We’ve got nearly 25 episodes of Unconventional GMs recorded now, all Actual Plays of less than 2 hours – and a frequent question I’ve got is how to keep it below that. While we did it as a creative constraint and because we got frustrated with Actual Plays that took half an hour to get going, it’s an interesting one to consider, and I think both me and Gaz have run enough times to have some hints and tips to help this.

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But why?

Well, 2 hours is arbitrary, but very often you’re faced with a convention slot that you need to keep time in. As I’ve said before, running to 3 hours in a 4 hour slot is much better than running to 5 hours in one, and while 2 hours is definitely on the light side, keeping to time is frequently cited as a concern by new convention GMs. There’s been a move in recent years (a good one in my opinion) to 3 hour con slots, and longer for meals, which can mean GMs who are more comfortable stretching out to 5 hours can feel the pressure. So, how do we do it, and what does that mean for convention play?

Everyone is Prepped

For the channel, it won’t surprise anyone that we cast the games with people we know and will engage with the games we’re running. We send out pregens and stuff beforehand and quick precis, and it’s expected that our players will make some effort to familiarise themselves with the basic system beforehand. As well as that, we’ll teach them as we go, explaining to them as much as to the audience what’s going on.

At a con, you can’t rely on this level of system mastery – but you can make it easier for your players. Have simple pregen sheets – and handouts if needed. If you’re running PBTA, have Basic Moves sheets for everyone ready. Check in at the start and teach the core mechanic before it comes up, and ramp up your sessions from simple to complex so you don’t have to tackle all the rules at once.

Hard Framing

There’s no shame, nor should there be, in cutting between decision points of action in a game. We try and cut where we need to on the channel, and you should too – at a convention table, it’s helpful sometimes to ask permission or check in with your players – “Unless anyone’s up to anything beforehand, let’s cut to the evening!” – but do this rather than wait around. Players (and their characters) will fill dead time with dithering, so don’t be afraid to prompt them.

Similarly, recommend being open about when all information is found at a scene or NPC. “That’s all they’re going to tell you,” is direct and clear – carrying on roleplaying to no end will just lead to frustration if there’s nothing to find. Don’t let your players check under carpets or behind cupboards if there’s nothing there!

Helicopter View From Everyone

This is easier to do when everyone’s up and being recorded, admittedly, but having everyone on the same page with pace really helps. At a con, you can enlist your players’ help by telling them the schedule – “We’ve got three hours – I’d like to break after an hour, and we’ll try and have reached the dungeon by then.” – this helps get everyone on board.

If you have a player slowing stuff down, it can help to give permission for other players to speed them up; it can be hard because of the social contract for you as a GM to push them, and it’s often easier for players to help either in-character or out-of-character.

Move To Dice When Dice Are There

Having stakes at each stage, don’t be afraid to ask for the dice roll directly. It’s a stylistic choice, but for instance if you’ve had a bit of IC chat with an NPC, give yourself permission to say something like “She looks as if she knows more, but needs convincing – like a Charm roll could help persuade her!” – so that you can roll and then resolve. 

Similarly empower your players to offer solutions in mechanics as well. In the back-and-forth of a game this happens anyway, but don’t be too precious about mixing up IC and OOC gameplay – it’s not Shakespeare, and you’re not playing with an audience who expect all the mechanics to be elided. If somebody bleats about immersion, slap them.

So, there’s an analysis of some of the techniques we’ve been using to keep to time in the Unconventional GMs channel – 2 hours is a bit tight for convention play, but these should keep you below 3 hours. Have you got tips of your own? Let me know below.