). This is more of an issue for me in regular conversations than RP. But even so, someone doing this is honestly really nice and gives me "yay im still part of this" inner vibe; I'm working on being louder/being more assertive. But ya, i def agree
@@ancientbasilisk In a helpful way, or are they bulldozing over you?
As someone who played a low intelligence character, but is naturally inclined to problem solving, I feel you. What I ended up doing was suggesting solutions that were just wrong, and I knew were wrong. It was a little rough at first, but the rest of my party eventually learned that maybe, just maybe, the 6 INT sorcerer was not an idiot savant and they probably shouldn't be trying the solutions he's suggesting. It made for some amusing roleplay while letting me steer the party towards a workable solution without breaking character.
I played a somewhat stereotypical big dumb goron in one campaign, and it was really hard at times to keep my mouth shut. Even with that, he was still one of the most fun characters I've played.
I always play characters with an int bonus because of this. I gave my trickery cleric a con penalty because I knew he needed the intelligence for his cunning and conniving behavior
This made me laugh out loud. Brilliant. You're actually helping them rule things out!
I do personal rolls with dice to decide if i'd even have a clue about things. Aka should i hold back real life mes' knowledge on the problem so im unsure what the solution is, should i actually speak up, or should i even hinder it. Because of this sometimes my low int characters do have the right idea, but because ive been wrong so often the others don't think it could be right, but hey broken clock and all that. >< it adds a bit of realistic roleplay since even if someones not to smart they will have their knowledge niche.
As someone who is a low intelligence character, but naturally inclined to problem solving in smashy way... uh... whut?
Lol, seriously though, I may not be the smartest person at the table but I always “need” to solve problems, even when playing characters that are less than “clued in”. I just love solving puzzles naturally, so it’s a hard habit to break at times.
The fact that I feel kinda personally called out by all of these points is proof of just how much I needed to see it - this video is super helpful!
"Or, let's say your character lost their parents."
Boom, every D&D character has something in common right there. xD
Never had that... Ok, one lol.
I play a character who calls his ma frequently with sending just to check up on her. It's great
Mine is a half dragon who's dad (silver dragon) was slayed and mother died when she was 17.
@@randomalex5119 So, after he killed your dad, your mother couldn't handle him? Understandable... or your mom told you a story because she couldn't remember which lizard folk drone it was during the solstice celebration. Just saying.
@@jloren4647 oh lol no. Her father died before she was born and her mother died when her daughter was 17 in an orc raid which my character joined a village to defeat. Really good idea though!
My gnome druid, trying to bond wholesomely with the (very shy player) kobold: "DM, before we leave, can we look for flowers and bugs around the stables? " =u=
DM: "No. So, anyways..."
Might be worth having a word with the GM out of game. if they don't realise they just shut you down when you were trying to help another player, they need to know it.
@@BlueTressym I ended up leaving that group. It was Immensely railroady despite 3/4 players genuinely wanting to interact and RP when allowed too. Super disapointed, but, the shy player reached out to me a couple of days after the game fell out and we played a couple of Werewolf The Apocalypse games which were SUPER RP heavy, haha. Scheduling became an issue sadly, but, it was a good experience to have.
Once I get back into my preferred 32 hour work week I hope I can throw my hat into the DM ring and see if they're still interested in it ☺️
@@Sheghostly the fact that you pay attention to what's going on the table and care about helping others rp is a pretty good indicator for your future as a GM. I hope you get your chance and that it goes well.
@@Sheghostly Even if it weren't about helping out a shy player, A "No" from a DM is usually a bad sign. I mean there are things that are impossible to do, that a DM is free to just say it's impossible, but wanting to do something in game should not be told "No".
A good DM knows when to “Yes, and”. A great DM knows when to STFU. Even if there were other plot points he wanted to get to, who’s to say they couldn’t stumble into that rail WHILE looking for bugs and flowers?
If you haven’t watched it yet, watch the GMs of Exandria Roundtable with Matt, Aabria, and Brennan. It’s a master class on the power of letting the table breathe and develop. I think Brennan said something along the lines of “having to use rails in your game can suck, but it sucks less if the rails come from the players.”
When DMing or roleplaying I find myself getting overexcited and talking over shyer folk. When I catch myself doing so I apologize and ask them what they wanted to say. I can hear them instantly lighting up and sharing their thoughts, I feel they wouldn't share otherwise.
I mean, you recognise the issue and apologise, I do it as well
I'm probably not that selfish, but my anxiety tells me otherwise
I relate to that completely, buddy.
Big mooooooooood
Oh I'm not the only one? This is literally all I think about when playing lmao
@@r.r815 me tooooo I just started a campaign with more experienced role players and all I can think about is if I’m playing my character well enough or if I’m steam rolling them bc they know what they are doing and I reeeeally dont
I would like your comment but it’s currently at 69 and I don’t wanna ruin it
"The key is to think beyond just 'what would my character do' and also remember to think 'we're playing a game'". It is so good to hear more people saying this. Too often people use the "its what my character would do" defense for doing things that are really crappy. Acknowledging that their character does not, in fact, actually exist, and that they are collaboratively telling a story with others and need to be considerate of that first would improve everyone's experience. Such a useful video, especially for super anxious players like me who are always afraid of being selfish!
