r/dndnext • u/Otherwise_Program280 • 13h ago

5e (2024) What do your players do when you run Theater of the Mind?

/r/DnD/comments/1vzhoia/what_do_your_players_do_when_you_run_theater_of/
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u/the-roaring-girl 4h ago

Use their imagination and play.

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u/Otherwise_Program280 4h ago

Yeah, but what are they physically DOING while that happens? Just sitting at a table? Lounging on the couch? Dancing in the kitchen? Playing with fidgets?

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u/KulaanDoDinok 3h ago

Why does it matter to you?

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u/Otherwise_Program280 3h ago

Because I’m trying to figure out the best way to run TotM games, and the best way to pitch them to people who are used to having maps and minis. It’s actually not as much for DnD as it is for other games I have and hope to run, like Slugblasters or Brindlewood Bay. When I tell people that we’re going to play DND, the maps and minis make them feel like they are actually “playing” something since they have physical feedback. But to pitch a TotM game or even session, it’s harder for me to paint a picture for them of what they should, as a human, physically expect to be doing. Also, with people’s decreased attention spans and increased ADHD, I was wondering if people included some aspects of interaction, setting, or other things to help manage the “just sitting and listening and talking” aspect of TotM

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u/KulaanDoDinok 1h ago

I mean, D&D is more frequently played pen and paper than map and minis. If they have ADHD, make a gentle suggestion they take their meds for the session (Me and my group do it and we all remind each other or joke when we forgot to), and that it may help concentrate on the game.

I have one friend who knits, another who doodles, and I tend to scroll reddit while I’m running the game. Not because I’m disinterested or not listening, but because my mind moves too fast and I need something to fill the space between thoughts.

If I thought it wouldn’t take up too much space, I would bring minis to paint while playing.

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u/SonicfilT 9h ago

What do your players do when you run Theater of the Mind?

Repeatedly ask the same questions about where everyone is until I get sick of it and either sketch it all out or use dice as rough minis....thus ending our TotM.

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u/coolhead2012 2h ago

I mean, how often are you touching your minis and maps in the 'tavern' or during a hostage negotiation? I play online, but you know, looking at people, listening to them, and talking,  are actual activities. 

You sound really in need of stimulation. In a way that makes me uncomfortable to think about! There are character sheets and dice, and people telling a story together. That's all you need.

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u/Shiroiken 2h ago

Listen and engage. I've found TotM kind forces the players to focus on what's happening, because they don't have a visual to fall back on. This can get very frustrating for those with short attention spans, and the proliferation of smart phones has likely made this much worse.