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We often feel the need to get all of our players involved in the story and stay active at the table. Sometimes we are expected, by the players, to do this as well. I want to tell you that it takes two (and possibly all of the players) to make this happen.
I encourage my players not to take a backseat when I have one person in the spotlight. We are all the main characters of our lives, but we are supporting characters in the lives of others. Be a supporting character! As a GM, you have the power to provide examples and leave the door open for your players to become that support. One way I do this is by allowing time for my players to have those interactions. I ask, “Is there anything you would like to do before morning (or the next thing in the plot)?” I give my players time to think about what their character might be doing. Some take advantage and go talk to an NPC, go shopping, knock on another player’s door for a conversation, or something else entirely. Others just shrug their shoulders and tell me “No” and that is okay too. Sidenote: I do not do this during a one-shot. I have only 3-4 hours to get from start to finish, so adding this extra time does not really work. I will give them time if they need to talk through clues or plan their next action though. If a player comes to me and says they feel like they are not getting enough attention, or I am ignoring them, I bring up the times where I ask those questions. I also encourage them to involve themselves in the other characters’ stories. “Ask them what you can do to help them achieve their goals,” I say. I also ask them to interject on their own behalf. I am okay with interruptions to retroactively do something that the player wanted to do. Encouraging players to speak up, and interject, provides for them a safe place to try new things. They learn quickly that I rarely say no. Most often it is a curious expression with, “Sure, let’s try it.” Do not feel responsible for getting all players involved, they all have different comfortability levels when it comes to roleplaying. It is your responsibility, as a GM, to provide an open space for them to interject as they feel comfortable.
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Most GMs do not believe they are professional, unless they get paid to do this. Knowledge of the game is also a way to be considered ‘professional.’ However, GMs do a lot of people handling too. Working with hurt feelings, dealing with tension, being an encouragement, and more, often fall onto my plate. How do you handle all of this while still putting out an enjoyable game for all?
I have mediocre people skills. I’m kind, a decent listener, and try to be fair in all things, but I do not do well with conflict (personally I think this shows in my combats). I’ve had to work things out with my players on an individual basis, and sometimes that includes some harsh conversation. I have been used as a therapist and counselor for things in and out of games. I want to be a friend to all my players, and for the most part, I succeed. BUT…I’m no professional. I’m not certified to be giving life coaching to my group, or even psychological advice. What I can do is provide a listening ear, and share my own life experience. Back home we call this “front porch therapy.” Imagine two old women rocking on the front porch sipping tea or knitting a blanket when a grandson flops down on the stairs. “What’s on your mind, Johnny?” one of them asks. Then it all comes out, Johnny’s been trying to get a girl’s attention by poking and teasing. Of course the two women cackle a bit before informing Johnny that isn’t quite the best way to get a girl’s attention. They talk a bit about love and crushes when they were young while Johnny listens intently for advice. Before long, he gets what he’s looking for and moves on, leaving them to their tea and knitting. I’m like one of those women for my players, at least I hope so. I hope they take to heart what I say and weigh it for themselves. I do not want to be seen as if I know it all (in or out of game). If you notice things with your group, pull them aside or call and ask them what’s going on. Then provide that listening ear. If you need to, work through it together. You’ll form deeper bonds with players from being that support. That is the question. I’ve noticed lately a lot of videos and comments about whether or not to hide your die rolls as a GM. There are a plethora of reasons to do it either way, and you can find support with whichever way you choose to go. Personally, I hide my dice.
I am a notoriously poor roller when it comes to dice. I lose at Risk, Mousetrap, and any other game that requires me to have decent outcomes at least 50% of the time. When I build characters, I usually do a spellcaster and make sure the spells will still do half damage if I do not succeed. If I build something else, I look for ways to get enough bonuses that it is nearly impossible to fail (I will still find a way, trust me). So as a GM, I hide my rolls. Hiding my rolls allows me to manipulate the outcomes to keep a story flowing and combat challenging. Do I fudge my rolls? YES! Not all the time, but sometimes. If my players do not receive some kind of challenge, they get bored. My combats are usually easy enough as it is, I don’t need to allow my poor rolling to give the players success after one hit. So, if I fudge my rolls, what’s the point of rolling to begin with? The illusion of randomness. I want my players to be immersed in a story. If we are in combat, I want my players to be on the edge of their seats and without rolling, my players will start to feel like their rolls don’t matter either. They will think, “The GM already has the story and outcomes determined, so why bother.” That’s not why I fudge my rolls. I do not pre-determine any outcomes (the only pre-determination I do is try not to kill the party). I like to reward creativity in combat by making the BBEG miss after their maneuver. I like to make my BBEGs hit after a particular taunting or monologue by a player. If I have a player that seems to consistently miss one night, I’ll hold up on actually hitting them until they have a success. Most importantly, I like my players to walk away saying, “That was a good game, I had fun.” I don’t have to put them in a life/death situation to make that happen. I give them puzzles, conspiracies, or unique abilities of a BBEG. They don’t have to survive a combat to have fun, just put some clues together, find a new piece to the puzzle, or intimidate someone into cooperation. Hide or show? Do what makes it fun for your table. I’ve been particularly bad about posting this year. I hit over 100 posts and my brain just stopped. What was I going to write about next? I don’t want to rehash old topics too much, so I need more ideas. In the meantime, I will share my blessings.
I am very grateful for the group I play with every week. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Individually, we are very different people. We are in various stages of life, have different hobbies and interests, and our own ‘stuff’ to work through, but we come together to enjoy three hours each Tuesday. Sure, we share with each other some of life’s struggles and support each other as best we can, but that’s not the focus of game night. Through this we have developed closer friendships, deeper understanding, and a joint love of the game we are all a part of. We have also put it out there for others to watch and experience in their own way. Three years of streaming, ten years of sharing the table, and we feel like we’ve just gotten started. Look out for other shenanigans as we continue to grow. |
AuthorJodie 
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January 2026
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