Im gonna be honest here. As a player who has only DMd once, I find it very disrespectful to do something else during a session. One of our players has the habit of checking and announcing footbal results and it triggers me to no end. Thr DM is putting so much heart and thought into creating this amazing adventure for us and the dude just kills everyones immersion by doing that.
True, but it is a two way street. The DM should also be mindful of how one keeps group attention at all. This is why I hate lengthy narrative boxes in modules. No matter how fast or intently I portray them, they're always attention killers.
One of the things I've learned as a dm is just talk to that player. If they're not actually interested in your dnd session or you simply decide you don't *want* to be their dm, let them go. Dm for the people you want to make a story with and who want to be part of that story.
I'm about to start Dming a full campaign (I've mainly run one shots) for the first time with a group of mainly new players and this is super useful, super appreciated
Imagine if the DM just ignored the players and played on his phone while the player was trying to tell them what they are doing in the game. The DM pays attention to the players, the players should pay attention to the DM. Its a two-way respect. If it only goes one way, talk to them about it. If it keeps happening, ask them to leave.
It's harder if you are playing via discord, because you can't see your players face while narrating. It is really a pain, saying it by experience. I've been using your concept of spotlight has been a while, heard it before someone talking about it and it really did helped me out. Still, sometimes the player not in the spotlight usually just "fly off" on their own mind, it's hard to balance the time for the players into the spotlight and the others, mainly when they split up and things happen to them at the same time, but we are learning on how to do things. (Me and the players.)
I actually have experience in this, and here is the #1 piece of advice I can give you: Clock how often you hear the players not in the spotlight. Now, this can be REALLY hard, but if you can manage it, you very quickly realize which ones are beginning to grow bored by how quiet they are since the tendency online is to start doing something other than the session. I'll probably do a full video on this soon so hopefully I can help then!
With discord such things are definitely a whole lot more difficult. Something that has helped my discord game was actually to have our webcams on. They are relatively more reserved players so after switching those on, I could more easily distinguis when they are still invested or in their own space.
I don't know if this is much help as I'm still new as a dm, but i actually usually split my group so they can get the spotlight. It's easier for them to read each other's cues and jump in to rp as they'd like, so everyone gets a chance to really participate. I also suggested to my players to pass the mic, so to speak, for when they run out of things to say like "well, fiddlesticks! What do you think player 2?". For dealing with a split party and keeping everyone invested, i switch between when either they're running out of ideas for a situation OR right before a major event. If the former, I find that giving them that time to relax can unexpectedly give them an idea when we cut back to them. If the latter, everyone is excited and ready to cut back to them to see how it goes - it can become a loop of constant suspense if you keep it going like that for both groups, as they'll get excited for their plan AND the other group's plan. Probably not for everyone, but it's made management and participation easier on everyone, i think
Analysis paralysis is the BBEG of any cooperative game. Players with bad memories are fearful of losing track of what they wanted to do, and thus feel the need to blurt out one's action (which I call the "old timer syndrome"). When splitting up your PCs, use a chronometer and give a certain amount of time to each split (2-5 minutes, or even just one action per PC). Take copious shorthand notes during each encounter. Never EVER complete an entire split encounter before moving on to the next split (even Luke vs Vader at Cloud City took turns with Leia's group escape).
This video was a lot of fun! Just the right amount of silly with helpful tips. 😊 When we play with my one friend, we bought him a coloring book for whenever he needs to do something with his hands instead of play with his phone. He seems to enjoy it and it's less disruptive. Plus he's more apt to actually hear what's going on and pay attention.
I would love to have non-focused players help keep track of everything happening behind-the-screen during a focused encounter, but I'm afraid of ending up with cheaters creating D&D Horror Story #327.
Long time DM first time player as of recenty playing Call of The Netherdeep online. I have taken to sketching out scenes in a lil sketch book I have when I find myself needing to do things with my hands or when the "spotlight" is not on me. I do my best to stay engaged with what is happening in the story but I find stimulating my manic brain helps keep me still in the world without being disruptive.
Talk about keeping attention, finally a fast paced D&D video. So many really slow 45 minute videos with some good information, but not anything I couldn’t get in
As a player the other night, my friend and I were waiting on a player to inspect a statue. We were in the same room but not included in the conversation. So he and I started dancing like Tobey Mcguire. Apparently the DM caught wind and made us actually dance in game.
6:22 I have a collection of Transformers, and before my group starts our on-call sessions I always grab one of the simpler ones as my "fidget bot" for that call. Whenever I'm just listening to what's going on and it's not my time to participate, I mindlessly transform whichever toy I've chosen back and forth repeatedly. It helps if it's small and simple rather than one of the larger and more complicated ones. It helps me divide up my brain and listen to parts of the game that I'm not actually part of. When it's a scene that I'm in and I need to be making active decisions, I put the toy down and participate. It's pretty helpful for me.