In my experience, I have so little cognitive bandwidth for this sort of thing that, in the moment I struggle to even figure out what my character MIGHT do, or say, or think, in any given situation. There's literally nothing left over for "how does this affect the game". Therefore, in practice, something, ANYTHING is greatly preferable to the awkward silence that typically ensues whenever our DM tries to nudge us to RP a bit more. But that's just me and my stunted ways.
When someone says "thats what my character would do" theres a 90% chance its something they know they SHOULDNT do as a player in a collaborative game. Its at that moment when the table should remind them that they are a player, and to not make the experience shit for everyone else.
This exactly. One of the players in my Friday night game and I got into a big fight a while back because I was getting really angry with her character's behavior, and we had to have a long talk afterward where I had to directly remind her that her character's actions don't live in a vacuum, and the reason I was angry was because her character's actions were directly interfering with mine and making the game not fun for me. She's been better about checking with the other players before doing anything weird now, to be sure she's not affecting the party in a negative way.
The philosophy behind my “don’t be a dick” rule explained more succinctly than I could ever
Well also people aren't 100% consistent automatons. There's no such thing as "what your character would do" because the same person is likely to have more than one possible thing they could do in a given situation.
Our party got invited to dinner, my PC specifically. She figured it was a trap, so we had the Changeling Bard shapeshift and go in my stead. Listening to him nail my characters mannerisms was some of the best 30 minutes of role play I've had, and I wasn't even participating.
That’s SO cool!
"If there's another character who has experienced loss.."
My character started out as an orphan (so far so stock character) tried to help another party member save his parents, and failed (and constantly apologises for it.) The bromance that grew between them as a result of their shared pain however has been a lot of fun.
"We've all experienced being interrupted or ignored"... Now, imagine that you're the DM. Am I the only one who faced this?
I've been there.
Best tip I have: "Roll some dice, and look up some tables, wait, then do that again." If you're playing online, let the players see the dice-rolls.
Players will notice the dice-rolls, and start wondering what you're looking up.
What you are looking up? Oh, the loot they missed for not paying attention to the DM.
I can relate to that as a DM, Player and a Human Being. I then tend to just shut up.
All of the time with my main group but theyve had it beaten out of them xD
@@ThePhoenixpaw Usually when I did this I was finishing prep work I didn't get to. If the topic got too far from the game a simple "okay, now roll initiative" would bring things back.
Well, I just say "Hey, shut up i'm talking" and it works.
The cast of Critical Role is really good at most of these, and I feel like that’s their amazing influence on role playing in general. I’ve been playing D&D since I was little and consistently trying to improve all these skills are SO important!
At first I was wondering what Frumpkin had to do with the video. :D
Cat??
@@markg5611 Oh fudge! Thank you! I’ll edit cat to cast! 🤦♀️🤣
That, in my opinion, is the real core of why their game is great. It’s less about their acting chops or production quality, and mostly about them being generous and supporting with each other in the story.
Marisha and Sam could work on not interrupting but overall they have gotten much better
I think also another good tip is don't make assumptions of people's characters or literally make decisions for other people's characters.
for example: I have a character that I want to be a bit flirty, maybe even not be a good guy with relationships and cheat on their significant other, but my table as dubbed them as a 'Cute and romantic Himbo'
as such whenever I go to do something I want with my character i get a ton of 'Noooooo's' and '(my character's name here) isn't like that' and 'You don't need to do that, you're character is happy' and stuff like that. The DM then proceeds like my character didn't do something. At first i thought it was because they weren't huge fan's of cheating characters, but then they let someone joined who describes their character as cheating on their significant others, so it wasn't that.
They've written my character's personality in their minds and don't allow me to express my character how I want or let them have an arch because of it. It's super frustrating and takes me out of the experience
That's something you may want to talk to your dm about if you haven't already. That's shouldn't happen at anyone's table
@@fariahcriss5696 Agreed, wtf. Are you less experienced than the other players? I wonder why they feel like they can essentially make decisions for you. Very uncool and you have every right to mention it to your DM -- they should be making sure you have the space to make your own choices for your character, and acknowledging them when you do.
you need to put your foot down and turn to them and say, "Nope, he's doing this" and do it.
If the dm ignores you, you need to turn them and say, "Ah hey, I was serious, they're doing this"
And if they complain that isn't your character you can kindly remind them that they don't let you do the actions he wants to do.
But I agree with others, this is something you need to speak to your dm about so they can back you up when it does happen again.
When I first started roleplaying, I made the mistake of focusing a little bit *too much* on everybody else's characters. I would just get so drawn into watching others roleplay, especially because they were all so much more experienced than I was. I was too used to consuming a story rather than participating in one. I wanted to learn everything I could about the other PCs mysterious backstories and little character quirks. If I was involved in a scene, I would always swing the conversation around to my character simply asking another character questions about themselves, and not because my character was necessarily supposed to be super curious or suspicious, but because I, the player, was. My own character would rarely have strong reactions to things, because I was too busy dangling metaphorical carrots in front of other characters to see how *they* would react. I thought I was being a generous roleplayer, but I eventually realised that I was making things kinda boring. Not only did I quickly start to lose interest in my own character due to my own neglect of them, I realised that my unselfish playing was actually kinda selfish, because I wasn't letting the other players enjoy everything that me and my character had to offer to the story. I wasn't maintaining a balance. Anyway, thank you for this video, Ginny. Every single tip is super useful. And as one of those "quiet people" who is always waiting for the pause before speaking, it's nice to know that there are some lovely chatterboxes out there who see us and have our backs! :D
"The key is to think beyond just 'what would my character do' ..." More people need to hear that.
