Sometimes the players just discuss, discuss, discuss, without ever actually doing anything to move the story forwards. That’s when a good GM steps in to get things moving again – even if s/he just has resort to the old standby: “Suddenly, orcs attack!” This is one of the things that a GM is really useful for.
But what happens if you don’t have a GM? If you’re playing without a GM, you risk just dithering around like a bunch of …well.. players, no?
No! Here’s a rule that I’ve found helps to keep the story moving forwards, even in the absence of a GM:
Any time the group is dithering, spending long minutes in fruitless discussion, or dragging a scene out way past the point at which it is fun, any player can simply declare that the group is Moving Right Along. This means that the group has to come up with a way to move the story forwards into new territory right now.
Moving Right Along might mean calling for a roll that will stop the discussion and resolve the situation quickly.
It might mean simply ending the scene and starting a new one right away.
It might even mean introducing a new NPC, Plot Twist, or have the villains launch a surprise attack – your call!
Do whatever it takes to get thing moving again, right now! As long as it’s fun for everyone, and respectful to the nature of the story.
The Collaborative Gamer 