From DM to player

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Man there are some differences in this game. One thing I'm noticing, as DM I need my laptop and phone apps handy for reference. As a player again they are as distracting as helpful.

That DM night goes fast and you talk alot. As a player its party dependant and I have a chance to over eat lol.

I've found keping my head in D&D related things as a player helps. If I'm goofing on the laptop make it at least lightly working on the campaign I'm DMing later in the week, not reading up on the history of the Royal Navy.

When switching back and forth what do you all do to pace yourselves?

[TyGuy]

After DMing I gained a greater appreciation for how much work it is both before the session and during. As a player I now do my best to pay attention and keep side talk to an absolute minimum.

[Wuzza]

I've found keping my head in D&D related things as a player helps. If I'm goofing on the laptop make it at least lightly working on the campaign I'm DMing later in the week, not reading up on the history of the Royal Navy.


TBH I'd find that downright rude, and would definitely call you out on it......

[Keravath]

If folks are significantly distracted by devices (rather than just checking for something important) and not really into the game as a result, I would have a chat with the player out of game. The point of D&D is to have fun in a group. If one player decides to read about the Royal Navy, doesn't pay attention, and then has to ask the DM to repeat everything about what is going on when something happens then that wastes the time of everyone else at the table. They also aren't contributing to the rest of the interplay between the DM, the party and the characters. Characters can and should interact with each other in character, it isn't just up to the DM, and if a player just "isn't there" then the character is effectively not there as well. Honestly, it is rude and inconsiderate of everyone else at the table .. but I would start off gently in asking folks to put devices away and pay attention, D&D is more fun that way :)

[Zhorn]

As a DM I've got my laptop out constantly looking up notes, statblocks, koboldfightclub. Any moment the players are talking amongst themselves for inter-party roleplay, I'm bouncing all over the place, shuffling maps, scrawling notes, calculating adjusted XP, fishing out tokens that fit the off the rails location my players have run to next, etc.

As a player I try to as low tech as possible and give my DM so much of my attention they become paranoid in later sessions that something they made up of the fly 3 months back is detailed in my notes and they fear I'll be hunting down every breadcrumb I can get my hands on. That gnome NPC you had in the tavern? I know their name, where they work, their date of their cousin's wedding, and their favourite texture for oatmeal. I'm hunting them down next time we're in town, And I'm gonna squeeze every story relevant thing I can from him. I'm here with a pencil and dice, and I'm here to PLAY :smallbiggrin:
If you have time to do anything not engaged in the game, or not supporting the other players (including the DM) be engaged in the story, then you and I have different concepts of why we're at the table.

[CheddarChampion]

TBH I'd find that downright rude, and would definitely call you out on it......

I think MarkVIIMarc means away from the game:
It helped him as a DM to be thinking about the game in his free time but he doesn't need to do that as a player.
I might be wrong though.

[Bjarkmundur]

As a DM I've got my laptop out constantly looking up notes, statblocks, koboldfightclub. Any moment the players are talking amongst themselves for inter-party roleplay, I'm bouncing all over the place, shuffling maps, scrawling notes, calculating adjusted XP, fishing out tokens that fit the off the rails location my players have run to next, etc.

As a player I try to as low tech as possible and give my DM so much of my attention they become paranoid in later sessions that something they made up of the fly 3 months back is detailed in my notes and they fear I'll be hunting down every breadcrumb I can get my hands on. That gnome NPC you had in the tavern? I know their name, where they work, their date of their cousin's wedding, and their favourite texture for oatmeal. I'm hunting them down next time we're in town, And I'm gonna squeeze every story relevant thing I can from him. I'm here with a pencil and dice, and I'm here to PLAY :smallbiggrin:
If you have time to do anything not engaged in the game, or not supporting the other players (including the DM) be engaged in the story, then you and I have different concepts of why we're at the table.

A unique combination of a DMs dream and a DMs nightmare xD

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I think MarkVIIMarc means away from the game:
It helped him as a DM to be thinking about the game in his free time but he doesn't need to do that as a player.
I might be wrong though.

Its a bit of both. Technology at the table is a blessing and a curse.

With the 5 or 6 player group I "keep up" as a player and am ready on my turn in initiative even when I'm reviewing Warspite's shell accuracy reports in between turns. For most of the roleplay stuff I'm content to let the other fellows do whatever fighting to investigate rooms or barter with barmaids but will chime in when its pertinent.

I REALLY like using the computer to track my character and be ready with spell info... we use theater of the mind now so I don't have a mini map to help maintain.. what else can I do with the pc or tablet in game to keep it from being a distraction?

[MrStabby]

After DMing I gained a greater appreciation for how much work it is both before the session and during. As a player I now do my best to pay attention and keep side talk to an absolute minimum.

As a DM I am sometimes really happy with a bit of side talk... the party decides to see if the town chandler has any quests for example. I am left thinking "What might a chandler need adventurers to do?", "How do I RP this?" and "how do I fold it into the story of the world?".

If I have players happy to to spin up some side RP that doesn't need me for a few min it takes the pressure off, makes me less likely to make mistakes, and generally improves things for the game.

Hanging on my every word when the party has just sprung a surprise on me and I need a little space to readjust is flattering, but not really helpful.

That said, pick your moments.

[Lunali]

I REALLY like using the computer to track my character and be ready with spell info... we use theater of the mind now so I don't have a mini map to help maintain.. what else can I do with the pc or tablet in game to keep it from being a distraction?

Keep your character sheet open, don't access anything else on it unless you need it for reference for what you or someone else is doing.