Start the Action off with a Bang!

“Ed jumps up on the table, kicks the gun out of his opponent’s hand, grabbing it from the air and unloading two rounds into the man’s face. “V” is a divine blood-wind, carving through four enemies at once with her samurai sword. Her kimono billows in her wake alongside arterial spray and blood-choked screams. Then everything pauses for a heartbeat while your enemies blink in disbelief. What do you do now?”

The next time you are running a game, try changing things up a bit by starting the session during the action. I’ve found this works best when the enemy is clearly defined, and your group enjoys less-than-diplomatic solutions to conflict. The effect is jarring, sure, but it grabs your players’ attention and drags them into the action instantly.

I’ve found to pull this off effectively you’ll need a proper setup. Make sure to inform the players about what’s going on by quickly surmising why they are fighting and establishing the enemy. A battle map may be essential to this, depending upon your descriptive skills, so when the players begin play they can quickly look for cover, cast a spell, or attack their enemies.

A good battle is like an action movie for the mind, but all great action scenes rely on a visual element and swift editing to imply movment. Have you ever watched a scene that just jumps into the middle of a fight? You have no idea why or who the characters are fighting, but the battle is freaking awesome that you let it slide? Assist this feeling by varying your descriptions of the action and go for that dynamic feel.

When you’re done the players should be worked up and looking for the next challenge to tackle. I’ve found that when used effectively, this method can quickly bring everyone’s attention to the table and the game rolling faster than the usual recap and slower introduction.

Do you have any effective tricks for getting your players attention when starting? Have you ever tried kicking off a game mid-battle?