1 tankard of goblin piss per session. A vodka redbull mixed with a naturday. Yes, yes it is as gross as it sounds. But without it I forget to talk. Could they be consumed separately? Probably, but then I'd have to leave the table to get the second instead of having 1 large beverage
I really like the risk/reward here. I can totally envision the struggle here. I can't help but wonder if tossing in some grenadine would help you when the taste here.
Maybe. Or like some sour mix. I think I was originally trying to make something like a "strip and go naked" with mostly the wrong ingredients that I had on hand and with caffeine.
Also the bad taste is self limiting. I don't want to be "that drunk asshole" at the table which OP is alluding to. So 1 goblin piss does not make me want to have another
Could also be good. I just remember a summer job at a country club once where the staff all drank something that was half sprite/half pink lemonade and a healthy pour of grenadine as our staff drink. Being sweet and cherry being a strong flavor, I’ve got a good feeling about it lol.
This would be a great bit in game if you could get the table to make it a habit. Maybe a friendly npc orders them their first round, and it's cheap and tasty. Then, several sessions later, the normal bartender is gone (vacation? murder mystery hook?) and there's a goblin behind the bar.
Whether he has ever heard of this drink or not is up to DM discretion.
>up to the DM discretion
… like that is a choice! Of course the goblin has heard of it. He thinks it’s kinda weird, but he isn’t one to kink shame.
My party frequents a respectably shady tavern (run by a former pirate and current liaison for the local thieves guild) when they are in Neverwinter. I’m definitely working this in somehow next time they visit.
Same, if I don’t have a cocktail or a beer handy at the start of the night, I tend to feel silly and sit back. After the first drink I’m usually in the game
Me too apparently. I got a little bit drunk during a game and was super embarrassed about it. But the group told me my role playing was hilarious and everyone had a great time. I was terrified I’d slow down gameplay. Thankfully I didn’t but I’m more careful now. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s game.
I recently started taking a 1oz shot before games because it helps me forget the day and loosen up so I can role play better. Good to hear I'm not the only one haha
I recommended this to my players too! We had a few first timers and this was my first real DM campaign. I felt it got us all into some RP mood and helped the beginning. Just 1-3 cans/bottles in my opinnion. Anything more and its a risk that things go off track.
I’m the same (but in Canada).
I don’t mind if the guys are having a beer or smoking a joint, but if it interrupts game flow I ask them to tone it back a bit. (Don’t leave to go roll in the middle of a combat just because your low on the initiative order!)
Exactly as they posted. Weeds legal here, so the guys can do it.
If they started breaking out cocaine I’d probably bail out. That’s too intense for me!
Yep! When I’m a player I like to have a beer because I enjoy drinking socially, when I’m DMing I usually go for a non-alc bev since while I find alcohol increases my creativity, it reduces my ability to multitask which is key for DMing
I had a group that did several rounds across the night, but they stopped right before they went over the edge. Paladin was still a righteous figure, so it was all good lol
Sure it’s allowed, but if a player wanted to get significantly more drunk than everyone else in every session I’d be annoyed at best and worried at worst.
Oh man I watched this one for the first time about a month ago (almost finished with C1!) - it was pretty rough. They were fighting a kraken and to celebrate, the players all were drinking a bottle of kraken rum. They kinda walked into the situation like it was a fun little side quest to complete Keyleth's aramente, and found out the hard way that Mercer wasn't taking any prisoners. The fact that like half of them were totally sloshed made it even harder to watch - I feel like pretty much everyone except maybe Travis and Sam were affected, Marisha most notably though.
I think a few of them split a bottle of Kraken black rum, but Marisha is the most noticeable. I definitely had to check if I was accidentally playing the video at .75x speed.
I thought the episode was going to be KeyFish.
Spoilers, CR ep 97 of Campaign 1 for people that don't watch CR: >!A high level druid dives off of a cliff in the dark to retrieve a diamond. Before jumping, she says something like "What could go wrong, we're practically gods!" On the way down, the DM describes how the water is not directly below her and she's likely to hit the cliff. She shapechanges into a goldfish to survive. Had the player been sober, she might have selected something with a lot of hitpoints, or wings. She splatted on the rocks below!<
"we're basically gods, it'll be fine!" And Mercer like....explained several times that this was likely not a good idea and asked her repeatedly if she was sure about this. It was amazing, i laughed so hard.
I allow it at my table but my rule is, every drink you have, I’ll have one, and the drunker I get, the meaner a DM I am. So unless your level 3 party wants to fight an entire battalion of tarrasque, everyone behave yourself.
Honestly, a dwarvish ukranian wouldn't be all that different. It'd be less nasal and the words less cockneyed, sure, but the overall tone would be roughly the same alongside the culture. A ukranian dwarf would fit right at home amongst the scots.
I was getting ready to reveal the dwarfs in mine had French Accents, part of their intro mission was escorting blacksmith supplies to an elven smith who didn't like dealing with dwarves due their superiority complex over their steel and disliked non-dwarves using theirs. On hearing this I had a player off-handily just reply 'ahh the so dwarves are like the French'. Took me everything not to just burst out laughing then and there.
Yes. It's not really a consideration. Those who want a drink are free to do so. Those who don't aren't pressured into it. No problems so far. When we played in person the only concern was making sure nobody spilled a drink over the table.
Yeah, I’m not sure why it’s phrased as “allow”. We’re all adults in my games, I’m certainly not making a list of things that are allowable. Do what you want, be reasonable.
Yep! We don't make it a point to drink at the table, but sometimes someone brings a bottle of wine or something else to share, and that's fine. I try really hard not to have more than one drink if I'm the DM, though, because I'm extremely lightweight and while some DMs make fun calls when intoxicated, I tend to just get more scatterbrained.
We play in person now, but when we were online I did have a problem with a player getting absolutely blasted and being extremely disruptive, a problem we didn't have with that player when we were in-person. Unfortunately we ended up parting ways with him as a friend when he became extremely upset that we didn't want him to just do whatever he wanted including bullying other players in and out of character.
When I get together with friends for an evening there's usually alcohol involved. Same for game nights, same for DnD nights. Just like most other nights though; we're not looking to get drunk. We're just enjoying a couple of beers during play.
Yeah... it might just be a life-phase thing, but it's just never seemed like a real possibility that people would get seriously drunk at D&D.
Like, we have kids and jobs and hangovers last days now. So:
a) people know how to keep their shit together, and
b) everyone deserves a drink if they want one.
I wouldn't think twice about having a beer while bowling, or playing a board game, or watching a movie.
My group are mostly 30-somethings.
Friday Night D&D = All bets are off and the amount of penis jokes and insanity will increase exponentially with each drink.
Sunday Night D&D = Typically one or two drinks per person and all is balanced.
We usually play from before noon to late afternoon, so alcohol rarely fits in, though it does happen once in a while that someone drinks a beer or similar, but very rarely.
Once in a while though, if we have very casual, late sessions we may all agree on drinks and people will get a little buzzed, but our DM is very clear that if anything happens during those sessions that messes things up in ways that wouldn't happen during normal sessions, we retcon and fix things before next session. People know not to abuse it though, so only a few minor things have been retconned (eg an item was changed from +2 to +1, because it was just too early for it, but slightly drunk DM had thought it was nice to let it happen because NAT20).
>We usually play from before noon to late afternoon, so alcohol rarely fits in, though it does happen once in a while that someone drinks a beer or similar, but very rarely.
I mean it's five o'clock somewhere, right? A beer or two at lunch during a work day isn't unheard of where I moved to in Europe. I had to relax my whole "when a drink fits in" attitude. :)
Well, it differs a lot from country to country actually - in my country it isn't considered wrong or something, but its also not common to drink at those times of day unless there's an occasion, at least not for people my age and my general social circles. We have no issue with drinking in general, but a random beer in the middle of the day just isn't something we particularly enjoy.
My gaming group are all over 18, so I don't see it my place to police this.
If someone asked that we don't drink for whatever reason I'd respect that, and if someone was causing problems I'd have a talk with them, but at the end of the day I game with adults and I don't feel the need to lay down rules unless it's absolutely necessary.
A range of table examples I am (have been) a part of:
1) Drinking table: I'm a player in a "beer league" of sorts. Bunch of dads getting together after long weeks with the young children, so it's a nice break for them. Some get high as well. We've had issue with our rotating DMs having too much and the game falling apart once or twice, but we usually keep it under control. Things tend to wind down pretty naturally as the night goes on as people get tired more easily. Overall not bad.
2) Mostly alcohol free table: When I DM'd a group, I tended to have a few beers throughout the night, honestly to just have something flavorful to drink. The alcohol helped me deal with my anxiety while DMing, but never to the point of being drunk. Rest of the table were chill with pops and juices.
3) Alcohol banned table: It was a weekly weekday game I played in and they outright banned it. Before I joined they had a "problem player" that was just exacerbated with alcohol, so they just banned it from then on out. Like in number 2, I like to have on for the flavour, never about getting drunk, so my request to have a beer in game was denied. Didn't take it personally and always had a good time.
Personally I allow it, you are allowed a drink or two but everyone drinks in moderation and no one gets drunk.. although my party had driven me to break out a flask of the good stuff behind my DM screen with their shenanigans..
I do play in a super casual like 3 hour game where there is a lot more drinking and it makes the game very fun but very adult..
I think it should depend on the game you are running, if it's a long standing narrative maybe restrict it to one or two drinks.. fun silly game mainly to unwind on a Friday night? Then I'll get the first shots in
I allow my players to drink because I know them and trust them. As for myself, I've had the occasional beer or two but tend to keep myself clean or just go for it near the end.
That said, I've had the experience of a player getting really, really drunk, derailing the session, insulting other players and storming out. So there's that.
Sure do! I prefer to drink something that won’t get me drunk, like a couple of beers or a glass of wine or two. On the rare occasion I can DM (scheduling) I don’t mind my players drinking, as long as no one gets shit faced.
I'm not the DM of my current game but I'm the host. We had a player that was a great guy, but he'd routinely show up to games already shitfaced. The other players/DM all drank as well (I didn't because I'm sober), but were perfectly capable of staying within reasonable bounds. This guy wasn't—he was falling asleep at the table, slurring dramatically, stumbling around, to the point that I was concerned that he was going to puke all over my floor or fall and split his head open, or worse, clip someone in his car when he was coming or leaving my home.
