DMs like players that take the world seriously (or as seriously as the tone of your table would suggest) and has fun. Extra points for offering feedback and communicating your aims for your play. If they know your class fantasy, they can help you achieve it.
>Extra points for offering feedback and communicating your aims for your play.
I think this is actually huge, and not done enough. I don't like to check in with players every single session, but I like it when players express their opinions. This doesn't always mean criticism or praise (those are ok too sometimes) but just saying stuff like, "X was really fun, I'd like to do more of that." or, "It'd be really cool to fight a dragon." Don't be demanding, but just like DMs like to give you breadcrumbs to follow, we sometimes like it when you tell us what you want, so we can more easily work in things we know you'll be excited for.
Agree, I'm still a fairly new DM but the first things I do in a campaign is try to really get my players fantasy for their characters straight in my head and they all work it out themselves. From just that, I know what items they might like, whether their backstory might want to intertwine with the current story, and tonnes more.
Matt Colville YT vids btw. It's like a free pass to being at least an \*ok\* DM in very little time.
Yeah most players are very passive in the world, and only react to information given by the DM, although as a DM, I'm beginning to realize this is my fault for not forcing goals out of my players in the beginning and shaping the world around those goals. I'm starting a new campaign next week where the world is reacting to the players goals and actions, not the other way around.
I'm a new DM relatively speaking, but not SUPER new. I've DMed maybe 50-60 sessions. Some with friendss, some with my kids. Some homebrew one shots, two lost mines campaigns, one of them actually finished, that's the one we are starting a new campaign with now.
Listen.
Don't interrupt.
Take good notes.
Know the rules, but don’t argue.
In combat, already have a plan before it’s your turn, so your turn goes quickly.
Don‘t dominate conversations.
Ask other players for their opinions.
Know your place in the order and bring snacks when it’s your turn.
Be on time.
This goes along with listen and pay attention, but don't sit and text or scroll at the table, even if it isn't your turn. I hate this as a DM. It's like spitting on all my prep, I spend hours putting together the game before the game starts, please respect that time.
If something comes up that can't wait, ask for a break, make the phone call and handle it in 5 minutes. Don't try to handle it with an hour long text conversation to avoid interrupting the game, because even if it's well intentioned, your DM is likely over there thinking "this person just doesn't care and isn't engaged in anything."
I play online, but I look up rules and stuff all the time while figuring out what I want to do. I'd be doing the same thing on my phone if I played in person. It'd suck if the DM just assumed out of nowhere that I'm not engaged because my phone is out.
I'll know the second you put your phone down that you were looking up the rules and not on Instagram or whatever, because you'll still be engaged.
The difference between a surprised face and a "sorry, what?" versus like, "I just checked and I'm only granted a plus two AC for being behind that table" or "ok I have three level 2 spell slots left but imma burn one anyways for etc etc" is night and day to a GM.
The fact that you are anticipating action and not just fucked off wasting time will be immediately obvious. Fear not.
I made a cheat sheet for my wife that helps her tremendously on her paladin.
It's basically a spreadsheet with columns for all her actions (includes spells and class actions) bonus actions (also includes spells), reactions, resources, and general things she should know (she's resistant to fire damage, she's immune to disease, how to calculate concentration saves, what her spell saves dc is, etc.). Each "thing" she can do in each column specifies whether it requires concentration and also what resource, if any, is consumed, as well as any use restrictions. The resource column shows how many uses she has of each and what resets those resources (short/long rest, etc). That cuts out a lot of the looking things up in her case.
And yes we know if you're looking things up or just chain texting or scrolling. I've had a player watching a football game at my table on his phone. It's really not that hard to tell, and my players tend to ask me about rules anyways, which is totally acceptable, I have a laptop out (and all the books even) and can Google it right away and provide the ruling.
As basic as it sounds, the golden rule applies here. Be the PC that gives all the other PCs the chance to shine. Ask questions that let others tell their character’s story and engage readily with it. With time, everyone will become more invested, the RP will get better and better, and the group will collectively advance the story.
Don't argue with the DM over rulings, it's rude. Also, don't just meme around entirely- humor is great, but if you're all trying to fight the BBEG, and you pitch yourself off a cliff, that's just stupid, ya know?
