Every GM has seen issues with players in their time at the table. It's your job as GM to provide the majority of the game, but the players are vital--without them, there is no game. And not every player is ready to provide the game with their input in a consistent way. But you have the ability to work with them on what they bring to the table, and this guide will teach you how to get the most out of your players.
There are two basic types of issues that arise with players: commitment issues and knowledge issues. Let's start with the commitment issues, which are in my opinion the greatest challenges that most GMs face. These issues keep players from engaging completely with the game in some way, and they can be handled with a simple if delicate conversation.
The first issue associated with commitment issues is scheduling difficulties. Especially for games with players who are in their adulthood, finding the right time to play can be a challenge. People have jobs, school, and other social commitments to deal with, and sometimes D&D can take a backseat. There are two ways to deal with scheduling difficulties. You can work with your players to make the best of your schedules, or you can build a party with scheduling in mind.
If you've already got a party and you're struggling to get everyone in the same place at the same time, there are options. You can have an in-depth conversation with your players about what times work and what times don't; I recommend setting a default time that everyone tries their hardest to meet at best, but you can also just play it by ear and schedule whenever an opening comes up. My players for the mystery campaign and use this second method because one of our players has an inconsistent work schedule, and it works just fine. What matters is that everyone is on board with the method you're using to schedule. No matter which method you're using, you might be helped by a site like whenavailable that lets people input times they're free and outputs a time that works for all or most people.
If you have particular players who are struggling to be there for the game rather than a systematic problem for everyone, you can talk to your player. Ask them if they're committed enough to the game to make scheduling work. Remind them that everybody wants to play and would appreciate some effort to meet more regularly. See what you can do as GM to make it easier for them to attend. You want your player to understand that you're not trying to force them out of the game; you just want to look out for everyone's enjoyment of the game. If a player is unable or unwilling to work more on being present, you have a few options. You can consider having their character be out of commission for a session or two to allow the rest of the party to play. You can also hold a smaller campaign or one-shot for a few sessions before returning to the main campaign when the player can join. Or, if it creates serious issues for the foreseeable future and there are no other solutions, you can work with that player to write their character out of the campaign. This is a last resort option--writing someone out is usually messy and leaves a bad taste in the mouths of the other players--but it can serve you if it's the only way back to the game. Think of it as an amputation: the rest of the party wants to survive, so they must remove the dead limb.
Another commitment issue is, simply put, a product of a player just not being committed. Maybe they're a first time player, or maybe they're used to another style of play, or maybe they're in the game more to socialize than to play. Whatever the reason, the player doesn't seem interested in paying attention to what is going on, and it's affecting the rest of the game. You can either meet the player on their terms, or you can try to get them to meet you on yours. Generally, meeting the player where they are is a better option, but it depends on the scenario.
Let's say it's a first time player. They grasp that there's a story going on, but they don't seem very invested. They're asking more questions about what they can do than actually doing anything. It may be that they need help learning to play--more on that later. But if they're just stringing the adventure along without participating, you can draw them in. Create a small storyline that's specific to the player. Bring back NPCs and themes that player has responded well to. Make them the center of attention. Now, it will either become clear that they have a knowledge issue, which we'll solve below, or we'll see what happens when the player has little choice but to get engaged.
Let's say that you're running a roleplay-heavy campaign and your unengaged player only seems to care about combat. When the party is talking to NPCs, the player is sizing up their battle stats and doesn't really talk much. Or alternatively, it's a combat-heavy campaign and your player doesn't seem to care about maximizing their abilities while fighting; instead they're using their turns to communicate with enemies who aren't looking to talk. Give them a little something that they can get into. Mix up the story for a moment and give them what they respond to. If they react positively, you can either work more of what they're enjoying into the campaign or start to include elements of their preferred playstyle in what you're already doing. For instance, if the player wants to engage in combat during a roleplaying campaign, offer more encounters when you can and emphasize roleplaying in combat. Use what they already enjoy to get them hooked in the thing you're running. If this doesn't work, ask the player directly: What can I add to this story that will keep you invested? It's perfectly fine to admit to your players that you need help giving them what they want.