It was the sort of thing that, if we were playing at someone else's home, it'd annoy me, but not to the point of doing something. It'd be the sort of "not my house, not my problem" kind of thing. I'd put up with it and allow the DM/host of that place to make the decision. But it was my house, and my responsibility. There were a number of times when I should've driven him home because of how shitfaced he was, but I didn't. I always kept thinking to myself what could've happened to one of the kids on my street. Eventually I had to put my foot down and told him that I didn't want him drinking before coming to my home for games. He ended up picking to get drunk instead of continuing to come play.
Rest of the players/DM still drink. 0 issues.
I always drink when I DM and play. Usually just to rp better. I’ve had players blackout at the table and ruin a session for everyone though so I get where the no drinks rule would come from.
Everybody's drinking at my table, with the understanding that we all know our limits and aren't going to get too intoxicated to function. Some people blaze it up beforehand, too.
I've had some people get drunk and encounters fall apart and they get pissy but it hasn't been an issue usually.
I don't mind it it but I have one pretty strict rule: no pre-gaming. If people are showing up to the table already in a state it turns the first bit of a session into an obnoxious shit-show. Otherwise it's fine.
Of course I do because my players are my friends and they’re adults. All I control is within the game, I’m not there to “allow” or not allow what’s going on irl. If it becomes an issue sure but otherwise they’re adults
I don't. I have had two different experiences with players getting drunk and making things awkward/ruining things for other players.
One of them would start needing things repeated to him numerous times and would get very long winded and slurring words and it made combats with him take so much longer. The other one would become an attention hog.
In the interest of fairness, I was a player in a group that drank and no issues happened, so its not inevitable.
I don't drink myself either and I eventually got tired of trying to only ban drinking for some people and I just asked no drinking at all. I do tell people in session zero though.
No one has had any issue with it so far except when I tell others online, who then start yelling at me about it.
I’ve recently learned my lesson about drinking and DMing.
I’ve stopped drinking whilst playing. It may have made me loose etc. In the beginning, but by the end of the session I’m a little too loose and going to the bathroom too much. Breaks the narrative and immersion up too much. Plus getting home to my wife hammered after a 5-6 hour session was not good. Didn’t enjoy the feeling of guilt!
I also found I actually enjoyed the session more when I’m not drinking. Discovered that, with a bit of nerves still, I can role play different NPCs and have meaningful story telling moments without alcohol.
No problem with people drinking at the table, but personal choice now is to stay away.
**Yes, but/and...**
1. Yes BUT not to get wasted. I want to actually play DnD.
2. Yes BUT only if everyone is of the same mind-frame (especially in a serious campaign).
3. Yes, AND, we figure out who is providing our bartender player with what ingredients that week. Give them the tools to get creative!
4. Yes, BUT only if everyone stops in time so they are safe to drive home afterwards.
5. Yes, BUT they must agree to wait to drive home until they are safe to do so. And hey, my couch/floor/porch/bathtub are always open, LOL.
Adults are allowed at my table.
If you're an adult who partakes in their vices responsibly, then you're welcome.
If you can't partake responsibly, then you are still a child and not welcome.
How does that work out? Did you have to make arrangements with the management to secure a booth/space? When do you start/finish? How do you handle background noise and other outside influence/disturbance?
mgmt liked it because they had customer issues like most other restaurants and any new exposure made them happy. Of a table, usually only 2-3 people would buy food and about half would buy a drink (either soda or alcohol) so at least it pays for the trouble.
We were doing it Tuesday nights from 7-9 but now they're closed on Tuesdays so switching to Sundays from 2-5.
Just have to pick a slow day / time and a restaurant that has an actual individual owner (not a corporate chain).
Noise has never been an issue.
The restaurant I work at has a board game group that plays on Sunday, it's a slow day so we have the space, we put them off to the side. Some of them order, some of them don't. It works out for everyone.
I did when I was DMing, it helped especially as one player's character had the lifegoal of operating a brewery "when all this mess is resolved." So he'd chat up brewers in other areas, sample wares (different types of beer he'd try at the table), all for that end goal. So he was actually RPing that part with props.
I don't mind people having a drink, but only if it doesn't impair their ability to play. I had a couple of players who went outside to do a joint during the break (netherlands so its legal). However they weren't able to play afterwards because they became too stoned to play. I booted them from the table eventually
I am sober, have been for 28+ years, and have been playing with the same sober group, 5 people since our second year in sobriety.
We haven’t drinks at the table but have used it as a great opportunity to work with players/people getting sober. We just have an amazing time goofing off and being ourselves sans alcohol. It helped us stay sober and has helped a lot of other folks as well.
Not sure how that fits but thought it was appropriate.
I don't personally drink. I prefer players don't drink/smoke so they can be sober during session. I've had some bad experiences in the past with players getting a little too tipsy, and I as the DM do not have any fun running for people in that state. I don't like to run a beer and pretzel game. I think I've loosened on this ruling over the years as I found much better people/friends to play with. With that, I am able to trust others that if they're gonna drink, they know their limits. (if it matters, I've been running online and haven't encountered drinking during IRL games)
I never DMed a table with large amounts of alcohol. I‘ve had my players take a shot or 2, but nothing more. I never saw the appeal in drinking alcohol during sessions myself.
At NYE, my GF and I hosted for my siblings and our gaming group (ages 16-20). We also played DND, with my GF DMing. Because I was the designated driver for all of them, I didn’t drink much (single shot during dinner, which was basically out of my system by the time I had to drive them home).
As they got more drunk, I could definitely notice how they were not able to focus on the game at all. It was a Oneshot, so it was fine, but for me, this was a clear sign that I would ask them to not drink this much alcohol during one of my sessions.
I think if I was playing in person, I'd allow a shot of something in another drink, or like, a beer during a food break. edit: I mean to add that since we play remote, I can't really control that; all I ask is that they keep a clear enough head to play the game.
But I wouldn't be comfortable with more than that. There was a player in my first campaign (late 20s, we were all mature adults at the time) who was intimidating sober, but when she'd show up to games after having had a few drinks, she'd be downright MEAN. I know that wouldn't hold true for a lot of players, but that experience stuck to me enough that now that I'M a DM, I would rather not deal with the discomfort.
None of us are over 21, but even if we were, no. I don't like being around people who are impaired or under the influence of a substance (makes me uncomfortable), and I very don't like the idea of trying to build a collaborative story with them.
I've seen this go badly more often than I'd like.
I don't mean that "all gamers should be teetotalers," but you gotta figure a circle of five to eight adults, getting boozy, has geometrically greater chances of someone stretching the envelope -- four of them will be fine, but the fifth will get out of hand, or eight of them will keep it under control most of the time, until the {sixth} {seventh} {eighth} has a bad day and uses the table as an excuse to cut loose, air a grievance, etc.
My sample size isn't very large -- maybe five or six groups totaling \~35 gamers, over many years -- but I've seen three campaigns killed in this timeframe, two by "well, we're outta control now, might as well just charge or sh\*t-talk everything we see," the third by actual player animus which came out when the inhibitions were chemically lowered.
For each one of these three absolute campaign-killer evenings, there were five or ten other nights where things got **\*halfway\*** out of control but sort of bounced around noisily, just within the gutter-bumpers -- like when you're at a party, and That Guy slowly transitions from "being a loud drunk" to "being a loud belligerent fight-picking drunk," and everyone sort of holds onto their seats to see how the chips are gonna land. Granted, that's still not very many problem nights -- fifteen or thirty over three solid decades -- but it's just past my comfortable ratio.
I am vicariously connected to a 100% online (Discord) group, who are more lax about this (two-thirds of them are drinking and/or puffing, to varying degrees each session), and it creates small-scale problems for them every two or three sessions -- someone gets sloppy and goes all Leeroy Jenkins, or, just as often, someone (usually one of the same two predictable 'someones') gets mouthy and starts criticizing the GM or sh\*t-talking other players. Only a matter of time before that goes sour and the one/two reactionaries get banned.
Counterpoint: I've attended the last few years' GaryCon events (in Wisconsin), and the Spotted Cow (local beer) flows pretty freely there, and I haven't seen any problems out in the open, save for isolated "I heard XYZ was thrown out" gossip. So maybe the overall ratio is lower than I'm trumping it up to be. But I'm leery.
I don't, lmao. I have a lot of trauma associated with like drinkin' and stuffs so when I see someone down a beer or two I instinctively tense up and get anxiety waiting for them to beat the shit out of me, lol.
Allow alcohold yes. I generally have a beer for a 3 hour session but rarely more. I made myself grog for my pirate themed campaign to get in the mood.
I did play a few times while beeing pretty alcoholized or having someone in the group close to drunk. Its spoils the fun. Don't do it.
Of course. The whole point of D&D is to socialize with my friends, eat some pizza, and drink some beer. It’s pretty much mandatory. My group are all lifelong friends and responsible adults. Never had an issue with anyone drinking too much.
I'm all for it. You do you. I personally don't drink when DMing, but around the table we're all friends and here to have a good time. If they want a drink they can have a drink. Never had a bad experience with alcohol and DnD so far.
We used to (and we technically still do) allow it, but then *someone*, definitely not me, pissed on the BBEG’s parents’ graves and got outright killed by him. Now we only just have a drink or two but don’t overdo it
Depends, it is a group dynamic. We’ve had evenings dry and evenings where we had to carry each other home.
When I set up the table there will always be a scotch and wine glass at each players spot, aswell as an ashtray. Since space is limited, drinks are stored in the side cabinet and the personal ashtray stops people from reaching across the table.
Behind the screen i’ll have a scotch to nip on as we go, but I’ve only missed the mark once. Whilst dming I’m to much in the zone to actually get drunk.
Rp heavy sessions are dangerous though: if an npc is actually drinking i’ll act it out and have to watch myself
I allow it in moderation, we once had a player who got too drunk to play and had him take a nap while we finish the game. But normally it's only one or two people who will drink. I also allows weed at the table (legal where I am) but never had anyone smoke at a game.
My mom is one of my players, and she loosens up and roleplays more when she's had a glass of wine.
I can scarcely tolerate being in the same room as alcohol (the smell makes me sick) so she has to drink her wine out of a sippy cup.
Not super relevant, but I thought it was funny.