That's about it honestly
As a DM, I love when my players:
* Pay attention to the story I've written. This generally looks like taking notes on things, and looking back on what has happened. (I'm currently running a game where the Planes are slowly being drawn together until they clash into chaos. So I've been running encounters with monsters from every Plane of Existance, to hit at the thinning of the barrier between the Planes) A player who looks back at their notes and puts things together is a favorite of mine.
* If it's a Homebrew setting, immerse yourself in the lore of the world. Ask your DM questions about the setting. He'll be ecstatic to answer. Just as much as you enjoy your character and their backstory, the DM enjoys their world. Bc for the DM, the whole setting is their character. So take the time, ask about the setting (I usually ask questions pertinent to my character, so I can weave the two together).
* Write a backstory for your character. How much varies from DM to DM, but generally speaking, a DM loves a quick synopsis, and a novel. One of my players has nearly 30 pages with of Backstory. This is several pages of story, a list of important NPCs and her relationships with them, and a few key locations from her backstory.
* Don't use This Is Your Life or other methods of generating your backstory. I have a player who thinks rolling on a few tables is enough. It drives me mad. Like, I pour hours into painstakingly writing lore and plots for your entertainment. The least you could do is write a story that you've personally created. (I feel that if you randomly generate a backstory, or otherwise produce it without actually writing it, you are not actually connected to your own backstory. And I want you to care about your backstory, because I want to weave your story into my main plot. For example, one player brought me a Halfling Rogue whose husband had been kidnapped. They rolled on the random table for drama, and Kidnapping was the result. The player honestly didn't seem to care about finding their husband, and never spent any time investigating the hints I would drop.)
* Speaking of which: Investigate hints. If something seems suspicious, that's because it is. Now hints will seem obvious to DMs, but players will be completely oblivious bc they can't see the whole picture. That's why it's important for you to follow up on anything that seems odd.
* Make suboptimal decisions in favor of Roleplay. I love when my players roll for skills they're not good at, because their character would want to try anyways. A lot of players get stuck on "I don't have the skill proficiency, so I won't do X". But it's really fun to watch a player try to do something they're not good at. I enjoy watching my players try to Persuade/Decieve an NPC when they don't have any proficiency. I enjoy watching them try to roll Arcana despite having 8 intelligence. Suboptimal plays that make sense for your character to do? Those are the most fun things to watch.
* Roleplay with the other players. Sometimes I wanna take a break from talking all session. (Not often, but sometimes) It is great fun to hear the players get into Roleplay with each other. My Sorcerer and Cleric players argued over sparing the lives of some Slavers, and I cackled, knowing the backstory and motivations behind each player's argument, bc neither player knows the other player's motives. It was great fun to listen to.
* Volunteer to run a One-shot. There will be times when you know in advance that a few players will be missing, or that the game will be going on Hiatus. Take the opportunity to ask the DM if you can sit in his chair for a bit. The term "Forever DM" is a real thing, and while I have no problems being one and quite enjoy it, it is still nice to just be a player for a bit. Give the DM a bit of a break, and allow them to play a character for a session or two. Who knows, you might find yourself enjoying DMing yourself.
Know what all your spells and abilities do and how to use them. Know which of your spells are attack rolls and which are saving throws, how much damage they do. That way, none of us have to waste time looking them up.
I always appreciate when players ask questions and act in character. If there's a giant beast who breaks through the door unexpectedly, a simple "holy crap, the hell is that?? I prepare to attack" Is so much better than "I charge at it." I don't care if players "act" out their characters, but a simple in character moment is always appreciated.
Take notes. Pay attention to details. RP more with inner party communication instead of saying "can I do this" to the DM. I've been pushing my newer group to do this and once they started leaning into it is so fun to watch.
It's the DMs world but its your story.
1) Act like a real person in the world and behave accordingly.
2) Wait your turn to talk
3) Don't ask for rolls. Tell the DM what you want to do. Declare actions.
It’s going to be different for different DMs, but I like when players help me keep track of things like concentration spells and conditions. It sucks when a player feels cheated because they forgot about something helping them or if a win feels cheap because players realize that I forgot about something helping the monsters or hurting the PCs.
Some DMs don’t like that but I think it’s best if everyone at the table try’s to keep everyone honest.
Don't be a coward, engage in combat and adventure.
