D&D General Starting your session - how to announce that the game starts?

[iserith]

I just say "Let's get this party started."

Then we're off.

 

[Mezuka]

I always go for: 'So during the last session...' and I keep talking until everyone is listening. I omit important details on purpose, which one player or another will mention I missed. That is when I know I have their complete attention.

Then play begins.

 

[GMMichael]

We (my last in-person group, anyway) join hands and recite...

"Dear Satan, bless these d20s..."

 

[overgeeked]

Play a track from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack...really, really loud.

Specifically, this one:

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I play on multiple tables. I'm curious how you all transition from pre-game to in-game.

On one table, the pre-game chit-chat is usually about the campaign. The game starts as soon as the DM has set up his things (we are always a few minutes early). We know the game has started once the DM joins in the conversation, and usually confirms or corrects some of our summaries on what happened previous session.

On another table, people really catch up on life in general. The pre-game chit-chat is never about D&D. And as the DM I really have to check in with people if they are ready to start, as I don't want to be rude and interrupt a conversation. It can be a little frustrating because my mind is on the game already. But the players are all busy people with busy jobs and they don't need more rules in their lives. Luckily, once we start, the game does not get interrupted a lot for off-topic chats, so I guess it's necessary to get the other topics out of the way.

How does it go at your table?

Pre-game is usually about food and getting everyone comfortable.

When I’m running I save the catch-up for when I have everyone’s attention. I get thier attention by clapping my hands and going into announcer voice, and saying soemthing dumb like, “Last time we pretended to be these particular weirdos” or “Previously on whatever the hell this is” or “Last we met this band of dumb-***es”.

I usually get us caught up by asking players questions about what happened last time, and sometimes asking for deep cut notes references if I think they might be relevant.

 

[Lyxen]

Play a track from the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack...really, really loud.

Specifically, this one:

Cool, but I still prefer this, more punchy.

 

[payn]

"Regulators!!!...mount up."

 

[doctorbadwolf]

"When we last we saw our intrepid band..." [brief recap, solicit recap/recollections from players]

At home this may be accompanied by putting on some adventuresome music.

There was a great pastoral traveling music track on YouTube I used to routinely have on in the background as the players arrived, we set up and chit-chatted, but sadly it seems to be unavailable now. I should find a replacement.

I used to do that with a YouTube playlist of the tavern music from DDO.

Years later, we still make the opening bars of one particular tavern song’s lute solo whenever someone talks about playing an instrument.

 

[payn]

I used to do that with a YouTube playlist of the tavern music from DDO.

DDO had some good music to use in game sessions. I have also taken to using "The Salty Wench" and "The One ear, one Eye, Bugbear Inn" as tavern names.

 

[Voadam]

We always start with chatting and catching up. I usually start the game by saying "Pigs in Spaaaaace! When last we left our [insert varying descriptor]"