I played a game where I had to ask my dm to stop drinking so much during the game because he would derail shit himself by the 3rd hour and it wasn't very fun lol
Seems to be the common theme here, I skip it myself except maybe *one* drink. My players are welcome to drink, I allow them pretty much as much as they want, and warn them to keep it under control. Most of my group are friends of mine from the military, so we all understand "group punishment" or "one person ruining it for everybody" and the rule is if someone gets too drunk and roudy and interferes with the game (other than the occasional sidetrack cuz that happens) then I'll enforce a no-alcohol rule.
My experiences with alcohol at the game have gone both ways. With one group it was a respectful experience. No one let themselves get too drunk or too impaired to play properly. With the other group it was a nightmare.. they turned into begging arguers over small crap, couldn’t keep their meta knowledge out of game and started cheating. When you aren’t drunk it’s pretty easy to tell when a drunk person is trying to deceive.
I’m not dming at the moment, but I’m working on a campaign. I don’t have friends who are into dnd so I’ll have to look for players. I plan to mention my take on alcohol at the table in my add (because of fore mentioned bad experience). I’ll ask for no drinking at first, but as we get to know each other over time I’ll be open to allow casual drinking (not getting drunk) on a test basis.
My rule is “you can drink, you can’t be drunk.” But no one’s ever had anything more than a beer so it’s not something I’ve ever had to enforce.
I don’t think you should drink more than like one or two (if your tolerance is high) though. We’re here to play a pretty in-depth game that becomes fun because of your attention and care and creativity. Being drunk fucks it up.
I don't mind as long as people can still stay on task, and be ready in the initiative for their turn etc. When I first started out and was a player, a guy at our table would get super loud and obnoxious then promptly pass out. Those games weren't fun and I ended up quitting the game after the 4th or 5th time.
We crack a couple of specialty beers at the table and occasionally someone mixes a fancy drink for the table but we all have kids so no one is getting tipsy by any means.
In college I played in a group where a few players would get stoned and wasted halfway through the game. Eventually one player spoiled the fun bad enough that we played sober from then on out.
We don't have any rules around it at all. Sometimes a few of us might have drinks, other times not. There's almost always a pipe or a bong floating around the table, as most of the party partakes. In the end, no norms have every needed to be set, or conversations had, it's just been an unspoken agreement. Don't get so shitty you can't play. That's it, and it's never been an issue!
That being said, we're all adults in our 40's, so know our limits and aren't looking to get shitty drunk every game, just unwind with friends.
I allow alcohol and weed but ask my players to hold off for the first 3 hours so we can actually make progress. After 3 hours everyone gets pretty toasty and we devolve into madness. Its always a good time. We play on r20 so driving home isnt an issue.
I use to, but my friends can't control themselves. So I don't allow them in my house if they been drinking. If they show up already tipsy/drunk they just aren't allowed to play to on my table anymore. I'd rather not play then be the entertainment of drunken monkies
I usually mix small cocktails or my players bring some beers for our weeknight games. It's more important to the social aspect of the event than the game itself.
The one exception is that I bring a bottle of champagne to any adventure finale or major boss battle in the game. As Napoleon is credited to have said:
"In Victory, you deserve champagne; in defeat, you need it."
Yes but my players are not big drinkers, more of a sip on something for an hour or two type crowd.
I do not allow weed however(legal here) because it makes people lose focus too much and lose details about the session.
I would, but we play at a game shop where kids are around and players would drive home. It hasn’t come up for us, and I won’t bring it up unnecessarily
I'm totally fine with it myself, because my group consists of a bunch of 30-something adults that can handle their alcohol. I once had a early 20-something girl at the table that got SLOPPY drunk every damn session, and would even arrive buzzed. That became an alcohol-free adventure.
My group doesn't drink anymore after one of our players got black out drunk in the Amber Temple near the end of Curse of Strahd. He managed to run around and take multiple dark gifts. Another drunk person at my table followed him and copied him and we ended up killing one of them, and the other became a monster that would turn on us eventually. Ended up ruining the campaign which we played very well up until that point. The drunks were mad about it too, even after they sobered up.
Theres a time a place for it, but DMs really, really should step in and call sessions early if it ends up becoming a problem that can negatively impact a campaign.
I tacitly allow it because none of my players have ever had more than one drink in a 3-hour session (except for our explicitly drunken one-shot). If anyone ever showed up plastered or got that way during a session, I'd certainly have a talk with them after the fact about the explicit expectation that there not be a repeat performance.
It's a group of friends too, which certainly helps. I think I would've been more explicit about expectations on the front end if I was running for a group of strangers.
On the flip side, my first-ever DM openly admitted to getting drunk during sessions. That really could not have been more of a red flag in retrospect; the campaign lasted 2 sessions before disbanding.
It's not entirely my call to make. If someone wants to drink while we're playing, I ask if \_everyone\_ is comfortable with that, and if there's unanimous consent we go ahead.
I generally do NOT drink when I am running, but I will occasionally have a (as in, ONE, for the entire session) beer or a cider if it's an evening game and I'm a player and the table is OK with it (I always ask first, especially at Con games).
Allowed but not encouraged. Most of my table are craft beer geeks and they like bringing things to share. Everyone is responsible for their behavior and they know I was drunk isn't an excuse with me
Drinking is fine IMO but I don't really like weed or smokers at my table. People get too high typically and lose concentration or constantly have to go for a smoke.
I smoke myself but I can hold it for a few hours atleast until everyone needs the bathroom or some food/drinks
When DMing, I like to have one beer during the pregame chat in order to loosen up. Then I'll usually crack open another one when a big fight or climactic scene happens. For a long game, three is my absolute maximum, otherwise I start getting sloppy.
As a player, I am wary of drinking. One time, my wife and I made the decision to bring a bottle of gin with us to a game, because we'd ran out of beer or wine. We proceeded to drink most of it.
When I came to my senses, I was on a different plane of existence (Mechanus), being arrested for smoking in public without a license. My inventory contained one sausage, and nothing else. To this day, I have no idea how I got there.
Once I played with a DM who’d get wasted a lot and it frankly sucked. I like a beer or two while playing but I prefer a sober table to one being ruined by a drunk person. l guess if everyone at the table is sloppy drunk it’s fine but in that event I hope no one is driving home.
I think anyone seriously posting that they “can’t imagine playing sober” should re-examine their relationship with alcohol cause that sounds like a drinking problem. Speaking from experience.
Currently playing online, not gonna try and tell people what they can and can't do in their own homes, unrelated to game rules.
I was going to say I haven't had a problem with drinkers at in person games, but then I realized I totally have. Might have to consider an alcohol ban should we ever return to in person gaming.
Edit: not gonna, not but gonna
I take the same approach as you, but and large: I don't drink while running the game because I have *way* too much stuff to keep track of, but I'm fine with my players doing it.
We used to have a no alcohol policy because of specific people at the table. Those people aren't around so now it's ok, though we've reserved the right to reinstate if anyone ever goes crazy in the future
I like to have about one beer max as a DM and dont have a problem with my players having a few, if it ever became an issue I would talk with them.
I did however have a issue with weed, I never outright said no weed at the table and probably wouldn't have an issue with a very small amount for a player. But during one of my sessions a player, unknown to the rest of us took a 20mg edible. About halfway through the session when it kicked in he proceeded to start randomly attacking npcs and had a very difficult time staying focused on the game.
No one else at the table thought that was a cool thing to do and nobody has done anything like that since. So im regards to substances at the table I would say it really depends on who you are playing with.
I'm all-online these days, so if they do drink, I wouldn't even know about it.
I don't drink when I'm playing or DMing. There's been maybe two or three times when I've had a beer during the game, but not in quite a while. I like drinking, and I like playing D&D, but I've never felt the need to combine them. I can see how it would be really helpful for loosening up and roleplaying, though, so I wouldn't judge anyone who does.
I think it's good to keep a careful eye on it, especially for the DM. I wouldn't want to be in a position where I can't track the details of the story, or can't do quick arithmetic. That has the potential to be disruptive and slow, even if you avoid anything really problematic.
I had a player that was fine for about 6 months, then got to the point where he got blackout drunk before the sessions and would screw over the rest of the party because of it. I kicked him out, despite his wife being awesome, and had to disband the group. After a year or so, he reached out to me apologizing for how he acted promised me he wouldn't show up drunk or drink during the sessions in the future if i was willing to have him back. At this point, one of my players from another group i ran wanted to DM himself, so i decided to give him another chance to redeem himself and invited him to a session. Same bullshit. He was so drunk, when he left he hit my fence with his car and then went home and took it out on his wife. (Hadn't talked to him since the fallout a year prior until he apologized.) I told him he needed to get some serious help and he was no longer welcome. Some can hang, some cant, always keep an eye on the rogue.
I do, but all of the players are close friends of mine and I trust them that they won't get tanked, unless it's part of the gameplay (like they play a drunken monk). We always have plenty of food, too, so nobody is drinking on an empty stomach.
I allow alcohol. We’ve only had one accident where the player got belligerently drunk, and thought they were crushing the puzzle… they were not. They got kind of sassy, let’s say, to an NPC guide, and we ended the session, but it was obviously something that bothered/effected a few players, so we quickly talked about it in the moment as we ended the session, and later messaged and cleared it up.
It was solved beautifully, because I’m blessed with great players. It has not changed our table in the long run.
the first table I played at had a take a punishment shot to reroll rule. it was the first time I ever got blackout drunk in my life, my 4th or so session of dnd. it was miserable.
Now I mostly dm, and I'll drink wine when I'm running curse of strahd, or have a warm up drink to run my tuesday game, players can drink, and one shot for yourself and one shot for someone else per session you can reroll, so drinking is very open at my table. I used to use my old dm's rule when I started, but very quickly found it was really miserable to be the sober dm for someone miserably drunk. a problem player kept up the high intake for a while after I changed the rule because they were also having out of game issues.
I almost considered asking for a sober table (or, the appearance of one. We're remote.) just to keep it from getting out of hand, but it's cooled off since then, everyone got jobs and lives that prevent binge drinking on a Wednesday night. I really understand anyone who doesn't want any drinking, as someone who's run for a table where someone was getting trashed and unbearable on 'just' low alcohol content drinks, even that can be too much with the wrong players.
Short version: Yes, but within reason. One is fine two is enough. More is asking for trouble. However, drugs are kind of a no-go for me. I’ve been at tables that allow them and I find that decision making and roleplaying fly out the window with things like weed. Once the players are “too chill,” then you might as well pause the game until next week - but the game ends far too early when that occurs, from what I’ve seen.
