Some gamers like to drink while they play, or while running a game — and some don’t.
So how about it: do you allow drinking at the table during your games?
Up until recently, I’ve always had the perception that gaming and drinking probably shouldn’t mix. I run games a lot more often than I play in them, so for me it comes down to the fact that I want to be at my sharpest when I’m at the helm. One beer isn’t going to change that, but with a couple of drinks in me I lose enough of my edge that I worry about missing things, making poor decisions and having trouble reacting to the unexpected.
Recently, I’ve gamed with folks who can have a couple of drinks during play without any problems. It’s part of the background — like having a cocktail at a party — and it doesn’t seem to have an impact on the game. I suspect that for many groups, this is part of the social experience of gaming, as well as a way to relax at the end of a long workweek.
I know there are plenty of factors at work here that have nothing to do with gaming — age, upbringing, venue of play (you’re not likely to crack open a beer at your local gaming store) and so forth. Let’s set those aside.
What I’m interested in are the gaming-specific factors that might influence whether or not your group has booze at the table during play — things like gaming primarily as a social outlet vs. hardcore roleplaying, systems with complex rules vs. rules-light games, or darker games (like Vampire or Werewolf) vs. lighter or even outright humorous games (Paranoia or Toon, let’s say).
Back to the question, then: how does your group handle this? As a GM, do you drink while running the game? Do you think there are gaming-related factors specific to your campaign, group or style that help to determine whether or not there’s alcohol at your sessions?
Beer & Scotch.
I run a weekly game on Saturdays, we open up each game with a round of drinks for the “boys”.
I think that the drinks offer us adult players, the ability to escape the turmoils of our everyday life-style and harsh working habits and loosen up for a quality game of D&D.
As a DM, it’s a responsibility to remain coherent towards your players, but if done in the right way (not loosing judgement of your abilities) it can really help out to remove any “too a strict” rulings that you might pose at the table.
I think that having one or two drinks can never hurt, but if you notice someone who’s reaching for the third, then that should turn on a warning sign.
just my 2 cents…
T.
Our GM gets a little frisky when she has a couple of ciders in her. It’s not brain surgery, or international diplomacy. I don’t care if the modifier to AC is 1 or 2 when charging. It’s all in good fun. We’re adults, that know our limits.
Although the GM did kill off all of the Gnomes one evening. Not sure if it was the alcohol talking, however.
I have to say that my group’s pretty wonderful about this and many other things. For the most part, our weekly game is akin to a weekly poker night. We’re there to be social (i.e. in each other’s company) first, and tell a darned good story second.
Regarding alcohol specifically, I actually have a half-sized fridge dubbed “the gaming fridge.” My group’s allowed to stock it with whatever they would like to drink. You can usually find a few bottles of some local beer/ale, and a few bottles of cider mixed in among the various carbonated beverages. My favorites are the sessions when somebody’s just discovered a new drink that matches something in game. The night I discovered Monty Python’s Holy {gr}ail ale was a riot… more because of the bad jokes and puns than because anybody got schnockered (I only bought one per player so we could taste it).
In the nearly 8 years I’ve been with this group, nobody’s gotten hammered at a gaming session. Perhaps we’re past the age were getting blotto’d is the thing to do, or perhaps that’s really not in any of our personalities. We do, however, game on Friday nights, and for many of us it’s the end of a very, very long week. So one or two drinks over the course of a six hour session is just a relaxer – but it’s certainly not enough to impare judgement.
Years before I met this group, I’d purchased a second bed to have on hand (it’s actually a day-bed in my office upstairs) in case any friend was never in a condition to drive home. That bed’s still there, waiting patiently for its first inebriated occupant.
I have no problems with my group drinking. Occasionally I myself will have a few, but nobody has ever gotten sloshed during the game. We occasionally get together to play silly or brainless games like Munchkin or Kobolds Ate My Baby and on those nights much drinking does occur. I find that sometimes a couple of drinks helps to loosen me up but more than a couple could impair my ability to run a game.
