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Acting and DMing -- is acting an impediment to fun?
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<blockquote data-quote="Burnside" data-source="post: 7907148" data-attributes="member: 6910340"><p>I am a professional actor and always try to inhabit the NPCs as much as possible when I DM. That said, I also think that D&D is at its best when the players are talking more than the DM. I also prefer to have no more than one NPC "on stage" at a time, and my games are <em>at most</em> 1/3rd about RP interaction with NPCs (often less). Because I am a professional, I'm reasonably confident that my performances aren't cringe-y. If I see a DM acting who maybe isn't the greatest at it, personally I find it mostly charming. It takes some guts to put yourself out there in front of people, and I think that's commendable even if the result is unpolished.</p><p></p><p>However, I think there is a problem when any DM is monologing and has lost sight of whether the players are actually engaged. D&D should be a dialogue or feedback loop between players and DM. I have seen both "acting" and "non-acting" DMs make the mistake of sucking all the air out of the room. What's most important is that the players are playing. When I DM, I try to make sure than within 30 seconds of the start of the session, the players are talking and doing things rather than just listening to me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Burnside, post: 7907148, member: 6910340"] I am a professional actor and always try to inhabit the NPCs as much as possible when I DM. That said, I also think that D&D is at its best when the players are talking more than the DM. I also prefer to have no more than one NPC "on stage" at a time, and my games are [I]at most[/I] 1/3rd about RP interaction with NPCs (often less). Because I am a professional, I'm reasonably confident that my performances aren't cringe-y. If I see a DM acting who maybe isn't the greatest at it, personally I find it mostly charming. It takes some guts to put yourself out there in front of people, and I think that's commendable even if the result is unpolished. However, I think there is a problem when any DM is monologing and has lost sight of whether the players are actually engaged. D&D should be a dialogue or feedback loop between players and DM. I have seen both "acting" and "non-acting" DMs make the mistake of sucking all the air out of the room. What's most important is that the players are playing. When I DM, I try to make sure than within 30 seconds of the start of the session, the players are talking and doing things rather than just listening to me. [/QUOTE]
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