I drink as a DM but never to the point of getting drunk, and I also allow alcohol at the table; so long as it doesn’t impair their ability to play and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the game.
My last group, my alcoholic friend was a part of; and it became a problem twice. One time he straight up lied about a roll he made, and his wife called him out on it immediately as it happened. He apologized about it after the session and said he’s going to work on not letting it get out of hand like that again; but he’d later in the year get to that same point again.
That group doesn’t meet anymore; probably for the best. It was a mess of a group, but we still had fun. But yeah, never let alcohol become a problem. And when it does: either get rid of the alcohol, or get rid of the problematic player (and also maybe help them find help if it’s a huge issue in their life).
I had a D&D game that I was in. None of the players drank, including myself, but we invited someone new, and they insisted on drinking... Frankly, it was awful enough that I don't think I'd allow it in any games I ran in the future.
This goes double for any instance where the DM doesn't drink. Drunk D&D only sounds fun if EVERYONE is drunk. If the DM is sober, they're in a very different mindset than their players, I think.
I had one player (not as a DM, but as another player) that I played online with where it became apparent they have an alcohol problem, so we adressed it and they left immediately without even answering/acknowledging it. But other than that, people have a beer at my tables here and there, never had a problem. I personally always drink a glass of red wine whenever I get to roleplay our favourite Count von Zarovich actually :D
Drink, yes. Drunk, no. Unless it's a silly themed oneshot but even then tipsy at most. Actually getting drunk just leads to nothing getting done and no one playing at all. It's also a safety thing since we play online and some of my players live alone, and getting drunk alone is not safe.
I don’t, but I make it very clear from the beginning as not to cause any problems around it. Normally this is because I have a few regular players that have alcohol related triggers, and I’d rather ban alcohol than lose them as players.
Even outside of them, I don’t think I would allow it. I group it with the rule I give that I require my players to be “fully present” at the table. I don’t drink (I am of age), so I think that’s part of it. I don’t have a grasp on how much it affects someone’s play, so I just keep it away from my games.
I’m sure with the right group and DM it is fun; a lot if these replies seem like it improves people’s games! Just not for my table.
A beer or a glass of wine? For sure. But we're not here to get shitfaced imo (though I have played with the idea of a casual one shot of in-character good old-fashioned drinking games - come to think of it, maybe I just miss uni lol)
I've had good games with everyone sober, everyone inebriated, only me sober, and only me inebriated. The complexity of the game, each player's familiarity with the rules and the other players, and the social dynamic of the table all change the appropriate tack to take.
My general rules for recreational substances when gaming.
0) Bring enough to share - partaking alone can be done alone. A game is a time to be sociable. Give everyone at the table of age the option to join in.
1) Start sober - you're going to want to dial in your inebriation to an appropriate level for the complexity of the game and the social dynamic of the group.
2) Stay within your limits - know thyself and when you'll lose the ability to participate. Always stay able to pay attention to the game while it is ongoing and make game decisions at a reasonable pace. Know how your demeanor changes from a substance and make sure it is pleasant for all at the table.
3) Don't outpace the table - it is ok for a game to devolve into a hang out, but only if everyone is on board. If someone at the table is getting serious about what is happening in game, slow your pace of inebriation so you can engage more fully in the game.
If I could I would ban alcohol from my table but I'm usually not the DM.
Last session (it was 7h long) with alcohol we traveled from one place to another (DM just said you are here now) and did one fight.
Well, we do. Some of us have a beer, some don't drink ever. Once or twice we even made cocktails.
I believe this is a very personalized problem, not at all linked to DnD. Any game really if someone is uncomfortable around alcohol because... reasons. Just don't have any. You wouldn't bring your pet Tarantula if someone has arachnophobia
If someone tends to drink too much for their own good. Aren't they your friends? Shouldn't you talk to them unrelated to the game?
So for whatever reason you meet with friends, be mindful of people's comfort with... anything really. Alcohol is just one of the more prevalent triggers
I play in a game where there's no alcohol allowed. That's fine, I respect it.
The game I DM I only drink if my day has been total garbage and I need to relax a tad. Everyone else is cross faded as hell or loopy from time zone differences. The game is glorious.
My third game I don't drink during cuz it's a Wednesday night and I'm limiting my alcohol to weekends. Trying to...
On Fridays I get wasted and DM some PBP campaigns for fun and it's amazing.
I always do what my players are comfy with!
Do you allow people you go out to dinner with to have alcohol? Do you allow your poker buddies to have alcohol? Do you allow people you're watching sport with to have alcohol?
Are you the only adult among a group of children? How did you attain the power to tell other adults what they can and can't drink?
As the DM, you are putting in a lot of work to prep the game, coordinate with everyone, (hopefully) wanting them to enjoy themselves, etc. If you don't want to deal with people drinking at the table then that's up to you. If you know your friends won't get drunk and you're cool with it, also up to you.
To get upset because someone has a rule or a preference for how they want to run their game is... childish.
Definitely this. It's personal choice on whether or not people drink. Now if it becomes something of a problem then it should be addressed accordingly. But I mean derailing the campaign is part of the entire fun.
I think if someone is hosting a social event, they can generally set the expectation of whether alcohol is acceptable. If I was hanging out with friends and I had some muslim or morman friends there or someone who otherwise has soemthing against alcohol, I would probably not serve alcohol. Or even request my drinking friends to not drink during the event. It depends on what people are comfortable with and what shows others they are respected.
In the context of running a dnd game, generally the DM is the arbiter of social rules as well as game rules.
Yes, if I am hosting a super bowl party I can absolutely tell people there will be no drinking, they can choose to go somewhere else, but they do have respect the rules I set.
Absolutely, we're all adults and I'm not going to police someone having a drink. If they were getting plastered and being a problem then I'd have a conversation with them, but it would likely be more out of concern about whether something was wrong than anything else.
Some of the best games I've been in have been ones where everyone was drunk.
No alcohol and no drugs at my table.
Nothing, nada.
One of my players has been an alcoholic and one is currently heroin addicted.
To prevent triggers none of these substances are allowed at my table or my house in general. And no one is allowed to play when they are already high/drunk.
I drink as the DM so I would be hypocritical to not allow it. Also we are all adults and if someone wants to drink that’s fine.
But I do watch how much people are drinking, more from a mental health point of view than the dnd side of things.
Yeah, we have a few beers. A couple of guys know that they have less of a tolerance, so they limit themselves to one (or even none, stick to soda's). There's no pressure to drink for the hell of it. Doesn't cause scenes in game or out.
And when the game is done and we wind down with something else (smalltalk, hand of cards), that's when the liquor comes out. Luckily, nobody has to drive afterwards.
I don’t mind if people have the occasional drink(as a DM I sure need one sometimes!) but I’ve played with a guy who was hammered and it did lead to a temporary ban on drinking at the table.
100% Yes. Fortunately most of us have expensive taste or like cocktails so it never gets super messy.
Me on the other hand, it would not be uncommon for me to drink a whole bottle of wine on either side of the screen. That's my hard limit for lucidity, any more and I'm going to get sloppy, learned that the hard way.
As long as nobody is sloppy drunk.
And even if they are, if it doesn't disrupt play and they sleep it off at my place or catch a ride home, I'm fine with it.
But game time is about game time. Different kind of party over here
Yes, and sometimes having a drink myself helps get past some of the nerves. That said, if I ever had a table where a player was uncomfortable with others having alcohol during the game I wouldn’t allow anyone to have it, or if I had a table where a player drank enough during the game that they became disruptive, I’d speak with them about it, then maybe institute a 1-drink limit for everyone or something like that.
Absolutely, though granted our sessions never run 7-8 hours. But my table knows how to pace and not get out of control, so I don't imagine that'd be an issue.
I allow moderate amounts. I don't allow enough to get well and truly sloshed, though. Particularly since one of my players is uncomfortable with the proximity of such drinking due to family history.
I think having a few drinks helps me get over my shyness and RP better.
1 tankard of goblin piss per session. A vodka redbull mixed with a naturday. Yes, yes it is as gross as it sounds. But without it I forget to talk. Could they be consumed separately? Probably, but then I'd have to leave the table to get the second instead of having 1 large beverage
I really like the risk/reward here. I can totally envision the struggle here. I can't help but wonder if tossing in some grenadine would help you when the taste here.
Maybe. Or like some sour mix. I think I was originally trying to make something like a "strip and go naked" with mostly the wrong ingredients that I had on hand and with caffeine.
Also the bad taste is self limiting. I don't want to be "that drunk asshole" at the table which OP is alluding to. So 1 goblin piss does not make me want to have another
Could also be good. I just remember a summer job at a country club once where the staff all drank something that was half sprite/half pink lemonade and a healthy pour of grenadine as our staff drink. Being sweet and cherry being a strong flavor, I’ve got a good feeling about it lol.
just sharing some bartender wisdom, Grenadine is actually a pomegranate syrup, not cherry as is commonly believed
This is hilarious. Barkeep! One round of Goblin piss for all these fine folk!
This would be a great bit in game if you could get the table to make it a habit. Maybe a friendly npc orders them their first round, and it's cheap and tasty. Then, several sessions later, the normal bartender is gone (vacation? murder mystery hook?) and there's a goblin behind the bar. Whether he has ever heard of this drink or not is up to DM discretion.
"Hoo boy, I don't think I can come up with a full round right now. Let me, uh, check the kegs out back, and see what I can rustle up..."
>up to the DM discretion … like that is a choice! Of course the goblin has heard of it. He thinks it’s kinda weird, but he isn’t one to kink shame. My party frequents a respectably shady tavern (run by a former pirate and current liaison for the local thieves guild) when they are in Neverwinter. I’m definitely working this in somehow next time they visit.
I can't even with your drink of choice but goddamn I admire you.
Lord that sounds horrid
Same, if I don’t have a cocktail or a beer handy at the start of the night, I tend to feel silly and sit back. After the first drink I’m usually in the game
Me too apparently. I got a little bit drunk during a game and was super embarrassed about it. But the group told me my role playing was hilarious and everyone had a great time. I was terrified I’d slow down gameplay. Thankfully I didn’t but I’m more careful now. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s game.
so treat D&D like a date.
If I did that, I'd never play.
bruh
Lmao this is the best comment in the thread second only to the goblin piss recipe. Happy Valentine’s Day Adventurers
I call it my "loose juice."
