When I need players for a D&D group, I often have trouble selecting the right people. I'm afraid if i just hang up a poster "D&D PLAYERS NEEDED" then a bunch of nitwits will sign up and it'll turn out awful. Should I do that? I personally like to hire players individually, but it turns out the players I thought might thrive actually mess it up. What characteristics should I look for? Any special personality or manner? Love to hear your thoughts.
The demands for DM's is greater than that for the demand for players. As a DM, feel free to tell any player who is a poor fit or becoming a problem that they need to find another game to play at. Being able to put your foot down is a vital skill for a DM, because as if there's a problem player and the DM is afraid of confrontation, that can ruin the game for everyone.
Set expectations early, make it clear that any player being intentionally disruptive will get kicked, have a Session 0 or a one-shot or two to see how the table dynamic shakes out. Sometimes there could be sincere players who have conflicting expectations of what they want from the game, so make sure the players understand what expectations you have for the table.
if you’re hiring people to play DnD…WHY WAS I NOT INVITED!?
In all seriousness, i agree with what has already been said. The fact you are hiring them in particular means they have to play by your rules, so you should make them apparent more-so than usual via at least a session zero.
I play in person, and I always meet the person for a coffee or a beer or whatever in a public place for a vibe check. It really helps me be sure they’ll be a good fit for the campaign. And doing it in public lets us both get a feel for each other before I’m inviting them to my house — and for them before going to some stranger’s house. And while there, I have a kind of 1-on-1 session zero.
That was for when I am adding people to an existing campaign. When I was starting a group from scratch, we all got together at a game shop to chat and make sure everyone got along. That was also our session 0. But I think the social aspect of making sure the personalities fit is just as important as the game play part.
Just ran as a player in a one shot last week. The DM was using a custom one shot to find players suitable for the campaign in a couple of ways you might consider:
1) Everyone dies in the custom. Lets you see how players react to that after making a character, do they throw a fit, take it in stride and wait for the lesson or whatever you want to make of it.
2) Able to see natural leaders versus hangers back and those silent bobs that freak us all out sometimes over the period of a one-shot.
3) Lastly...he had us all do a survey that asked questions related to how he perceived DnD personally so that his style could draw those of same type in players. I'd share a link, but that's his work. I'm sure you can search for something similar.
Best of Luck!
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When I need players for a D&D group, I often have trouble selecting the right people. I'm afraid if i just hang up a poster "D&D PLAYERS NEEDED" then a bunch of nitwits will sign up and it'll turn out awful. Should I do that? I personally like to hire players individually, but it turns out the players I thought might thrive actually mess it up. What characteristics should I look for? Any special personality or manner? Love to hear your thoughts.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie;
And with strange aeons even death may die"
-H.P. Lovecraft
Do you usually have a session 0 before starting a campaign to set clear expectations for the table?
Do you run a one-shot for new players before inviting them to the campaign? This lets you do a vibe check without any sort of commitment.
I have Darkvision, by the way.
The demands for DM's is greater than that for the demand for players. As a DM, feel free to tell any player who is a poor fit or becoming a problem that they need to find another game to play at. Being able to put your foot down is a vital skill for a DM, because as if there's a problem player and the DM is afraid of confrontation, that can ruin the game for everyone.
Set expectations early, make it clear that any player being intentionally disruptive will get kicked, have a Session 0 or a one-shot or two to see how the table dynamic shakes out. Sometimes there could be sincere players who have conflicting expectations of what they want from the game, so make sure the players understand what expectations you have for the table.
Wait a minute.
if you’re hiring people to play DnD…WHY WAS I NOT INVITED!?
In all seriousness, i agree with what has already been said. The fact you are hiring them in particular means they have to play by your rules, so you should make them apparent more-so than usual via at least a session zero.
So have a one shot first? Sounds Good.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie;
And with strange aeons even death may die"
-H.P. Lovecraft
That’s… not really what a session zero is.
Here; try watching this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MA-z5Ai-bQ
Still, a one-shot is better than nothing and can be beneficial. I just wasn’t sure if you understood what we were talking about.
I do know what a session zero is, but you recommended both. Sorry about that.
"That is not dead which can eternal lie;
And with strange aeons even death may die"
-H.P. Lovecraft
Ok, no big deal. Best of luck!
I play in person, and I always meet the person for a coffee or a beer or whatever in a public place for a vibe check. It really helps me be sure they’ll be a good fit for the campaign. And doing it in public lets us both get a feel for each other before I’m inviting them to my house — and for them before going to some stranger’s house. And while there, I have a kind of 1-on-1 session zero.
That was for when I am adding people to an existing campaign. When I was starting a group from scratch, we all got together at a game shop to chat and make sure everyone got along. That was also our session 0. But I think the social aspect of making sure the personalities fit is just as important as the game play part.
Just ran as a player in a one shot last week. The DM was using a custom one shot to find players suitable for the campaign in a couple of ways you might consider:
1) Everyone dies in the custom. Lets you see how players react to that after making a character, do they throw a fit, take it in stride and wait for the lesson or whatever you want to make of it.
2) Able to see natural leaders versus hangers back and those silent bobs that freak us all out sometimes over the period of a one-shot.
3) Lastly...he had us all do a survey that asked questions related to how he perceived DnD personally so that his style could draw those of same type in players. I'd share a link, but that's his work. I'm sure you can search for something similar.
Best of Luck!