boring dm

[kolikeos]

over the past few sessions things seemd to go down pretty boringly, people just sit around the table listening to their mp3s or telling jokes but no one really pays attention to the game, everything ingame seems to be really boring.
if i haven't mentiond it, i'm the dm.
my question is, what can i do to make the game more lively, anything to bring the exitment back to the game?
things have been going quite badly for some time now and i fear the players will abandon the game if things don't improve.
any advice is welcome.
thanks in advance.

 

[The Shaman]

What are you doing now that isn't grabbing your players' attention?

 

[kolikeos]

right now they're in the middle of a dungeon on a goblin infested island and are looking for some old map.
the problem is that it has been boring for some time, if it was only for this session then it would have been alright, every game has it's down sessions.

 

[Oryan77]

You need to really get into roleplaying an NPC. Quirky NPC's are always good to use to liven up the game. Players like those funny or weird character that they can talk about down the road.

You have to be energetic if you want the players to pay attention and for the group to have energy. Focus on a lot of roleplaying, and focus on the PC's. Maybe you can introduce some crazed Dwarf that's been stranded on this island for years and he's a little insane (in a funny way). Use him to mess with the PC's and make them laugh. Use lots of hand motions while roleplaying and maybe stand up while you are pretending to be the NPC's.

That's all I have for now

 

[the Jester]

Do something different. Vary the pace. If they're bored looking for this map, switch things up. Is there an alternative to the map (guide, a map in a different place, etc)? Could they be tired of the dungeon? Maybe they need a different sort of encounter- a chance to parlay and bargain for their goal, an outdoor encounter, underwater?

 

[Wyrmcrest]

You must be doing something right if this has been going on for several sessions and they keep showing up. Is there a part of the game they start focusing again? Like for combat?

Speaking of combat, do you try to create strategic scenarios for combat, or do you just set a bunch of orks in front of them to fight?

What classes are they playing? Is there a lot of overlap of essential skills? Are you giving each player a chance to stand out in different situaltions? Have you looked at your player's character sheets recently? Sometimes you can tell what players want out of a game by what they put skill points and feats into.

Anyway, just some ideas. Hope this helps.

 

[Zen]

You may consider having another group of adventurers arrive on the island-- searching for the same map, of course, and not at all interested in working with the P.C.'s

A little friendly (or not so friendly) competition may heat things up.

 

[kolikeos]

You must be doing something right if this has been going on for several sessions and they keep showing up. Is there a part of the game they start focusing again? Like for combat?

Speaking of combat, do you try to create strategic scenarios for combat, or do you just set a bunch of orks in front of them to fight?

What classes are they playing? Is there a lot of overlap of essential skills? Are you giving each player a chance to stand out in different situaltions? Have you looked at your player's character sheets recently? Sometimes you can tell what players want out of a game by what they put skill points and feats into.

Anyway, just some ideas. Hope this helps.

i remember they used to like combat better then anything else, usually it got interesting in short fights with a good chance of death (although i tend no to kill too many pcs)
there is usually not much strategy (on niether side) it's just a big guy vs party or lots o losers vs party.
i have three brute forcers, a badly playd 3lvl paladin, a wierd 3lvl monk (best player in regard to roleplaying and strategies) and a 2lvl fighter 1lvl rogue that likes to sneak attack with big weapons, there is also another 3lvl rogue that is the party's skillster but he is absent about 50% of the sessions.
with the rogue character it would be great to let him stand out useing a combination of his skills to sneak past badies, disable traps and suchlike but as i said he's usually not here when he is most needed.
i don't know about the others, how could i shine out their characters if they're all brute forcers?

 

[loki44]

people just sit around the table listening to their mp3s

Don't let them listen to mp3's during the game.

 

[Crothian]

forbid MP3 players at the table, whenever someone starts to talk off topic address them in game and force them to come back into the game. try something different, if the dungeon adventuire is boring, then have them wake up in wonderland or Oz or make things confusing but over the top. engage them and what they like