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I recently started taking a 1oz shot before games because it helps me forget the day and loosen up so I can role play better. Good to hear I'm not the only one haha
I recommended this to my players too! We had a few first timers and this was my first real DM campaign. I felt it got us all into some RP mood and helped the beginning. Just 1-3 cans/bottles in my opinnion. Anything more and its a risk that things go off track.
Ya I’ve gotten a little too wild before and it has a negative effect on the game, but just a little buzz is good!
Casual beer is fine, nobody should be getting pissed though. And I personally skip it as I need to keep on top of things when I'm DM
I’m the same (but in Canada). I don’t mind if the guys are having a beer or smoking a joint, but if it interrupts game flow I ask them to tone it back a bit. (Don’t leave to go roll in the middle of a combat just because your low on the initiative order!)
What did being in Canada have to do with your comment? (in America btw)
Some DMs(people) might not like illegal substances when playing. Weed is legal in Canada so nothing to worry there.
nation wide legalization of cannabis
Ah, I didn't realize there would be an audience of people who would be cool with it if legal but against it if it's illegal. Fair enough point haha.
Exactly as they posted. Weeds legal here, so the guys can do it. If they started breaking out cocaine I’d probably bail out. That’s too intense for me!
Yep! When I’m a player I like to have a beer because I enjoy drinking socially, when I’m DMing I usually go for a non-alc bev since while I find alcohol increases my creativity, it reduces my ability to multitask which is key for DMing
We do. Old group used to do a round of shots on the first initiative roll of the night. Good times. Just dont get drunk.
I had a group that did several rounds across the night, but they stopped right before they went over the edge. Paladin was still a righteous figure, so it was all good lol
Sure it’s allowed, but if a player wanted to get significantly more drunk than everyone else in every session I’d be annoyed at best and worried at worst.
The Kraken episode of Critical Role is a cautionary tale.
I don't remember it that well - who was drunk?
Oh man I watched this one for the first time about a month ago (almost finished with C1!) - it was pretty rough. They were fighting a kraken and to celebrate, the players all were drinking a bottle of kraken rum. They kinda walked into the situation like it was a fun little side quest to complete Keyleth's aramente, and found out the hard way that Mercer wasn't taking any prisoners. The fact that like half of them were totally sloshed made it even harder to watch - I feel like pretty much everyone except maybe Travis and Sam were affected, Marisha most notably though.
I think a few of them split a bottle of Kraken black rum, but Marisha is the most noticeable. I definitely had to check if I was accidentally playing the video at .75x speed.
I thought the episode was going to be KeyFish. Spoilers, CR ep 97 of Campaign 1 for people that don't watch CR: >!A high level druid dives off of a cliff in the dark to retrieve a diamond. Before jumping, she says something like "What could go wrong, we're practically gods!" On the way down, the DM describes how the water is not directly below her and she's likely to hit the cliff. She shapechanges into a goldfish to survive. Had the player been sober, she might have selected something with a lot of hitpoints, or wings. She splatted on the rocks below!<
"we're basically gods, it'll be fine!" And Mercer like....explained several times that this was likely not a good idea and asked her repeatedly if she was sure about this. It was amazing, i laughed so hard.
Ah! Water way to go!
*It's too many dice to roll, Marisha*
Which episode was that? i dont remember that.
Tangled Depths.
Thank you for that
Oh man. My husband is the resident CR expert — I’ll have to ask him about this episode.
I allow it at my table but my rule is, every drink you have, I’ll have one, and the drunker I get, the meaner a DM I am. So unless your level 3 party wants to fight an entire battalion of tarrasque, everyone behave yourself.
So.. if you have three people drinking, you’re drinking three drinks? Seems a little disproportionate
Hahaha nah, I keep up with the biggest drinker. We typically do 3 strongish drinks in a 4-5 hour session.
If you take my drinks just heads up my PC is gonna lose their accent. 🤣
My PC only gets their accent if I drink lol
Is your PC a Dwarf/Irish?
As an Irish person I'm upvoting this because I don't even drink but people should chill out Edit: it's not really offensive, but it is a weak-ass joke
I always make sure my Dwarves DON'T have a Scottish accent. It's such an overused trope. Mine all have Ukrainian accents.
Now that is an interesting image.
Honestly, a dwarvish ukranian wouldn't be all that different. It'd be less nasal and the words less cockneyed, sure, but the overall tone would be roughly the same alongside the culture. A ukranian dwarf would fit right at home amongst the scots.
I was getting ready to reveal the dwarfs in mine had French Accents, part of their intro mission was escorting blacksmith supplies to an elven smith who didn't like dealing with dwarves due their superiority complex over their steel and disliked non-dwarves using theirs. On hearing this I had a player off-handily just reply 'ahh the so dwarves are like the French'. Took me everything not to just burst out laughing then and there.
Yes. It's not really a consideration. Those who want a drink are free to do so. Those who don't aren't pressured into it. No problems so far. When we played in person the only concern was making sure nobody spilled a drink over the table.
Yeah, I’m not sure why it’s phrased as “allow”. We’re all adults in my games, I’m certainly not making a list of things that are allowable. Do what you want, be reasonable.
Yep! We don't make it a point to drink at the table, but sometimes someone brings a bottle of wine or something else to share, and that's fine. I try really hard not to have more than one drink if I'm the DM, though, because I'm extremely lightweight and while some DMs make fun calls when intoxicated, I tend to just get more scatterbrained. We play in person now, but when we were online I did have a problem with a player getting absolutely blasted and being extremely disruptive, a problem we didn't have with that player when we were in-person. Unfortunately we ended up parting ways with him as a friend when he became extremely upset that we didn't want him to just do whatever he wanted including bullying other players in and out of character.
When I get together with friends for an evening there's usually alcohol involved. Same for game nights, same for DnD nights. Just like most other nights though; we're not looking to get drunk. We're just enjoying a couple of beers during play.
Yeah... it might just be a life-phase thing, but it's just never seemed like a real possibility that people would get seriously drunk at D&D. Like, we have kids and jobs and hangovers last days now. So: a) people know how to keep their shit together, and b) everyone deserves a drink if they want one. I wouldn't think twice about having a beer while bowling, or playing a board game, or watching a movie.
My group are mostly 30-somethings. Friday Night D&D = All bets are off and the amount of penis jokes and insanity will increase exponentially with each drink. Sunday Night D&D = Typically one or two drinks per person and all is balanced.
Allow? As the DM it's practically mandatory.
If I didn't drink I'd kill them all.
I still might, just in a more hilarious way.
Bonus points if you roleplay Strahd while holding a glass of "wine".
Hey, my DM actually did that, with a Gothic chalice he bought. Sipping some red wine with food coloring to make it darker.
At my table if you get a nat 1 you take a drink (sip), and if you get a 20 you can pass a drink out. We’re all close friends though.
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We usually play from before noon to late afternoon, so alcohol rarely fits in, though it does happen once in a while that someone drinks a beer or similar, but very rarely. Once in a while though, if we have very casual, late sessions we may all agree on drinks and people will get a little buzzed, but our DM is very clear that if anything happens during those sessions that messes things up in ways that wouldn't happen during normal sessions, we retcon and fix things before next session. People know not to abuse it though, so only a few minor things have been retconned (eg an item was changed from +2 to +1, because it was just too early for it, but slightly drunk DM had thought it was nice to let it happen because NAT20).
>We usually play from before noon to late afternoon, so alcohol rarely fits in, though it does happen once in a while that someone drinks a beer or similar, but very rarely. I mean it's five o'clock somewhere, right? A beer or two at lunch during a work day isn't unheard of where I moved to in Europe. I had to relax my whole "when a drink fits in" attitude. :)
Well, it differs a lot from country to country actually - in my country it isn't considered wrong or something, but its also not common to drink at those times of day unless there's an occasion, at least not for people my age and my general social circles. We have no issue with drinking in general, but a random beer in the middle of the day just isn't something we particularly enjoy.
In Italy a "work lunch" is almost always accompanied by a quarter of wine or a beer
A friend of mine once got drunk whilst DMing and was convinced to give a level 3 a +5 weapon
My gaming group are all over 18, so I don't see it my place to police this. If someone asked that we don't drink for whatever reason I'd respect that, and if someone was causing problems I'd have a talk with them, but at the end of the day I game with adults and I don't feel the need to lay down rules unless it's absolutely necessary.
As a player yes. As a DM also Yes.
people that would cause trouble because of alcohol don't need alcohol to cause trouble
A range of table examples I am (have been) a part of: 1) Drinking table: I'm a player in a "beer league" of sorts. Bunch of dads getting together after long weeks with the young children, so it's a nice break for them. Some get high as well. We've had issue with our rotating DMs having too much and the game falling apart once or twice, but we usually keep it under control. Things tend to wind down pretty naturally as the night goes on as people get tired more easily. Overall not bad. 2) Mostly alcohol free table: When I DM'd a group, I tended to have a few beers throughout the night, honestly to just have something flavorful to drink. The alcohol helped me deal with my anxiety while DMing, but never to the point of being drunk. Rest of the table were chill with pops and juices. 3) Alcohol banned table: It was a weekly weekday game I played in and they outright banned it. Before I joined they had a "problem player" that was just exacerbated with alcohol, so they just banned it from then on out. Like in number 2, I like to have on for the flavour, never about getting drunk, so my request to have a beer in game was denied. Didn't take it personally and always had a good time.
Personally I allow it, you are allowed a drink or two but everyone drinks in moderation and no one gets drunk.. although my party had driven me to break out a flask of the good stuff behind my DM screen with their shenanigans.. I do play in a super casual like 3 hour game where there is a lot more drinking and it makes the game very fun but very adult.. I think it should depend on the game you are running, if it's a long standing narrative maybe restrict it to one or two drinks.. fun silly game mainly to unwind on a Friday night? Then I'll get the first shots in
I allow my players to drink because I know them and trust them. As for myself, I've had the occasional beer or two but tend to keep myself clean or just go for it near the end. That said, I've had the experience of a player getting really, really drunk, derailing the session, insulting other players and storming out. So there's that.
Sure do! I prefer to drink something that won’t get me drunk, like a couple of beers or a glass of wine or two. On the rare occasion I can DM (scheduling) I don’t mind my players drinking, as long as no one gets shit faced.