“It’s what my character would do” should serve as an invitation and not a justification. It should clue the rest of the party into “something else is going on, maybe we can help.”
I use a lot of these tips in the current Vampire game I play in on Saturdays. My character is the Sheriff, so the actually has authority over the others, and is constantly scheming (he's a Lasombra) so it's very easy for me to end up dominating the role-play. So whenever things end up focusing on me too long I'll ceade the floor to someone else, or seek out their input on what's going on. I also use my position as the coterie leader to delegate tasks so everyone has something to do
Always best to operate behind the scenes anyway. ^_^
Dude I just was doing a thing with my Changling character where she came to the group in her real form and legit NONE of them, other then my bf who has long time experience with rping, reacted to it. It completely shut down a moment of growth for her. And it's not like I was trying to make it all about me, I had her alone without her other form and she ended up chasing after something. I had made it clear that this was nerve racking for her and the butler character convinced her to show her true form to the group. It's my first campaign and I left because none of the people in the group vibed with the story😅
I think thats probably a problem with managing expectations, if you want things to go the way you've planned and your character to have meaningful growth writing might be more fun, dnd doesn't usually go like that, especially with inexperienced players. You can't really force people to be good roleplayers, it's just about finding a group that matches the style of game you want to play
@@butasimpleidiotwizard D&D can absolutely go in the direction of meaningful growth with inexperienced players! My own group is an example of that; most of us had never played before. It's a little gatekeepy to say to someone who was invested in a game "you're not going to get what you want, maybe you should just take up writing instead." Yes, we do have to be willing to collaborate and not be attached to plot expectations. But I totally understand this person's disappointment -- and it sounds like it was the right choice to leave, unfortunately. OP, you'll find another group that's more RP-focused, and while not every interaction will go how you hoped, it can definitely be more fulfilling
@UC44EPNBjs1H19c-3OPrSEvw True! That would be a perfect moment for the DM to fill them in by saying something like "none of you have ever seen such a thing before" or "a stranger appears in your group and starts talking as if they know you." This player mentioned that they had made it clear that the situation was nerve-wracking for the character, so ideally the DM should pick up on such things. And it's okay to decide to leave because people aren't in tune with each other -- I do think they'll find something that fits them better!
@@annafantasia thank you seriously it sucks tho. I always carry super low expectations but like the dm didn't even try to pull the players together. Like we all did our best to pull ourselves together but he never showed he truely cared about the story unless it was about his self insert
@@annafantasia can you maybe not call me a gatekeeper because I suggested that she might enjoy writing since it doesn't rely on other people having their shit together and she'd get to explore her characters in more depth, that doesn't mean she can't play dnd as well just that when you're invested in your character's development it helps if dnd isn't your only story telling outlet because you are just going to be disappointed, dnd isn't critical role, most groups can't play like that and many struggle to roleplay at all, let alone seriously.
I grew up always being told to quiet down/shut up, and so my D&D career has been years of not getting any kind of spotlight or even any room for roleplay. I've been told to "just speak up", but no matter what, I always got interrupted or talked over. I've left groups because of it. I really hope that eventually I'll get to actually roleplay... but first I need a group to play with u_u
I know the feeling. I've been there, and currently is there, too.
For me it became an interesting situation when I was GM'ing. Seeing some of the people who were used to taking up space finding the game grinding to a halt when the GM/DM just waited for silence. Had a player leave the group because they couldn't stand the silence.
I feel the exact same way >.< I always end up having side role plays with people sitting next to me because there's always someone who steam rolls me when I'm trying to finally say something in the main story. I feel like I end up never talking to the DM, with the npcs, even the time I played a bard, trying to branch out and say more. The players around me still would just talk over me, and since I'm so passive, I just let it happen >.
The way I combat being spoken over is directly taking it up with both the DM and the player(s) who might be giving me a hard time interacting in the story/gameplay, of course in a private setting and out of sessions. I know it's easier said than done, but I can 100% recommend taking it up and talking about it, since it's too draining to wait for a chance for others to let you speak, especially if they don't know you need to be given a space to speak out!
In my current DnD group, we are only 3 players, but we have one player who can get very very loud and she takes a lot of spotlight at times, especially during NPC conversations. I took this up with her, met her in person, and we talked it over about how anxious I at times got when she interrupted me/my character or downright ceased my character doing an action I ended up taking really personal. Now, she doing so much better, letting other players speak and even actively seeking out our responses on whatever is happening in the gameplay.
(Mind you, I am terribly anxious and I hate socializing with people I don't know very well, but if I never got the problem fixed, I knew I would just have left the DnD group all together, so I'd say it's worth to at least try and repair the problems before completely giving up on the group completely)
I understand completely and have had that situation with online groups. I know it may not be, but if possible find an irl group to join. It becomes much more obvious to those around you that you are waiting your turn and if you can get into the roleplaying they may go out of the way to encourage you to speak up because they enjoy it. Even if the players get too into roleplaying and don't give an opening just have a conversation with your dm and explain what you are after. Every other dm I have met loves when the players go out of their way to explain how they feel and their thoughts about the game. That way the dm can know to try to plug in spaces asking what your character would do or thinks. When I dm I want to provide a good experience for everyone involved, and when players pull me aside to talk about the game it both gives me clarity on the situation, but also it helps me learn what clues and details I need to look for and pay attention to, and the better I know the situation the better a dm I can be. I hope you find the group for you, and good luck!
