[Cuilean]

There are times in every player's life when he has yawned, waiting for someone else in the party to decide what to do. There are also times when a GM has built a sense of urgency, only to have it shattered by someone having to dig through a book for details.

So, a short list of things I've found that help keep the game moving (only some of which I've mentioned in my dealings with the DNDresources house crew.)

1) When you are in the combat, everyone should be planning their move before it's actually their turn in initiative. If someone repeatedly is unprepared for their turn in combat, I have counted to ten silently after I have asked what they're doing; if they haven't given me an answer by then, I move on, declaring that the character is obviously confused about what they should be doing. Other GMs I've played under used an eggtimer. You had to be able to declare your action and make any initial rolls by the time the eggtimer ran out, or else, again, you did nothing.

2) Players should be able to pull anything they need right off their sheets; ideally, they should never need to crack a book. LadyOfDragons has taken to putting the text of the spells in her spellbook for Red right on her character sheet. I use index cards. This is a case where taking the one minute beforehand saves five in the game.

3) Get eating out of the way before you begin. If possible, have drinks within easy reach for refills during the game.

4) Allow time for socialization before the game. Encourage that out-of-game discussions be taken care of before you begin, and tell players to write down out-of-game ideas to discuss them out-of-game.

5) Take short breaks (five minutes here or there) so people can go use the facilities or refill on those drinks that aren't local, and then return to the game, instead of jumping up in the middle of your epic combat to say, "Pardon me, pardon me, excuse me, pardon me."

Comments and other suggestions are welcome.

[Rintaran]

Great ideas there, I already do most of them... gonna have to try that count to 10 bit though.

[Shadow_Wolf]

I keep trying to get everybody to roll damage when they roll to hit but it is like tring to open a wall with my head.

[donaghey]

I use most of those. They do all work but I also use candles it sets the atmosphere. Sometimes I take a sharpie to a candle and just say when it reaches this point your turn is over. It works with setting the mood, The players get into it better, instead of taking something from so far out of a game like an egg timer. So use a candle
That food thing doesn't work so well for me. We get to my house round 4, peeps leave round 10. So we eat in the middle it doesn't interupt too much when eating during play, but when they get out the nachos and tortias, then things get hectic, always reaching asking pass the dipping sauce, melt more cheese!!!!!
WARNING: to all dms don't give the pcs the illusion of chips in the house
so that is my advise to yall out there
>donaghey

[Cuilean]

An eggtimer's an hourglass... so it isn't fantastically modern. I'm not referring to the ticking bell kind.

I have to state that although candlelight may help set the tone, it isn't appropriately bright enough to reference your sheets or dice. I have dice that are medium blue on dark blue. They'd be really hard to read under candlelight. If we were LARPing, yes... around a table... I'd prefer being able to see, and let my mind do more of the recreation.

Same goes for incense... though it can help set the mood, some people don't react well to it.

However, music, if played at a proper volume, helps carry the tone into the game without adding anything chemical to the air.

[Cuilean]

A few more ideas for those behind the GM screen... some of them direct from RPGA tourney notes.

1) Pre-roll damage for static traps. That way, you don't have to stop to roll and add when that Glyph of Warding sends a 50KV charge through the plate-clad fighter.
2) Use an initiative chart to keep track of where in the round you are. There's a very good description of this in the DMG.
3) Although you should have an up-to-date copy of everyone's player sheet, make a cheatsheet of the important stuff: Name, Race, Class, ACs (all of 'em), HP, attack bonuses, base spell DC, and # of spells per level per day. Also include movement rate, encumbrance and/or armor penalties.
4) Make the party give you a generic marching order for passageways of 5', 10', and 20' wide. Unless someone specifically says they're somewhere else before an encounter begins, use that marching order to lay out miniatures.

[infinity]

Actually food can be a very nice tool for the DM....ours, if we keep in character for at least an hour, will usually reward us with some kind of food...usually we forget about the food anyways and never actually eat anything, but it does help us get into character...
just me 2 cents

[Shadow_Wolf]

I feel there is a thin line between streamlining the game to move faster and killing the atmosphire of the game itself.

[Rintaran]

I agree, it is a very thin line. Its also very difficult to tell when you've crossed it sometimes.

Characters have to eat too, so one thing I've done is added a bunch of little tick boxes to my master sheet that shows how much food they have left. It gets really interesting when they run out and no one is really all that good at hunting, or deep in a dungeon. Goblin meat apparently tastes like chicken does... after its been left out for two or three days.

[Cuilean]

Is there any part of what I've said that you disagree with, Shadow Wolf? And if so, which part, and why?

[Shadow_Wolf]

I personaly do not belive in prerolled damage. I like the game to progress at it's own pace. My biggest problem when someone falls asleep and the session just looses it's edge. It is very difficult to run and keep things interesting. I also would like to see less out of game stuff (like wombats) but that has been on the decline since we got back from our "Fair Break".

[Shadow_Wolf]

also I feel that atmosphire can and dose add to the feel of the game. when I ran my party through ravenloft there was only candle light, and stratigicly placed accent lighting. The effect worked beautifully. And is to date one of my most memorable games. I had everybody literaly on the edge of there seats.

[ladyofdragons]

Quote

My biggest problem when someone falls asleep and the session just looses it's edge. It is very difficult to run and keep things interesting.

I'm sorry

for those not "in the know", I am infamous for falling asleep during games. Generally there are two reasons for this.
1) it is past my bedtime, and my body just shuts down. If I could remember to drink a cup of coffee during the game it would probably help.
2) I get bored of waiting for other people at the table. Sometimes it takes like 5-10 minutes to get back to me. It's very hard to keep up the excitement level, and #1 happens that much easier.

[BrotherMouran]

Quote

1) it is past my bedtime, and my body just shuts down.  If I could remember to drink a cup of coffee during the game it would probably help.
2) I get bored of waiting for other people at the table.  Sometimes it takes like 5-10 minutes to get back to me.  It's very hard to keep up the excitement level, and #1 happens that much easier.

Regarding #2, hopefully folks can take some of Cuilean's ideas to heart to keep things moving. I know that, unless I'm researching spells for some odd possible use, I try to have my action already planned out ahead of time... including already having figured out my applicable bonuses or negatives to hit, so it's just roll-and-add 1 number.

As far as #1, you do realize you'll be reminded by the whole group to have some coffee with dinner now. It could be worse though... if yer hubby was still working at the medical warehouse, I could have seen a coffee IV drip in your future.

[Cuilean]

My point about pre-rolled damage was solely for those things that are static, such as traps. A given trap will always do 4d6 points of damage, for example, so I'll have that pre-rolled in case someone trips it. It's much more difficult to pre-roll damage for combat, and thus not really worth the time it takes.

My problem with candles has always been the level of illumination; I agree that they, like incense, have their place in creating the "mood"... but if I have to squint so hard my eyes hurt in order to read my sheet, then I'm not enjoying the game as much.