playing with strangers

You arrive at the table and sit down to play with an eclectic group of people. Sure, some definitely do not align with your style, and maybe you’d never approach them in the hall, but now you have to work together. There may be differing opinions, style of play, even friend groups, but remember they are here to enjoy this game as much as you…common ground already.

Hot topics are some of the main things I try to keep away from the table (especially of the political variety). We don’t sit down to discuss what is going on in the world around us, we are here to escape it for a while. Remembering this alone, will negate a lot of unease and tension between others. We are playing make believe without running around in the yard with the neighbors.

(Pausing for nostalgia.) 

I do this every time I run a game at a convention. These simple one-shots could have anyone sitting down at my table. It can be challenging to run a game not knowing what may cause someone else to feel uncomfortable. As a GM, it is up to me to read the body language of these strangers without any kind of base comparison, then adjust on the fly to accommodate for the release of tension. When I am able to do this, everyone wins!!

Playing with strangers is just as rewarding. You can do the same thing as a player as well. Read your party members and aid in directing the party through the tense parts of encounters. Be the protector, the jokester, the care-free one, or even the careless one that the rest have to now rescue. All of these types of characters can redirect the one feeling uncomfortable to worry about something else entirely. 

I love my home game with close friends and family, but playing with strangers has allowed me to learn more about myself. I think this is fantastic! I’ve met some really great people simply by opening myself up to strangers.