Geez, we're looking for two more members if you are still looking, I'm called the eternal GM, so you're welcome to join
This is how me and my sister grew up as well haha... as a DM I make a point to notice quiet players and engage them when i can, specifically when its something i know they are interested in.. as a player i look to these players and get their help with a task. I should talk about that a little bit on my next making a d&d encounter video as well.
I definitely have some of the selfish tendencies when I play and some of these I try to mindful of, but as a human I am also forgetful or get swept up in a moment. At one table we have mostly newer players, so I'm sometimes also trying to fill a gap or silence when I could/should be mentoring someone into that gap or silence.
I think what I love about these tips is that they're also just pretty good tips for new roleplayers who need general advice. Not to mention great things for just about anyone at any level of roleplay experience to be reminded of from time to time, I think. I'll likely be recommending this video to all of my fellow players ... and maybe ask a couple of them to call me out when I fall short!
The fact that you add an example after each tips, is really clever and show really the point :-p
I am one of those quiet people that gets steamrolled. Thank you for this video.
Also, remember some players don't want to roleplay, and are chill just watching you do it. If you invite them to, and they don't, its not a failing on your part, just them not desiring to join.
Its okay to have audience, but when all players are audience members then you have a problem.
@@CathrineMacNiel Matthew Colville?
@@c.mitchell2900 absolutely. He is my spirit guide.
@@CathrineMacNiel Hell yeah.
I will also add on to the point that some times people will play the character that is either focused on something so they don't care to much or they are just playing someone that wants to be alone which is also a hard thing to rp as.
If I wanted to play an homebrew hybrid human oyster character, would that make me a shellfish player?
Good one XD
Must be a bard, cuz that's 2d4 psychic damage
Yes! You'd have to make sure you don't mussel into other people's conversations too much; it's often better to just clam up and sea what happens.
PFFT-
@@annafantasia I wish I had comedy skills like yours, lol.
Thanks! My online session is today and I'm the bard, so this video could not have been timed better
As an actor DM who plays in games run by less experienced dungeon masters, I worry about if I'm hogging the spotlight constantly. This is the most directly useful D&D video I've seen in years. Thanks!
My favorite way to interact with the "memers" is to, in character, ask them what they mean by a "glizzy", or why they think the best way to fight off the enemy horde is to apparently... show them the sights of the town? Is that it? We're fighting a war, Varrin- I don't think the zombies are interested in being "brought around town" or whatever that was. ...It brings back immersion and also, if they aren't just a jackass, immediately kicks off a hilarious scene where they have to justify why their dnd character knows about Wojack.
Not only are these great RP tips but also great people communication tips in general. Thanks Ginny!
Omg, I really needed this. I tend to talk over people a lot with out even realizing, so this is definitely something I need to work on. I liked the tip about finding something my character has in common with the others, I think it's gonna help me to engage with them more in the future. Thank you!
Every time you swing the conversation back to the quiet person who was interrupted, you make the world a little bit better! Seriously, it helps so much!
Our group in DND has this problem. I recorded the first game we had in a new game and I was shocked how bad we were talking over eachother. There was two of us that barely talked at all. Thank you so much for the advise, I'm going to try and talk to our DM about it.
How did the conversation go with your dm? Did it change for the better?
My DM recently pointed out that my character takes up a lot of space during roleplay, which I never initially wanted of course. My enthusiasm takes over during a session which can sometimes lead to me steamrolling over more quite players. Or by creating plothooks which is only interesting for me and one other player, but the rest has to backseat. I want to change that, so these tips are very useful!
How is it that every video leaves me saying "Thank you Ginny"?
Thank you Ginny!
absolutely love these tips, i just started playing Call of Cthulhu and have a bad habit of talking more than my fellow investigators. much appreciated
I'll add my own experience to the mix:
I'm the guy who unintentionally hogs the spotlight from time to time. We play online, so without being physically present - it can be difficult to 'read' who wants to speak. I became self-concious about it a time when I had spent, what I felt was, too much time doing a minor side-thing alone (Rogue meeting with his Juliet)
So after the session, I dm'ed one of the other players and asked about it - to my surprise he very much enjoyed it, and love when I surprise the party with a plan B, C and D - and notes on how to murder everyone in the party, in case someone turns evil/is possessed (Yes, Batman)
I brought it up when we prepared for next session and everyone else agreed with him - not that everyone wanted me to hog the spotlight, but that they didn't mind I sometimes did my own thing for a bit, as they actually loved the Noir/Batman-style in contrast with our regular, more light-hearted comedic tone: It was a welcome change of pace every once in a while.
Tl;dr - Communicate! Your party might love your selfish roleplay - or they might be frustrated. Taking the initiative to have the discussion will, at the very least, be appreciated in the party and you will be respected for it.
10:35 a thing you could do here is have your character come with suggestions that will not actually solve the puzzle.
Even if you Ginny know it won't, your character could believe it would and brings forth that "solution", and then there is roleplay for the smarter characters to explain to you why it won't work, or even let you try and and get hurt, then fix you up and solve the puzzle.
