Each week we answer a question from our loyal audience. Our question for this week is:

Dear Apathy,

I love the group I play in, but one of my fellow player’s can’t go five minutes without interrupting the game with irrelevant conversation. Short of duct tape and a sock, what can I do to get him to stop derailing us?

–Just a Gamer, Eugene, OR

Character voice is the most important tool in a roleplayer’s arsenal. Their speech patterns and vocabulary help create the character at the table, but what happens when you want a snack? How can you signify you are no longer talking as Grognar, mighty chief of the half-orc tribe, but as you the player?

At some point nearly every role-playing session gets bogged down with out-of-character conversation, and in some cases this can bring an entire session to its knees. Although occasionally irritating, especially to a Game Master who has an important adventure planned, in most cases these diversions are tolerated and unconsciously encouraged.

This is because role-playing is social, and oftentimes it is the only opportunity we get to see our friends. Remember, one cannot role-play without other people (we call that dementia, and prescribe drugs for it). If you enjoy role-playing, it’s partially because you enjoy interacting with others.