About to run my first Kult: Divinity Lost session, this advice is really good for running a horror game. Another thing I would say is just ban phones, it might not go down well with everyone, but most of my group agrees that it is best to have all phones in a small pile on a different table to keep players focused. Thanks for this advice, really looking forward to my first Kult session!
I have goobered my way into an 8 person party who, while i love them, can get distracted in/out of character. This is a pretty solid idea ill have to try out!
@@sagniksarkar2471 its not too bad, i just got here because friends would ask to join and I felt bad saying no. I started with 5 haha And its been goin for three years so im doin something right
@@tacticalmelons4398 hey great job keeping it up. how long do you guys play for? must take a long time to get 8 players to feel sufficiently involved into every session.
I ran a game for 10 ppl for 5 years. My very first game was a game of like 20 ppl (kind of too much). Larps generally have 100 or more and run VERY similar to dnd. Trust me, its skill based how many ppl you can gm for
Great video dude, you have really been making some GREAT stuff, keep killin it! YT Advice that helped me a lot: take a BIG deep breath before you start talking, a lot of times in your deliveries you sound like you are running out of breath. This happened to me all the time because I feel like we are similar in that we both naturally talk pretty fast lol! I hope you take this as me stopping to take some time to help a fellow YT'er and not me being too critical.
My talking cadence has been the #1 thing mentioned since I started this channel, still working on it haha. I really genuinely appreciate the advice! It's absolutely something I'm still working on improving every day. Sometimes the nervous jitters just get to me ya know?
I got a player that constantly cuts off other players on their turns. Me, as respectul as possible, shush him off every single time. "no but I-" *slap* shush. It's his turn. "I prepared to do-" *slap* shush, it's his turn.
I give my players fidgets to quietly keep their hands busy during the entire session, and I find it helps a lot! It keeps minds focused and doesn't interrupt combat or rp as it happens.
I GMed TMNT back in the 90s and am planning to run a campaign with my 3 kids soon. This was a cool video and reminded me of what playing the game was like, after all these years. Solid advice to help a GM run an enjoyable game and think of everyone. Thanks!
Honestly we had players in a campaign that didn't pay much attention... our DM spoke with them (we all were upset) and finally we just threw them out because we didn't want to repeat everything 2x times just because some people can't pay attention and disrespect the story or the time of others.
Your last two videos had a nice effect where you moved from one location to another. Liked how you “moved” our thinking with these different positions.
I run non D&D games (Sentinel Comics RPG mostly) but your videos are really helpful for sure. I'll admit all the discord messages threw me off because I thought it was my discord at first lol
Awesome video, this is great advice. Plus, this is a great! new format for your videos. The skits help deliver on the point and reinforce it. One question though? You mentioned working with 1985 who have some good tools, and referred to the description. I'm not seeing any mention of them in your description. I ask because, even though I can google for myself, if i was to visit I'd rather use an affiliate link so that you get credit for driving traffic to them. Just my preference; I like to support my top tubers when I can.
ONE OF THESE DAYS the descriptions of my videos will work as intended. Today is not that day lmao. It's been fixed, but just in case here is the direct link! 1985games.com?ref:jay-martin
This is actually good advice while I due use discord because three of my players are in diffrent parts of the world this is something that I do try to do naturally to make sure that everyone has at least some time to shine and don't feel left out.
I’m usually the DM because I know it requires my full attention all the time… whenever I am a player, my ADHD makes it hard to know what I should be focusing on and what the current goal for the party is- certainly going to introduce this to any new dm I know haha
Although I agree that DMs should do their best to engage players by distributing the attention evenly, I hate the idea that the players themselves have no responsibility to engage or focus. PMing other players with off-game banter or memes during a session is not a DM issue, but a player issue. If my players are being disrespectful, I prefer to tell them outright, rather than nudge or coddle them.
1. It seems that, in order to minimize interruptions and maintain fairness, establish a non-combat initiative order based on the PCs' DEX scores. 2. To create something dynamic with the spotlight(s), timing should also come into play. Maybe what needs to be done isn't given too much time to accomplish it. 3. Tying PC goals to the spotlight(s), even tertially, is a way to get players invested in a focus instead of having them wander about unsure of what to do. 4. Keep each player's action singular and short, so as not to stretch other players' patience through anyone's particular elaboration. 5. Use brief, general descriptions to introduce your spotlight, then invite the players to ask for details and drawing their attention further. 6. Misdirection, when gauging interest and used sparingly, is also helpful. "Oh, they think I'll use zombies when I have something else going on, eh? I'll just put this dead body right here as a lure and... SURPRISE GELATINOUS CUBE!" 7. Have more than one spotlight occurring at the same time, with each spotlight possibly affecting the other. "I'll go unlock the princess, you distract the monster, and you keep that barrier from breaking or else the sea water on the other side will drown us all."
