DMing with an Audience

[Kester Pelagius]

Most likely its just me, but my question is how do you all feel about observers while your gaming? Ones that you know aren't interested in playing? Does it bother you at all? Are there some instances where it would, or some bad experiences you may have had that make you reluctant at times?

It depends. Usually the GF observers tend to be a distraction for the player, and if your games have a tendancy to run long you may find the GF gets bored. And if the GF gets bored that means the player has to pay attention to her, which has a tendancy to make the game drag even more.

What I've tried to do is incorporate disruptive observers into the game. Sometimes I've been successful, but usually only with shortterm games that start at a set time and end at a set time.

The best example I can give you is from when I ran a game in a hobby shop back in the day. Two of my group knew one of the guys that worked there (peripherally) from Jr. high (he was in High school and we weren't, yet). He was, well, not exactly a jerk but he was working in the store because it was apparently the only job he could get at the time and was very opinionated about games. When there were no customers in the store he'd wander over to try to joke, mock, and generally make a spectacle of himself.

So, of course, what I did was give him a in-game name (it may have been a modified NPC I had, it's been so long who can remember) and whenever he'd wander back there I took to ANNOUNCING him. When he'd try to disrupt the game by commenting about how things should be done or not done I would paraphrase his comments a bit as if it were NPC dialogue. This continued on and off for few sesssion until one day, as the characters were rafting up a river, I announced that such-and-such had arrived on his magnificent steed of whatever. By now he'd gotten used to this and, believe it or not, my players and him got into a verbal harrangue as they fired arrows at him and he taunted them saying how they were out of range and proceded to announce his own counter attack as I sat back and just let them role-play the situation out amongst themselves. . .

That was a special moment.

Sadly you don't get many of them. Too, some people do NOT appreciate any attempt to involve them in the game. You'll really have to judge for yourself but if this turns into a problem you may want to sit down and have a discussion with your group to find out how to best resolve the situation.

 

[babomb]

Just picture them in their underwear.

 

[delericho]

I have no problem speaking in public, but I don't like doing so without notice. I prepare myself differently depending on my expected audience. So, whenever I have DM'ed wih an audience I have absolutely hated it.

My policy is this:

1) If the game is taking place in a public place, then an audience of casual passersby is unavoidable. They should be ignored as best as possible. However, by preference I try to avoid gaming in public places. (This does not apply to game clubs, where the passersby are generally not random people, but rather composed primarily of gamers. That's less of an issue for me to deal with, since they know what's going on.)

2) If the audience is there as a guest of a player, then I'll do my best to insert them into the game. I recommend DMs have a couple of level-appropriate characters that can be slotted into the game for the session (basically, 'guest stars'). The guest should be invited, nay encouraged, to play. And, although it may stretch suspension of disbelief, I waste no time writing them in or out - get them involved and get on with it. (If the person is a non-gamer, then the player whose guest they are should 'take them under their wing' to explain what's going on. Role-playing itself is actually quite natural to most people these days, so it's just the rules that are the primary issue... oh, but keep those 'guest star' characters fairly iconic and simple for the benefit of the non-gamers amongst us. Half-dragon drow ninja/artificers may sound really cool, but they'll bamboozle the newbie, where the human rogue/pirate will be instantly familiar.)

3) If the guest declines to play then that's their prerogative. But, in that case then while I'm running the game that person does not exist in my world. I'm not being rude, just focussed. When there's a break, I'll speak to them, but not at other times. This is exactly the same as when I'm with my band; I have a job to do, and that person is not part of it.

If the guest proves a distraction, then I'll take the player whose guest it is and offer them an out. If the guest is, for example, his girlfriend from out of town then I'll suggest that perhaps he should go be with his girl? Since I don't have any sanction about non-attendence (except that you miss what I like to think is a good game), there's no reason to bore the guest and disrupt everyone else's fun. I've never had a player not take this offer.

4) If all else fails (perhaps the guest is actually the host's roommate, who actually objects to us being there but is being passive-agressive about it), then I'll cut the session short. I take the view that it's better to cut my losses than to try to continue with a failed session. Ultimately, if this means we need a new place to host the game, then that's what we'll have to do. I've never had things get that far, though.

 

[Piratecat]

Just picture them in their underwear.

I picture them in my underwear.

 

[DonTadow]

There's very little fun in watching the game. If you like it, you want to play in it. If you don't like it, you're going to be a distraction to whomever it is you're accompanying.

I have a rule that if you want to observe you at least got to play an npc. The only way to really observe d and d is from the inside. Else it looks like a bunch of people jabbering and throwing dice.

 

[Warbringer]

I picture them in my underwear.

Ok...now I have to waste more money in therapy .... help

 

[Warbringer]

Seriously

I have no problem with it, and in may ways consider it the point of the game.

Now that said, our combats are probably a little more narrative than most. You see, my players roll all dice (except enemy damage), so they roll active AC rolls, roll active casting checks... I just give them damage consequences for failure.

Examples:

Turning to the elven archer: The hill giant noticed that last arrow you shot into the back of his head and charges recklessly away from 'Jill' to smash you over the head. (Jill rolls free attack for AOO - misses)

As he approaches he brings he puls the massive club behind his head and slams it down towards your for (rolling 25 points of damage) .. Target 22

The player knows the damage will do 25 damage and they must make an AC save 22.

1) Rolling d20, the elf rolls a 15 (+6 dex, +2 deflection, +5 armor): check successful with only dex and deflection: 'As the blow comes down, I step slightly to the side so that passes with inches. I smile at the giant, blowing him a kiss.'

2) Rolling d20, the elf rolls an 11 (+6 dex, +2 deflection, +5 armor): check successful with all bonuses. 'I try to dodge his swing, but the club glances against my shoulder, the enhanted leather turning the power of the blow aside.

3) Rolling d20, the elf rolls a 6 (+6 dex, +2 deflection, +5 armor): check fails. 'Too slow, I try to move out of the way of the blow but the heavy wooden mace crashes into my shoulder threatening to break my bones. Heavily injured (we use wound markers) I cry out for help.'

4) rolling d20, the elf rolls a 1 (+6 dex, +2 deflection, +5 armor): 'Giant, what giant!'

 

[shilsen]

Just picture them in their underwear.

Why would I have to picture them?

 

[Baron Opal]

I picture them in my underwear.

Silly, then you have to wash them.

 

[Aramax]

No_no_no_no!!!!!!!!!!

MAKE THEM PLAY!Observers are nothing but trouble!If they dont want to play ask them to watch TV.