Instantly Improve your D&D Game with this SNEAKY TRICK

Dungeon masters can instantly improve their D&D games by implementing one high-level principle and three specific strategies.

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[Delmworks]

So to sum up-to avoid your DM lagging you need to do these 3 things:
1. Avoid having to look things up via prep, knowing rules, and improv
2. Keep things moving by limiting total discussion time-in and out of combat- 5 minutes max out of combat, 1 minute in combat, and prevent backseating.
3. Control chaos by preventing players from talking over eachother, handle one action at a time and ask them to wait, and poke at each player one at a time to ensure they’re now buried under the extroverts.

Is that everything?

[dragontemple_GameMaster]

I would add to that one small trick that also helps a lot: maintaining eye contact with players. If you're talking but your eyes are looking at the screen or laptop or tablet, you could be in the other room and it wouldn't make the difference. Show your players, where your focus is.

[azurethegamerkobold]

as a long time DM my go to response to rule questions is " lets just do this for now, we can check the ruling after the session " i don't like to stop the game for a rules question. If i don't know we check it later or during a break. We don't stop a combat or pause the whole game to look up a rule. My best advice to new DM's is always this---you make the rules. So if you dont know, improvise, make something up, even if its just to tide you over till you can check the ruling later.

[melisaanderson]

I'm a new DM, and at least with my group I have a bunch of people who try and talk over each other. So I make them roll initiative at the start of the session. And that decides the order in which they are allowed to do actions, asking questions, ect... So far it's working out great

[willmena]

I find it funny when people say their players start talking about strategies mid-combat. I wish mine did that from time to time, because they always go after the monsters without even talking to each other LOL

[Mr_GoR_]

What timing! I actually just had a brief convo with my players about this. While they didn't feel like it was an issue, I had noticed that I was, like you described, the DM with their nose in the book. Yes, I'm running a module, no, I'm not trying to get it perfect, but there were several instances where I was like "crap, I forgot what's in this area." That's definitely on me to better prep for the next session. Great video, good advice. Definitely going to try and keep these tips in mind when the game seems to be slowing down.

[morrigankasa]

I have no problem with looking things up or taking a long time to discuss/plan/do things.
I actually find it fun taking time to discuss & do things. I also don't have a problem with Chaos as long as its kept polite/respectful.

[momqabt]

The tactics-to-turn is a good idea, I'll try it next time

[williamross]

One thing that really helps to run more smoothly is to officially assign a trusted experienced player as the designated rules lawyer. If a particular mechanic is uncertain, it is their job to look it up while you continue narrating or adjudicating something else.

[mentalrebllion]

One thing our dm has us do if they are working with one or two players on a scene, is let the rest of us use the chat section to declare what our characters are doing at the same time as the scene. Now, this is ONLY for roleplaying. I play in a lot of roleplay heavy games. But sometimes this means the entire party is not around for the entirety of a scene. Because yeah, you wander off or do your own thing. So rather than make us freeze or pretend we aren’t doing anything, dm has us smoothly do our own thing in the text chat so we aren’t breaking immersion but we aren’t excluded either. Of course, if we stumble on doing something that requires a ruling the dm will briefly tell us to pause there and they will make one at a key moment, usually by either wrapping up that scene, changing perspective so it’s now on us in the background, or pulls us all in if it’s close enough, like, I don’t know, somehow one of us set off a trap or got a guard’s attention by accident. But still, this is how the dm let’s us participate. And again, it’s for roleplay heavy scenes. Combat? Wait our turn politely. Heavy intrigue scene? Wait our turn? Scouting ahead in a tense mission? Also wait our turn. It helps that we are all respectful players and we don’t abuse this chat aspect, keeping it low stakes if the atmosphere calls for it and being ready for the switch when it isn’t. This tactic has also taught all of us to keep an eye on the sidebar for the text chat too which has been a god send when a player had some mic issues that couldn’t be resolved so they just participated like this. We could still include them and interact and react to them via the chat in a timely manner because we all had learned to keep it in the corner of our eye and react as needed to it. Anyway, that’s just my experience. All of this is amazing advice though. It clues me into why I enjoy many of the games my various DMs run.