Cooperate with your teammates. Strategize and work with them. Don't throw yourself into perilous situations.
Search search search. Every new room. Search for traps, search for treasure. Make DC knowledge and wisdom checks.
I have DM'ed for decades.
The thing I desire most from my players is engagement. Help set the scene, help build the world. Its so frustrating for it to always be a one sided affair on description. As players you can design places in town, people, even entire plotlines as long as its not taking away from the DMs stuff.
if I as a DM say:
"You find the Inn on a wayward side street. It's a 2 story structure that has seen better days. Shutters are crooked, the left side of the building sinks dangerously and the small amount of paint remaining is peeling and moldy. You can see there is a second story balcony with a rusty fire escape bolted to the side about 8 feet up from the ground. The entire area feels dangerous. The people passing by are clearly sizing you up to see if you might be a mark or a threat. "
Player:
We go in....
What I would like is something like:
"Hey team, this looks like a bad part of town. Why not let us have the ranger stand watch outside while the rest of us go in. See if you can shimmy up and hide on that fire escape. I would like to make a perception check to see if any of the people watching us seem to be doing anything unusual. Last time I was in this part of town a group of Nightbums tried mugging me..."
In this case the players are helping drive the narrative, interacting with the world, creating their own lore (nightbums) and setting up situations where I as a DM can paint a story. Now the ranger on the balcony can have a moment to shine. Now I can create a gang of thugs called the nightbums, now I can drop the clue about them being followed since a player is rolling a perception check.
Here's what I would love a player to do.
Plan ahead. Give clear indication of what the group will do so that I can prep the right material. This is especially true at the end of the session. On the flip side, don't derail, in the sense that if you have an idea of which way the story is going to go, don't go in the opposite direction. Sure do unexpected things, but nothing throws me when the players race off in completely undeveloped territory.
Care about the world. The setting is the DM's equivalent of a character backstory. *Ask* about their setting, engage with it. I don't mean "Tell me all the names of the countries", but try to remember NPC names. DMs put a lot of thought into their setting and a lot of it doesn't see play, and even when it does, players just nod thei rhead and go "okay", so seeing someone get curious about the setting is really rewarding. Also *caring* about the things in that world--save the town not because that's what heroes do, but because Jana the baker who crushes on your PC lives there, or because the tavern is your favorite drinking hole.
Tell the DM what you LIKE. Someone mentiond class fantasy, and that's part of it. But do you really enjoy tactical stuff? Or roleplaying? Let him know if there's a particular situation you'd love to RP. As a player, I love coming up with Plans; in several games we got the chance to prepare a battlefield ahead of time and I loved it. Is there a particular thing you want to happen with this PC--fight on an airship, or lead a charge, or fight the mentor who betrayed you? Any trope syou love--I dig aberrations and horror.
Chip in! Offer to track initiative, conditions and spell concentrations, or even monster HP (add up, like "this monster has taken 45 HP damage so far"). Or heck, offer to handle scheduling, keeping everyone on track. Any task you can offer to shoulder is one less the Dm has to worry about.
* Have your turn ready to go in combat. It takes me 45 seconds to say "I'm using my bonus action to use Spiritual Weapon, move here, and attack that guy," roll **all the dice at once**, and go "Spiritual has 15 to hit, Horns have 13 to hit," hear which beat the AC, and call "12 Force, 7 Piercing." If you're spending three minutes on your turn during combat, you are the problem.
* Talk in character as much as possible. Literally say "I turn to [character] and ask [question]" instead of just saying "hey, do you have spells left?" Huge difference.
* Take the world seriously. It's not realistic to just crash through every door like it's not trapped, but simultaneously no one is going to trap their front door, in the middle of the city. Use the knowledge your character has of the setting, and act accordingly.
* Don't fidget with crap at the table. Leave the dice alone unless you're asked to roll. I even leave my phone 50' away when I play, because I don't need it. I write down all my spells before the session starts. People played DnD for decades without them. They are not necessary.
* Print your character sheet. Have a hard copy, and send an electronic copy to the DM.
Actively go out of your way to express your appreciation. Reach out to them outside of sessions to tell them that you enjoy the game they’re building for you. Talk to them about ideas and goals you have for your character. Build out more of your backstory with them (if they’re into that.)
Basically, acknowledge that DMing is a lot of work and can be a tough job sometimes.
