Willing Suspension of Disbelief Creates an Immersive RPG Experience
Even with the light from your torch the stairwell’s end cannot be seen. As you cautiously make your way down each step, the cracks and crevices on the sides of the wall quiver and writhe in time to the torch’s flickering flame.
Unseen cobwebs flutter against your eyes and face. There is a rushing sound like one unending breath that you hear too close to your ear. You see something move in the shadows just outside the torch’s glow. You hear a scratching, chattering cacopho-
*crackle, crackle*
*crackle, crackle*
” Hey pass over those Cheese Puffs”
Sigh… The dreaded words that quell the willing suspension of disbelief in an immersive RPG.
“Pass me the ______” ( food or beverage )
As a DM, if that blank is not filled by the words “Holy Avenger” or some other fantasy item, it really deconstructs the built up tension.
Thus undermining the work that we, as DMs, put into setting the mood of encounters.
While experienced players can still hack it when it comes to mood disruptions they still lessen the overall experience for everyone.
Why is that the case?
