D&D 5E Cell Phone and Electronic Etiquette at your 5e Table

[feartheminotaur]

Generally, we don't have cell phones* at our table. I work for an IT consultant firm and some of my contracts require 24/7 availability. If that's the case, I'll either plan around it by not playing (or go to a movie, or whatever) or let my group know that if the phone goes off with the work ring tone, that I may have to leave.

If the cell phone use is game related or not obtrusive, no one really makes a deal out of it. If you're not paying attention, or need to duck out for a call, our DM would just ignore you - you aren't part of the table, so he won't include you, just like you had to leave early or couldn't play. None of that has ever been a problem.

But...

It's the people whose cell phone use affects everyone else that lead to us adopting a rule. Rule #6: No phones out, no answering at the table. Like all general rules it was due to a problem player (that I mentioned in the other thread). When your phone use slows down play, is you shouting at some facebook post, causes "sorry, what happened?" so we have to waste our limited playing time, or talks over the DM...that's not just you, that's disrespectful to your other players. And that's not cool. Not cool at all.

*I'd also note that "cell phones" - which I take to mean texting or actual voice conversations - are completely different from tablet or laptops for information reference. Most of us have tablets or laptops for our PC info, PDFs, etc. (this was a bigger deal w/ 4e and DDI).

 

[psychophipps]

I use my phone for my character sheet so I use it quite a bit. That said, my fiddling on my phone isn't hitting up Facebook or other sources of distraction.

 

[iserith]

I don't disallow cell phones or other electronic devices at my table. But neither does anyone have the time or inclination to check them when the game is in progress. If I ever saw someone thumbing through his or her phone, I would interpret that as a personal failure to present an engaging game.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

At my table for a typical session, electronic usage is as follows:

Me - 75% of the time I've got a laptop, which is entirely dedicated to using as a gaming reference tool (PDF-only products, online references, and my notes for the game in digital format because using paper is impractical, like when I went through 15 of those spiral bound notebooks over a single year just the other year).

Sometimes I also have my phone at hand for use as a calculator (easier than laptop point-and-click calculator), or for some useful app like a soundboard.

My Wife - she can't pay attention to the game while also on her phone, so she stays off it (though I do have to occasionally remind her).

Friend A - pays attention just fine despite playing some game on his cellphone right up to an hour before the end of our session, and he only plays the cellphone game at that particular time because he doesn't have any other time in his daily schedule usually and he is trying to get daily things done before the next server day begins.

Friend B - doesn't have any kind of attention problem, uses his phones infrequently (yes, plural phones - his job necessitates a dedicated phone)

Friends C-F - the rest of the group regulars only get out their phones if somebody says "look that up", or if there is a song that fits as background for the current bit of game, or if I (being the guy running the game basically 999 of any 1000 sessions) leave the table for some reason.

For me, it's not about whether there is or isn't a device in use - it's about whether the person is or isn't attentive to and enjoying the game.

 

[pukunui]

When I'm DMing, I only use my phone as a calculator. When I'm a player, I will usually only use it as a calculator. Occasionally, I might look something up on it, though, or, on rare occasions, I might check Facebook or something if the session is getting boring because the DM is spending too much time with just one or two other players.

I actually had one player quit because I asked him to stop playing on his phone so much during the game. I suggested that if he thought he'd need to be on the phone for a while, he could step away from the table as a courtesy. Basically just quoted the guidelines from the AL player's guides. He told me that he couldn't make that kind of commitment and walked. *shrug*

 

[BoldItalic]

"Special Snowflake" here.

My son keeps giving me mobile phones but I never remember to turn them on. Then I forget how to work them. Some of them have too many buttons and some don't seem to have any buttons at all. It's all too confusing. Besides, I never know the numbers so no one can call me even if I did turn them on.

I don't do texting, I've got old-fashioned thumbs.

Sorry, what was the question? Oh, yes. No, I don't have a tablet. In my young day, computers filled buildings and kept a dozen operators warm. These new-fangled tablet things hardly give out enough heat to keep a mouse warm. What's the use of that? Give me old-fashioned paper and books. If you get cold, you can at least burn them in the grate. Try burning one of these plastic tablet things and all you get is a very funny smell.

I know people nowadays seem to be mesmerised by their mobile phones. I think it's tiny mind-flayer pixies hiding inside the phones, taking people over. Just watch in the street, and think ... mind flayer over there ... that one's a mind flayer ... yup, mind flayer ...

 

[was]

..We generally don't allow cell phone usage at the table. Our standing rule is that all phones are put on vibrate, and texts/emails/calls go unanswered unless it's an emergency. The general consensus at our table is that it is rude to both the DM and other players.

..Several do use iPads/laptops for their character sheets and reference pdfs. Web surfing/playing video games/emailing, however, are also similarly restricted by group consensus while gaming.

 

[transtemporal]

For game stuff while in-session, sure people use their phones but meeting etiquette applies. If you have to take a call, leave the room so you don't disturb the session. Replying to the occasional text/tweet/fb or whatever is fine. Obsessive texting, tweeting, instagraming, FBing or playing games is not. You certainly should not sit there giving a blow by blow account of your social life to the group.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

I use dice rolling apps because I am the spawn of silicon!

 

[Lejaun]

I don't use a cell phone while I play usually, but I know some who do. As long as people are paying attention and not causing delays, it doesn't bother me. Many people are quite attentive and can handle multiple things at once. Many use phones as a way to look up spells, skills, or other PDF things. There are multiple very nice character sheets out there as well.

If they can't keep up, however, it's a big issue to me. I come to play D&D, not wait for others. If we are in battle and it gets to the phone users turn and he does something like this:
"I...uh...wait...uh......hmmm.......OK, I cast magic missile at the goblin boss."
DM: "The goblin boss is already dead, the paladin killed it two players ago."
"Oh. Uh....I cut the rope that the goblins climbed up."
DM: "The rogue already did that three players ago."
"Really? Oh. Hmmm......ok....what monsters are still up?"
DM: "The demon worg is the only thing left standing."
"I cast firebolt on the worg."
*rolls, hits*
DM: "The demon worg shrugs off the firebolt, seemingly immune to fire. You should have know that."
"That's BS. You didn't tell me."
DM: T"he sorcerer already cast fire bolt right before you turn, and it had no effect. You weren't paying attention."

Scenarios like that make me grind my teeth into little shards of ivory.