Let's say that the player is mostly interested in socializing. This is an especially difficult one. You don't want to put up walls between them and their friends, but you do want to pull the player into the gameworld. I recommend increasing the exposure that player has to NPCs--let them become friends with characters in the game. Work on creating rich characters who the player will probably like. If the other players engage with the NPCs, it's an even more social experience. Don't be afraid to run an entire session where your players are in a tavern with friends. A little bit of this will go a long way for the player. But you can also just ask them: You're into hanging out with people while we play: what can I do to make the game more exciting for you? Not every player will have a thought-out answer right away, so give them time to think about it and be ready to change your plans a bit.
The last common type of commitment issue can be understood as table discipline. Do you have players who are always surprised when it's their turn? Players who start out-of-game conversations in the middle of important scenes? Players who are always on their phones? These are all examples of players who just aren't really paying attention, and pretty much every GM knows what that's like. Fortunately, all these problems have solutions, although they can be delicate matters.
What do you do about players who don't pay attention? It may be that they're not feeling engaged because of one of the above issues, or perhaps they don't understand what's happening, which I'll discuss below. But oftentimes, not paying attention is just a product of being distracted. You can solve these issues with a few tweaks to your playstyle as GM. Occasional zoning out is to be expected, but always being caught off-guard is a systematic problem--involve that player more if you can. Write mini-stories that involve that player, or have an NPC who's interested in their character who's constantly asking their opinion. Whatever you do, make sure that the player is regularly engaged--you basically want to train them to always be plugged into the game. If this fails, there's always a conversation: I notice that you're caught off-guard a lot when we play; is there something that's distracting you that I can fix? If they have an answer, that's your guide, but if they don't, you'll have to keep experimenting to see what keeps them engaged.
What about players who derail your work as GM? Starting conversations and making jokes and telling stories are part of what TRPGs are about, but there's also a time to be focused on the drama you're creating. There are little things you can try to curtail this. Put on a narrator voice and get extra dramatic--people are less likely to interrupt that. If it's especially pervasive at a critical moment, you can interrupt your players, but this should be reserved for serious issues. My preferred method is to allow the player to finish what they're saying and then return to the game with an "Anyway..." This reminds everyone that you're here to play and that the game is waiting for them--it's enough to get most folks back on board. If all else fails, resort to directly addressing it: We're having a hard time staying focused--how can we stay on task? The important thing is to teach your players that you're going to focus.
What about the ever-present issue of phones? Players are often browsing memes when it's other players' turns or liking statuses during combat. As a ground rule, you can let people tune out every now and again, but you don't want them to be removed from the game entirely. I like to catch phone-users by surprise during their browsing with a question: What does your player think of that? How does your player respond? This gets people directly hooked back into the game with only minimal prodding. But if it's a serious issue, you can make a no-phone rule at the table. People can check incoming messages and calls, but should otherwise be paying attention even when their characters aren't doing something. The key is to remind players that they're gathered for a special occasion and that they should be engaged.
But let's say your players are committed to the game and there are still issues. You're probably dealing with a knowledge issue. Your players may not have the tools they need to understand what's going on. It's your job as GM to teach them what they need to succeed. It could be that your players need something as basic as learning how to use the dice. Largely, though, you'll be concerned with more complex rules. Let's look at the two kinds of skills players need to succeed in a TRPG.
The first issue many players are likely to face is a lack of understanding how all the numbers work. Some systems are very simple in terms of mechanics: the fantastic game Don't Rest Your Head uses only a collection of d6s and has clear rules for what is a success and what is a failure. But Dungeons & Dragons is far more complex. There are rules for practically everything. So where should a new player start?
My theory is that players should be taught D&D from the standpoint of the attributes (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma). Each of these attributes has a modifier--a wisdom score of 16 means a +3 wisdom modifier. This is a good place to start because essentially all rolls a player makes are based off the numbers. All skill checks are determined by the modifier of the appropriate score, and this makes up the majority of dice-rolling moments. But they affect other important stats, too: your strength modifier plus your proficiency bonus is your number for attacking (in 5e, at least). Your damage is your weapon's die plus that same strength modifier. Your dexterity modifier plus your armor bonus is your armor class. Your hit points per level are your class's hit die plus your constitution modifier. Spellcasters' difficulty for spells is equal to 10 + the spell's level + their spellcasting attribute modifier. All of these are major considerations (some would argue the most important stats in the entire game), and all of them are rooted in the attribute modifiers. There are many details to cover, but if you convey to your players that the modifiers are the basis of basically all rolls, they'll be in good position to be able to understand the process as a whole. I recommend explaining this when players roll characters to begin with since it affects how the player will control the character, but any time you notice a player struggling with stats, this is the model to go back to.