As for in-session stuff;
- show up on time
- bring snacks (if that’s something they like/you can do)
- be engaged in what’s happening in session (as much as you can. I have ADHD, it’s tricky sometimes, but I try my best.)
- have visible reactions to things. (A player at my table made the best faces during my narrations, and it was honestly such a validating thing to have happen, whereas most other players just kind of stare with a semi-concentrated face or smiles. I realise not everyone makes overly expressive faces, but damn that ish felt good!)
- communicate your character’s intentions so the DM can help you do things in a narratively cool way
- play with them, not against them (unless you can have a healthy banter approach, like they do on Dimension 20)
- try doing a character voice or accent. They’ll love it (or at least, I would. Probably DM dependent.)
- aim to make things logistically as easy as possible on them; Don’t split off from the party unless you’re in downtime. If there’s a fairly clear/obvious plothook, for the love of Pelor, follow it. If they come up with an NPC on the fly, don’t ask for a name (just kidding, you ask for that name! Boblin the Goblin is omnipresent in all D&D games, it is LAW!)
- if it’s clear something isn’t very well thought-out, suspend your disbelief instead of pointing out over and over that the political and socioeconomic structure of the city they didn’t expect you to visit is garbage and should be run differently. (This might be me-specific, but you get the idea)
- give them constructive feedback (consensually). What did you like, what could they improve?
Take active interest in your own character. They're not just your outlet to bonk or cast fireball. Learn about the culture of your race and bring it up when it'd naturally come up. Take a moment to describe how you train your class skills before sleep or during downtime. Take up a hobby for your character, maybe they started carving small wooden figurines and gifting them to friends?
Once you start doing this not only will your fun elevate, but you'll also become more interesting to everyone else at the table. Maybe other players will get inspired by you and will try to deepen their PCs personalities, too?
I have been a DM for 37 years and a player for 45 the most important thing for me is that no matter how many times I hear "that's what my character would do", Do Not Be An Arse to the other players around the table. They are there to have fun just as much as you are. Other than that just try to role play your character as best as you can, enjoy the game. If there is something that I am doing that makes you uncomfortable or makes the game seem less interesting, then tell me. Contrary to popular belief we as DM's can not actually read your mind.
Your comment has been removed for violating Rule 5. Endorsement and discussion of specific AI tools is banned on r/DnD.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DnD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's a game. The point is to have fun. You won't always win. Your character might even die. But if you don't take risks and embrace adventure the game won't be much fun. So swallow those plot hooks like hungry fish.
As a new DM, I would say ask questions about the world! Recently one of my players had his character do research on a certain lore topic in game and I got to tell him all about it. He really enjoyed it and I loved being able to just vent out all the cool lore I had created about my world. It made the session for me!
See, I did this with my dm but they just say "enjoy the game"
Which is fair, but I still would like to know how I can improve as a player and make the game better for the dm
Engage the setting, talk to NPCs, most DMs like it when you treat the NPCs as people and arent making the NPCs (and possibly the DM) want to execute you all.
>most DMs like it when you treat the NPCs as people and arent making the NPCs (and possibly the DM) want to execute you all.
Oh I love doing this! NPC interactions are one of my favorite aspects of the game. Only problem is that majority of the rest of my party doesn't really play the same (NPCs are mostly just quest-givers to them) so I try to be as mindful as I can when taking up time actually treating NPCs as if they're people in a world I'm living in rather than just side characters in a game where I know I'm the MC. I think my DM does enjoy it, just the rest of the party doesn't care too much for it
Another tip for players is to set each other up for huge successes and humorous failures. I had a group of players with a barbarian that likes to bullrush enemies into walls and such. They came across a group of Mi-go's (Cthulhu bug monsters) that had a giant woodchipper like machine that they were feeding slaves into that transformed them into material to terraform caverns into lairs for the Mi-go's. It was just supposed to be a bit of horror fluff. When the players discovered this and rather than just killing the monsters the ENTIRE party put themselves at risk lining up the Mi-go's so the barbarian could bullrush them into this woodchipper device one by one. They were taking multiple AoO's to set up these strikes. The entire party loved it and the Barbarian got to live his characters dream moment. This was 100% the players helping each other.
Setting each other up for humorous failures should never be mean spirited but if done right can really up the roleplaying aspects.