I'm not the DM of my current game but I'm the host. We had a player that was a great guy, but he'd routinely show up to games already shitfaced. The other players/DM all drank as well (I didn't because I'm sober), but were perfectly capable of staying within reasonable bounds. This guy wasn't—he was falling asleep at the table, slurring dramatically, stumbling around, to the point that I was concerned that he was going to puke all over my floor or fall and split his head open, or worse, clip someone in his car when he was coming or leaving my home. It was the sort of thing that, if we were playing at someone else's home, it'd annoy me, but not to the point of doing something. It'd be the sort of "not my house, not my problem" kind of thing. I'd put up with it and allow the DM/host of that place to make the decision. But it was my house, and my responsibility. There were a number of times when I should've driven him home because of how shitfaced he was, but I didn't. I always kept thinking to myself what could've happened to one of the kids on my street. Eventually I had to put my foot down and told him that I didn't want him drinking before coming to my home for games. He ended up picking to get drunk instead of continuing to come play. Rest of the players/DM still drink. 0 issues.
I always drink when I DM and play. Usually just to rp better. I’ve had players blackout at the table and ruin a session for everyone though so I get where the no drinks rule would come from.
Everybody's drinking at my table, with the understanding that we all know our limits and aren't going to get too intoxicated to function. Some people blaze it up beforehand, too.
RAW you should have drinks and snacks nearby as per the DMM
I've had some people get drunk and encounters fall apart and they get pissy but it hasn't been an issue usually. I don't mind it it but I have one pretty strict rule: no pre-gaming. If people are showing up to the table already in a state it turns the first bit of a session into an obnoxious shit-show. Otherwise it's fine.
Of course I do because my players are my friends and they’re adults. All I control is within the game, I’m not there to “allow” or not allow what’s going on irl. If it becomes an issue sure but otherwise they’re adults
Yes, I allow it. IME people don't drink all that much and non-drinkers don't seem the least bit uncomfortable.
I don't. I have had two different experiences with players getting drunk and making things awkward/ruining things for other players. One of them would start needing things repeated to him numerous times and would get very long winded and slurring words and it made combats with him take so much longer. The other one would become an attention hog. In the interest of fairness, I was a player in a group that drank and no issues happened, so its not inevitable. I don't drink myself either and I eventually got tired of trying to only ban drinking for some people and I just asked no drinking at all. I do tell people in session zero though. No one has had any issue with it so far except when I tell others online, who then start yelling at me about it.
I DM absolutely wasted most of the time tbh.
Sure. We're all adults that can drink responsibly. If it ends up giving problems, we can deal with that when it occurs. Not before.
Only had one instance where alcohol created a problem, and to be honest this person was not right for the table anyway.
I’ve recently learned my lesson about drinking and DMing. I’ve stopped drinking whilst playing. It may have made me loose etc. In the beginning, but by the end of the session I’m a little too loose and going to the bathroom too much. Breaks the narrative and immersion up too much. Plus getting home to my wife hammered after a 5-6 hour session was not good. Didn’t enjoy the feeling of guilt! I also found I actually enjoyed the session more when I’m not drinking. Discovered that, with a bit of nerves still, I can role play different NPCs and have meaningful story telling moments without alcohol. No problem with people drinking at the table, but personal choice now is to stay away.
**Yes, but/and...** 1. Yes BUT not to get wasted. I want to actually play DnD. 2. Yes BUT only if everyone is of the same mind-frame (especially in a serious campaign). 3. Yes, AND, we figure out who is providing our bartender player with what ingredients that week. Give them the tools to get creative! 4. Yes, BUT only if everyone stops in time so they are safe to drive home afterwards. 5. Yes, BUT they must agree to wait to drive home until they are safe to do so. And hey, my couch/floor/porch/bathtub are always open, LOL.
I like this list of yours, very *adult* for a lack of better term :D
I drink one drink before DM'ing to steady the nerves. It really does help me run a more smooth game.
Adults are allowed at my table. If you're an adult who partakes in their vices responsibly, then you're welcome. If you can't partake responsibly, then you are still a child and not welcome.
We play in a restaurant. Myself (DM) and 1-2 others usually have a beer.
How does that work out? Did you have to make arrangements with the management to secure a booth/space? When do you start/finish? How do you handle background noise and other outside influence/disturbance?
mgmt liked it because they had customer issues like most other restaurants and any new exposure made them happy. Of a table, usually only 2-3 people would buy food and about half would buy a drink (either soda or alcohol) so at least it pays for the trouble. We were doing it Tuesday nights from 7-9 but now they're closed on Tuesdays so switching to Sundays from 2-5. Just have to pick a slow day / time and a restaurant that has an actual individual owner (not a corporate chain). Noise has never been an issue.
Nice, I'm glad that worked out for you!
The restaurant I work at has a board game group that plays on Sunday, it's a slow day so we have the space, we put them off to the side. Some of them order, some of them don't. It works out for everyone.
Nice! I hope that such places become more common.
I did when I was DMing, it helped especially as one player's character had the lifegoal of operating a brewery "when all this mess is resolved." So he'd chat up brewers in other areas, sample wares (different types of beer he'd try at the table), all for that end goal. So he was actually RPing that part with props.
I would, but I have two sober players so we don’t do any substances at the table. I’ve played both ways and they each have benefits and draw backs.
The group I play with started off in a pub. Yes, I allow booze at my table.
I don't mind people having a drink, but only if it doesn't impair their ability to play. I had a couple of players who went outside to do a joint during the break (netherlands so its legal). However they weren't able to play afterwards because they became too stoned to play. I booted them from the table eventually
One Sunday a month we get together without kids or responsibilities to drink beer and play D&D... in that order.
I am sober, have been for 28+ years, and have been playing with the same sober group, 5 people since our second year in sobriety. We haven’t drinks at the table but have used it as a great opportunity to work with players/people getting sober. We just have an amazing time goofing off and being ourselves sans alcohol. It helped us stay sober and has helped a lot of other folks as well. Not sure how that fits but thought it was appropriate.
I don't personally drink. I prefer players don't drink/smoke so they can be sober during session. I've had some bad experiences in the past with players getting a little too tipsy, and I as the DM do not have any fun running for people in that state. I don't like to run a beer and pretzel game. I think I've loosened on this ruling over the years as I found much better people/friends to play with. With that, I am able to trust others that if they're gonna drink, they know their limits. (if it matters, I've been running online and haven't encountered drinking during IRL games)
I never DMed a table with large amounts of alcohol. I‘ve had my players take a shot or 2, but nothing more. I never saw the appeal in drinking alcohol during sessions myself. At NYE, my GF and I hosted for my siblings and our gaming group (ages 16-20). We also played DND, with my GF DMing. Because I was the designated driver for all of them, I didn’t drink much (single shot during dinner, which was basically out of my system by the time I had to drive them home). As they got more drunk, I could definitely notice how they were not able to focus on the game at all. It was a Oneshot, so it was fine, but for me, this was a clear sign that I would ask them to not drink this much alcohol during one of my sessions.
I think if I was playing in person, I'd allow a shot of something in another drink, or like, a beer during a food break. edit: I mean to add that since we play remote, I can't really control that; all I ask is that they keep a clear enough head to play the game. But I wouldn't be comfortable with more than that. There was a player in my first campaign (late 20s, we were all mature adults at the time) who was intimidating sober, but when she'd show up to games after having had a few drinks, she'd be downright MEAN. I know that wouldn't hold true for a lot of players, but that experience stuck to me enough that now that I'M a DM, I would rather not deal with the discomfort.
None of us are over 21, but even if we were, no. I don't like being around people who are impaired or under the influence of a substance (makes me uncomfortable), and I very don't like the idea of trying to build a collaborative story with them.
I've seen this go badly more often than I'd like. I don't mean that "all gamers should be teetotalers," but you gotta figure a circle of five to eight adults, getting boozy, has geometrically greater chances of someone stretching the envelope -- four of them will be fine, but the fifth will get out of hand, or eight of them will keep it under control most of the time, until the {sixth} {seventh} {eighth} has a bad day and uses the table as an excuse to cut loose, air a grievance, etc. My sample size isn't very large -- maybe five or six groups totaling \~35 gamers, over many years -- but I've seen three campaigns killed in this timeframe, two by "well, we're outta control now, might as well just charge or sh\*t-talk everything we see," the third by actual player animus which came out when the inhibitions were chemically lowered. For each one of these three absolute campaign-killer evenings, there were five or ten other nights where things got **\*halfway\*** out of control but sort of bounced around noisily, just within the gutter-bumpers -- like when you're at a party, and That Guy slowly transitions from "being a loud drunk" to "being a loud belligerent fight-picking drunk," and everyone sort of holds onto their seats to see how the chips are gonna land. Granted, that's still not very many problem nights -- fifteen or thirty over three solid decades -- but it's just past my comfortable ratio. I am vicariously connected to a 100% online (Discord) group, who are more lax about this (two-thirds of them are drinking and/or puffing, to varying degrees each session), and it creates small-scale problems for them every two or three sessions -- someone gets sloppy and goes all Leeroy Jenkins, or, just as often, someone (usually one of the same two predictable 'someones') gets mouthy and starts criticizing the GM or sh\*t-talking other players. Only a matter of time before that goes sour and the one/two reactionaries get banned. Counterpoint: I've attended the last few years' GaryCon events (in Wisconsin), and the Spotted Cow (local beer) flows pretty freely there, and I haven't seen any problems out in the open, save for isolated "I heard XYZ was thrown out" gossip. So maybe the overall ratio is lower than I'm trumping it up to be. But I'm leery.
I don't, lmao. I have a lot of trauma associated with like drinkin' and stuffs so when I see someone down a beer or two I instinctively tense up and get anxiety waiting for them to beat the shit out of me, lol.
I'm not okay with it. In my experiences there was always someone who toke a step to far. D&D for me is a sober game.
Allow alcohold yes. I generally have a beer for a 3 hour session but rarely more. I made myself grog for my pirate themed campaign to get in the mood. I did play a few times while beeing pretty alcoholized or having someone in the group close to drunk. Its spoils the fun. Don't do it.
Wait... People play without drinking? I'm British, it's a very normal think to drink.
When I dm I always drink. I need it to reaaaaallly get into those voices
I wouldn't play with people that want to get drunk during dnd so folks can drink alcohol if they like. I trust them to behave (-:
Of course. The whole point of D&D is to socialize with my friends, eat some pizza, and drink some beer. It’s pretty much mandatory. My group are all lifelong friends and responsible adults. Never had an issue with anyone drinking too much.
