Groupthink is a big part of humanity today. D&D groups are no different, but the great thing about D&D is how it unites people. Every group can be diverse and unique, people who disagree can come together to help make a memorable experience that is well worth it. Finding the right group can be hard, and realizing you aren’t a fit for one and leaving takes maturity.
However, the longer you run for a group the more the group unites together. It is an interesting thing to watch, there will still be disagreements but as the people draw closer then those will turn from arguments into discussions. As people spend more time together this happens. Here is a brief rundown of my experience with D&D groups.
The Different Dynamics
When everyone starts out as strangers there Is a completely different dynamic than even one or two sessions in. This is the reason session zeros can be great it can ignore the awkward portion of getting to know a group. Groups that never get over this period won’t survive, It’s what happened to my first group. I took the two players who were good and started another group.
Don’t be discouraged if this happens to you, as it most likely will at least once. People can be mean and cruel, don’t take things the wrong way when they say something bad or leave. The best advice I can give, most of the time it isn’t your fault.
The Groups
Trial 2 for dnd was fun, it had three players. All three were amazing and we had fun times together, by the end of it we had broken the world of our first campaign in a good way through the use of wish. I don’t regret how it ended due to the memories along the way. Out of the three players, one left a year later due to personal life interfering with how much time he had for D&D. The other players have stuck through thick and thin.
This leads me to the D&D groups I have experienced.
The Friends
The friends were what started in trial 2. A group of people hanging out together and having fun, enjoying life and all it had to offer, playing video games together as we all worked part-time jobs and figured out our futures. We somehow ran 2-3 times a week, and somehow I did it because it was so much fun and I could. If you have a group like this, congrats!
The Problem Players
A group where one of them figures out how to break the game, the other thinks you are the enemy, and the last 2 are trying their hardest to roleplay and be invested. I had this one, and I hated it. If people are trying to make you the enemy, or break the system just stop. Stop the game, do it quickly and take the two you like, and start something else. In this case, I didn’t do this, I just ended it and went back to my normal group since we were able to play again.
The Adults
Congratulations! Nobody has free time anymore. Canceling sessions happen monthly, running more than once a week a myth. This is the current state of my life. I don’t hate it, but I wish I could do more things to make it better.
Life is life and emergencies happen, if you get to this stage enjoy it! Have fun and be happy about the group of people you have found who enjoy you for you!
The Finality of D&D Groups
There will be a day you stop running D&D. It happened to me, I got tired of the system and don’t agree with where Wizards of the Coast are taking it. I feel like I got burned by the amount of extra work, money, and extra prep time I had to do with each update to the game.
But your D&D group doesn’t just have to be D&D, so many other and better systems exist! Take your players somewhere else, and have fun! System hop, be crazy!
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