Playing a not very smart character can bring about some very interesting situations :)
Ahh, I grew up in LA, and when I moved to the South to be with my wife, I had a big learning curve to get through adjusting my conversation habits! I had no idea I interrupted all the time because everyone around me did and that was just how conversations went, which ended up shutting her down a lot until we figured out how to address it. Very good tips!
I know I tend to be a "spotlight hog" just by nature of trying to engage the world and characters the DM puts around me.
I specifically struggle because, being aware of this, I tend to pause periodically and ask for input from the party but it's like PULLING TEETH. There's one who also is very high-engagement, but the rest we can sit there and try and engage and be met with like 20 seconds of silence.
It's so frustrating e_e
Yo I feel this so hard
Same. I have the same struggle. I actually want to explore the world the DM made and so I talk more and the other players like do the minimum amount of interaction needed just to get to the end of the plot 🤦🏼♀️ and I've been laughed at for it, like sorry I want to be immersed
I feel this so hard man
This is such good advice for so many social situations. Everyone wants to be validated. Missed you today on Discord. Hope you're okay.
These rules are even more important now while many of us are playing on video or voice chat. It's even easier to talk over each other by accident.
THIS. WAS. SO. HELPFUL!! Thank you so much for the tips! I tend to get pretty socially anxious around roleplay and hugging the spotlight, especially as an extrovert, so thank you for handing me the tools to slowly work to fix those issues!
Thank you, I'm an extrovert with ADD and steam-rolling my fellow players is my worst habit, because I always want to blurt out the thought or idea that just came to me. It's something I'm still working on, and one thing I've been trying is, when the group needs to make a decision, I count to 10 before I speak up to give my fellow players a chance to get their ideas in.
Honestly just good human being advice for everyone.
I have been waiting for a video like this for so long. You did great on recapping everything positive around how to be a selfless and inviting person at the table!
I love this video! Thank you for posting it. I'm definitely one of those chatty people who just accidentally dominate a roleplay session. As I've started playing consistently with a group, I've learned to actually love amplifying other characters. All of your tips are so effective. I really try to play a D&D session asking myself, "How can each of us say or do something particularly memorable?" as my vague, guiding light.
I recently got into D&D and my anxiety makes me think that I’m overtaking the RP a lot... I don’t know if I’m being selfish at all; I tend to go silent when others are role-playing with each other. I do speak when I’m told to and I join in when possible. I’m just... Not very confident in what I’m doing.
I know I make mistakes on occasion and I know I’m not perfect, but this video helped me feel a bit more confident. Thank you.
Also, use that to your advantage. If it feels like your character is hogging the spotlight, maybe think about why they tend to do that and add it to your backstory. Then it might give you something to work with story wise.
Super helpful tips, thank you!!!! As a quieter player, this also gave me some ideas for speaking up a bit more. ♥
Well, my Players really could use the advice...
I was thinking the exact same thing lol
If you're a DM it's okay to tell the players that. Ours do it, since we play online and everyone can't talk at once.
Something I really appreciate in a DM is the ability to use NPCs to engage with the quieter characters. I bet you can still apply these tips as you're running a game to help the shy players be more involved (even something as simple as having a chatty shopkeeper turn to the silent fighter and ask, "you've been awfully quiet. Isn't there anything you might be wanting to purchase today?" etc. And if nothing else, you can share this video with your group and see if that helps.
@@caramelwen137 yeah im not a dm but this is our first dnd campainge amd we're kind of dysfunctional or at least me and another player. i just sent it and told them it was just helpful
These are some very helpful tips. Thank you for posting this.
I play in many RP games (and non-games) and i tend to notice these kinds of things. I try to make only comments as my character and since i love voice play you can hear my voice tone when i do. Like when my party had a unconscious person in the wagon that was just starting to wake up and were talking to them, in the middle of the conversation i just randomly had my character lean up and throw a shoe at them and tell them to be quiet, that he is trying to sleep. It was random and funny and got the plot suddenly going haywire. It was stupid, effective, in character and made things interesting. The DM gives my character bad karma for the stuff he does but my chaotic butt loves it.
That and people that don't get into character. Some friends got mad at me because my character was being mean to their character but that is just who my character is. I am sorry for staying in character.
The thing i feel bad about if when you have a very detailed character that has a lot of plot hooks cause you talk with the DM and make their history with them. -sigh- Like. I feel bad cause at times I feel like that character starts to feel like the main cause they have many plots that can play out while others don't have the same amount of depth that can be explored.
Not sure if you have this but maybe make a video on good character building?
This is all really good advice! I haven't actually played any tabletop RPGS in a long time, but lately, I've been worried that I might try to be the center of attention without realizing it. I'm going to be playing in a campaign soon where I'm the only experienced player, besides the DM, and I don't want to unintentionally take to fun away by being a selfish roleplayer, especially since it might have have a negative effect on how the first-time players view D&D.
I definitely need to work on some of these. As a stage actor, I love the RP side of games. I do tend to back down if someone else also speaks up at the same time, but I know I do also tend to dominate because the others are slightly quieter.
One thing my DM does that I really like, is that if more than one person speaks up at once, she'll go through us one by one and ask if we have anything to say or do. Not as organic, but it does give everyone the chance to say or do something they wouldn't have otherwise.
I steamroll all the time and am trying so hard to notice when I have been (really excitedly) monologuing 😬😬😬 these tips are GREAT, thank you so much!!!
