Getting Into the Game
When we meet to play D&D, we must at some point let the curtains fall, and get into the game. We must make the leap from our ordinary lives into the epic adventure of our D&D games. Having a D&D pre-game routine can help both dungeon master and players to start strong. Thinking about how we start our games helps us smooth over the transition from the real world into the fiction of our game.
A D&D Pre-Game Routine for Dungeon Masters
We dungeon masters might have our heads filled with thoughts about the upcoming session. We might worry about our prep. How will the players find that fantastic location? Do I have enough secrets to drop into the game? Will I be able to portry that NPC accurately? It is good to bathe our brains in the fiction of our world. The more we think about our game, the better we will be able to react to our players’ actions. But we can use the time before the game begins more effectively.
We can take the time to take a couple of deep breaths, connect with our players on a personal level, and give ourselves some time to relax before the game. We can take this time regardless of our group. We might socialize with our friends when we meet to play D&D. Or we take a few minutes before our game to think about something other than the game. We can envelop ourselves in a piece of fiction. Taking a walk around the block is a great way of clearing the mind. Or we might just have a sip of coffee, sit and relax.
When we’re playing online, we can go through our D&D pre-game routine alone, in the comfort of our home. But wherever we are, and whoever we are with, taking a few minutes before the game to get our heads cleared can help us start the game calm and strong.
Roleplaying Warm-Up
Once our D&D pre-game routine is finished, we can help our players to get into their characters by starting the game with a roleplaying warm-up. We can ask questions about the characters’ backstories, their goals, and personalities. “What is your character’s favorite food?” “Describe a moment were your character was truly afraid.” We can think of the answers as part of the many conversations the charactersare having with one another during their adventures. Sitting around the fireplace, drinking an ale in a tavern, riding alongside one another… These are scenes that happen for the characters but that we rarely take the time to play out at the table.
In addition, we dungeon masters can listen closely when the players come up with facts about their characters. We can try to fold the players’ answers into the fiction of our world. Maybe the childhood rival that the player came up with on the spot can make an appearance further down the campaign. Maybe the next tavern serves one character’s favorite beverage that the player mentioned during the warm-up. Adding these details makes the players feel like they are an active collaborator in the worldbuilding of our game.
“Previously on…” or Recapping
We can let our players handle the recap at the beginning of our session. Serial TV shows often feature a “previously on” segment. A recap helps us and our players to reconnect with the fiction. It might have been a week or more since we last “saw” our characters. Letting the players handle the recap nudges them to actively consider the story of the game. Instead of narrating the “previously on” segment ourselves, we can listen as players piece together what happened.
Doing the recap ourselves would give us more control of the relevant information. We could make sure to drop in the relevant details for the upcoming session. But relinquishing that control can increase our players’ sense of control over the narrative. They decide which details are important to them, and we can listen intently. Does the awesome villain we came up with never appear in the recap of our players? Do they instead focus on that random shopkeeper NPC we improvised last session? Maybe that villain needs some more work. We might have to drop the villain altogether if the players show no interest in it. Perhaps that shopkeeper deserves a bigger role in our game going forward instead.
Starting Strong
Once we have gone through our D&D pre-game routine, it is time to get into the game. Maybe we turn on the same piece of music every time we start the game. Maybe we always start with a specific phrase. We can find a way to signal to our players that the game is about to begin. Then, we jump into the action. A strong start to the actual game is crucial. When done right, a strong start immediately draws the players into the game world and into their characters.
Starting strong is one of the steps laid out by Mike Shea in “Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master.” Mike advises us to kick off our game sessions in medias res. That means getting the characters as close to the action as possible, as fast as possible. What external event could lead the characters deeper into the adventure? At what dramatic moment did we leave off the previous session? Is there an opportunity for combat to start off the game? Taking some time to prepare the start of our next game can ease the transition into the fiction for everyone at the table.
D&D Pre-Game Routines and the Strong Start
Playing D&D means participating in an extended shared delusion. We take on the personae of heroes and villains, imagine fantastic locations, and pull on the magical threads of our adventure. For most of us, this behavior is utterly alien to our everyday lives. That means it takes some time and effort to transition into the game. We can help ourselves and our players by creating a solid D&D pre-game routine and starting our game sessions strong.
Even before getting together to play, we, as dungeon masters, can take a few moments to clear our minds, and get into the right headspace for our game. We can then gently lead our players into their characters by asking a warm-up question. Letting players handle the recap of our previous sessions might seem daunting at first. But giving up control over the recap gives us the ability to hear about the players’ view of the world. Then, all that is left is to jump into the game. We can do so by starting strong: in medias res, close to the action, and right into the adventure. However our individual games might begin, we should take the time to think about and improve our personal D&D pre-game routines, and prepare a strong start to our next game.
Links & Resources
- Mike Shea: “Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master” (specifically Chapter 4: “Create A Strong Start”) – https://slyflourish.com/returnofthelazydm/
- Mike Shea: “Starting Strong” – https://slyflourish.com/starting_strong.html
