Running the Game - New Players at the Table

Sometimes you get the chance to add new players to an existing table. Maybe one of your players knows someone who is interested in trying DnD. Maybe you talked about your game, and now someone is interested in joining in the chaos excitement. Whatever the case, you have the possibility of increasing your table count. It can be an exciting time, but can also lead to a lot of potential headaches and chaos. In my time I have had a few players join and have come up with methods I like to use to bring new individuals to the table. For me, this method has helped make what can be chaotic and stressful into a smooth and enjoyable transition that keeps your games moving forwards.

Players Not Characters

As mentioned in my Players Leaving Article, this is about Players joining, not player-characters. While there is a lot of overlap between the two, I wanted to focus on the actual person playing at your table and how to handle that, since sometimes it can be different. In the future I will go into how I handle characters entering and leaving a campaign.

A New Challenger Approaches

When I have the potential for a new player, I first want to find out some information prior to making any agreements to bring them to my currently running adventure. I find it important to have a full understanding of the player before they come and play in order to make this experience one that everyone enjoys. You can think of this almost like an interview, where you want to find out a bit about the player’s experiences and thoughts when it comes to both TTRPGs and Dungeons and Dragons itself, as well as what they are looking to get out of the game.

TTRPG-Resume

While I compare this to an interview, I am not looking for a list of credentials or experience to make them qualified to play at my table. Instead, I want to know about what they know about the game and what they are looking for in a TTRPG experience. Once I know that, I can determine how they would fit in at my group, and how they would interact at the table. I want to make sure I have a cohesive group that works together well and will have fun with one another.

You can approach this method in a few different ways, but I like to start off with something like the Same Page tool. This tool, which I primarily use when getting a group together, can answer a lot of questions about a potential player’s expectations and assumptions about a TTRPG. It asks questions about what the expected role of the player and GM are when playing a game, and what the “goal” of playing a TTRPG together is and how they want to achieve it. It can also find out how the player feels about potentially stressful situations, such as character deaths. This allows me to paint a picture of the kind of person I will potentially be bringing to my table, so I can make sure that they will fit the kind of game we currently play. 

Logistics and Scheduling

Besides the core elements of the game, you will want to make sure that the player can handle the logistical side of the game. This potentially new player could be the perfect fit, just what your table needs. If they cannot join the table consistently, that will not mean much. An inconsistent new player, in fact, can cause more strain and stress on the group, and potentially lead to a slow down in game momentum.

If you play in person, you will want to make sure that the player can meet at your table when you play. Make sure they understand the location where you play, as well as the schedule that you want to stick to for sessions. If you use a method similar to me in my Cancellations article, you will want to make sure they understand that as well. Similarly, by playing virtually, you will want to make sure they have the proper tools to play. If you play with webcams, will they be able to use both voice and video when you play? If you try to avoid interruptions, will they be able to play in a place that is quiet? Making sure they can handle the logistical side is just as important as how the player plays the game..

Talking to the Team

Once you have talked to the player and gotten an idea, it is important to talk to your current table about the prospect of adding another player. Again, this should be done before bringing anyone new to the table. While the role of GM can be like a Team Lead role, it is important to remember that this is a collaborative experience. Everyone wants to have fun and part of that is making sure that everyone is happy and comfortable with the addition of a new player.

When I meet with the rest of the table, I will let them know how I met the potential new player, whether it was a friend of the party, or someone I personally know. I will give them a synopsis of the person, as well as let them know I think they might be a good fit. If one player brought them to my attention, this is a place where they can act as a “reference” and vouch for the player in question. Once this has happened, we will discuss the potential of bringing the player into the game. Most of the time, players do not have any objection, but I want to give the opportunity for any questions and concerns to be brought up. Everyone is a part of this group, and deserves a say in this choice. Once this happens, and the group is in agreement to potentially adding a new player, I then talk to the player about joining us.

Testing the Waters

Once we have decided that we want to add this new player, the next step is finding a way to test them out and see how they fit in with the group. Often, I dislike starting a new table addition immediately in a long-term campaign right away. Taking the steps above can help you get an idea of what kind of player you are bringing to the table, but you will not really know specifics until you all sit down and roll some dice with each other. At that point, you can see how the player plays with your group, and how your group interacts with them. So I usually like to do a brief encounter, or even a one shot to get everyone to know each other.

Breaking the Ice

Using a non-campaign tied adventure can serve a few purposes, but ultimately it can be a great way to introduce everyone together in a relatively low stress environment. When you have a long-running campaign, it represents an investment by all parties involved. The players have spent time and energy, both during the session and out of session, in creating this story. They have made characters, created bonds, and worked towards goals. Some campaigns can take years to finish, so this can mean a lot to your players. With these factors in mind, bringing the player in for a non-campaign related encounter can work much better. 

When the group plays together in this situation, everyone can get an idea of how they interact together. By the end of the adventure, most players will know whether this is a good fit, as will you. After this point, you can talk to everyone again to see how they all feel. If someone does not feel like continuing, you can decide that this adventure was the extent of playing together. Ending things there means you just played one game together, and are not asking a player to leave. It makes the situation much more amiable than if you have to ask a player to leave a campaign right after joining.

Exceptions

Sometimes I will make an exception to playing a one shot instead of the campaign. Usually, this will depend on how long the player thinks they can play, or wants to play. If the player mentions up front it would be a temporary situation, then I am more inclined to bring them into the campaign as a “special guest”, with the idea that they arrive, work with the party, and at some point depart. Those situations can be enjoyable, and a great way to shake up a regular game.

