Don't Forget the Excitement (when DM-ing)

[Vyvyan Basterd]

This is all good advice, though the 4E DMG got ripped apart for suggesting something like this.

What?! Talking in a funny voice for an hour, quibbling over the price of pitons is badwrongfun? What a slap in the face! I do this type of thing at least three times per game night.

 

[Oryan77]

what, exactly, you do to amp it up? How are you translating that excitement into something your players can see and draw off of?

First I start off with a large cup of coffee. Then about an hour later when my hands are shaking, I follow up with a beer....ok, two beers because I drink out of a big cup. That usually balances out the caffeine. Then I continue with another beer, or two beers because of that darn cup. I'm usually feeling good & relaxed at this point and I can get pretty animated with my NPCs. Works like a charm.

I would say that I'm joking, but I'm not. This actually does help me get excited and ready to roleplay after a long week. The moral of this story is, drinking beer out of a large cup makes it seem like you are only drinking one bottle of beer when you are actually drinking two.....oh, and being energetic while DMing definitely does help get your players in the mood too. So get out there and drink! Hmm...wait, no....what are we talking about again?

 

[Ktulu]

To expand on Weem's point-of-view response, I like to goad.

Avenger: Man, I'm low on HP, but if I AP I could charge the big-guy and maybe take him down.
Cleric: But you'll take an OA from the drow in front of you. Just wait for healing.
DM: WAIT?!?! You are a servant of Bahamut; his mighty claw! You wait for no man!
Avenger: Oh, heck ya! I go for the charge.
DM: The drow looks shocked as you turn away, and tries to plant the sword in your back. It digs deep, but you manage to move away (hit, 10 damage).
Avenger: Well, one more hit and I'm going down! (Drops a daily and hits, due to roll twice) OOOOH YEAH!
DM: And you were going to wait...pshaw. Only the dead weight. (pun was intended).


Honestly, goading to get more action is awesome, especially when a significant threat is involved. Sure, he might fail and drop, but the alternative is sitting back and not doing anything cool. The bold fail more than the reserved, but they also see more greatness.


Also, not only NPC's need to speak. I constantly banter with characters, be it a lowly spinagon devil or bandit. Have them speak and act cocky. When a creature critical hits, he mocks the defenses of the player. When he drops a PC, he laughs at their weaknesses (he might even take an extra chance to coup de grace if it'll get the players pissed enough). Do this often, and then throw in badguy that doesn't speak. It'll creep the players out and make them very, very anxious and worried.

 

[renau1g]

You can drink a bunch of mountain dews (or other energy drinks) and you'll surely be excitable, although having to take many bathroom breaks.

 

[Janx]

What?! Talking in a funny voice for an hour, quibbling over the price of pitons is badwrongfun? What a slap in the face! I do this type of thing at least three times per game night.

I would re-emphasize my original statement by highliting "boring parts". If it's getting slow, get a move on.

If your group is having fun haggling for pitons in character, then that is clearly not Boring.

Odds are good though, that if only one PC is on the scene, he's boring the other players (even that depends).

Some of the other stuff I've cut out that I consider boring (or it was boring when I ran it, so I stopped doing it):

day-by-day, play-by-play travel. I figure out when the next encounter on the road will be (if, when, where, how, what) and I summarize the time that passed and then jump straight into the "while you are all sleeping for the night, and Joe is on guard duty, Joe hears a noise..."

I pre-roll any search checks for stuff I know to be hidden, be it traps, doors, items, etc using the best applicable stat of the party. Then when the party gets to it, I either describe them finding it, or describe them not finding it.

The result is, the players don't have to hyper-search everything, if it's findable, they probably did, and I'm not going to nail them because they didn't specifically declare searching for it. Game play goes faster, and the PC who spent ranks on search or spot is rewarded.

Faster game play is one of the things that keeps excitement up, because it keeps attention. It's like watching a movie and reaching the halfway point and that glass of coke you drank has cycled. If its slow, you don't mind getting up and missing some. If the movie is exciting, you hold it untiil the credits roll.

 

[weem]

First I start off with a large cup of coffee. Then about an hour later when my hands are shaking, I follow up with a beer....ok, two beers because I drink out of a big cup. That usually balances out the caffeine. Then I continue with another beer, or two beers because of that darn cup. I'm usually feeling good & relaxed at this point and I can get pretty animated with my NPCs. Works like a charm.

I would say that I'm joking, but I'm not. This actually does help me get excited and ready to roleplay after a long week. The moral of this story is, drinking beer out of a large cup makes it seem like you are only drinking one bottle of beer when you are actually drinking two.....oh, and being energetic while DMing definitely does help get your players in the mood too. So get out there and drink! Hmm...wait, no....what are we talking about again?

Haha, nice! My brother and his friends drink during their games (not heavily) but I couldn't do it. I used to drink TOO much, and quit a few years back (I now have about 3 beers a year), but even then if I had just a few beers I would get really tired, not energetic, hehe.

I was so excited last time I DM-ed that I got nervous.

That's too funny

It worked out really well and I got very positive feedback. If I am having a bad day and start DM-ing it the session usually turns out mediocre. I don't DM when I am not looking forward to it anymore.

Yea, I had a game where I was not as prepared as I wanted to be, and I just wasn't feeling it. I considered canceling, but we played anyway and it was fine... could have been better for sure, but it worked. I think I will be more willing to cancel if that happens from now on, but we'll see.

To expand on Weem's point-of-view response, I like to goad.

<snip>

Yes! I need to do more of this

Also, not only NPC's need to speak. I constantly banter with characters, be it a lowly spinagon devil or bandit. Have them speak and act cocky. When a creature critical hits, he mocks the defenses of the player. When he drops a PC, he laughs at their weaknesses (he might even take an extra chance to coup de grace if it'll get the players pissed enough). Do this often, and then throw in badguy that doesn't speak. It'll creep the players out and make them very, very anxious and worried.

Funny you mention a devil because my players have been running into this particular devil who was very taunting when they first fought him, but he turned on the charm near the end when he was about to be killed and they let him live. They often (looking back) wish they would have just finished him off now. Not that he is too troublesome at this point when they run into him, but the thoughts of what he might do should he suddenly have a great opportunity weighs on them, hehe.

He was not intended to be a recurring character, but because of how I voiced him, and their interaction during that first fight, he is now a major NPC.