Creature Comforts - Running a Great Role-Playing Game Session

There are lots of articles out there regarding creating a great session. The best Game Masters work hard to set the tone of their games through music, descriptive language, props, and visual aids. I'm not going to rehash all of these excellent practices, but to remind the concerned GM that there's more to a successful game than content. It's easy to get lost in the presentation, and forget what the game is really about - your players. Whether you play White Wolf, Dungeons and Dragons, or tabletop games like Warhammer Fantasy and 40K, keeping the following things in mind can do just as much for player enjoyment as a really impressive story.

1) Temperature
Room temperature can be one of the most critical aspects of comfort for the average person. We've all experienced the distraction of trying to pay attention while under-dressed in a cold movie theater, and certainly, trying to stay awake during a lecture in an overheated classroom or lecture hall ranks right up there in terms of negative experiences for most of us. Don't fall victim to groggy gamers! As a general rule of thumb, too cold is better than too warm - cooler rooms can increase alertness whereas overly warm rooms just put folks down for the count. The folks at the West Midlands Public Health Observatory in the UK, who apparently use actual science, recommend a room temperature of between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal comfort in living rooms.

2) Sustenance
I'm not going to claim that we work hard during gaming sessions, but I will say that making time in our busy lives to gather a group together regularly enough for a reasonable campaign is every bit as much of a celebration as any dinner party or gathering. Food and drink is a part of social gatherings and celebrations in every human culture. It improves mood, contributes to camaraderie, and can even be incorporated into your game setting. Fantasy players drinking cider, juice, or beer from pewter and wooden goblets and mugs can't help but get caught up in the spirit. As Game Master and host, you should take responsibility for making sure people get fed. I recognize that you're already working hard for your game, and that money's often tight - 2-liter bottles of generic soda can be had for less than a dollar. If even that's a stretch, delegate to your players - like the host of any pot-luck, you can ensure success by letting people know what they can bring. Another point that you'll thank me for - small paper bowls or plates. With all of the books, paper, figures, and charts flying around a typical session, the small expense of providing a personal bowl to each player will be well worth it when the passing of chip bags and reaching across the table can be minimized. One last word here, no one's going to deny the campy appeal of cheese curls and Mountain Dew for a gaming session, but for reasonable cost, you can provide a spread that adds to your game, and doesn't simply strengthen a humorous gaming stereotype.

3) Seating
This one's pretty simple. Make sure everyone has somewhere comfortable to sit. They should be able to easily view you, and the other players. All players should be within easy reach of the common dice pool, food, pencils, rulebooks, and resources. With larger gaming parties, you may not be able to offer total comfort, but don't put your gamers on a hard floor - if you must do so, grab some pillows, cushions, or bean-bags for comfort. If you have a crappy chair or stool, take it yourself - as GM, you're gonna be too busy to notice, anyway. If possible, try to provide a place for each player to place their snacks and drinks that's out of the way - I know what a challenge this can be, but in the long run, you'll avoid soaking character sheets and terrain with soft drinks or hard ones.

4) Lighting
Regardless of the system you're using, folks need to be able to see. I'm all for the use of mood lighting for dark games - it can add a lot to role-play - but when it comes time for rolling and writing, bring the lights up a bit. The ability of players to read their character sheets and rule books will significantly improve the flow of your games. For ease and flexibility, plug one big floor lamp - or better yet, a hanging lamp over your gaming table - on a separate power strip. Keep that power strip next to you, and with the flip of a switch, you can instantly change the space from role-play mode to number-crunching mode, all without getting up.

5) Tools of the Trade
The group that I play with tends to be good at this one. Your players have busy lives, and it's pretty reasonable to expect that, even if they have all of their own dice, books, rulers, and pencils, they'll forget them at least once in a while. Game Masters should work hard to ensure that they have extras of absolutely everything. I keep a brand new package of mechanical pencils, 2 cheapo dice-tubes ($3 or so at a gaming store) and a pile of extra character sheets and scrap paper in a drawer at my place at all times. Make sure that these things are accessible on gaming night to all who may need them, and don't give folks a hard time for forgetting. It's a natural part of living a busy life.

I know that you have a whole lot on your mind when running a game, and adding more to the list may seem like a bad idea. I guarantee, though - the items on this list may do more to improve the sessions of a veteran GM than any other practices. Better still, once you make this list into habit, it becomes second nature. You players will love you for it.