But your players could be focused on the game, proficient in mechanics, and still be struggling. This is where roleplaying issues come in. I'll be providing a guide to roleplaying soon, but there are some big ideas to keep in mind which will help your players go from lost with their character to fully inhabiting that character.
The first key, as I've discussed before, is in good improv. When a player encounters something new, their response should be to accept what they're presented with and add to it. This takes practice, but if a player is able to understand that their role as player is to take part in the world *and* add to it, they'll be on the right track to roleplaying well. They should also know that backstory is a vital to having a complete character to roleplay with. I've written about my method of writing for characters before, and players should take away from this that a complete understanding of their character will allow them to understand them well enough to portray them with fidelity.
These are tools the players can use to succeed as roleplayers, but they might still be hesitant to stretch those roleplaying muscles. You can and should encourage them with your playstyle. Create scenarios that allow the players to guide their characters toward important decisions--present the players with divisive issues you know they'll be fired up by. This lets the players wade gently into the ocean of roleplaying in a safe and simple way. As they get more comfortable with taking stances on in-world issues, it will become more natural for them to have responses to other things. Soon, they'll be able to play their character confidently in just about any scenario.
Finally, when it comes to roleplaying, there is no measure of success. Good roleplaying for one player might look nothing like good roleplaying to another player. Even if it's not to your taste, give players the room to roleplay in a way that makes sense to them. As long as you can tell your player is considering how their character actually behaves, then it's a success. Don't try to get everyone on the same page roleplaying-wise unless that's an explicit goal of your campaign and all your players. Even if a player's main roleplaying is in creative food and drink orders, allow them to make those choices. But don't be afraid to offer them challenges to get them more engaged, either.
So how can you lead your players to understanding stats and roleplaying better with your GM style? The key is to offer easy challenges for the players to meet. It's your job as GM to challenge the players, so think carefully about how the players could be succeeding that they aren't. Give them an easy way to get practice with it. And I promise, most any eager player will rise to meet that challenge. Let's look at some examples:
When it comes to combat, inexperienced players will be intimidated by all but the most basic challenges. So if people are being overwhelmed by combat, simplify. Hold off on the huge encounters and give the player(s) experience with less overwhelming odds. If an individual player is afraid of all the numbers, separate them from the party and have a mugger attack them. It will be dramatic, but it will also give that player a chance to work out how to defend themselves in a straightforward way. It's important that a fight like this be easy to win--if your player is afraid their character will die, they're less likely to learn how to succeed. After a few easy challenges and with your coaching on how to navigate the stats, most players will be ready for more complicated and intimidating combat. The only way to improve is practice, so give your players easy practice, and they'll get there.
What about roleplaying? This is a much more abstract world than combat. But we can solve it the same way. Take a talkative NPC with no ulterior motives and have them latch onto your player who's struggling with roleplaying. Have this NPC ask lots of personal questions, such as about the character's family or past, or even just asking opinions on the news of the day. Even if the player only wants to get away from this character, they'll still have to roleplay being off-put and trying to end the conversation. If a player like this responds well to an important NPC, have the NPC become friends with the player. In their conversations, focus on what animates the player and gets them talking. The important thing is that you get your player invested in being a part of the world. By bits and pieces, you'll be able to train your players to roleplay.
There are of course many other issues you may face as a GM when it comes to your players. These, though, are the most common, and fortunately, they all have a number of solutions. So take these ideas, run with them, and whip your party into shape. You owe it to yourself to have a table full of engaged players who are comfortable with the game.
In posts coming soon, lore about dragons in my homebrew world, a Con Air one-shot, and how to get started as a player of D&D.
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