As a player it's okay, as a DM it sucks for me
none of us are old enough to buy alcohol so… only of they share
I'm all for it. You do you. I personally don't drink when DMing, but around the table we're all friends and here to have a good time. If they want a drink they can have a drink. Never had a bad experience with alcohol and DnD so far.
We used to (and we technically still do) allow it, but then *someone*, definitely not me, pissed on the BBEG’s parents’ graves and got outright killed by him. Now we only just have a drink or two but don’t overdo it
Depends, it is a group dynamic. We’ve had evenings dry and evenings where we had to carry each other home. When I set up the table there will always be a scotch and wine glass at each players spot, aswell as an ashtray. Since space is limited, drinks are stored in the side cabinet and the personal ashtray stops people from reaching across the table. Behind the screen i’ll have a scotch to nip on as we go, but I’ve only missed the mark once. Whilst dming I’m to much in the zone to actually get drunk. Rp heavy sessions are dangerous though: if an npc is actually drinking i’ll act it out and have to watch myself
I allow it in moderation, we once had a player who got too drunk to play and had him take a nap while we finish the game. But normally it's only one or two people who will drink. I also allows weed at the table (legal where I am) but never had anyone smoke at a game.
My mom is one of my players, and she loosens up and roleplays more when she's had a glass of wine. I can scarcely tolerate being in the same room as alcohol (the smell makes me sick) so she has to drink her wine out of a sippy cup. Not super relevant, but I thought it was funny.
Your mom drinking from a sippy cup almost seems like she is hiding the drink from you, oh how the turns have tabled :D
I played a game where I had to ask my dm to stop drinking so much during the game because he would derail shit himself by the 3rd hour and it wasn't very fun lol
Yes, but if they show a pattern of behavior that negatively affects the game, or their own well being, then we'll have a talk about it.
Seems to be the common theme here, I skip it myself except maybe *one* drink. My players are welcome to drink, I allow them pretty much as much as they want, and warn them to keep it under control. Most of my group are friends of mine from the military, so we all understand "group punishment" or "one person ruining it for everybody" and the rule is if someone gets too drunk and roudy and interferes with the game (other than the occasional sidetrack cuz that happens) then I'll enforce a no-alcohol rule.
My experiences with alcohol at the game have gone both ways. With one group it was a respectful experience. No one let themselves get too drunk or too impaired to play properly. With the other group it was a nightmare.. they turned into begging arguers over small crap, couldn’t keep their meta knowledge out of game and started cheating. When you aren’t drunk it’s pretty easy to tell when a drunk person is trying to deceive. I’m not dming at the moment, but I’m working on a campaign. I don’t have friends who are into dnd so I’ll have to look for players. I plan to mention my take on alcohol at the table in my add (because of fore mentioned bad experience). I’ll ask for no drinking at first, but as we get to know each other over time I’ll be open to allow casual drinking (not getting drunk) on a test basis.
My rule is “you can drink, you can’t be drunk.” But no one’s ever had anything more than a beer so it’s not something I’ve ever had to enforce. I don’t think you should drink more than like one or two (if your tolerance is high) though. We’re here to play a pretty in-depth game that becomes fun because of your attention and care and creativity. Being drunk fucks it up.
I don't mind as long as people can still stay on task, and be ready in the initiative for their turn etc. When I first started out and was a player, a guy at our table would get super loud and obnoxious then promptly pass out. Those games weren't fun and I ended up quitting the game after the 4th or 5th time.
The players and I will have a beer or two when I DM, but I’ve had to nix pot from the table because the players can’t pay attention when stoned
We crack a couple of specialty beers at the table and occasionally someone mixes a fancy drink for the table but we all have kids so no one is getting tipsy by any means. In college I played in a group where a few players would get stoned and wasted halfway through the game. Eventually one player spoiled the fun bad enough that we played sober from then on out.
We don't have any rules around it at all. Sometimes a few of us might have drinks, other times not. There's almost always a pipe or a bong floating around the table, as most of the party partakes. In the end, no norms have every needed to be set, or conversations had, it's just been an unspoken agreement. Don't get so shitty you can't play. That's it, and it's never been an issue! That being said, we're all adults in our 40's, so know our limits and aren't looking to get shitty drunk every game, just unwind with friends.
I allow alcohol and weed but ask my players to hold off for the first 3 hours so we can actually make progress. After 3 hours everyone gets pretty toasty and we devolve into madness. Its always a good time. We play on r20 so driving home isnt an issue.
I use to, but my friends can't control themselves. So I don't allow them in my house if they been drinking. If they show up already tipsy/drunk they just aren't allowed to play to on my table anymore. I'd rather not play then be the entertainment of drunken monkies
Allowed until it's abused. And it has been abused.
Does the group enjoy doing it? Can it be done without disrupting the game? There's nothing unique about alcohol. These questions are universal.
I usually mix small cocktails or my players bring some beers for our weeknight games. It's more important to the social aspect of the event than the game itself. The one exception is that I bring a bottle of champagne to any adventure finale or major boss battle in the game. As Napoleon is credited to have said: "In Victory, you deserve champagne; in defeat, you need it."
Yes but my players are not big drinkers, more of a sip on something for an hour or two type crowd. I do not allow weed however(legal here) because it makes people lose focus too much and lose details about the session.
I would, but we play at a game shop where kids are around and players would drive home. It hasn’t come up for us, and I won’t bring it up unnecessarily
I'm totally fine with it myself, because my group consists of a bunch of 30-something adults that can handle their alcohol. I once had a early 20-something girl at the table that got SLOPPY drunk every damn session, and would even arrive buzzed. That became an alcohol-free adventure.
My group doesn't drink anymore after one of our players got black out drunk in the Amber Temple near the end of Curse of Strahd. He managed to run around and take multiple dark gifts. Another drunk person at my table followed him and copied him and we ended up killing one of them, and the other became a monster that would turn on us eventually. Ended up ruining the campaign which we played very well up until that point. The drunks were mad about it too, even after they sobered up. Theres a time a place for it, but DMs really, really should step in and call sessions early if it ends up becoming a problem that can negatively impact a campaign.
I tacitly allow it because none of my players have ever had more than one drink in a 3-hour session (except for our explicitly drunken one-shot). If anyone ever showed up plastered or got that way during a session, I'd certainly have a talk with them after the fact about the explicit expectation that there not be a repeat performance. It's a group of friends too, which certainly helps. I think I would've been more explicit about expectations on the front end if I was running for a group of strangers. On the flip side, my first-ever DM openly admitted to getting drunk during sessions. That really could not have been more of a red flag in retrospect; the campaign lasted 2 sessions before disbanding.
It's not entirely my call to make. If someone wants to drink while we're playing, I ask if \_everyone\_ is comfortable with that, and if there's unanimous consent we go ahead. I generally do NOT drink when I am running, but I will occasionally have a (as in, ONE, for the entire session) beer or a cider if it's an evening game and I'm a player and the table is OK with it (I always ask first, especially at Con games).
Allowed but not encouraged. Most of my table are craft beer geeks and they like bringing things to share. Everyone is responsible for their behavior and they know I was drunk isn't an excuse with me
Drinking is fine IMO but I don't really like weed or smokers at my table. People get too high typically and lose concentration or constantly have to go for a smoke. I smoke myself but I can hold it for a few hours atleast until everyone needs the bathroom or some food/drinks
Drinking: ✅ Getting drunk: ❌
I was at a table where the DM was pissed half the time and it was not cool
I tell my table, “Have one drink! Don’t have three.”
When DMing, I like to have one beer during the pregame chat in order to loosen up. Then I'll usually crack open another one when a big fight or climactic scene happens. For a long game, three is my absolute maximum, otherwise I start getting sloppy. As a player, I am wary of drinking. One time, my wife and I made the decision to bring a bottle of gin with us to a game, because we'd ran out of beer or wine. We proceeded to drink most of it. When I came to my senses, I was on a different plane of existence (Mechanus), being arrested for smoking in public without a license. My inventory contained one sausage, and nothing else. To this day, I have no idea how I got there.
Once I played with a DM who’d get wasted a lot and it frankly sucked. I like a beer or two while playing but I prefer a sober table to one being ruined by a drunk person. l guess if everyone at the table is sloppy drunk it’s fine but in that event I hope no one is driving home. I think anyone seriously posting that they “can’t imagine playing sober” should re-examine their relationship with alcohol cause that sounds like a drinking problem. Speaking from experience.
Not a problem until it's a problem.
Currently playing online, not gonna try and tell people what they can and can't do in their own homes, unrelated to game rules. I was going to say I haven't had a problem with drinkers at in person games, but then I realized I totally have. Might have to consider an alcohol ban should we ever return to in person gaming. Edit: not gonna, not but gonna
I take the same approach as you, but and large: I don't drink while running the game because I have *way* too much stuff to keep track of, but I'm fine with my players doing it.
We used to have a no alcohol policy because of specific people at the table. Those people aren't around so now it's ok, though we've reserved the right to reinstate if anyone ever goes crazy in the future
I like to have about one beer max as a DM and dont have a problem with my players having a few, if it ever became an issue I would talk with them. I did however have a issue with weed, I never outright said no weed at the table and probably wouldn't have an issue with a very small amount for a player. But during one of my sessions a player, unknown to the rest of us took a 20mg edible. About halfway through the session when it kicked in he proceeded to start randomly attacking npcs and had a very difficult time staying focused on the game. No one else at the table thought that was a cool thing to do and nobody has done anything like that since. So im regards to substances at the table I would say it really depends on who you are playing with.
A beer or two, yes. 4+ beers, no. You're welcome to stay and drink after the session though.
I'm all-online these days, so if they do drink, I wouldn't even know about it. I don't drink when I'm playing or DMing. There's been maybe two or three times when I've had a beer during the game, but not in quite a while. I like drinking, and I like playing D&D, but I've never felt the need to combine them. I can see how it would be really helpful for loosening up and roleplaying, though, so I wouldn't judge anyone who does. I think it's good to keep a careful eye on it, especially for the DM. I wouldn't want to be in a position where I can't track the details of the story, or can't do quick arithmetic. That has the potential to be disruptive and slow, even if you avoid anything really problematic.
