Greetings, gamers from all systems, places and timelines!
One of the hallmarks of D&D is its structured turn-based system. And while this has advantages, it is not without its downsides – such as how a single combat can suck up more of the session than everyone trying to decide what they want for game night dinner.
To determine why this may be happening, we should look at the turns within the game and how the scenes are being resolved. Because, if either are excessively long, then it can bring things to a grinding halt. However, you don’t want everything to fly by faster than the weekends or the flavor of the game will be lost. This is why we’ve composed a list of eight tips that will make turns, rounds, scenes and scenarios run smoother without the DM or players, especially new ones, feeling rushed.
1. Players: Plan Your Actions When It’s Not Your Turn
Nothing makes a long battle or scene drag on like a joke that stopped being funny two years ago like a player who, when their turn finally comes up, has no idea what to do. Granted, as a player, you may have a question about the situation or need a rules clarification, and that’s fine. However, after waiting 10 minutes for a turn, there is no reason why anyone should be caught off guard by the question of “What do you want to do?” This is bad for everyone at the table in terms of strategy and game flow, so use your time wisely even when the camera isn’t on you.
2. DMs: If You Split the Party Up, Expect Delays
This is something that’s cool once in a blue moon, but if it happens constantly, the guest becomes a regular. Since running both scenes and combat normally can require a lot of bandwidth, you don’t want half the party stuck waiting for the next screen to load, such as if everyone goes a different direction when shopping. Do we really need to roleplay Sir Nick buying torches?
Avoid split scenes within reason and just do yourself a favor and try to involve as many characters as possible in every given scenario. Because a monolog that has to happen separately between six or seven characters and a DM will leave everyone else just watching things unfold that they aren’t even supposed to have any actual in-game knowledge about.
3. Players: Strategize Without Overthinking
During combat, it’s natural to want to make an extremely clever move that impresses everyone. However, sometimes you just need to move and attack. So, if you find yourself on a tabletop battle map or Roll20, don’t think just because you are the party wizard that you need to be a geometry expert who somehow catches all of the monsters and none of your friends in a blast-radius spell every turn. And, if you’re looking to pull some crazy stunt like attacking the enemy caster behind rows of opponents, talk it out with your team beforehand so you know you will be backed up.
4. DMs and Players: Be Familiar With the Abilities of Who or Whatever You’re Controlling
Something else that can slow down combat is when the person running it is unfamiliar with the monster’s abilities. This likewise applies to players, especially if they have familiars, summoned creatures or sidekicks. Ideally, everyone should take a little time before the game and brush up on all of these things so they are fresh and ready to go by game time. And, as players, you don’t want to miss your chance to shine because you didn’t know about one of your abilities that would have been an enormous help to your group three games ago.
5. DMs: Have a General Monster/NPC Battle Game Plan Going In
While no one expects you to prepare for a battle scenario like Alexander the Great, you should have a general strategy going in, or at least have one for the important cinematic battles. Nothing makes a campaign more forgettable than a BBEG getting outmaneuvered or put down effortlessly in a battle that had nearly zero tension. As a DM, if you did the legwork to create a memorable villain, it’s only fitting that you allow them to go out with a bang.
6. Players: If It’s a Roleplay Scene, Don’t Try to Take 6 Actions Before Anyone Else Has Even Had One
Sometimes you have players who are eager to jump in and run away with the scene. But odds are they have five to seven other players patiently waiting for them to stop talking so they can do something. So, even if your character is super fast, they can’t be 30 sentences into a conversation with an NPC before anyone else can take an action (not unless they are speaking with the fast-talking actor who used to do the commercials for Micro Machines).
7. DMs: Sometimes You Need to Get to the Point
Periodically, a good lore drop or description adds some needed flavor to the game. But sometimes you don’t need 14 lines to describe an ordinary room. At times, it may be necessary to provide a key detail to entice the party to look behind the painting. Others times, you should just let them walk into an inn without trying to pretend this is a discount virtual reality experience. Just like in life, time is one of your most valuable resources, and you don’t want to spend it somewhere that it is not needed.
8. DMs & Players: Think Twice About Calling for Reinforcements or Summing During an Already Messy Battle
If you want to summon some creatures to help mop up a random encounter, then by all means do so. But, when there are already 14 tokens on the battle map, please don’t drag more on. While it may not be a bad idea tactically, mechanically things quickly turn into a seven-warhorse pile up on the King’s parkway. As for the DM, while it may be tempting to just push more creatures on the same battle map, this should be used sparingly. Unless you’re comfortable with your players giving a last game recap that is something to the effect of “We went into a room and fought wave after wave of monsters. The end.”
Final Thoughts
How the DM handles turns, rounds, scenes and scenarios will greatly affect how much the players enjoy the game. Likewise, how well you use your time both on and off-screen will affect how the other party members will view your abilities as a player. It’s been said that when a DM is a player, you should be the type of player you wish you had more of in your own game. And as a player, if you want the DM to involve your character more in the plot, then being both focused and creative will encourage them to place more of the story on your shoulders.
How does “split the party” fall under the DM category?? In my experience the vast majority of the time this happens it’s a decision the players have made.