General DM Help

[zeifly]

Okay, so I am a DM for a group of about 7 people. Recently it feels kind of out of control and less of a roleplaying game and more of just rolling dice and saying, "okay you killed the monster, here's your rewards." Does anyone have any tips for me to help me bring it back around to more of a role-playing experience? Any other tips in general would be welcome as well. Thanks.

[Blackhawk748]

Id recommend running a session with no planned combat, im in a game right now where there hasnt been any combat for 2 sessions(ive been told next session there will be which makes me happy). Id recommend maybe doing a murder mystery or investigating some other crime, it can be a nice change.

[madtinker]

I'll second the non-combat session. Maybe a good puzzle dungeon, investigation, or diplomacy situation.

Alternatively, I really liked the time a PC was sent to make peace with the orcs, rather than destroy them. It still included ceremonial combat, but the outcome was much more satisfying than, "you kill another orc."

[Faily]

I find that interesting NPCs tend to keep players vested in the roleplaying aspect of the game. After all, I can't expect my players to immerse themselves in roleplay if I don't give them something to interact with that's not frothing at the mouth like frenzied berserkers while thirsting for their blood.

Do the PCs have a fixed location they tend to hang around in? Perhaps some youngsters have heard of their great deeds against the marauding orcs, and upon forming a "Young Justice Hero Team" they seek out the PCs in order to be taken on as their squires or followers, because it will totally cool to hang out with the heroes!

[zeifly]

Do the PCs have a fixed location they tend to hang around in? Perhaps some youngsters have heard of their great deeds against the marauding orcs, and upon forming a "Young Justice Hero Team" they seek out the PCs in order to be taken on as their squires or followers, because it will totally cool to hang out with the heroes!
Not really, they move from town to town quite often so this wouldn't really make sense but I think it's a good idea. I think I'll try out a non-combat session and see how it goes. Thanks for all the advice so far. If anyone has anymore tips for DMing I would appreciate all the help I can get. XD

[Captnq]

Consequences.

The goblins they murdered have wives and children. They come to the PCs, grief stricken and crying out for the sweet release of death, for life is not worth living without their loved ones.

The tax collector stops by to ask why they haven't paid their taxes.

Meteor strike. Tidal wave hits a the main campaign city. Think New Orleans.

A wench stops by and drops off a baby claiming it's one of the PCs.

A pack of werewolves stops by and thinks the PCs are REALLY cool and would like to turn them all into werewolves. They won't force them, they want the players to turn into CE werewolves volentarily. If the PCs attack, turns out they all are Official Guards for the King and work as his personal hit squad and have royal sanction. They keep showing up and watching the players from a distance.
They start leaving dead animals on the PC's front porch.
The animals keep getting bigger.
In human form they start visiting the PC's friends and family. They are always super polite and friendly.

[Blackhawk748]

A pack of werewolves stops by and thinks the PCs are REALLY cool and would like to turn them all into werewolves. They won't force them, they want the players to turn into CE werewolves volentarily. If the PCs attack, turns out they all are Official Guards for the King and work as his personal hit squad and have royal sanction. They keep showing up and watching the players from a distance.
They start leaving dead animals on the PC's front porch.
The animals keep getting bigger.
In human form they start visiting the PC's friends and family. They are always super polite and friendly.

I dont know what dark corner of your mind this came out of, but this is awesome!

[NecessaryWeevil]

A question for you, OP:

Do the players have a problem with the situation, or is it just you that does? Have they said so?

Not that your opinion is irrelevant, but it might be useful to know what the players want.

[zeifly]

@Necessary It's just me. I don't think the players have any problem with it. I'll ask them at our session tomorrow. I'm gonna try out some new things in the session like the no combat thing. I've been out of town so we haven't had a session in a couple weeks but hopefully everything runs smoothly (well, as smoothly as a DnD game can run) and all ends well.

[Nibbens]

I would ask them how they feel about it.

I'm running a game for some relatively new players at the moment, and for the first two sessions all they had was quest-walk-kill-walk-collect reward type of gameplay. The third I gave they a 4 hour story arc of investigation and solving a mystery - after which they got EXP for solving the situation.

I then asked them how they felt about it. I told them that D&D isn't always killing things and that story matters too. I proceeded to ask them what they liked more - even give me percentages such as 30%story/70%fight or whatever. I found out that I have a roughly mixed group who when I tallied it up rests slightly on the 40%story/60%kill-o-rama type group. So now I know exactly what I'm dealing with and how to arrange my adventures so they satisfy everyone.