After fighting and such I like to get everyone to say what they are doing. Then either roll a dice or use common sense to decide the order. If 2 people want to loot bodies then they can roll with that, and then I can get to the wizard who wants to call home or something like that. This allows everyone to get their 2 cents in and know they have been heard. It happens a lot where the party splits up and stuffs
You need more attention. I saw the amount of likes you had and I realized you make amazing content and you need more attention. Your first few minutes summed up the whole video and then you showed all of the examples and specifics
we play with the rule that if you need to use your cell, please step away from the table to another room - whether it's a call, text, or swiping. It's less disruptive to the table, and those engaged in their phones are missing the game/story - so its usually self-correcting. This does NOT fix the ever-growing problem of distractions while playing online via VTTs - as online gaming becomes more and more popular and for the most part has replaced a lot of the face to face tabletop gaming of yesteryear.
if you really choose, in your heart, that your goal as a DM is to tell a story that captiavtes the hearts and minds of your friends, to leave feeling empowered by a strong narrative, than you will find a way. if youre goal is to get everybody to pay attention and leave feeling like it was a good night, youll continue to be a control freak and not a good story teller. choose to care about the story, not the politics of the night and whos got the podium. im sorry but i know this is going to help someone.
@@PlayYourRole Does it inspire you to EAT YOUR BEANS? Real talk, though, I'm glad to hear it. :) You can thank your editor (or whomever's responsible for your outro plate) for my consistent engagement.
Great video! How do you balance the spotlight and letting people RP? I know some people use discord as a way to have pc to pc conversations, which I want to encourage, but I also don't want to let people feel unengaged. Also, I refuse to eat my beans 😉
I let my players talk via text in a public char on the discord. Its a lot better than interrupting speech, esp if theyre just jokes or banter. Its all counted as in game and 100% equates to what the players are doing in the game (if theyre talking via text while “sneaking” they will be also talking in the game so). Humor is very important to a game
01:20 This is one of the things I always struggle with. We have had four hours sessions that just revolve around a single combat and I just get bored. What's worse is the current GM of our group 'skips over' a lot of the world building and character interaction aspects of the game to get to the next combat. players
8:34 dont really agree here. Id hate to be shamed like a kid infront of everyone of your misstake of being exited. I would tell player one 1 to roll a investigation, while he does that is quickly go back to player 2 and ask if thats whats hes gonna do or if hes consulting the team? Id be wise to hear their opinions first. speaking of, is the rest gonna do anything? If so put them last in line with a okay, cool then go back to player 1 and describe the zombie. Like that youve created a innvisible turn order involving everyone without having to pick and chose. If they still interupt being THAT impatient then its a deeper problem that should be adressed outside of the game. What youre doing here feels more like first to speak up gets to act while the rest will just try to wait till your done and hope to be next. Wich can be frustrating depending on how long it takes.
Agreed. This point would be better handled BEFORE a game such as during session 0. You rly dont need to call ppl out mid gAme. Just talk to them after if needed
I am here because my last session was aweful. Home got destroyed and the group managed to escape, so we arrived in the new city and i offered them not too much but 2-3 things to do.... they clinged to the mainstory. Okay, landed in an inn and ... did nothing. So i forced npcs to interact with them. They still didn't ask anything critical.... so i managed to tickle it on them and provided them crucial information for the whole future of 150 villagers. I tryed to offer them something else, presented them an opportunity for a barfight. Still didn't get any real reaction. So i ended the session there and made clear, that this didn't get to anything i wanted at all. All players had do tell me two days after what they want to do next. One of the experiences players wanted to hand the spotlight to my newly joined girlfriend. She doesn't know what to do yet at all but also doesn't ask, just dragging along right now. So we paused a lot... really frustrating.
My solution: the experienced player shall take the lead, as he really get my hints for the story. I will handle the spotlight and my other player is really unconventional thanking anyway, so i don't need more distractions.
I don't want to end my campaign with only a normal boss fight but I've been really thinking hard about it and nothing comes to my mind, what did yall do for giving a cool end to your campaigns??👀👀
I don't invite players back to the game, who continually perform other tasks (phone, email, text etc) when it's not their turn. I've only ever had to do this once. Message sent and received.
