Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Dr. Ben discusses Tuckman's Group theory Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning for ttrps (Episode #186). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
Website rpgphd.com
Discord discord.gg/e49rJVQCwW
RPG PHD swag!!! rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com
Facebook facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905
Instagram instagram.com/rpg_phd
Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social
Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊
Why does your D&D party fight, bond, and eventually fall apart? Psychologist Bruce Tuckman's five stages of group development, Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning, explain what's actually happening at your table and in your fiction at the same time. This episode breaks down how in-character conflict builds real trust, why a smooth-running campaign can suddenly regress, and why almost no one plans for how a campaign should end. With real examples from D&D 5e, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Blades in the Dark, and Monsterhearts, plus the pitfalls that trip up GMs at every stage and a step-by-step guide to running each one well.
TTRPG, tabletop RPG, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, GM advice, game mastering, group psychology, Tuckman's stages, forming storming norming performing, team dynamics, party dynamics, campaign management, RPG design theory, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, WFRP, Blades in the Dark, Monsterhearts, DM tips, tabletop gaming, RPG PHD, session zero, campaign ending, group development theory, roleplaying games
---------------------------------------------
00:00 Intro
00:59 The Theory
06:04 Forming
07:14 Storming
09:41 Norming
10:52 Performing
12:05 Adjourning
12:55 Pitfalls
16:56 Step-by-Step Guide
21:07 Thoughts?
--------------------------------------------
Works Cited
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.
Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419–427.
Gersick, C. J. G. (1988). Time and transition in work teams: Toward a new model of group development. Academy of Management Journal, 31(1), 9–41.
Gersick, C. J. G. (1989). Marking time: Predictable transitions in task groups. Academy of Management Journal, 32(2), 274–309.
Music and Sounds:
epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D
epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5
epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e
Dr. Ben discusses Tuckman's Group theory Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning for ttrps (Episode #186). #dnd #pathfinder #ttrpg #wfrp
Website rpgphd.com
Discord discord.gg/e49rJVQCwW
RPG PHD swag!!! rpg-phd.myspreadshop.com
Facebook facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089593636905
Instagram instagram.com/rpg_phd
Bluesky @rpg-phd.bsky.social
Special thanks to Evelina for the thumbnail template, much appreciated!! 😊
Why does your D&D party fight, bond, and eventually fall apart? Psychologist Bruce Tuckman's five stages of group development, Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning, explain what's actually happening at your table and in your fiction at the same time. This episode breaks down how in-character conflict builds real trust, why a smooth-running campaign can suddenly regress, and why almost no one plans for how a campaign should end. With real examples from D&D 5e, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, Blades in the Dark, and Monsterhearts, plus the pitfalls that trip up GMs at every stage and a step-by-step guide to running each one well.
TTRPG, tabletop RPG, D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, GM advice, game mastering, group psychology, Tuckman's stages, forming storming norming performing, team dynamics, party dynamics, campaign management, RPG design theory, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, WFRP, Blades in the Dark, Monsterhearts, DM tips, tabletop gaming, RPG PHD, session zero, campaign ending, group development theory, roleplaying games
---------------------------------------------
00:00 Intro
00:59 The Theory
06:04 Forming
07:14 Storming
09:41 Norming
10:52 Performing
12:05 Adjourning
12:55 Pitfalls
16:56 Step-by-Step Guide
21:07 Thoughts?
--------------------------------------------
Works Cited
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.
Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419–427.
Gersick, C. J. G. (1988). Time and transition in work teams: Toward a new model of group development. Academy of Management Journal, 31(1), 9–41.
Gersick, C. J. G. (1989). Marking time: Predictable transitions in task groups. Academy of Management Journal, 32(2), 274–309.
Music and Sounds:
epidemicsound.com/track/Erdns8jA3D
epidemicsound.com/track/MRyCi54t7M
epidemicsound.com/track/AQBpWzOsID
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/track/yCvSWOBYUe
Music: creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0
epidemicsound.com/track/bWHPOsoaql
epidemicsound.com/track/uDAHxg3lIS
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/e3mQvva1kZ
epidemicsound.com/track/2dLRmfzdA5
epidemicsound.com/track/jrNZjxJQqZ
epidemicsound.com/track/c0X3Z8H8uZ
epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/8c51eca6-dbb5-4925-b4ec-7ee51630322e