This is also really good advice for a DM too because DMs can interract this way too by deliberately inviting quiet players in or bringing up ideas or conversations that each can answer with the others or whatnot. I love it!
Also work your way into each others arcs and backstories. It’s a strat I’ve been using and it not only gives other players more rp opportunity, but it includes everyone in the story and pretty much forces them to engage
These are all great! We switched to playing on Zoom with the pandemic in March and that distance can also make it difficult to not talk over others, and easier to forget about the quieter players at the table. When we’re not all at the same table, I found everyone needs to work a little harder to push the forward TOGETHER rather than individually, and keeping these in mind is definitely going to help.
Something we started doing recently that’s helped a lot is rather than asking “who is taking next watch” is “who do you wake up for next watch” and spurring a little interaction every time. It’s created some great mini moments between characters that don’t typically share scenes
Man, these are fantastic. I know I need to work on a bunch of this in my own games. One of the downfalls of DM'ing all the time is being USED to doing most of the talking, so it's important for us to lean into giving your fellow players room to shine! =) Thanks Ginny!!
I know I’m guilty of hogging scenes and my method of dealing with it was just shutting down for a few sessions and not talking with anyone. These tips will definitely help!
The last one on supporting other players' stories is so important. I've experienced scenes where its just a dialogue with the DM and they could be so much more if other players at the table just engaged and empowered each other.
I opened the video and the first thing I see is this adorable person and they're greeting that is too cute for my heart to handle man! YOUR SO CUTEE!!
I am one of those "Tends to talk a bit too much" types of people. For a while, I had been actively working on breaking a lot of bad habits I had from when I played with a smaller group so I completely agree with all of these tips! My being so darn invested in every character including my own was both a strength and a weakness because I would get so excited when something happened to other characters and end up interjecting something without realizing the way I'd done so was bothersome to others. I've since learned how to be a proactive type of excited without having to tune down my passion for every individual story. Investment in the other characters and passion for their stories will never be a problem, it's becoming proactive with that excitement that helps one become a better player!
Thanks for this, it will be so helpful for so many other players ❤
Always had a great time asking people if their character would do a specific thing if they seemed to be lost for what actions to take. It seems best to ask as open ended as you can, or to provide 2 or 3 possible ideas for actions they could take, and I would ask the rest of the party for ideas if I was stuck too.
We often had to make moral decisions, and the DM was generally cool with us asking for nudges or whether something was a "good idea" or a very "bad idea" xD
It made things REALLY fun, and we also had plenty of guest characters who would never need help getting themselves into trouble for years
Alternative title of this vid: How not to be an Orion Acaba.
Lol, in all seriousness though all of these vids are amazing Ginny. Especially for someone like me who is as introverted as they get, drama was NOT a good subject for me in highschool. I hope it's ok but i just made a playlist of most of your RP focused vids. They definitely are helping me to try & flesh out how I'll play my first character (whenever I get to play him, lol).
GOD, I hate how right you are. I wanted to punch Orion so hard in the final episode of Critical Role he was on.
@@sagesaria Tell me about it. Don't get me wrong, I 100% get that he was going through some health issues (cancer, hiv, etc) at the time but still, the guy did not handle them well/ was a complete douche & it forced Matt & co's hand & he's gone. This isn't even going in to the screwing over of people on Kickstarter or GoFundMe or whichever one it was. Or the mental abuse of his exes.
I really appreciate your wholesome and friendship-focused approach to tabletop gaming.
You're an awesome youtuber. Your advice is organized, clear, and has examples. You explain things well and do a great job of simplifying nuanced issues without ignoring the complexity of the topic. You've even got great lighting and sound lol. I've spent so much time getting dnd advice on youtube from creators whose styles made getting the info more difficult, so I wanted to compliment you on making really excellent and helpful videos. You go girl
I once saw a video on what good roleplaying attitudes players can learn from Travis Willingham. That video taught me a lot and it's been great noticing that the stuff I learned there really does help make the other players shine.
These tips remind me of that video, some overlap, but also some entirely new tips that I'm excited to try out!
I'm currently playing in a group of 3 players, where I am the most experienced. It's been wonderful seeing the other players grow out of their shell and the story has gotten to a point where I know their backstories will come up soon. So this is the ideal time to practice ways to make their characters shine!!
Thank you, Ginny! You continue to make content that makes this community better
Keep these videos up. You are for sure helping people. These are social skills that really help invite people to engage with the group, which of course makes people want to come back to play. Well done!
My party and I just finished a big story arc in our campaign and we actually sat down to talk about ways we can improve on role playing and talking in character. I sent some of your vids because I know we’re already open to improving and I hope they’ll help them
This channel is sooo good. This video in particular feels really great and helpful. I wish all my players and GMs could have your level of expertise and kindness!
I totally did #1 just out of default when my DM wanted more interaction early in our campaign. As the character with the highest charisma, I started tossing things that were presented to me to people I thought would know better but who might not speak up as easily.
Thank you for SO many great ideas. Some I've applied, and some I haven't. But this is excellent to have in video form to help players and DMs like me figure out encouraging suggestions to help balance the gameplay and more importantly roleplay.
I shared it with my entire group because we all could do just a little better about any number of these - myself included. I think this is a good refresher for anyone and it might help people realize that they were doing something that they didn't know they were doing. Great video, thank you for being awesome Ginny!