When I want to do this, I make sure the party is on board for having a guest character. The surprise can be fun, but I want to make sure my group likes the idea of a temporary player showing up and changing up the dynamics. Bringing a new face to the table for even a short while can change up how things function, both out of the and in character. So I want to make sure that my group is all in agreement on this before I bring the player in.

Bringing them to the Real Game

Once you have brought the player to your table, have a chance for everyone to interact, and everyone feels this new player is a good fit for your table, it is time to figure out how to bring them into your game. This last step is easy, but making sure that it goes smoothly will ensure everyone involved remains happy.

If you followed my advice above, and ran a one shot instead of a regular campaign game, you may find that the new player wants to run that character, and you can use them for a quick start as long as they fit well with everyone. If that character does not mesh well with your current group ro campaign, or the player wants something else, then it becomes time to start the character creation process. Whichever choice, I try to match the new PC’s level and wealth to the rest of the party. This makes the addition easier since the playing field is level for everyone. I like to follow the Starting at Higher Level section of the DMG in Chapter 1. This gives a range of the gold and magic items for a player, with ranges based on the level of magic in that campaign. Depending on the campaign as well, I may adjust to this. In a game like the RAW Curse of Strahd setting of Barovia, resources will be much scarcer to come by. Having a character join the game with a larger than normal amount of gold or magic items might unbalance the theme and tone you are trying to cultivate.

If your party wants, you can also incorporate them into bringing the new character into the game. Perhaps the party would like to know the character already, having previously worked with them in the past. Maybe they are a relative, lost but found again. This has the bonus of reducing or even avoiding the introductory phase that a new character might have with a party and allows for the forging of some strong bonds immediately. However, not all parties want to have this kind of look at a new character, and would instead like to be surprised by the addition. Each table has different preferences, but I assist in the character creation at this point. Working with the new player to make sure they make a character that can provide unique skills and potentially fill a needed role will help make sure the transition moves smoothly.

The Reveal

Now once you have everything ready and decide that both new player and new character are ready to come into the game, the question arises as to how you go about doing that. Some like to have a dramatic reveal, having the player arrive just in time to help the party in a display of excitement. Others want to station the character at a specific location the party will come across, having them feel natural and organic to the world you are building. However you go about actually bringing them in, the key is to make sure that it happens quickly in the first session the new player attends.

One of the worst things a new player can have happen is to show up to their first night at a campaign and not play at all, because of the party not acting in the way you expected or getting caught up working on something else. A session is a commitment of time and energy for all involved, and it is not fair to expect a player to show up when they will not get to play. You can avoid a lot of this through communicating with your group and making sure that they know that the new player will join that night. You can go as far as giving them clues, or quest hooks, in order to have this happen quickly. I make sure the new players get to play quickly, and I have a few different methods I have used in the past..

In Media Res

Depending on where you ended off on your last session, a time jump to have your party already have met up with the character can start off your session with all players involved. Perhaps the party needed to hire a guide to get to a location none of them are familiar with, and the new player has this information. The new player could also be part of a random travel encounter with the party encounters, and you start with them already on the trail. The benefits of this method mean that you jump into both the action and the new character immediately. If done correctly, little to no game time will happen without the new character having time to interact. This can, however, feel daunting to certain players. Since you jump right into the thick of the action, you are thrusting your new player into the heart of the story, where they will almost always be a central focus. Some players might prefer the time to watch the group and prepare themselves.

Time Limit

You can alternatively determine ahead of time how long the party can play without the new player, and decide that if the party does not find the new character within that set time, they appear with the group. This can help avoid any of the random chaos that can send groups off in another direction, avoiding your prepared introduction entirely. It also allows for a bit of buffer between playing and the new character making an appearance. Some players might prefer to see how the party interacts with the world and each other before making an appearance. This method will help. However, this method can feel somewhat artificial. Since you know the character will arrive in a certain amount of time, it can feel like you remove a bit of the actions of choice since the player will show up no matter what.

Final Thoughts

Following the steps I outlined above, the addition of a new player should be as smooth as possible. These steps help you determine if the player is the right fit, and give you the ability to test them. You will have a good fit most of the time, but problems can arise down the road that were not seen ahead of time. If this happens, work to resolve them as they arise. If the problems continue to arise from the new player, you may need to think about having someone leave the table. At some point I will cover how to deal with conflict at the table, and how to ask someone to leave.

Conclusion

Bringing a new player into a campaign can offer a lot of potential fun and excitement, but the transition can be as difficult as when a player leaves. That is why I have a method of bringing new people to the table. I first like to get a feel for the player, to make sure they will fit right in with my current table and adventure. Once I feel the fit will be good, I usually pause the game to test out how everyone functions together in a side quest or one shot. After the one shot, if myself and the players agree this player is a new fit, then it becomes a case of how to bring the player in and what character they are using. I try to work with the new player, to make the character fit into the existing group both mechanically and narratively. I like to give the option for the other players to get involved as well, potentially forming bonds with this character or providing input on the character build. Once the character is built, I like to make sure they have a quick entrance, so the session they join allows them to get right into the game along with everyone else at the table.

My method has served me well, but it is certainly not the only way to bring new players to the table. I would love to hear about how you handle this situation yourself. Have you brought new players to the table before? How did it turn out? If you could do it again, would you change anything?

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