I dmed one campaign and it was great. Then my 2nd campaign started and I increased to a party of 5. Now it takes 20 minutes for one turn in combat and they hate roleplay. When they are not in combat, they don’t know what to do. But then they complain when there is too much combat. They are always on their phones and it makes me mad. Then when I do something foreshadowed or that I said earlier they say “It’s supposed to be our story” I understand it’s their story but when they don’t do anything unique to make it their story then I can’t help that. I throw strong bosses since they are a strong group but then when they kill the boss they act like it was nothing. They constantly metagame and it ruins encounters and fun things Like recently a boss used dominate person on a party member and the member started attacking the person in the party with the most hp. None of the players knew how to end dominate person and kept on complaining about it. When I gave up on hinting to it I told them “look, he needs to take damage to redo the check. If you want your character to find this out then have the a spellcaster roll history to remember the spell.” Then the ranger said “my character is a mean dude so I’m not going to roll the check and I’ll just attack him.” It made me mad since he only did that after I specified and then he refused to roll the check. I also need help making death more prominent When their character dies they have their backup ready to go and the party accepts a random person in If they get sick of their character, they kill their own character off and get their new favorite one out They also think a character has to have homebrew for it to be fun Idk I’m just venting
I feel this. Lots of times we’ll have to clarify which players are constantly not paying attention because the table of ADD kids has one that is always the center of attention or not paying attention at all.
As a game master I keep the spot light on the characters majority of the time. Even that has a con too, good example is what you showed on the video. The idiot player that always trying to twist the ruled. In addition that one PC that refuses to learn about the feats and skills of the character. Last but not least the dim wit that constantly pays more attention to his phone than the game. These days I make game rules that 100 percent effective of getting toxic players out
@@purience1502 give you this what I use to keep the players hooked...always, always use their backgrounds as plot hooks. Second to get the pcs back in the main plot. In the campaign call the netherdeep the pcs didn't give a shit about the amulet..soo the idiot rivals got it.. In the book it did a lame as shit paragraph to get them back in the game. What I did was the following...players followed some suspicious ass heads and over heard their conversation, a spy reporting to a wizards guild master, saying the rivals are headed to the city. Pretty much a guild of mage killers are gonna kill the pcs in the city... What I am saying is you have to be crafty and make it extremely serious
I'm 5 minutes into the video and I still don't know how this "spotlight" actually works? You just say "spotlight"? Isn't whatever the DM is focusing on at any time the spotlight?
The problem is that a lot of people aren't good at picking up obvious stuff like that, so if the players are acting in a disruptive way, instead of hoping for them to understand that this scene is important you can say "Hey guys, the spotlight is in the (blank) right now" to warn them about the spotlight.
Im gonna be honest here. As a player who has only DMd once, I find it very disrespectful to do something else during a session. One of our players has the habit of checking and announcing footbal results and it triggers me to no end. Thr DM is putting so much heart and thought into creating this amazing adventure for us and the dude just kills everyones immersion by doing that.
You are absolutely correct. Just make an announcement, any cell phone used during game sessions is not tolerated
True, but it is a two way street. The DM should also be mindful of how one keeps group attention at all. This is why I hate lengthy narrative boxes in modules. No matter how fast or intently I portray them, they're always attention killers.
@@igku8339 What if you use virtual tools? Just fucking speak to your players lmao
I’ll tune out if the dm is giving important info to another player that I’m not supposed/can’t hear in character. But other than that, I agree.
One of the things I've learned as a dm is just talk to that player. If they're not actually interested in your dnd session or you simply decide you don't *want* to be their dm, let them go. Dm for the people you want to make a story with and who want to be part of that story.
I'm about to start Dming a full campaign (I've mainly run one shots) for the first time with a group of mainly new players and this is super useful, super appreciated
So glad I could help! I hope your campaign goes incredibly!
Wow are you my clone because that’s my exact situation right now
@@josephbrazil8370 I'm sure a lot of people can relate lol. It's a constant struggle
I needed it too 😔
You should watch Matt Colville's running the game series. It really helped me when I started DMing
Imagine if the DM just ignored the players and played on his phone while the player was trying to tell them what they are doing in the game.
The DM pays attention to the players, the players should pay attention to the DM. Its a two-way respect. If it only goes one way, talk to them about it. If it keeps happening, ask them to leave.
Me playing chess while the pcs get killed trying to fight shop keepers for the 1000th time
"I will let you make that mistake" is one of the best sentences I ever heard 😂
One I have in fact said in session before 😂
It's harder if you are playing via discord, because you can't see your players face while narrating.
It is really a pain, saying it by experience.
I've been using your concept of spotlight has been a while, heard it before someone talking about it and it really did helped me out.
Still, sometimes the player not in the spotlight usually just "fly off" on their own mind, it's hard to balance the time for the players into the spotlight and the others, mainly when they split up and things happen to them at the same time, but we are learning on how to do things. (Me and the players.)
I actually have experience in this, and here is the #1 piece of advice I can give you: Clock how often you hear the players not in the spotlight. Now, this can be REALLY hard, but if you can manage it, you very quickly realize which ones are beginning to grow bored by how quiet they are since the tendency online is to start doing something other than the session.