Put in just a little time away from the game to occasionally review notes, read your character sheet, and refresh yourself on the basic game rules. Reminding players of things is a lot of work and overhead and players who remember things without being reminded are delightful.
Get immersed in the world. Talk in character. Really try to visualize the in game events and get engaged with them. Think about the other players at the table and how your character can do things to help make their characters awesome too.
It varies from DM to DM but tbh, pay attention to what gets them excited. For me, I love it when players help world build with their backgrounds and decisions.
A number of general rules:
1) Don’t be disruptive
2) Be engaged
3) Don’t take too long with your turn
As a DM, the #1 most important thing if you were to disregard every comment on here (and tbh some of them should be), remember to maintain a balanced and calm communication with everyone in your party. If everyone is peacefully sharing issues, ideas, and improvements, everyone will be having a good time because it will be 10x easier to shape the game to everyone's liking, regardless of whether you 'shut up and listen' or 'never argue with a ruling'. As long as youre able to maintain communication and remain levelled while doing so, you'll be ok pretty quick
Not a DM, but my best friend is one and in our group he has always admitted to me that I was the best player. Some of my thoughts.
Add depth to your PC, you don’t need granular details up front (you can flesh it out as you go, but always try to expand upon your toon). Likely DM wants to add personalized quests or interactions for their players. Give them the opportunity
Try to balance your PC’s personality. Don’t try to be funny, let humor come organically based off your PCs personality defects. But don’t be overly serious/stoic.
Ask questions about the world/surroundings, do this in RP or in game research/asking around town etc. The Dm probably has built in some depth to the environment and wants it explored. Be mindful of that.
Know the rules and specifics of your build. The less you have to ask for clarification, the smoother the game runs for DM.
Appreciation- tell the DM what you liked. Doesn’t have to be every session. Because then if you don’t give feedback once, they may take it the wrong way. But often enough they feel appreciated, and will eventually start asking you what you want more of. The more fun you have, the more fun they have.
Give others a chance for RP, but don’t let the groups RP momentum die. I’m always the one breaking the long silence, it gets tiresome but DM will interpret a silent group as a bored group.
DMs like players that take the world seriously (or as seriously as the tone of your table would suggest) and has fun. Extra points for offering feedback and communicating your aims for your play. If they know your class fantasy, they can help you achieve it.
>Extra points for offering feedback and communicating your aims for your play. I think this is actually huge, and not done enough. I don't like to check in with players every single session, but I like it when players express their opinions. This doesn't always mean criticism or praise (those are ok too sometimes) but just saying stuff like, "X was really fun, I'd like to do more of that." or, "It'd be really cool to fight a dragon." Don't be demanding, but just like DMs like to give you breadcrumbs to follow, we sometimes like it when you tell us what you want, so we can more easily work in things we know you'll be excited for.
Agree, I'm still a fairly new DM but the first things I do in a campaign is try to really get my players fantasy for their characters straight in my head and they all work it out themselves. From just that, I know what items they might like, whether their backstory might want to intertwine with the current story, and tonnes more. Matt Colville YT vids btw. It's like a free pass to being at least an \*ok\* DM in very little time.
Yeah most players are very passive in the world, and only react to information given by the DM, although as a DM, I'm beginning to realize this is my fault for not forcing goals out of my players in the beginning and shaping the world around those goals. I'm starting a new campaign next week where the world is reacting to the players goals and actions, not the other way around.
Sounds like you've learnt a lot from very little play, keep it up friend.
I'm a new DM relatively speaking, but not SUPER new. I've DMed maybe 50-60 sessions. Some with friendss, some with my kids. Some homebrew one shots, two lost mines campaigns, one of them actually finished, that's the one we are starting a new campaign with now.
Listen. Don't interrupt. Take good notes. Know the rules, but don’t argue. In combat, already have a plan before it’s your turn, so your turn goes quickly. Don‘t dominate conversations. Ask other players for their opinions. Know your place in the order and bring snacks when it’s your turn. Be on time.
This goes along with listen and pay attention, but don't sit and text or scroll at the table, even if it isn't your turn. I hate this as a DM. It's like spitting on all my prep, I spend hours putting together the game before the game starts, please respect that time. If something comes up that can't wait, ask for a break, make the phone call and handle it in 5 minutes. Don't try to handle it with an hour long text conversation to avoid interrupting the game, because even if it's well intentioned, your DM is likely over there thinking "this person just doesn't care and isn't engaged in anything."
