Jumping between worlds
As a pen-and-paper role-player, you often switch between worlds – in good as well as in bad ways. Scenes like the following are part of every player’s life: the adventurers have just arrived at the city walls and are negotiating with a sentry. Then Alex, who was actually supposed to be leading the negotiation as Lyron, asks if anyone else wants to order pizza. And as soon as the first person goes out of character, the others start talking about their day, too. Suddenly, the atmosphere that the game master worked so hard to create is ruined. But how can you organize a role-playing game night where this is avoided?
A place for chatter
Role-players aren’t usually the chatty type, but still: conversations are part of the experience. Role-playing games tend to bring together people who at least get along just a little bit in their personal lives as well. It’s even been said that role-players have started out as friends at the beginning of an adventure…
That’s why you need to plan the start of the evening as a little bit of dedicated time to talk about personal matters. Often, people meet up in the evening after a long day, and most need a little time to unwind from work or school. So it makes sense to set aside some time for this so everyone can relax a bit and catch up.
If you skip this phase, these conversations usually creep in during the adventure. Then Horser, the doppelganger, asks Leorry, the druid, how things are going with the new boss and if he finally wants to quit. And this happens right while the adventurers are sneaking around in a legendary, ghostly swamp …
The game master starts the RPG night
Once everyone has chatted a bit, it’s up to the game master to bring everyone together and gradually transition them from their everyday topics into the sci-fi or fantasy world. Back when we played The Dark Eye very strictly, we used to light a candle at the table as a signal that everyone should speak only in character. Here, too, it’s primarily up to the game master to ensure a bit of consistency. If necessary, you can also confront players with unexpected situations in-game when they’re not paying attention once more.
Appeal to all senses
Candles are often used to create a slightly more adventurous atmosphere. But what about the other senses?
Ambience and soundboards
The right background music sets the mood for the group. A howling wind, pounding rain, and indistinct sounds from the distance make the march through the haunted swamp truly thrilling. Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com/) offers a wealth of free scene music – from graveyards and halfling festivals to medieval libraries, you’ll find it all on this site.
Want to surprise the players with an explosion or spontaneously incorporate other sound effects into the adventure? RPG Scifi/Fantasy Soundboard is a free Android app that provides you with a soundboard. With a single tap on your phone, you can instantly trigger the appropriate effects and create a surprise or two! Of course, it works best when your phone is connected to larger speakers via Bluetooth.
Scents as a gateway to different worlds
You’ve probably experienced this: a specific scent drifts into your nose – one you haven’t encountered in a long time – and suddenly your mind is transported to an old, almost forgotten memory of the last time you smelled it. From a scientific perspective, there is still no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, but it’s clear that smells often create strong connections to memories and emotions. You can also take advantage of this in role-playing. In March 2015, Jennifer Howlett launched the Adventure Scents project on Kickstarter and raised $10,000. You can now order a wide range of scents from her online shop. “Moldy Crypt,” “Bombed-Out Ruin,” and “Fishing Boat Dock” are just three of the many interesting scent experiences available.
The full collection of scents: https://oddfishgames.com/collections/adventure-scents
The scent “Moldy Crypt” brings evil spirits to life
Flavorful experiences
This part is probably the most time-consuming part of all, and you’ll rarely find the motivation for it, if at all. Still, the photos from Reddit user wats6831 show just how much the right food can affect the mood. So maybe a “light version”? If you’re organizing a role-playing game night, you might find time once in a while to buy roast pork, cheese, and bread beforehand for a hearty snack platter, so the adventurers can really feel like they’re part of the action at the tavern.
But you also have to be realistic: often, it’ll just come down to ordering pizza, chips, gummy bears, and a mix of Snickers, Reese’s, and chocolate cookies. Even if your stomach doesn’t feel any better afterward than it would after an overdose of blood sausage with quail eggs.
Dwarfs: Garlic chicken livers, smoked and peppered cheese, spiced pork sausages, hard tack, dried vegetables, and dried wild mushrooms.
Gnomes: Seasoned goat cheese, travel jar with red wine, hard boiled quail eggs in rolled oats, fried Delimbiyr Smelt, dried figs, smoked blood sausage
Organize regular RPG nights without trouble
Last but not least, you’ll need to organize regular role-playing game nights. Instead of having to round up the group yourself every time, you can simply create an event series for your RPG nights on my platform, Let’s Meet. This way, you and your friends will be automatically invited at the selected intervals and can RSVP or decline with a single click. If someone doesn’t respond, Let’s Meet will automatically send them a reminder email. The platform is completely free.
By the way, individual events can be created on Let’s Meet without registering; for event series, you need to register, but that takes less than a minute. As a registered user, you also get a lot of other benefits.
The most popular pen-and-paper RPGs
Like to try a new RPG? Here’s a list of the 25 most popular ones (Source: https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-pen-and-paper-rpg_s-v1)
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Shadowrun
- Vampire: The Masquerade
- Call of Cthulhu
- Star Wars – The Roleplaying Game
- Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
- GURPS
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First Edition
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition
- Werewolf: The Apocalypse
- Mage: The Ascension
- Savage Worlds
- Paranoia
- Dungeons & Dragons (3rd Edition)
- Dungeons & Dragons 3.5
- Cyberpunk 2020
- Dungeons and Dragons (5th Edition)
- World of Darkness
- Deadlands
- Traveller
- Legend of the Five Rings
- Warhammer RPG
- Fate Core
- Gamma World
- Rifts
Enjoy!