I'll probably do a full video on this soon so hopefully I can help then!
With discord such things are definitely a whole lot more difficult. Something that has helped my discord game was actually to have our webcams on.
They are relatively more reserved players so after switching those on, I could more easily distinguis when they are still invested or in their own space.
I don't know if this is much help as I'm still new as a dm, but i actually usually split my group so they can get the spotlight. It's easier for them to read each other's cues and jump in to rp as they'd like, so everyone gets a chance to really participate. I also suggested to my players to pass the mic, so to speak, for when they run out of things to say like "well, fiddlesticks! What do you think player 2?".
For dealing with a split party and keeping everyone invested, i switch between when either they're running out of ideas for a situation OR right before a major event. If the former, I find that giving them that time to relax can unexpectedly give them an idea when we cut back to them. If the latter, everyone is excited and ready to cut back to them to see how it goes - it can become a loop of constant suspense if you keep it going like that for both groups, as they'll get excited for their plan AND the other group's plan. Probably not for everyone, but it's made management and participation easier on everyone, i think
Analysis paralysis is the BBEG of any cooperative game. Players with bad memories are fearful of losing track of what they wanted to do, and thus feel the need to blurt out one's action (which I call the "old timer syndrome").
When splitting up your PCs, use a chronometer and give a certain amount of time to each split (2-5 minutes, or even just one action per PC). Take copious shorthand notes during each encounter. Never EVER complete an entire split encounter before moving on to the next split (even Luke vs Vader at Cloud City took turns with Leia's group escape).
The only correct way to play on Discord is to turn on your webcams.
I'm 100% stealing, "I promise I will let you make that mistake later" 😂
Turns out that's my version of "You can certainly try"
This video was a lot of fun! Just the right amount of silly with helpful tips. 😊
When we play with my one friend, we bought him a coloring book for whenever he needs to do something with his hands instead of play with his phone. He seems to enjoy it and it's less disruptive. Plus he's more apt to actually hear what's going on and pay attention.
Man I should have a coloring book when I play that sounds awesome
@@PlayYourRole Extra bonus points if it's the D&D ABC coloring book! My friend's isn't, but it does have dragons in it, lol.
I would love to have non-focused players help keep track of everything happening behind-the-screen during a focused encounter, but I'm afraid of ending up with cheaters creating D&D Horror Story #327.
When I take my shot at DMing I'm definitely going to adopt the phrase "I promise I'm going to let you make that mistake."
Long time DM first time player as of recenty playing Call of The Netherdeep online. I have taken to sketching out scenes in a lil sketch book I have when I find myself needing to do things with my hands or when the "spotlight" is not on me. I do my best to stay engaged with what is happening in the story but I find stimulating my manic brain helps keep me still in the world without being disruptive.
Talk about keeping attention, finally a fast paced D&D video. So many really slow 45 minute videos with some good information, but not anything I couldn’t get in
I'm definitely getting a physical spotlight to turn on each player for their turn.
As a player the other night, my friend and I were waiting on a player to inspect a statue. We were in the same room but not included in the conversation. So he and I started dancing like Tobey Mcguire. Apparently the DM caught wind and made us actually dance in game.
6:22 I have a collection of Transformers, and before my group starts our on-call sessions I always grab one of the simpler ones as my "fidget bot" for that call. Whenever I'm just listening to what's going on and it's not my time to participate, I mindlessly transform whichever toy I've chosen back and forth repeatedly. It helps if it's small and simple rather than one of the larger and more complicated ones.
It helps me divide up my brain and listen to parts of the game that I'm not actually part of. When it's a scene that I'm in and I need to be making active decisions, I put the toy down and participate. It's pretty helpful for me.
Haha, I play games of Solitaire or listen to bouncy music and dance. It’s crazy how just doing a little something on the side can help focus.
Love the demos coming with the explanation!!
Thank you! My editor worked hard to come up with the concept!
About to run my first Kult: Divinity Lost session, this advice is really good for running a horror game. Another thing I would say is just ban phones, it might not go down well with everyone, but most of my group agrees that it is best to have all phones in a small pile on a different table to keep players focused. Thanks for this advice, really looking forward to my first Kult session!
I have goobered my way into an 8 person party who, while i love them, can get distracted in/out of character. This is a pretty solid idea ill have to try out!
8 people at the table sounds like a recipe for disaster. I remember a friend of mine saying handling even 5 people is a very tough.
@@sagniksarkar2471 its not too bad, i just got here because friends would ask to join and I felt bad saying no. I started with 5 haha
And its been goin for three years so im doin something right
@@tacticalmelons4398 hey great job keeping it up. how long do you guys play for? must take a long time to get 8 players to feel sufficiently involved into every session.