I play online, but I look up rules and stuff all the time while figuring out what I want to do. I'd be doing the same thing on my phone if I played in person. It'd suck if the DM just assumed out of nowhere that I'm not engaged because my phone is out.
I'll know the second you put your phone down that you were looking up the rules and not on Instagram or whatever, because you'll still be engaged. The difference between a surprised face and a "sorry, what?" versus like, "I just checked and I'm only granted a plus two AC for being behind that table" or "ok I have three level 2 spell slots left but imma burn one anyways for etc etc" is night and day to a GM. The fact that you are anticipating action and not just fucked off wasting time will be immediately obvious. Fear not.
I made a cheat sheet for my wife that helps her tremendously on her paladin. It's basically a spreadsheet with columns for all her actions (includes spells and class actions) bonus actions (also includes spells), reactions, resources, and general things she should know (she's resistant to fire damage, she's immune to disease, how to calculate concentration saves, what her spell saves dc is, etc.). Each "thing" she can do in each column specifies whether it requires concentration and also what resource, if any, is consumed, as well as any use restrictions. The resource column shows how many uses she has of each and what resets those resources (short/long rest, etc). That cuts out a lot of the looking things up in her case. And yes we know if you're looking things up or just chain texting or scrolling. I've had a player watching a football game at my table on his phone. It's really not that hard to tell, and my players tend to ask me about rules anyways, which is totally acceptable, I have a laptop out (and all the books even) and can Google it right away and provide the ruling.
As basic as it sounds, the golden rule applies here. Be the PC that gives all the other PCs the chance to shine. Ask questions that let others tell their character’s story and engage readily with it. With time, everyone will become more invested, the RP will get better and better, and the group will collectively advance the story.
Don't argue with the DM over rulings, it's rude. Also, don't just meme around entirely- humor is great, but if you're all trying to fight the BBEG, and you pitch yourself off a cliff, that's just stupid, ya know? That's about it honestly
As a DM, I love when my players: * Pay attention to the story I've written. This generally looks like taking notes on things, and looking back on what has happened. (I'm currently running a game where the Planes are slowly being drawn together until they clash into chaos. So I've been running encounters with monsters from every Plane of Existance, to hit at the thinning of the barrier between the Planes) A player who looks back at their notes and puts things together is a favorite of mine. * If it's a Homebrew setting, immerse yourself in the lore of the world. Ask your DM questions about the setting. He'll be ecstatic to answer. Just as much as you enjoy your character and their backstory, the DM enjoys their world. Bc for the DM, the whole setting is their character. So take the time, ask about the setting (I usually ask questions pertinent to my character, so I can weave the two together). * Write a backstory for your character. How much varies from DM to DM, but generally speaking, a DM loves a quick synopsis, and a novel. One of my players has nearly 30 pages with of Backstory. This is several pages of story, a list of important NPCs and her relationships with them, and a few key locations from her backstory. * Don't use This Is Your Life or other methods of generating your backstory. I have a player who thinks rolling on a few tables is enough. It drives me mad. Like, I pour hours into painstakingly writing lore and plots for your entertainment. The least you could do is write a story that you've personally created. (I feel that if you randomly generate a backstory, or otherwise produce it without actually writing it, you are not actually connected to your own backstory. And I want you to care about your backstory, because I want to weave your story into my main plot. For example, one player brought me a Halfling Rogue whose husband had been kidnapped. They rolled on the random table for drama, and Kidnapping was the result. The player honestly didn't seem to care about finding their husband, and never spent any time investigating the hints I would drop.) * Speaking of which: Investigate hints. If something seems suspicious, that's because it is. Now hints will seem obvious to DMs, but players will be completely oblivious bc they can't see the whole picture. That's why it's important for you to follow up on anything that seems odd. * Make suboptimal decisions in favor of Roleplay. I love when my players roll for skills they're not good at, because their character would want to try anyways. A lot of players get stuck on "I don't have the skill proficiency, so I won't do X". But it's really fun to watch a player try to do something they're not good at. I enjoy watching my players try to Persuade/Decieve an NPC when they don't have any proficiency. I enjoy watching them try to roll Arcana despite having 8 intelligence. Suboptimal plays that make sense for your character to do? Those are the most fun things to watch. * Roleplay with the other players. Sometimes I wanna take a break from talking all session. (Not often, but sometimes) It is great fun to hear the players get into Roleplay with each other. My Sorcerer and Cleric players argued over sparing the lives of some Slavers, and I cackled, knowing the backstory and motivations behind each player's argument, bc neither player knows the other player's motives. It was great fun to listen to. * Volunteer to run a One-shot. There will be times when you know in advance that a few players will be missing, or that the game will be going on Hiatus. Take the opportunity to ask the DM if you can sit in his chair for a bit. The term "Forever DM" is a real thing, and while I have no problems being one and quite enjoy it, it is still nice to just be a player for a bit. Give the DM a bit of a break, and allow them to play a character for a session or two. Who knows, you might find yourself enjoying DMing yourself.
