Pauses. In a roleplaying game they can be killers. Every single game I have been in has one of those long awkward pauses where everyone looks at each other and thinks “what’s next.” Usually, these momentum killers occur right after some big event or some great roleplaying, making the pause even more uncomfortable. Everyone hits the apex of the game and afterwards the players and the GM have to flounder and figure out what the next step is going to be- I hate that.

As a GM, I especially hate those moments. Its the nature of an impromptu play style to make it so the GM (and the players) need a couple moments to collect themselves, focus on the next scene, and move on. In the game I just GMed over the weekend I noticed a number of these pauses, three of them coming right after the best moments in our session. To be brutally honest, these pauses were more my fault than my players- I needed time to collect my thoughts and plan out the next scene according to what the players just did. I hate these little pauses, they interrupt the flow of a perfectly good game as the players look at me with their eyebrows raised and ask “well...?”

These pauses are a lot like the black wipes we see in movies or cut-scenes in videogames. In visual media they serve a useful role- allowing the viewers to understand that time passes or the venue changes. RPG-pauses serve an unintentional role as well, giving a few seconds (or minutes) to allow everyone at the table to know the scene has shifted. RPGs, unlike movies or videogames, require the spectators (aka, the players) to creatively interact and engage the next scene and require more than passive brainpower. The necessity of players and GMs to actively push the story along and the difficulty in shifting between scenes is exactly why those rpg-pauses are so annoying. Some of the best GMs I have had the pleasure of gaming with are remarkably adept at moving on from one scene to another, really minimizing rpg-pauses and keeping the momentum up. That’s the ideal, to have everything ready for each scene and push the story along as fast as it can go. The reality, I fear, is much different. Those games I have been in that involve minimal rpg-pauses invariably are convention games- games where the plot usually is pretty linear and extremely well-mapped out beforehand. In Con games, time is of the essence and to complete a satisfying session, the GM needs to cheat a bit and make sure the game is a lot more linear than the type of games I have previously advocated in this column.

I come to the inevitable conclusion: the consequence of keeping a game flexible is the creation of rpg-pauses. Maybe it's because they are almost a staple of my GM-style, but I have decided that while annoying, there is little that can be done to prevent rpg-pauses. They are like an uncouth burp after a really satisfying meal- an unfortunate side-effect. Like burps, these rpg-pauses can be mitigated if not entirely eliminated. A good GM with good preparation can minimize rpg-pauses, but elimination in anything but an extremely well scripted game is going to be impossible.

Preparation is the key. Even the best GMs need time to prepare, if only to avoid rpg-pauses and keep the game flowing as swiftly as possible. Pauses and preparation are inverse relationships, the more preparation that a GM does, the less you can expect rpg-pauses to interrupt the game. The key, for every good GM, is find that sweet spot of preparation that allows you to lead the game at a comfortable pace for your players while also not forcing you to do too much homework.

Beyond good preparation I would suggest using rpg-pauses as opportunities to take a break. As natural pauses in the action, it makes sense to allow the players to get up, go to the bathroom and grab munchies. Unless you really feel the pace needs to be pushed forward and in-game time is of the essence, use rpg-pauses to relieve real-world needs of your players. Using the pauses in this way will help ensure your players stay focused on the next scene once you get everyone back at the table. As the GM, use this time to prepare the next scene; jot notes, plan a few NPC stats, or pull a player aside and give them some background info.

One other piece of advice, don’t allow the break to go too long. Letting your players focus too much on things outside of the game will break whatever momentum you had from the previous scene.

There’s another reason I believe pauses are inevitable, this time from a tactical GMing standpoint. I don’t believe as a GM you need to always let your players off the hook. Those awkward silences are as much their responsibility as yours. You should work with your players and teach them that they can break those rpg-pauses as easily as you can by suggesting a new scene, asking a few leading questions, or generally working with you to help move the story along. If you constantly are the one to push the story and make up for the awkward rpg-pauses then the players learn to expect you to always (and only) pull the story along.

Let your players know that the game, and those annoying pauses, are their responsibility too. Wait a few seconds to see if your players are going to pick up the slack. If they don’t, go ahead and prompt them. Let them know you expect them to be just as creative and impromptu as they expect of you. Those times your players step up and help solve an rpg-pause are really valuable, pulling a little heat off of you.

I still don’t like rpg-pauses and in a perfect world we would all eliminate them from our games. However, reality being what it is, while you probably can’t eliminate them altogether, you can make them work towards the overall health of your session.

In Summary:

1. Pauses are annoying, but necessary.
2. Use the pause as a natural break in the game.
3. Preparation is the best defense.
4. Don’t let your players off the hook, prompt them to end the pause.
5. Just like burps, they can’t be avoided but can be mitigated.