I ran a game for 10 ppl for 5 years. My very first game was a game of like 20 ppl (kind of too much). Larps generally have 100 or more and run VERY similar to dnd. Trust me, its skill based how many ppl you can gm for
The video has a new and upgraded quality in so many ways. Very much appreciated, great video
The encouragement means the world, thank you!
Great video dude, you have really been making some GREAT stuff, keep killin it!
YT Advice that helped me a lot: take a BIG deep breath before you start talking, a lot of times in your deliveries you sound like you are running out of breath. This happened to me all the time because I feel like we are similar in that we both naturally talk pretty fast lol! I hope you take this as me stopping to take some time to help a fellow YT'er and not me being too critical.
My talking cadence has been the #1 thing mentioned since I started this channel, still working on it haha. I really genuinely appreciate the advice! It's absolutely something I'm still working on improving every day. Sometimes the nervous jitters just get to me ya know?
I got a player that constantly cuts off other players on their turns. Me, as respectul as possible, shush him off every single time.
"no but I-" *slap* shush. It's his turn.
"I prepared to do-" *slap* shush, it's his turn.
I give my players fidgets to quietly keep their hands busy during the entire session, and I find it helps a lot! It keeps minds focused and doesn't interrupt combat or rp as it happens.
I just use dice for that. I have over a hundred of them.
I GMed TMNT back in the 90s and am planning to run a campaign with my 3 kids soon. This was a cool video and reminded me of what playing the game was like, after all these years. Solid advice to help a GM run an enjoyable game and think of everyone. Thanks!
audio quality is through the roof! it’s been really fun to see how far the videos have come :)
Thank you so much!
You had me at "UNDEAD FROGHEMOTH!!"
It's crucially important for everyone at the table, DM included, to be mature. Only then is communication both efficient and concise
wow this is going to help so much, thank you!
love the new video style.
Thank you!!! Still getting the hang of it
Honestly we had players in a campaign that didn't pay much attention... our DM spoke with them (we all were upset) and finally we just threw them out because we didn't want to repeat everything 2x times just because some people can't pay attention and disrespect the story or the time of others.
I love that EdgyJay uses that one default Xbox 360 profile picture. Brings back a sense of nostalgia.
This was a really high quality video, love to see the improvement
Thank you so much!
One of my players has ADD. They paint Warhammer minis while we play (online).
Ah thats a great idea!
Bold of you to assume that the people in the intro were actually talking about the session
Your last two videos had a nice effect where you moved from one location to another. Liked how you “moved” our thinking with these different positions.
I run non D&D games (Sentinel Comics RPG mostly) but your videos are really helpful for sure. I'll admit all the discord messages threw me off because I thought it was my discord at first lol
Good advice as allways.
Thank you!
Awesome video, this is great advice. Plus, this is a great! new format for your videos. The skits help deliver on the point and reinforce it.
One question though? You mentioned working with 1985 who have some good tools, and referred to the description. I'm not seeing any mention of them in your description. I ask because, even though I can google for myself, if i was to visit I'd rather use an affiliate link so that you get credit for driving traffic to them. Just my preference; I like to support my top tubers when I can.
ONE OF THESE DAYS the descriptions of my videos will work as intended. Today is not that day lmao. It's been fixed, but just in case here is the direct link! 1985games.com?ref:jay-martin
@@PlayYourRole Awesome as always, Jay!!! Thanks so Much!
This is actually good advice while I due use discord because three of my players are in diffrent parts of the world this is something that I do try to do naturally to make sure that everyone has at least some time to shine and don't feel left out.
Awesome! I REALLY need to make a video about playing online
I’m usually the DM because I know it requires my full attention all the time… whenever I am a player, my ADHD makes it hard to know what I should be focusing on and what the current goal for the party is- certainly going to introduce this to any new dm I know haha
Thank you! It sounds stupid but with this information everyone at my table including me will have more fun!
Although I agree that DMs should do their best to engage players by distributing the attention evenly, I hate the idea that the players themselves have no responsibility to engage or focus. PMing other players with off-game banter or memes during a session is not a DM issue, but a player issue. If my players are being disrespectful, I prefer to tell them outright, rather than nudge or coddle them.
1. It seems that, in order to minimize interruptions and maintain fairness, establish a non-combat initiative order based on the PCs' DEX scores.
2. To create something dynamic with the spotlight(s), timing should also come into play. Maybe what needs to be done isn't given too much time to accomplish it.
3. Tying PC goals to the spotlight(s), even tertially, is a way to get players invested in a focus instead of having them wander about unsure of what to do.
4. Keep each player's action singular and short, so as not to stretch other players' patience through anyone's particular elaboration.