Wow! I just realized you have the video segmented into your bullet points! Props on that professionalism, that's super cool! I now wonder how many other videos you've done this to and I haven't noticed before...
This is really good and well thought out. Sharing this with my party because even having done RP for 20+ years, this is awesome to have reminders, and a few tips and tricks to help actively get the quieter folks involved. Absolutely love it.
All great advice. It makes for a more enjoyable game, when players can work together to role play & encourage shy folk to speak up. The bit about constant references is so true! It derails the in-game convo so quick. Occasional bits are fun, but we had to drop a player who would not stop themselves (it was CONSTANT and he outright refused to stop).
It's so hard to translate online though! No one in my group can use their cameras bc our internet is too slow to handle it (yay rural mountain community). I can't wait to see my friends irl again
Ginny this has helped so much! ive kinda taken these advice as a DM because i sometimes forget a player that hasnt been talking that much because my attention span sucks lots, and i only remember whatever is making noise at the moment, so as a player and a DM this tots work, ive already messaged my normally quiet player to see if he´s comfortable and if i could do something to help him as a DM.
Nice video and important topic! Thank you for keeping an eye out for the quieter folks (like myself). The comment you made about how some folks wait for an opening while others assume an opening will be made was spot on.
Such a good video! I started playing my first ever campaign a few months ago, and although I am usually a pretty quiet person, I discovered I am quite extraverted when playing D&D for some reason (I also chose to make a character whose main trait was "social butterfly that's been lonely for too long", to force myself to be a bit more daring in conversations) ! Which is great for me, because it's been a super fun outlet, but also quickly made me realise that I was so excited to feel "at ease" playing this game that I would take center stage quite often in our first few sessions! The first time we played after I realised this, I made it a point to be quieter and leave room for the others, but ended up not really saying anything at all, which wasn't good either. Since then I've been trying to follow pretty much the different approaches you describe! Trying to find a balance, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, inviting quieter players in! And this has worked so well, it's so worth it, because suddenly, players who wouldn't say much are getting more and more confident, and we develop dynamics between ourselves!
Something else I've been trying is reacting more outwardly to everyone's rolls. I found that the quieter players wouldn't react much when rolling their dice, or that some of us would react MORE for our rolls, and I think that also encouraged the DM to focus his attention on us in situations where we all had to make the same Perception Check for example. Now I kinda make it a point to be like "Oof! So close!" or "HELL YEAH !!!" when a nat 20 hits, and I feel like they kinda dare be more excited about their rolls, and start commenting too, which prompts everyone to be more in tune overall, have more fun with that aspect of the game, and also prompts the DM to find fun results for every roll!
Wow, you really hit the nail on the spot! I've recently joined a campaign and have been wondering if I've been stepping on other people's roleplay experience, and I hope I can use your advice from here on out. Thank you for these incredibly useful tips!
Love this video, my group is typically pretty quite so 1-2 people always speak up and dictate things...I end up being one of those people. I'll be using these tips to help get others involved!
This is awesome, thank you! I'm fairly new to roleplaying and I'm trying to be aware of this kind of thing. These will be really helpful :)
How is this not the most watched video on the channel? This video spoke directly to two of the groups I had this summer, and made me reflect quite a bit as well. Fantastic stuff!
I'm the forever DM of my group, and recently one of my players has started an awesome campaign. As a player I've been very consciously trying to shut the hell up and give others the spotlight so thanks so much for the tips dude
Thank you for this! So much really helpful advice, and really tactfully phrased as always. This is definitely something I'm going to rewatch a few times so that I can start to internalize these concepts and act on them.
I’m joining a table tomorrow and know I’m a loud and overwhelming person often (who takes over in panic when there is awkwardness/silence) so these tips have been super helpful! Thank you 🙏🏼
I skipped this video a few times and it ended up being exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!!
Omg, I know exactly what you mean by "conversational combat" and I despise it. Forcing this type of conversation is probably my most hated personality trade right after being rude to strangers because you feel entitled. I can deal with it for a short period, but it becomes draining quickly and I lose interest to talk to you at all. My usual way to deal with it is to become completely silent and stare at the other person without blinking. Then I wait for at least 5 seconds of awkward silence before I answer. Unfortunately that doesn't work in groups very well and I try to be the person that interrupts the talker and says: "X has something to say." when I notice that X just doesn't find the moment to interrupt the talker her/himself. Kudos for realizing this is a problem and working on it. Also you can cross out the 'roleplayer' in the title. These are some great tips for any conversation.
There was a moment last session, where we had to trick a gargoyle into saying the word trickery, it looke like 30 minutes of me and the dm going back and forwards, with others chipping in. After i got jt, i made my chracter pass out, so everyone else had a chance to speak and do rp. The quiest person at out table made an off hand comment that they attended a fae wedding, so im soooo taking to them next session.
My point is, when i started playing i was very loud, and steam rolled people all the time, but im activity trying to get better, and thats all that matters!!!
If ur watching this, then u probably allready want to be mlre fun, so well done! Keep going! Ull do amazingly!!
I always jump at a plotline aimed at me. It supports what the DM is trying to do and I pull in the other PCs to help me at every opportunity. But... I'm also a heck of a rules lawyer, so I take conscious steps in my character "blueprint" to keep myself in check.
