Distracted Players

[jbear]

Step 1: Share your feelings in a chilled out manner with the group.
Step 2: Offer a solution (some good ones above), open a discussion come to an agreement.
If that doesn't work: Step 3: Sand Timer or digital timer. 1 minute 30 for your turn. Stop the clock for any DM interruptions (oAs etc). Drop time when Action point is used or add 1 extra minute. Time runs out, resolve last action, Next turn.

also you could say that any out of turn talking must be done in character: "Moggly, not to the left you fool! Get up next to Forkk and hit that creature with ringworms! I hate Ringworms! My son has ringworms! Destroy the worms!"

This is a rule that has been put in place due to the large size of our group, but with all of my players mutual agreement on the issue.

 

[jbear]

Yeah, don't pad monster's hps just to make them tougher.

Change the environment instead.

I totally agree. Minions are minions. The die when you hit them. Not every single challenge has to be of the same level of difficulty. But if you do want something to be more challenging, adding hps is going down the wrong path... the dreaded path to GRIND! Aaaaagggggh..... Think Quicksand, swarms of flies, disgusting slime covered rocks, giant rat traps disguised as furniture (joking) etc. etc.

 

[mysticknight232]

Our party frequently gets off on tangeants as well. When that happens, one of the other players usually yells "What? DnD?" and the rest of us know that we're slowing the game down.

Try it next time and see if it works.

 

[knifie_sp00nie]

Over the years I've found that banning alcohol, marijuana, and other recreational mind altering substances from the gaming table, helps a lot in significantly reducing distractions.

These days I simply won't play tabletop rpg games anymore with people who are drunk or stoned all the time.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[AndrewDB]

I would like to put another vote in the ballot box favoring a sand timer.

Actually, I use one of those multicolored oil and water hourglass things. It makes the time limit less precise than a sand timer, so the acting player feels more like she is role-playing a dynamic situation and less like she is answering questions on a game show. Also, it's more interesting to look at while I wait for the player to make a move.

Also, I use the timer for more than player moves, but always sparingly. I use the timer whenever a player or group of players needs to make a decision where time is limited. My players can not debate the ethics or pros and cons of various decisions while the game world sits in meta-game stasis. The stuff happening in the game is happening now, so make a decision and deal with the consequences.

Breaks every 30 or 45 minutes are still a good idea. Everyone can shoot the breeze during the breaks.

 

[ggroy]

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

Pass me another doobie.

 

[Marauder_POV]

I think you've hit the nail on the head with trying to eliminated the grind. Boosting the rats HP wasn't a great Idea for the DM. I think that the players were getting annoyed at having it take so long, plus none of them had any fear. I think fear is needed a bit to keep the focus on the game.

Whats an easy way to make the minions harder, with out turning it into a grind?

 

[ggroy]

Whats an easy way to make the minions harder, with out turning it into a grind?

Use higher level minions.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Higher level minions is bad too: they just get effective hitpoints from becoming unhittable, which is even more boring than having to whittle through more hitpoints.

If you want minions to be more threatening, make them deal more damage, and don't clump them together. Minions are squishy and they know it: play them in a defensive manner, only engaging foes once a foe is distracted by another threat.

Your 6-man group is close enough to the default size that you don't need to increase the difficulty of encounters. If you really feel the need to, simply add more monsters. Avoid adding more soldiers or you'll increase grind.

If you add more monsters to encounters, I'd also suggest increasing the size of rooms and passageways to avoid everything devolving into an unmoving gridlock, and having all your minions be AOEd down while unable to engage.

 

[Marauder_POV]

The problem is that the players aren't being challenged much. Maybe its cos the party works well:
Dwarf Cleric(healing/damage)
Half-elf Bard
Tiefling Warlock
Human Figter(multi hit varient)
Halfling Ranger(bow)
Shadarkai? Paladin (Tank)

But most encounters we suffer from very little damage, and often are not in fear of dying. Should it be hard? or only a little difficult? I spose these guys are heroesin their own right, so some rats shouldn't hurt too much, but some hard bits would be good.

Increasing the number of minions sounds like a good idea, and maybe giving them more dmg too.