5. Use brief, general descriptions to introduce your spotlight, then invite the players to ask for details and drawing their attention further.
6. Misdirection, when gauging interest and used sparingly, is also helpful. "Oh, they think I'll use zombies when I have something else going on, eh? I'll just put this dead body right here as a lure and... SURPRISE GELATINOUS CUBE!"
7. Have more than one spotlight occurring at the same time, with each spotlight possibly affecting the other. "I'll go unlock the princess, you distract the monster, and you keep that barrier from breaking or else the sea water on the other side will drown us all."
not me zoning out watching this video... why am i like this
After fighting and such I like to get everyone to say what they are doing. Then either roll a dice or use common sense to decide the order. If 2 people want to loot bodies then they can roll with that, and then I can get to the wizard who wants to call home or something like that. This allows everyone to get their 2 cents in and know they have been heard. It happens a lot where the party splits up and stuffs
You need more attention. I saw the amount of likes you had and I realized you make amazing content and you need more attention. Your first few minutes summed up the whole video and then you showed all of the examples and specifics
we play with the rule that if you need to use your cell, please step away from the table to another room - whether it's a call, text, or swiping. It's less disruptive to the table, and those engaged in their phones are missing the game/story - so its usually self-correcting.
This does NOT fix the ever-growing problem of distractions while playing online via VTTs - as online gaming becomes more and more popular and for the most part has replaced a lot of the face to face tabletop gaming of yesteryear.
You could always cast Entrall on the players. Usually works for me.
I think mine might be impossible to charm, though
“I promise I will let you make that mistake…” 🤣🤣🤣
Nice advice, you got yourself a new sub.
As a DM when the party enters an area I let them go do something and then I can ask them what they’re doing.
if you really choose, in your heart, that your goal as a DM is to tell a story that captiavtes the hearts and minds of your friends, to leave feeling empowered by a strong narrative, than you will find a way. if youre goal is to get everybody to pay attention and leave feeling like it was a good night, youll continue to be a control freak and not a good story teller. choose to care about the story, not the politics of the night and whos got the podium. im sorry but i know this is going to help someone.
Hey man, great video! I have a question, where did you get your shelving mounts? Been trying to find a good shelf for my room and yours is perfect!
I'm going to point a spotlight at the table at which you should EAT YOUR BEANS.
Your consistency in your comments terrifies and inspires me
@@PlayYourRole Does it inspire you to EAT YOUR BEANS?
Real talk, though, I'm glad to hear it. :) You can thank your editor (or whomever's responsible for your outro plate) for my consistent engagement.
Great video! How do you balance the spotlight and letting people RP? I know some people use discord as a way to have pc to pc conversations, which I want to encourage, but I also don't want to let people feel unengaged.
Also, I refuse to eat my beans 😉
I let my players talk via text in a public char on the discord. Its a lot better than interrupting speech, esp if theyre just jokes or banter. Its all counted as in game and 100% equates to what the players are doing in the game (if theyre talking via text while “sneaking” they will be also talking in the game so). Humor is very important to a game
I feel lucky as a newbie dm my players have been really good with their rp and listening to the story I've made
Annoyed Jay's face to being interrupted... I feel that on such a deep level.
01:20 This is one of the things I always struggle with. We have had four hours sessions that just revolve around a single combat and I just get bored. What's worse is the current GM of our group 'skips over' a lot of the world building and character interaction aspects of the game to get to the next combat. players
8:34 dont really agree here. Id hate to be shamed like a kid infront of everyone of your misstake of being exited.
I would tell player one 1 to roll a investigation, while he does that is quickly go back to player 2 and ask if thats whats hes gonna do or if hes consulting the team? Id be wise to hear their opinions first. speaking of, is the rest gonna do anything? If so put them last in line with a okay, cool then go back to player 1 and describe the zombie. Like that youve created a innvisible turn order involving everyone without having to pick and chose. If they still interupt being THAT impatient then its a deeper problem that should be adressed outside of the game.
What youre doing here feels more like first to speak up gets to act while the rest will just try to wait till your done and hope to be next. Wich can be frustrating depending on how long it takes.
Agreed. This point would be better handled BEFORE a game such as during session 0. You rly dont need to call ppl out mid gAme. Just talk to them after if needed
Where’d you get your dm screen
Banger video
I am here because my last session was aweful. Home got destroyed and the group managed to escape, so we arrived in the new city and i offered them not too much but 2-3 things to do.... they clinged to the mainstory. Okay, landed in an inn and ... did nothing. So i forced npcs to interact with them. They still didn't ask anything critical.... so i managed to tickle it on them and provided them crucial information for the whole future of 150 villagers.
I tryed to offer them something else, presented them an opportunity for a barfight. Still didn't get any real reaction. So i ended the session there and made clear, that this didn't get to anything i wanted at all.
