DM question

Question

As a first time dm how do y'all avoid just telling a story and let your players take lead when they are all waiting for someone else to do it?

Cory · Accepted Answer

I think you have to keep it open enough for them to participate and contribute to the story. You may have to gently nudge them into participating:p

Matt · Answer

The best advice I can give is that knowing the rules is ok but never be afraid to communicate with your players in game and out. You’d be surprise the benefit from it it’s helped me a lot

Dave · Answer

There’s a graceful way to do it, usually by spotlighting where you want their attention. But yes, it’s like herding cats sometimes.

Bohdan · Answer

I don't play DnD, but I would avoid telling stories anyway👀

Michael · Answer

You have to inception your players, make them think the story was their idea the whole time because it's just their characters' stories.
Yes-and the hell out of whatever they say until things start falling into place, that's what's worked for every group I've been in.

Krunaal · Answer

It's hard to get them to start thinking, but the best weapon in my arsenal to achieve more player agency is silence. Just go silent and don't say anything. Let the players interact with the world to break the awkwardness.

Niko · Answer

The one thing I have to constantly think of is just stepping back, not saying anything and letting them figure out what to do. Even though I have a story I want them to follow and their not going fast enough and they want to explore thr country side on the way to the town that I really want them to go to

Micah · Answer

As a DM you set the stage, then let the players tell the story.  You set the opening act with something fun, give them a simple task, then let the cats run wild!  Enjoy!

Steve · Answer

If they find it difficult to role play and interact with the world they're in, I find introducing an NPC as a guide to help them along is a big help.
Example- they're in a village and not sure where to go to find quests or just aren't sure what to do. Introduce a frantic mother/father who's child has wandered into the nearby forest. This forest will have random encounters and when they return, they are welcomed back as heros. The guards of that village or the lord of the land may then reach out to them to give them quests. And so on and so on.

Squirrel · Answer

NPC encounters

Gordon Swain · Answer

My trick as a seasoned DM is to pick a person, either at random or situationally relevant, and ask them. "What do you do? How does ____ feel about what is happening right now?" It's cliche and a little forced, but if they don't answer or are uncomfortable, move on to someone else. Another one is "what's the stupidest thing your character could do right now?"

Shaun · Answer

If your players are being reluctant, you can always offer them a choice -

"The Minotaur looks angry that you have entered his lair - do you want to attack him, or try to talk to him, or something else?"

Players who are new to tabletop are often both overwhelmed at the infinite possibilities so giving them a nudge can help.

Also, some people hate to speak into silence - you can soften this by having some game appropriate music playing softly in the background.

Martin · Answer

Make an observation and ask them a question on what caught your eye. People love talking about themselves. If you see something that interests you, you'll also be asking a genuine question not just something random to break the ice.

Michael · Answer

I have always struggled with this. Heck in my one campaign where the players are allowed to do there own thing, they simply liked it when the game flowed into a mission more. I hate saying it, but run your game like it’s a fantasy book that you made so if your players want to do there own thing, you just go with the flow and you already know how to do that, when you made the campaign.

DM question

Dungeonsanddragons Community

I think you have to keep it open enough for them to participate and contribute to the story. You may have to gently nudge them into participating:p

The best advice I can give is that knowing the rules is ok but never be afraid to communicate with your players in game and out. You’d be surprise the benefit from it it’s helped me a lot

There’s a graceful way to do it, usually by spotlighting where you want their attention. But yes, it’s like herding cats sometimes.

I don't play DnD, but I would avoid telling stories anyway👀

You have to inception your players, make them think the story was their idea the whole time because it's just their characters' stories. Yes-and the hell out of whatever they say until things start falling into place, that's what's worked for every group I've been in.

It's hard to get them to start thinking, but the best weapon in my arsenal to achieve more player agency is silence. Just go silent and don't say anything. Let the players interact with the world to break the awkwardness.

As a DM you set the stage, then let the players tell the story. You set the opening act with something fun, give them a simple task, then let the cats run wild! Enjoy!

NPC encounters

Make an observation and ask them a question on what caught your eye. People love talking about themselves. If you see something that interests you, you'll also be asking a genuine question not just something random to break the ice.

Related Posts

Sort of new DM

NPC generation

Coloring my dice numbers like it's 1986

DIY dice tray

Lfg crooked moon campaign

Festive Season!

Just got these glossy obsidian dice!

Solo D&D

First commission!!

Big Bad Boi

Funniest Campaign Moments

😈

Roll for... not initiative...?

A Manor I made out of plaster for DND

If your HR MEMO gets angry

Did a sketch of my brother’s Dragonborn Paladin!

I'm a frostbite princess and you cannot convince me otherwise 😌

Campaign suggestion. Dungeons & Doordash

D&D and Path of Exile

I miss my Al.

Another day another batch of miniatures.

What's your go to class?

Anyone want to be my plague nurse?

Typical DND Session

Having cute vtube Avatar for the dnd DM 😅

First game!

Always Tell Players straight what IS in Store 😅

Dnd

Meats back on the menu!!!

Anyone else have this player at their table? :-)

Did any of you move to 5.5 or whatever that edition is called?

Patron suggestion: nightmare that only wants sugar cubes.

Party from my run of OotA

My t-shirts and painting I did for all my D&D, pathfinder, and any RPG games this is for u

Mini painting with UV

Don't Run

Any other GMs feel this way?

Free art material for the role play community

But wait, there's more!

This was a fun backup