Getting The Most Out Of Your Roleplay Game Sessions

Ever feel like time drifts by in a session and not much was done? Or maybe the session didn’t go according to plan? What can you do? Well, more than maybe you think. In this article I going to explore some options for getting the most out of your RPG session.

I’ve previously covered a session zero and its value. That should allow any games master (GM) a fair start to a scenario or campaign and if done right, also give options and backstory to utilise at a later date. But sometimes no matter how much preparation is done, things don’t go well or you are left feeling deflated. Sometimes a session can be successful, yet still miss opportunities to increase the enjoyment or character immersion.

So, let’s look at what can happen, why sessions are not as enjoyable or as fulfilling as you would like, as well as potential solutions, then we’ll cover even good sessions which can be taken to another level.

House rules

So, you want an engaging session, players getting into character, GM getting into a flow of narrative when needed and a memorable session is had by all. Well, it starts with house rules. This is something that should be discussed in a session zero, but every now and then, a gentle reminder to the group is useful.

House rules should cover conduct, avoiding using mobile phones, irrelevant chatter, jokes or distracting conversation whilst the session is live etc. One thing I’ve seen to kill a scene, is where one player or the GM is trying to deliver a speech or describe something lengthy and another player starts another conversation or cracks a joke.

In the games I play, we try to adopt the approach that even if you’re not in the spotlight, staying silent and listening is important so you can follow progress and show respect.

Preparation

Things happen, either by the GM or the players. We have ‘real-life’ concerns and sometimes these just get in the way. This can have a disastrous impact on a session though if this leads to a lack of preparation and therefore suitable, engaging content. That’s not to say every session has to be amazing and uplifting, but it will show if the GM has made next to no effort to prepare. This could lead to players feeling cheated and lead to players in turn not making the effort themselves to invest in their character or the setting.

Of course, it could equally be players who are not prepared or investing effort which in turn can lead to a GM feeling ‘why should I bother?’ Allowances can easily be made for a GM or player who admits in advance they haven’t had time and you make the best of the situation, but equally with players and GM alike all investing a significant amount of time and effort, it is best to keep this to a minimum. Make the effort and prepare.

So what to prepare? Well for a GM it is vital that they understand what the next stage in the story arc is, what encounters are likely to occur and be prepared to incorporate the three key aspects of roleplaying where possible, namely exploration, roleplay/social and combat. Often, you cannot guarantee that all three are going to get a regular spotlight, because it largely depends on the players progress and intentions. If the players want to go shopping or carousing then sometimes let them enjoy even if not strictly relevant to the campaign.

When you are preparing then, it is useful to have a few encounters ready, hopefully relevant to the story but if not, then at least flavourful, and thematic. It is easier when you are more experienced and more comfortable, but one thing I have learned is to spend less time on gritty detail – which may not get used or be too narrowly designed - and think more about what you are trying to achieve and go with theme. I have found this makes me more flexible and able to react.

If the characters are due to visit a location, think about how important that location is. Who lives there? What type of settlement it is? What are the key locations and points of interest? Who might be friendly or hostile? This will help bring a location to life. Maybe have a crib sheet of character names you can pull names from or assign specific names and character details in advance. This will help bring those non-player characters to life and seem a little bit more important.

Preparation is quite an extensive area. Everything from ensuring your IT is working in advance including chat channels and map software to physical maps and miniatures being available. But the most important asset to have is time. Allow yourself time. Time to think, to plot and time to create NPCs and maps.

Backstory

I encourage my players to create a little backstory. It doesn’t have to be extensive, but as a player too, I find a good backstory helps build a character with motives, objectives, fears and prejudices etc. These can be valuable assets later on for a GM as you can tap into a backstory to develop the campaign or build interesting scenes and story arcs.

This can really help build player buy-in to a story and even if not strictly part of the campaign originally can lead to memorable moments in gameplay as the story becomes much more relevant and important to players. It's relatively quick and easy too to give some thought to the depth of the character and perhaps an origin story. It can also help in-game socialising and encourage more character immersion.

Checking in with players periodically / getting feedback

Although some of this can be gained in the session zero, as a GM, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback during a campaign. Periodically checking in asking if players are having fun, whether the players feel they have enough agency or scope to develop is important. There is no shame in even shaping sessions to suit players if it doesn’t detract from the main story and there is merit to creating a more open world game anyway to allow greater freedom for players.

Whatever the motive and whatever the method, allowing for player feedback and input is a really helpful way of ensuring you can plan, as a GM, to maximise enjoyment, roleplay opportunities and character development.

Players

Although the main focus of this article concerns the viewpoint of a GM and what can be done in respect of design and delivery of a session, it shouldn’t be ignored what players can do. I’ve indicated useful house rules above, but in addition players ought to take responsibility for ‘getting into character’, being prepared for the session and focusing on the plot.

I don’t expect my players to be great actors or to adopt great voices, but it helps if the effort is made to demonstrate characteristics and personality traits. Good voices are a great way to improve character immersion, if you are comfortable performing in this manner.

Using technology, maps and miniatures

If you are playing online, you have a number of options for video chat, character generation, VTT software and online rulesets. I’m not going to cover these, but I would recommend using a VTT package and online maps. It is labour-intensive though making good maps although you can find either free maps or paid-for maps alike to save you time. It makes a huge difference to getting into the scene, experiencing the fog of war and promotes tactical play.

However, going ‘old school’ with pencil, paper and dice is also great for the social experience and simplicity. You can use tactical maps, terrain and buildings, dungeon tiles and most importantly miniatures! I love using miniatures and having that tactile feature in a game session can greatly enhance the experience, and that is what it is, online or in person, it is an experience so enhance it where you can.

Making the effort

Ultimately, I could delve into various categories and focus on minutiae, but in essence everyone must make an effort. This especially applies to a GM. It can be time consuming, hard work and tiring, but if you want to get the most out of a session, they it really does pay to make an effort.

Or to put it another way. If you don’t make the effort, it shows and players know it.

Taking the session to another level

Using pre-planned and organised material is very helpful. Using miniatures, maps etc is great. But there is more. Character voices, intriguing NPCs, interesting world-building all help add depth. Thematic music is also useful, although I find best to use sparingly and briefly, otherwise it can easily become an unwanted distraction and uncomfortable.

One great way to take the campaign to another level is to be careful in when and to what extent to call for dice roles. I’ll cover this in another article, but here I will say this. Avoid too many dice rolls! It can kill a session to have to many. Of course, there are times you need them, whether it is for a skill check, a contest of skills or to create a tension. Be mindful, of the impact of constantly testing and rolling and ask is it really that necessary.

Remember, that as you have a variety of participants as players and the GM, you have a variety of interests, expectations and play styles. It is all valid and you can’t please everyone all the time, but by adopting a solid approach to preparation, creating content that meets different play styles and personal goals, and being flexible and adapting to changing events in game you are more likely to create memorable sessions.

Summary

It takes effort, time and planning to create good content. As a GM you don’t have to be perfect. I still make mistakes. You might forget a rule or make a snap decision that does quite work, but if you’ve prepared, you’ll make fewer mistakes and if you’ve thought about solutions to potential problems, you’re more likely to resolve any issues.

There is also good content online, from experienced GMs, who share their experiences and thoughts on a wide range of topics. I have found these useful as I refine the quality of my play, both as a GM and as player, so I recommend using these resources to help you out.

Finally, practice and experience are great teachers. I have good memories of the very early days of roleplaying for me as the focus was on a good story or ad hoc content creation or rules interpretation. Through experience, I’ve learnt there are many ways to tell a story, many ways to challenge players and ultimately facilitate character development.