(T.) As a DM, it’s a responsibility to remain coherent towards your players, but if done in the right way (not loosing judgement of your abilities) it can really help out to remove any “too a strict” rulings that you might pose at the table.
This is interesting to me: social drinking as a means to become a more laid-back GM. Are you the GM in that game, T? Any examples of situations where you’ve made a more mellow ruling after a drink or two?
I homebrew beer and DM from my home, so if beer isn’t present on the table something must be wrong. I try to take it easy to keep my DMing faculties sharp, though. A friend once brought me a selection of abbey ales from Belgian trappiste breweries, with the lightest coming in a 8% ABV, needless to say I was pretty worthless, rules wise, as a DM at the end of the night!
Kel
There had been drinking at our game, but I did not notice. However, after the last game there were 30 empty beer bottles in the kitchen and I only have 7 players and me as DM and I know that 3 of them will not drink at a game and I myself do not. Now I realize that the beer would probably account for the hostility of a couple players over the last few months. I sent an email out after the last session calling an end to alcohol at the game. It was my children who were concerned and frankly it is their home too.
Drinking, as with all things, is best done in moderation. I don’t mind drinking at the table but if someone gets hammered I’ll stop the game.
Showing up to the game lit up doesn’t create a favorable impression either.
With that said, we’ve negotiated D&D games where *everyone* agreed to get hammered and unwind and we had a great time. Set the proper expectations ahead of time.
(Don) With that said, we’ve negotiated D&D games where *everyone* agreed to get hammered and unwind and we had a great time. Set the proper expectations ahead of time.
I’ve always wanted to try this, most likely with a fairly silly one-shot. I’m pretty sure not much actual gaming would take place — does that sound about right?
Actually, quite a bit of gaming–and incredible role-playing–took place.
The game was D&D, so the drinking got everyone away from the rules and metagaming; I’d say everyone was more in ‘tune’ with their character than before.
Strange, I know.
I used to become really annoyed with players who had a drink while gaming. I’ve always been a drinker and a gamer but i seperate the two. However, the last game i played in a few of us drank every session and i found it quite enjoyable. A couple beers loosened me up and helped me get into character.
My worst experience was when i DMed for a new player (my roommate’s girlfriend) who got stoned right before beginning her first session with the group. She had played D&D in the past but had never played 3.0. The group spent most of the session trying to help her learn and relearn the rules. After that i told her it was the game or the pot, not both at once. She didn’t take it too kindly because of course “smoking pot doesn’t affect my ability to play”.
– feydras
We sometimes have a few beers during the game, but then pur games are never very serious, being more of a chance to socialize and unwind on a weekend and to just generally have fun.
(Martin)This is interesting to me: social drinking as a means to become a more laid-back GM. Are you the GM in that game, T? Any examples of situations where you’ve made a more mellow ruling after a drink or two?
I noticed that when I’m more laid-back, I can disregard certain official rules in order to maintain a better story-telling session, like shifting a standard action into a move action or a move action into a free action, without having to “discuss” the matters and “research it” in the books.
(anon) I noticed that when I’m more laid-back, I can disregard certain official rules in order to maintain a better story-telling session, like shifting a standard action into a move action or a move action into a free action, without having to “discuss” the matters and “research it” in the books.
If this has produced a better session on a couple of occasions, it’s probably worth trying all the time (the laid-back approach, not the booze 😉 — or do you get too many objections from others when alcohol isn’t involved?
I haven’t responded to every comment on this post, but I’ve enjoyed reading all of them!
Everyone comes at this topic in such different ways, which is one of my favorite things about writing TT: hearing different perspectives, and learning from them. 🙂
I’m divided on this issue.
I have, in the past, been a “serious” drinker, although I’ve toned it down a lot in recent years. I have been known to knock back an entire bottle as a matter of course while playing or GM-ing.
Being “laid back” (i.e. a little tight) does make story and gameplay flow a little better, but there can be too much of a good thing. I’ve recently decided to cut down on the drinking as I’m worried about it becoming a crutch. Being laid back and having a flow going is great, but it’s no substitute for preparation and fundamentals.
