Distracting players. How to deal with them?

[BlueBlackRed]

In the game I'm running, we have 1 (sometimes 2) player who consistently can't focus for more than 5 minutes.
If he gets even the slightest bit bored, he'll either whistle, hum, or start a conversation with another player (who then doesn't pay attention to the game).

Now we don't hardcore game. We're there to have fun. But when 1-2 people distract 4-6 people from playing a game, it gets irritating more and more as the session goes on.

So, tell me, what have you done in the past to solve this? I've tried XP penalties, gentle reminders, not-so-gentle reminders, obvious-out-of-patience reminders, and simply ignoring the players who aren't focused (which causes more problems than it cures.)

It's to the point where a few of us are getting the feeling like we're wasting our time.

Booting the person isn't an option...yet.

 

[Crothian]

Why is booting not an option? What if you talk to him out of game ask him to either stop distracting people or stop coming? Or sit him on the bench for a session or two.

 

[francisca]

Assume all dialog at the table is in character. When he whistles, sic a Fiendish Half-Dragon Dire Hellhound on him.

On a more serious note, spell it out that they are being disruptive. Give them 1 warning then toss them out of the game for a session.

 

[Desdichado]

Make the game more interesting...

 

[diaglo]

Assume all dialog at the table is in character.

edit: just to add my agreement with francisca


Players can have dialog between their PCs without everyone being involved. assume it is like normal conversation. if others want to get in on the conversation they have to speak up or interrupt... which of course can have consequences.

 

[Shadow_js]

Players need incentives to listen !!

I have had a couple of groups like this where only one or two people disrupt the entire group, what I started doing when they didn't listen is I would come up with a situation where the ones that were listening were able to react and get out of the situation and the rest were required to make some random saving throw (which as DM you can set the CR at whatever you want) or die.

It actually worked out well because the ones that were paying attention were rewarded by getting out of the situation. The people that weren't paying attention were obviously penalized because their characters weren't paying attention in a dangerous place when they should have been. In all the groups that I have been a DM in the disruptive players were taken care of because the other players didn't want to have outside conversations with them for fear of character death and the problem people either learned to listen or spent most of their time making new characters thus eliminating them from the game anyway.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

...

Wow, that's harsh

I'd say to wire every chair with 200-volt electroshocks and when a player is disrupting you zap them accordingly.

Seriously, are they disruptive because they have ADD or because their characters get less things to do than others?

Why haven't not-so-friendly reminders not been effective?

If they can't help not being focused all game long, perhaps you could suggest to them that instead of talking they study rules / learn their spells / draw / be silent but active in some way.

AR

 

[BlueBlackRed]

I have had a couple of groups like this where only one or two people disrupt the entire group, what I started doing when they didn't listen is I would come up with a situation where the ones that were listening were able to react and get out of the situation and the rest were required to make some random saving throw (which as DM you can set the CR at whatever you want) or die.

It actually worked out well because the ones that were paying attention were rewarded by getting out of the situation. The people that weren't paying attention were obviously penalized because their characters weren't paying attention in a dangerous place when they should have been. In all the groups that I have been a DM in the disruptive players were taken care of because the other players didn't want to have outside conversations with them for fear of character death and the problem people either learned to listen or spent most of their time making new characters thus eliminating them from the game anyway.

Now this one I like.

Benching/booting is an option. But I don't care for the confrontation if I can avoid it. Mainly because it makes me look like the jerk I am.

Now making it look like their own fault because they weren't paying attention....hmmm...

Make the game more interesting...

No way man. I like my players bored to tears

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Seriously, are they disruptive because they have ADD or because their characters get less things to do than others?

Why haven't not-so-friendly reminders not been effective?

If they can't help not being focused all game long, perhaps you could suggest to them that instead of talking they study rules / learn their spells / draw / be silent but active in some way.

AR

Yes ADD is one of the problems.

Also I refuse to spend anything but small amounts of time on an individual player (I think it's poor gaming for 1 guy to dominate 50% of the game time).

The not-so-friendly reminders don't seem to do anything other than make the whole group less interactive (kind of like chidind children).

But I am on my last nerve. There are 4 1/2 of us who came to play. And there are 1 1/2 of us who say they came to play. If the ideas you all have offered don't work. <boot>
:\

 

[Starman]

There's a player in my group who has ADD. One of the best ways we've found to help him stay some what focused was to give him something to do with his hands. Usually it is a deck of cards from some CCG that he shuffles all night. If he's not doing something with his hands, he's bouncing off the walls.

Starman