All players had do tell me two days after what they want to do next.
One of the experiences players wanted to hand the spotlight to my newly joined girlfriend. She doesn't know what to do yet at all but also doesn't ask, just dragging along right now. So we paused a lot... really frustrating.
My solution: the experienced player shall take the lead, as he really get my hints for the story. I will handle the spotlight and my other player is really unconventional thanking anyway, so i don't need more distractions.
Mr. Player of Roles plz help, this is my group's biggest issue, we all have ADHD and rarely get to meet for D&D
Boy if that ain't my whole LIFE
I don't want to end my campaign with only a normal boss fight but I've been really thinking hard about it and nothing comes to my mind, what did yall do for giving a cool end to your campaigns??👀👀
Some good ideas
With 11 PCs it’s hard to keep them all interested and off their phones.
Fucking demonic laugh at the end
I don't invite players back to the game, who continually perform other tasks (phone, email, text etc) when it's not their turn. I've only ever had to do this once. Message sent and received.
I'm gonna be honest, I watched this video while I was also on my phone and didn't hear a single word of it.
Any suggestions for online games?
I dmed one campaign and it was great.
Then my 2nd campaign started and I increased to a party of 5.
Now it takes 20 minutes for one turn in combat and they hate roleplay.
When they are not in combat, they don’t know what to do.
But then they complain when there is too much combat.
They are always on their phones and it makes me mad.
Then when I do something foreshadowed or that I said earlier they say “It’s supposed to be our story”
I understand it’s their story but when they don’t do anything unique to make it their story then I can’t help that.
I throw strong bosses since they are a strong group but then when they kill the boss they act like it was nothing.
They constantly metagame and it ruins encounters and fun things
Like recently a boss used dominate person on a party member and the member started attacking the person in the party with the most hp.
None of the players knew how to end dominate person and kept on complaining about it.
When I gave up on hinting to it I told them “look, he needs to take damage to redo the check. If you want your character to find this out then have the a spellcaster roll history to remember the spell.”
Then the ranger said “my character is a mean dude so I’m not going to roll the check and I’ll just attack him.”
It made me mad since he only did that after I specified and then he refused to roll the check.
I also need help making death more prominent
When their character dies they have their backup ready to go and the party accepts a random person in
If they get sick of their character, they kill their own character off and get their new favorite one out
They also think a character has to have homebrew for it to be fun
Idk
I’m just venting
People who are constantly not paying attention shouldn't play, period.
They clearly want to be doing something else, after all...
I feel this. Lots of times we’ll have to clarify which players are constantly not paying attention because the table of ADD kids has one that is always the center of attention or not paying attention at all.
I could not make head nor tail of this. Sounds like you're over-thinking this: "Be a good DM".
As a game master I keep the spot light on the characters majority of the time. Even that has a con too, good example is what you showed on the video. The idiot player that always trying to twist the ruled. In addition that one PC that refuses to learn about the feats and skills of the character.
Last but not least the dim wit that constantly pays more attention to his phone than the game.
These days I make game rules that 100 percent effective of getting toxic players out
A link to these rules please
@@purience1502 my rules are not on the net.
@@imoweenlodestone5447 Can u please share?
@@purience1502 give you this what I use to keep the players hooked...always, always use their backgrounds as plot hooks.
Second to get the pcs back in the main plot.
In the campaign call the netherdeep the pcs didn't give a shit about the amulet..soo the idiot rivals got it..
In the book it did a lame as shit paragraph to get them back in the game.
What I did was the following...players followed some suspicious ass heads and over heard their conversation, a spy reporting to a wizards guild master, saying the rivals are headed to the city. Pretty much a guild of mage killers are gonna kill the pcs in the city...
What I am saying is you have to be crafty and make it extremely serious
@@imoweenlodestone5447 Thanks
Session zero is the way. Any player who doesn’t pay attention after being asked to stop distractions won’t be at the table long.
Too late 2 of my players already left my campaign:(
I'm 5 minutes into the video and I still don't know how this "spotlight" actually works? You just say "spotlight"? Isn't whatever the DM is focusing on at any time the spotlight?
The problem is that a lot of people aren't good at picking up obvious stuff like that, so if the players are acting in a disruptive way, instead of hoping for them to understand that this scene is important you can say "Hey guys, the spotlight is in the (blank) right now" to warn them about the spotlight.
i like the things you speak but it is 4 minutes into the video but you haven't spoken anything yet :/
hmm
Hmm indeed
Play vampire and you will so this better
Just trying to talk to some one qith this going on in the back ground .... jesus fuck
This video could've been several minutes shorter while retaining the actual point of the video.
My whole party has attention disorders. Fucki g kill me