1 - play a support character... someone who cannot be the main tank in the combat or level everyone with offensive magic. Like a healer, buffer, archer, or.. my current favorite... the charisma rogue!
2 - have a niche... make sure I'm the best at one or two things (that are NOT combat) and have glaring omissions that I need the other PCs to cover.
3 - have a limited spell selection... I do not trust myself with being able to pick any spell in the book each day. I do not give myself that power so I play a class that can't.
4 - make another character shine... use the above three things to absolutely make the day or make the scene for another character, and don't pick the same one each time.
I am so glad to see a video like this out, I hope it helps alot of people. My last group I got to play with (I left the group for this reason plus others) were bad about this, specially two people who wanted spotlight, all kills, or all loot every session. These two often took control and had the flow of the game fit what they wanted (the DM was not super experienced so they were not the take control back sort, especially since one of these selfish players made the DM believe they were such a veteran that the DM looked and thought the player could help the session. However this player did this just because they wanted the focus more on them and it not be stopped by the DM.) Well because of this I literally had two sessions in a row where my character didn't even get to speak or partake in anything. I rarely got combat (since I had bad rolls so I was always last in the order) because they metagamed on max damage and kills instead of working together. I also had an entire shopping session to where I was skipped over, didn't get to buy or do anything my character wanted to do. I haven't even gotten any loot (this was 5-6 sessions in) while others have, so to not get any reward and not get to buy something I was very lacking compared to others. I talked with the DM eventually and to try and give me some spotlight, he decided to flow the story down to a personal story for my character....which the other two players took control and left me with little to nothing to do with my own personal story. I just killed my player off and left the group after that. I lost interest in playing anymore since it made me feel like my character and be as a person was not interesting enough to be included. It's been a year since I played with a group but I been looking, just not finding any luck. I hope to have a better experience the next game.
Great video, Might have been good to touch on more warning signs to look out for in your own roleplay or to know when you are around selfish players.
One thing that I've often struggled with is when another player constantly strong armed the party because their character could only be played a certain way and they imposed this playstyle on the rest of the group. If the scene didn't directly involve them they would completely tune out until they had a way to make it about themselves or their story again.
"Invite others in..." is advice that turns talkative role players into great DMs.
:47 this can be true, but also don't forget that some people are introverts and don't want a spotlight and have fun just watching and taking everything in.
Sometimes trying to egg them on to participate makes introverts very uncomfortable and the last thing they want is to be the center of attention.
Overall good tips in the video! I would just add that sometimes it's also a good idea to read the room or even just ask if a person prefers to have a more quiet character.
- The Innkeeper
All excellent advice, and all good things to take on board for everyone! And it is absolutely to your credit that you take note of your own personal shortcomings, and meet them!! I kinda know where you're coming from familywise. As the youngest in my family, if I ever needed to be heard, I always felt I had to speak incredibly quickly, and pack as much into a sentence as I could! Something I still do to this day, but I have learned to keep an eye on it. And no matter what it is you play, tabletop, or video games, or whatever, when you roleplay, it is always going to be you at the core of your characters. And we take these experiences into the real world, and our real lives. When we can be good players, we can be good people, and all these tips (with slight modifications) apply to the real world as well. I have always said that you bring incredible goodness to people's lives, and inspire us to be the best people we can possibly be, and this is all testament to that!!!! You're an absolutely awesome person, who speaks from your heart, and encourages true kindness and warmth in our lives!!!! Always hold on to that knowledge, as it is absolutely the truth, and something you should keep in your heart!!! Also as a side note, your paintwork on the 3d model was badass!!!
Great video! I also am someone who jumps in, talks over others at times, and excitedly can take over play. I have found it helpful to tell the DM I want to do something or say something when he has a moment, and then he will either tell me to go ahead or tell me to hold on a moment. We have 2 players who are brand new to D&D, and although we've been playing our campaign nearly 2 years (supposed to be once a week but we've had lots of gaps) they still need reminding, patience, and a moment to speak their voice. 😄❤
Oooh, the people in my table should hear this. And me too, goodness, I needed this as well!
oh my gosh YES THANK YOU on the "it's what my character would do" comment. making it fun for everyone is so important, and people always seem to forget about people outside of the game too. i love how this can all be condensed to, basically, don't get so deep into character that you forget where you really are.
this is a great list, and you present it so clean and concise too. you've put into words some things i struggle with, and i really want to work on improving my role playing for the better now. thank you
I mean I don't think a person should be such a dickhead so as to ruin it for everyone but I can't enjoy the game without getting deep into it. I need to believe that I am my character in the world to experience the escapism.
That is, I feel, the most important topic for a group playing as a group and I appreciate your tips and your very inspiring explanations so so much! ❤️
Honestly this video was super helpful!! I'm always super interactive, which hasn't been bad in the past, but right now I'm in a game my brother DMs and most of the party is shy roleplayers. Because I've been in my bro's games before, we've already got a great rp chemistry going on, which means I tend to get a little more spotlight than the other characters. I've been trying to work on reaching out and pulling other characters in! (Though this doesn't tend to work on the brooding mercenary bad boy...) When I get excited I tend to forget to check in with others, though, and I seriously work on restraint. I've taken to pausing and trying not to speak first in situations, and sometimes I step back entirely. It doesn't help that I've been elected party leader -which is so strange for me, I'm not used to that at all.