Starting Strong

Welcome Everyone, I’m Sol and today I’m going to help you get things really moving with your game!

Often at the start of a campaign I see people struggle with getting the players invested and the setting the initial hooks.  The trope of starting in a tavern and then the story going nowhere is a common one (for a good reason), and a lot of times you will also see players stall and fumble when asked “What do you do?” If you’ve experienced these issues on either side of the screen, then keep reading for some solutions.

Momentum and inertia are a large factor in game play and pacing.  Starting a game moving requires a jolt of energy and passion.  Just like in real life the larger the thing you want to move, the more energy it takes.  You can see examples of this with larger group sizes; to get 7-8 people’s attention and focus going you have to inject a lot of energy into the table. By understanding this and reminding yourself of this at the start of play you are already halfway there.

Injecting energy into the table starts with a clear intent.  Decide on what sort of action you want to see and match your tone and demeanor to that!   If you bring a lack of focus and energy to the table you are just going to have that much more to overcome.  Regardless of the side of the screen you are on, bring passion and interest.  Other people will pick up on your excitement and feed off that energy and that will break you past the slower starts you sometimes see.

You can cultivate this mood by some pregame rituals as well.  Listening to some music that sets the mood, watching a show that captures a theme you want to explore, having animated discussion online or in person; all of these contribute to that intentional effort of getting the game moving.  Expressing this passion openly and consistently helps as well.  Work to break past shyness or embarrassment and embrace the mood.  At my table we wear hats, make toasts, and cry at the loss of our NPCs.  When I run a game I often stand rather than sit, I gesture and let my voice carry.  Try these out, see what works for you!

Setting a specific goal is also helpful in breaking past the early game slog.  If you have in mind a direction you want the game to head in you are already invested! If you can get the entire table invested in a direction all the better! Start a scene off with action and tension.  The reason the “You start in a tavern” cold open fails so often is there is nothing to work with, there is no goal or objective for anyone to grab on to.  Advance past that by setting a hook  early.  

“You all meet in a tavern…to discuss the fall of the good king and the rise of the new tyrant.  You see several of the usurpers guards drinking at the bar.  Marko, what is your paladin saying that has caught their attention?”  An intro similar to this sets the scene, introduces the tension/hook, and sets up for conflict right away. Using tools like this in your scenes helps from one side of the screen, but what about as a player?

Sit down and endeavor to push for interesting things to happen.  Invest in the narrative of the world and story and look for hooks.  If you don’t see any immediately go ahead and gently provoke something! Ask around about the warband that burned your friend’s village, sing the song you wrote about your party’s heroic deeds!  Whatever you can do to interact with the NPCs and fellow players is generally good.  Keep in mind the spotlight and share it around, and pay attention to what type of ‘fishing’ gets bites.  You can go too far with this and become ‘That Guy’ but I trust if you’ve read this far you’re probably not that type!

I would love to hear what you do to get your game moving, and what tricks you use to beat the early game inertia so comment down below!  If you enjoyed the article please check my other content, and if possible chip in to support me!