About 8 months ago, I got together my friends to try to get them interested in DnD. They all were enthusiastic about starting it, but when we started, they seemed utterly distracted by their phones, telling jokes, and just all together not paying attention. I’m down to have a fun time with those kind of things, but it just seems too out of place while playing DnD. I think a lot of this issue has to do with their lack of understanding of the game. It’s not right to say they don’t have interest in it, because they have a blast playing it. Part of this might come from their jokes and having fun at the table unrelated to the game. I get it, they’re having fun so I have succeeded as Dungeon Master I guess. But in my mind, I had envisioned what most groups are like, knowing the game and getting into it. My players only know how to kill creatures. If they are exploring a dungeon, they will say things like, “we open the door” instead of listening or checking for traps or looking for secret passages etc. It seems like I have to play their characters for them since they don’t know how their own characters work. They all together just don’t get Dungeons and Dragons.
Is this a normal new player issue? Or are my players just unnaturally “stubborn”?
I don’t want to sound like I am angry at them, because I’m really not. I can a bit agitated by them sometimes, but I just really want to play DnD the way it is supposed to be played. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this, I’d be grateful for some feedback.
If you want them to learn lessons about checking for traps and proper exploration, put them in situations where they need to. Have someone almost die in a trap, maybe even have someone die. Maybe put a locked door barring their passage forward, so they need to explore the rest of the place to find the key. Present them with a problem that they cannot solve through violence. Let them learn by doing.
So let the players have fun. Sounds like it's time for a skill check bar brawl. Get that dice rolling and they'll get more involved. Once they have a moment to just have fun in the game the more they'll pay attention to it.
Besides a good bar brawl is a great way to teach players on what to roll and how to use their skills. It lets them get used to their characters and what they can do with them. Just have fun with it.
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About 8 months ago, I got together my friends to try to get them interested in DnD. They all were enthusiastic about starting it, but when we started, they seemed utterly distracted by their phones, telling jokes, and just all together not paying attention. I’m down to have a fun time with those kind of things, but it just seems too out of place while playing DnD. I think a lot of this issue has to do with their lack of understanding of the game. It’s not right to say they don’t have interest in it, because they have a blast playing it. Part of this might come from their jokes and having fun at the table unrelated to the game. I get it, they’re having fun so I have succeeded as Dungeon Master I guess. But in my mind, I had envisioned what most groups are like, knowing the game and getting into it. My players only know how to kill creatures. If they are exploring a dungeon, they will say things like, “we open the door” instead of listening or checking for traps or looking for secret passages etc. It seems like I have to play their characters for them since they don’t know how their own characters work. They all together just don’t get Dungeons and Dragons.
Is this a normal new player issue? Or are my players just unnaturally “stubborn”?
I don’t want to sound like I am angry at them, because I’m really not. I can a bit agitated by them sometimes, but I just really want to play DnD the way it is supposed to be played. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this, I’d be grateful for some feedback.
If you want them to learn lessons about checking for traps and proper exploration, put them in situations where they need to. Have someone almost die in a trap, maybe even have someone die. Maybe put a locked door barring their passage forward, so they need to explore the rest of the place to find the key. Present them with a problem that they cannot solve through violence. Let them learn by doing.
Make them learn the hard way 😂
thanks! That’s really good advice!
Charles is correct. It's a good start.
So let the players have fun. Sounds like it's time for a skill check bar brawl. Get that dice rolling and they'll get more involved. Once they have a moment to just have fun in the game the more they'll pay attention to it.
Besides a good bar brawl is a great way to teach players on what to roll and how to use their skills. It lets them get used to their characters and what they can do with them. Just have fun with it.