Abstraction: The Key to Maintaining Flow#

The most important technique for maintaining good pacing is abstracting to the nearest interesting decision point. You already know that describing every mundane action in exhausting detail will grind your game to a halt—nobody needs to hear how a character buttons their blouse or straps on their boots. But the question isn’t whether to abstract, it’s to what degree.

The golden rule is simple: abstract up until doing any more would take away player agency. You abstract to the nearest meaningful decision that has consequences.

Instead of asking players to check under the mattress, in the vase, behind every tapestry, and tap every chest for a false bottom, the meaningful decision becomes: “After investigating the room, do you risk meddling with the alarm you discovered?” This shifts the narrative detail up until players reach a point where they can meaningfully affect the fiction.

You put those details there so the PCs can learn something, so they can make an informed decision. That agency, that ability to make a choice is what keeps the game interesting and engaging, not your gotcha traps.

Challenge and Expertise: The Engagement Equation#

Boredom in a session is a comfort your players should never have. When players can afford to be bored, it means they’re not facing any real opposition—not just danger of character death, but danger of story failure or not meeting narrative objectives.

Engagement depends on challenge, and challenge depends on expertise. Your task as a DM is to make the challenges players face equal to their expertise level. When the obstacles require all of their skill and expertise to overcome, players become focused and engaged. If the challenge exceeds their expertise, they’ll get frustrated. If their skill far outstrips the obstacle, they’ll get bored.

This explains why roleplay scenes often fall flat—players know all the tropes and clichés to overcome them. It’s also why the Challenge Rating system seems to break down—it’s neutral to player skill.

Managing Session Rhythm#

You can’t hold tension for four straight hours without burning out your players. They need release, they need breaks, they need rhythm. Good DMs learn when to keep the action moving quickly and when to let it slow.

Players will tell you when they need a slowly-paced scene, though not always directly. Have you noticed when they:

• Try to inject a roleplay scene where you didn’t intend one
• Pay excessive attention to inconsequential elements
• Actively seek out a tavern or safe space

These are signals that your players need relief and are trying to create a slowly-paced scene to recuperate.

Pulling Others In: Maintaining Group Engagement#

Dungeon Masters face the unique challenge of entertaining multiple people simultaneously. While it’s common advice to give each player a moment to shine, you need to keep everybody engaged even during individual spotlight moments.

A simple trick to re-engage distracted players during another player’s spotlight time: mention their character when describing the scene. “As you feel your way through the intricacies of the dormant lock, sweat dripping down your brow, you hear the impatient tapping of Holler’s foot. You shoot him a dirty look, and then he stops, leaving you free to focus on the task at hand.”

The mere mention of a character’s name, even when it’s not their scene, usually picks their interest and draws them back into the moment.

Observe and Control: Reading the Table#

Good DMs are observers of human behavior. It’s imperative that you remain cognizant of the mood at your table and the engagement of individual players. Watch for these signs:

Signs of Engagement:

• Leaning in toward the table
• Active discussion between players
• Taking notes
• Making eye contact
• Asking questions

Signs of Disengagement:

• Leaning back in chairs
• Stacking dice
• Phone checking
• Side conversations
• Glazed expressions

If an encounter is causing your pacing to falter, cast it out. It’s better for that to be thrown away than for your entire session to become bogged down.

This is why improvisation skills and rules knowledge are crucial—every time you bury your nose in books or notes, you’re not watching your players. You have no way to observe their level of interest. Make a ruling and move on, or make something up and get back to checking player engagement.

Key Takeaways#

• Abstract to meaningful decisions - Skip the minutiae and focus on choices that matter
• Balance challenge with player expertise - Keep obstacles engaging but not overwhelming
• Maintain rhythm - Alternate between fast action and slow recovery scenes
• Monitor player engagement constantly - Watch body language and adjust accordingly
• Keep all players involved - Reference inactive characters during others’ spotlight moments
• Prioritize pacing over plot - Be willing to cut or modify content that bogs down the session
• Trust passive scores - Assume competent character behavior to avoid tedious rolls

Taking Control of Your Table#

As the DM, pacing is completely under your control and is more important than your story or plans. Have enemies flee when combat drags. Have NPCs abruptly end conversations that meander. Let the next suggestion solve the puzzle when players are stuck.

Players should never feel like they failed because your pacing faltered. The fleeing gnolls don’t warn others or carry crucial information. The NPC acquiesces and acts in the party’s interest. That trap doesn’t kill them when they’re already frustrated.

Master these concepts, internalize them, and watch as your sessions transform from potential slogs into engaging experiences that keep players coming back for more. Because in the end, good pacing isn’t just about keeping things moving—it’s about creating moments your players will remember long after the dice are put away.

Related Topics#

• Combat pacing techniques
• Campaign arc structure
• Player agency in storytelling
• Improvisation for game masters
• Reading social cues at the table
• Narrative tension management
• Scene framing techniques
• Player engagement psychology