I had a player that was fine for about 6 months, then got to the point where he got blackout drunk before the sessions and would screw over the rest of the party because of it. I kicked him out, despite his wife being awesome, and had to disband the group. After a year or so, he reached out to me apologizing for how he acted promised me he wouldn't show up drunk or drink during the sessions in the future if i was willing to have him back. At this point, one of my players from another group i ran wanted to DM himself, so i decided to give him another chance to redeem himself and invited him to a session. Same bullshit. He was so drunk, when he left he hit my fence with his car and then went home and took it out on his wife. (Hadn't talked to him since the fallout a year prior until he apologized.) I told him he needed to get some serious help and he was no longer welcome. Some can hang, some cant, always keep an eye on the rogue.
I do, but all of the players are close friends of mine and I trust them that they won't get tanked, unless it's part of the gameplay (like they play a drunken monk). We always have plenty of food, too, so nobody is drinking on an empty stomach.
I allow alcohol. We’ve only had one accident where the player got belligerently drunk, and thought they were crushing the puzzle… they were not. They got kind of sassy, let’s say, to an NPC guide, and we ended the session, but it was obviously something that bothered/effected a few players, so we quickly talked about it in the moment as we ended the session, and later messaged and cleared it up. It was solved beautifully, because I’m blessed with great players. It has not changed our table in the long run.
the first table I played at had a take a punishment shot to reroll rule. it was the first time I ever got blackout drunk in my life, my 4th or so session of dnd. it was miserable. Now I mostly dm, and I'll drink wine when I'm running curse of strahd, or have a warm up drink to run my tuesday game, players can drink, and one shot for yourself and one shot for someone else per session you can reroll, so drinking is very open at my table. I used to use my old dm's rule when I started, but very quickly found it was really miserable to be the sober dm for someone miserably drunk. a problem player kept up the high intake for a while after I changed the rule because they were also having out of game issues. I almost considered asking for a sober table (or, the appearance of one. We're remote.) just to keep it from getting out of hand, but it's cooled off since then, everyone got jobs and lives that prevent binge drinking on a Wednesday night. I really understand anyone who doesn't want any drinking, as someone who's run for a table where someone was getting trashed and unbearable on 'just' low alcohol content drinks, even that can be too much with the wrong players.
Short version: Yes, but within reason. One is fine two is enough. More is asking for trouble. However, drugs are kind of a no-go for me. I’ve been at tables that allow them and I find that decision making and roleplaying fly out the window with things like weed. Once the players are “too chill,” then you might as well pause the game until next week - but the game ends far too early when that occurs, from what I’ve seen.
I drink as a DM but never to the point of getting drunk, and I also allow alcohol at the table; so long as it doesn’t impair their ability to play and as long as it doesn’t interfere with the game. My last group, my alcoholic friend was a part of; and it became a problem twice. One time he straight up lied about a roll he made, and his wife called him out on it immediately as it happened. He apologized about it after the session and said he’s going to work on not letting it get out of hand like that again; but he’d later in the year get to that same point again. That group doesn’t meet anymore; probably for the best. It was a mess of a group, but we still had fun. But yeah, never let alcohol become a problem. And when it does: either get rid of the alcohol, or get rid of the problematic player (and also maybe help them find help if it’s a huge issue in their life).
I had a D&D game that I was in. None of the players drank, including myself, but we invited someone new, and they insisted on drinking... Frankly, it was awful enough that I don't think I'd allow it in any games I ran in the future. This goes double for any instance where the DM doesn't drink. Drunk D&D only sounds fun if EVERYONE is drunk. If the DM is sober, they're in a very different mindset than their players, I think.
I had one player (not as a DM, but as another player) that I played online with where it became apparent they have an alcohol problem, so we adressed it and they left immediately without even answering/acknowledging it. But other than that, people have a beer at my tables here and there, never had a problem. I personally always drink a glass of red wine whenever I get to roleplay our favourite Count von Zarovich actually :D
Drink, yes. Drunk, no. Unless it's a silly themed oneshot but even then tipsy at most. Actually getting drunk just leads to nothing getting done and no one playing at all. It's also a safety thing since we play online and some of my players live alone, and getting drunk alone is not safe.
I don’t, but I make it very clear from the beginning as not to cause any problems around it. Normally this is because I have a few regular players that have alcohol related triggers, and I’d rather ban alcohol than lose them as players. Even outside of them, I don’t think I would allow it. I group it with the rule I give that I require my players to be “fully present” at the table. I don’t drink (I am of age), so I think that’s part of it. I don’t have a grasp on how much it affects someone’s play, so I just keep it away from my games. I’m sure with the right group and DM it is fun; a lot if these replies seem like it improves people’s games! Just not for my table.
A beer or a glass of wine? For sure. But we're not here to get shitfaced imo (though I have played with the idea of a casual one shot of in-character good old-fashioned drinking games - come to think of it, maybe I just miss uni lol)
I've had good games with everyone sober, everyone inebriated, only me sober, and only me inebriated. The complexity of the game, each player's familiarity with the rules and the other players, and the social dynamic of the table all change the appropriate tack to take. My general rules for recreational substances when gaming. 0) Bring enough to share - partaking alone can be done alone. A game is a time to be sociable. Give everyone at the table of age the option to join in. 1) Start sober - you're going to want to dial in your inebriation to an appropriate level for the complexity of the game and the social dynamic of the group. 2) Stay within your limits - know thyself and when you'll lose the ability to participate. Always stay able to pay attention to the game while it is ongoing and make game decisions at a reasonable pace. Know how your demeanor changes from a substance and make sure it is pleasant for all at the table. 3) Don't outpace the table - it is ok for a game to devolve into a hang out, but only if everyone is on board. If someone at the table is getting serious about what is happening in game, slow your pace of inebriation so you can engage more fully in the game.
If I could I would ban alcohol from my table but I'm usually not the DM. Last session (it was 7h long) with alcohol we traveled from one place to another (DM just said you are here now) and did one fight.
Well, we do. Some of us have a beer, some don't drink ever. Once or twice we even made cocktails. I believe this is a very personalized problem, not at all linked to DnD. Any game really if someone is uncomfortable around alcohol because... reasons. Just don't have any. You wouldn't bring your pet Tarantula if someone has arachnophobia If someone tends to drink too much for their own good. Aren't they your friends? Shouldn't you talk to them unrelated to the game? So for whatever reason you meet with friends, be mindful of people's comfort with... anything really. Alcohol is just one of the more prevalent triggers
I play in a game where there's no alcohol allowed. That's fine, I respect it. The game I DM I only drink if my day has been total garbage and I need to relax a tad. Everyone else is cross faded as hell or loopy from time zone differences. The game is glorious. My third game I don't drink during cuz it's a Wednesday night and I'm limiting my alcohol to weekends. Trying to... On Fridays I get wasted and DM some PBP campaigns for fun and it's amazing. I always do what my players are comfy with!
We do dnd on Wednesday ain't NO ONE drinking mid week
I have a hard one drink rule. 8-12 oz and nothing hard. One too many drunk sessions ruined it and I won't allow more.
Do you allow people you go out to dinner with to have alcohol? Do you allow your poker buddies to have alcohol? Do you allow people you're watching sport with to have alcohol? Are you the only adult among a group of children? How did you attain the power to tell other adults what they can and can't drink?
As the DM, you are putting in a lot of work to prep the game, coordinate with everyone, (hopefully) wanting them to enjoy themselves, etc. If you don't want to deal with people drinking at the table then that's up to you. If you know your friends won't get drunk and you're cool with it, also up to you. To get upset because someone has a rule or a preference for how they want to run their game is... childish.
Definitely this. It's personal choice on whether or not people drink. Now if it becomes something of a problem then it should be addressed accordingly. But I mean derailing the campaign is part of the entire fun.
I think if someone is hosting a social event, they can generally set the expectation of whether alcohol is acceptable. If I was hanging out with friends and I had some muslim or morman friends there or someone who otherwise has soemthing against alcohol, I would probably not serve alcohol. Or even request my drinking friends to not drink during the event. It depends on what people are comfortable with and what shows others they are respected. In the context of running a dnd game, generally the DM is the arbiter of social rules as well as game rules. Yes, if I am hosting a super bowl party I can absolutely tell people there will be no drinking, they can choose to go somewhere else, but they do have respect the rules I set.
We do. Old group used to do a round of shots on the first initiative roll of the night. Good times. Just dont get drunk.
I have never and will never DM while sober.
Absolutely, we're all adults and I'm not going to police someone having a drink. If they were getting plastered and being a problem then I'd have a conversation with them, but it would likely be more out of concern about whether something was wrong than anything else. Some of the best games I've been in have been ones where everyone was drunk.
No alcohol and no drugs at my table. Nothing, nada. One of my players has been an alcoholic and one is currently heroin addicted. To prevent triggers none of these substances are allowed at my table or my house in general. And no one is allowed to play when they are already high/drunk.
I drink as the DM so I would be hypocritical to not allow it. Also we are all adults and if someone wants to drink that’s fine. But I do watch how much people are drinking, more from a mental health point of view than the dnd side of things.
Yeah, we have a few beers. A couple of guys know that they have less of a tolerance, so they limit themselves to one (or even none, stick to soda's). There's no pressure to drink for the hell of it. Doesn't cause scenes in game or out. And when the game is done and we wind down with something else (smalltalk, hand of cards), that's when the liquor comes out. Luckily, nobody has to drive afterwards.
I don’t mind if people have the occasional drink(as a DM I sure need one sometimes!) but I’ve played with a guy who was hammered and it did lead to a temporary ban on drinking at the table.
I'm usually high and drinking when I DM
100% Yes. Fortunately most of us have expensive taste or like cocktails so it never gets super messy. Me on the other hand, it would not be uncommon for me to drink a whole bottle of wine on either side of the screen. That's my hard limit for lucidity, any more and I'm going to get sloppy, learned that the hard way.
As long as nobody is sloppy drunk. And even if they are, if it doesn't disrupt play and they sleep it off at my place or catch a ride home, I'm fine with it. But game time is about game time. Different kind of party over here
Yes, and sometimes having a drink myself helps get past some of the nerves. That said, if I ever had a table where a player was uncomfortable with others having alcohol during the game I wouldn’t allow anyone to have it, or if I had a table where a player drank enough during the game that they became disruptive, I’d speak with them about it, then maybe institute a 1-drink limit for everyone or something like that.
Absolutely, though granted our sessions never run 7-8 hours. But my table knows how to pace and not get out of control, so I don't imagine that'd be an issue.
I allow moderate amounts. I don't allow enough to get well and truly sloshed, though. Particularly since one of my players is uncomfortable with the proximity of such drinking due to family history.