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

Dear Apathy,

My group has started to do a lot of out of character planning and talking in combat, and it is really starting to piss me off! How should I go about trying to reign it in?

–Matthew Edwards from Toboggan Glacier, Alaska

Once per week we go behind the bar at Apathy Games and discuss gaming in more personal terms and ask you to respond. The best response will be featured the following week. Drink of the day: Rusty Nail As a gamer one of the things I have excelled at is throwing a wrench in the [...]

A lot of the problems in a game are caused by players who aren’t committed to the game, don’t play in a cooperative manner, or are being dicks in one way or another. By following the advice contained within, you can be a better player at the table.

As my fellow players and I have grown older, more and more romantic elements have seeped their way into our games. Long gone are the days of, “If there are any girls there, I want to DO them!” Instead, we’ve attempted to take a more mature approach to sex and romance.

What are bennies and why do they matter? How do you best manage your bennies? These questions answered and more on today’s rule guidance Bennies.

You’ve done everything to get to know the new player and make him as comfortable as possible, but now the time has come to start playing. Everyone jumps in, becomes their characters, and the dice start rolling. But, of course, the new player is silent and uninvolved. What do you do?

The object of any game is to have fun, and your new player needs a moment of that all to themselves. So, how do you hook them in and make them want more?

There are three parts of the game that must be introduced to a new player: the setting, what the players do, and the rules. The first two have to be discussed with the new player before they make character choices. The rules, though shouldn’t be discussed until afterward. Remember, your goal is to give them what they absolutely need to know, but not overwhelm them. There is a lot to learn.

Alright, so you’ve discussed the basics of the setting, and it’s time to create a character for the newcomer. Whatever you do, do not just open the book to the character creation rules and say, “What do you wan to play.” He doesn’t know, and he’ll feel very stupid for not knowing.

Everyone Should Play an Obnoxious Character. Because it provides players with an opportunity to be someone other than themselves, role-playing can be a powerful educational experience, teaching us many valuable social skills. Which is particularly useful, considering that the majority of us grew up as socially inept geeks.