I'm looking for a job. (Hello!)

Caverntavern here.

I've played D&D a few times but have never finished a campaign. People are busy and it's okay. I did play by post before (4 or more years ago) on Mythweavers, but this site seems a little been easier to use. (I don't want to relearn mythweavers). I'm also DMing STK right now with some friends. They're about to meet Zephyros and maybe Fegolos (addition I'm putting in).

My players don't seem as involved as they could be (some haven't given me any backstory and I don't want to hound them) so it's been a little disheartening. If you have any advice it'd be appreciated.

I've come here to play a character or two I've been excited about and hope to have a good time!

Happy to be here!

Hello and welcome!

Welcome! Happy to have you here!

Welcome! I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a game here :)

As far as player involvement, there's a couple different answers.

The first is that everyone has different reasons to play the game. Not everyone is there for detailed role-playing and they just want to kill shit and loot dungeons! Either playstyle is fine, but it's something worth talking about!

The second is that you won't know until you ask. It's definitely a discussion worth having. Ask them questions about their character and see what they come up with! You might be surprised!

Best of luck to you!

D&D, more than most RPGs, can attract players who see it as little more than a tactical board game. I think this is just 'culture' rather than the game itself. If your players only want a tactical experience, then you'll get the most bang for your time by catering to that. However, if a few are interested in more immersive roleplaying, then give them more time to shine with RP opportunities, but don't allow that to dominate or the tacticians will grow bored and restless. Be clear that you are responding to their backgrounds. Who knows, they may want more after seeing it in action.

Welcome!

Welcome and I hope you'll have as much fun here as I am having~

Welcome!

Hey CavernTavern (awesome name), welcome! I hear you about player involvement. Been figuring that out myself over time too. Let me know if you have any insights!

If you're interested to chat about this topic or any others in real-time, GP has an official Discord server. Lots of people talking about RPGs and GP in general. Come join us!

Hi CavernTavern, I am just at the end of Storm King's Thunder! Just a few more sessions to complete the campaign. I did a lot of mods to the campaign to fit my player's character's backgrounds. I also threw the players more giant encounters. I didn't feel they would keep interested in a giants based campaign with the giants showing up after trouncing around faerun for ever. Some of the highlights were the Yak Folk encounter, the triboar encounter, the frost giant stronghold and the firegiant stronghold. I put the characters through two chapters of giant stronghold. I just felt I wanted to see them engage with the giants more.

PM me if you want to chat about it. It took me a long time to get the feel of the campaign.

Saw your post and couldn't help but relate. I haven't played D&D in a while, but keeping players engaged can be tough. One thing that worked for me was trying to integrate their backgrounds into the story more deeply. Even a small nod to a character's backstory can sometimes reignite interest. Also, in my day job, I've found that having paralegals benefit both attorneys and clients, and I’ve noticed a similar dynamic in D&D. Having a supportive team in any setting makes a huge difference.

This is an introduction post from 2019. While it's nice to welcome someone you've possibly never met before, we don't need to revisit this thread.