Web DM

Web DM Podcast 231 - Pacing

Added 2022-03-04 16:22:07 +0000 UTC

Good morning DMNs! We hope your week has gone well and that this last day is running apace! If it's lagging, put on this podcast! It'll help move things along. We're talking about pacing! Pacing is really really important to the success of a game, and when it goes pear-shaped, an otherwise fun game can totally grind to a halt. It's also one of those skills that is put squarely on the GM's shoulders and is actually a bundle of skills all rolled up into one - it's the ability to describe, to be prepared, to present decisions, to read the room, to address issues productively, to command attention, to problem-solve, and probably more. So this is a discussion about how to work on those skills, and how to identify when there are issues and whether they can be improved.

At the end, the blog Jim mentions can be found here: https://www.runagame.net/2015/09/rpg-session-pacing.html

What are y'all's thoughts on pacing? When does it trip you up, and how do you deal with it?

4:42 - Twistanturnu: how do you handle/scale skill challenges effectively as the PCs increase in level (particularly bards and expertise-based classes).

15:41 - Trackdog: What kinds of sea encounters do you recommend besides the typical merrow attack or shipwreck?

23:51 - PACING! Discussion