Now I do wish to add one thing. We sometimes have tactic discussions in the middle of combat at some tables. The reason why? I play at a number of tables with brand new dnd players and if we just let them on their own, they will sometimes freeze up. So we are a little more loose in tactic and suggestion discussions, which, the more they get comfortable, the less we interfere. Those tables have a high contrast between very experienced and well read player vs very new and/or insecure players. Again, while this slows combat, we do it as a learning tool for the player who needs it, and only if they want to. We do not overwhelm the player but offer some suggestions that are in line with what they have shown they like doing. These are also the campaigns though that we wrap up early a bit and take some time after answering dnd questions such as class mechanics and so on. So yeah this more for my learning tables. I enjoy those greatly to be honest as they have their own joy. Is everything optimized? No! Is it still fun? Absolutely! But I went into these games knowing these were teaching tables and as one of the more well read players (I was and am still new compared to some, being just over a year playing, but I’m very well read and tend to memorize what I read). And one who has a lot of games under my belt from many different styles (I joined a lot of games out of the gate with a variety of players and dms and styles of gameplay). I also was a teacher in the past so these learning tables are a specific joy that I get fulfillment in. They are low stakes in a lot of ways because of their intent. But yeah I don’t always play at optimized tables but that’s ok. I don’t need them. I have a few tables that fill that need and so I can find my joy at these teaching tables without that.

[DFAnton]

Took your suggestion to do strategizing at the top of the round from an earlier video, and minimize OOC communication during the round, and it really sped things up, reduced metagaming, and reduced players backseating each other. So thanks!

[firestaffer]

My group can get preoccupied on being rules lawyers so I have stated as a dm that if a discussion can;t be resolved in 30 secs then I will make a ruling for the evening and review after the game. If a change in decision is necessary then so be it but it doesn’t disrupt the pace.

[kodiakthebear]

When playing online, I tell people that if they want to try something while I am speaking/dealing with another player, type it into the chat. It lets me keep track of what people want to do in order. My group of players are awesome though, so it might not be for everyone.

[matthewesch]

All solid advice. Pacing is absolutely key, especially for combat.

[nottheonlyjustin]

Having a player that’s the dedicated rules lawyer and researcher helps. Just remember you’re the judge though.

[DogbertiousTheWise]

Sweet Shirt Man, also, as a proclaimed "Forever DM" I have only done one module, and sadly yes, I had my nose in the book most of the game, but I tried not to "pause" it as you said, and usually only did it when there was combat when I could tune out a little it, otherwise, everything I've done is homebrew, and I watch in excruciating pain as my players ignore the carefully handcrafted storyline and go off to fight the Ghaleb Duhr I just made up because they wanted to look in the hills around the town. (true story) Improvisation is one of my strong suits.

[KheevaInkPaws]

Ending a session after a boss monster is revealed but before combat begins gives players time to discuss what to do in the upcoming fight. This builds tension, excitement, and gives them time to prepare so that they're not panicking or talking the whole fight.

You won't always be able to time this right but it's worth it when you can. If you introduce a boss enemy and have the players fight and kill it that same session, even if it's tough, it will be less memorable.

[neilhenderson]

Great video as usual. Good pace comes from thorough prep, which is partly why I homebrew a lot because if you’ve designed it you know it backwards, and you can be more comfy generating content and tuning encounters on the fly. I also think I have great players because none of them are anything other than supportive of me, the game and each other.

[LordOz]

If Player A tells Player B to flank Baddie C during game play (as opposed to the allowed 1 minute discussion), it means the characters shout the directions to each other and the Baddies can hear them (barring some sort of telepathic communication). Having Baddie C and his friends capitalize on shouted tactics a few times will teach the players.

[tonyolsson]

I have had my head in the monster books to find monsters for them to fight. Other then that i try to improvise on the rest of what happens. I use the players randomness to make things interesting and fit around the fight or interaction.