(Tony) I have been known to knock back an entire bottle as a matter of course while playing or GM-ing.
I’m suitably impressed — a bottle of anything other than beer would leave me drooling behind my screen in nothing flat!
I run a D&D game every two fridays with my close friends, and thier ages range from 18 to 29. I have made it clear since the begining that my games are to be run alchol free.
All have agreed, and only once have I allowed drinks in the game, as I was gamming in someone elses house and couldn’t realy tell them what they could do or not do in their own home.
Yet, after reading the posts here, I might reconsider my ban, allow some light(!) drinking so my players can relax a bit after a long week at work. Have to talk things over and see how it goes…
(anon) Yet, after reading the posts here, I might reconsider my ban, allow some light(!) drinking so my players can relax a bit after a long week at work. Have to talk things over and see how it goes…
Definitely worth a try — although I wasn’t in quite the same situation, I was surprised at how well some folks can handle a couple of drinks and still play well. Let me know how it goes!
I wouldnt do it as a DM (other then 1 light drink like a wine cooler or cider) because Im usually already straining my brain to keep track of everything thats going on. My players are great, but talkative and your often getting multiple requests at once from just 5 players.
Our games tend to be poker-night social affairs. I allowed drinks one time in the game and it was disasterous. The players that drunk were the de-facto party leaders and made a series of incredibly bad choices. If I was not so lenient (considering they had drunk) the party would have been dead, jailed, or at the least the cleric would be looking for a new profession. One player who was particularly unable to hold drink started to actually fall asleep and this is where I ended the game. Not to mention we play on Tuesdays, so its not a great night to drink anyhow. I banned drinks after that.
(anon) .Not to mention we play on Tuesdays, so its not a great night to drink anyhow. I banned drinks after that.
That’s a good point: work night (or school night) vs. weekend night is probably a factor for a lot of gamers where drinking is concerned.
In your case, anonymous, it sounds like the evening that led to the banning of booze might have been a lot of fun if you’d been playing a one-shot! 😉
LOL- That is true. It did mess with the fabric of the ongoing storyline, but I did recover it gracefully (i think).
I might have to register an account here… 🙂
-Judas
(Judas) I might have to register an account here… 🙂
Even if you decide not to, you can put your name on your post without having a Blogger account or a web page, using the “other” option. It’s certainly easier to keep track of who’s who when no one uses “anonymous.” 😉
Since most of my games involve a 10mile+ drive for one or more of the players to arrive, and many of my players don’t drink anyway, I almost never drink at sessions. Every so often, a game at steves will begin with a quiet glass of wine over pre-game discussion with his mom.
It’s not worth risking the DUI ticket en route home
(anon) It’s not worth risking the DUI ticket en route home
I agree wholeheartedly with this sentiment, Mystery Gamer #42 (and welcome to Treasure Tables!). 🙂
Beer & Gin
I run/play in a weekly game at mine and my wife’s house. The game almost never falls on the weekend. Of the five players, three of us have been playing almost our entire lives, which is about half a dozen years older than D&D itself. Since three of the group have to drive home they almost never touch the stuff. I am fortunate however to have a work schedule that always me to endulge in one of my hobbies: good beer and good gin. When I ran my home-brewed campaign (pun), I didn’t drink much due to all the house-rules I had to keep up with. Now that my wife is in charge of the current Eberron game, there is always a martini next to my character sheet. I should mention that I am a professional at drinking and gaming. Neither the game nor the group is ever affected by my combining spirits and slashing. They know I will always keep a level head regardless of what “condition my condition is in”. Love the site.
(Doug) Love the site.
Thanks! That’s always nice to hear — and I hope you’ll become a TT regular, Doug. 🙂
Doug – great site, really impressed,
I GM in Costa Rica , of all places, and my group has a few rum drinks and maybe one of the guys has a couple of beers, nothing really in excess. Most of my group are stoners and they do just fine playing the game
(anon) Most of my group are stoners and they do just fine playing the game
Out of curiosity, what do you usually play?