How much should the GM talk during a session?

[Blue]

Had a murder mystery one-shot in D&D last night. Most of it was spent interviewing NPCs, where an answer takes longer than a question, and physically searching for clues, where the DM needed to respond ot our each action. It was easily 70% DM, and wouldn't have worked less.

So the answer seems to be: there is no one right way, it depends on the needs of the session. The DM needs to gauge to speak not to much or too little.

 

[Mezuka]

It varies from one session to the other. Sometimes the players, in character, discuss a lot among themselves about what will be the next move or what strategy to adopt. I sit back a listen. Other times, they are in full action hero mode and I do most of the description and answer tactical questions.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Sometimes the players, in character, discuss a lot among themselves about what will be the next move or what strategy to adopt. I sit back a listen.

I've often sat there and re-written a scenario while they discuss and speculate because they have come up with a much more elegant plot than I originally had.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

This is a guy who orders adjectives wholesale.

Well, since they are pretty useful as a DM I get them in bulk.

 

[aramis erak]

Having played in a number of fairly different styles of game, I was wondering what people considered the 'optimal' amount of time that the GM should be talking during a session. Obviously the amount will vary from game to game and system to system, but overall what do you consider a healthy balance between players and GM?

For my part as a GM, I feel a 30/70 split in favour of the players is what I aim for, although this is by no means scientific and can be less in games that are more collaborative and more in games that are more GM led. I really struggle as a player when the GM spends twenty minutes monologuing, but I also struggle when the GM doesn't give enough detail ('There's a door. WYD?') and then punishes you as a result ('You didn't ask if there was a monster directly above you. It eats you.').

I would be curious what thoughts people had on this.

Depending on situation, in trad games, P:G 30:70 to 70:30. In BW, and it's line, 50:50 to 90:10.
In Blood & Honor (John Wick), 40:60 to 60:40 typical, much of which is merely procedural by the GM. Outside of procedurals, about 1/(N+1)... where N is players excluding GM.