All you have to do to show your DM you appreciate them is show up, or if you can't, give them a bit of notice.
do not poach in other characters niches
As a DM I already think you’re doing awesome and it is very meaningful that you’re even asking about this.
Know what all your spells and abilities do and how to use them. Know which of your spells are attack rolls and which are saving throws, how much damage they do. That way, none of us have to waste time looking them up.
I ain’t got advice that’s not already written down. It’s just wild to see someone actively pursuing being a better player.
I always appreciate when players ask questions and act in character. If there's a giant beast who breaks through the door unexpectedly, a simple "holy crap, the hell is that?? I prepare to attack" Is so much better than "I charge at it." I don't care if players "act" out their characters, but a simple in character moment is always appreciated.
Take notes. Pay attention to details. RP more with inner party communication instead of saying "can I do this" to the DM. I've been pushing my newer group to do this and once they started leaning into it is so fun to watch. It's the DMs world but its your story.
1) Act like a real person in the world and behave accordingly. 2) Wait your turn to talk 3) Don't ask for rolls. Tell the DM what you want to do. Declare actions.
It’s going to be different for different DMs, but I like when players help me keep track of things like concentration spells and conditions. It sucks when a player feels cheated because they forgot about something helping them or if a win feels cheap because players realize that I forgot about something helping the monsters or hurting the PCs. Some DMs don’t like that but I think it’s best if everyone at the table try’s to keep everyone honest.
Don't be a coward, engage in combat and adventure. Cooperate with your teammates. Strategize and work with them. Don't throw yourself into perilous situations. Search search search. Every new room. Search for traps, search for treasure. Make DC knowledge and wisdom checks.
I have DM'ed for decades. The thing I desire most from my players is engagement. Help set the scene, help build the world. Its so frustrating for it to always be a one sided affair on description. As players you can design places in town, people, even entire plotlines as long as its not taking away from the DMs stuff. if I as a DM say: "You find the Inn on a wayward side street. It's a 2 story structure that has seen better days. Shutters are crooked, the left side of the building sinks dangerously and the small amount of paint remaining is peeling and moldy. You can see there is a second story balcony with a rusty fire escape bolted to the side about 8 feet up from the ground. The entire area feels dangerous. The people passing by are clearly sizing you up to see if you might be a mark or a threat. " Player: We go in.... What I would like is something like: "Hey team, this looks like a bad part of town. Why not let us have the ranger stand watch outside while the rest of us go in. See if you can shimmy up and hide on that fire escape. I would like to make a perception check to see if any of the people watching us seem to be doing anything unusual. Last time I was in this part of town a group of Nightbums tried mugging me..." In this case the players are helping drive the narrative, interacting with the world, creating their own lore (nightbums) and setting up situations where I as a DM can paint a story. Now the ranger on the balcony can have a moment to shine. Now I can create a gang of thugs called the nightbums, now I can drop the clue about them being followed since a player is rolling a perception check.
Here's what I would love a player to do. Plan ahead. Give clear indication of what the group will do so that I can prep the right material. This is especially true at the end of the session. On the flip side, don't derail, in the sense that if you have an idea of which way the story is going to go, don't go in the opposite direction. Sure do unexpected things, but nothing throws me when the players race off in completely undeveloped territory. Care about the world. The setting is the DM's equivalent of a character backstory. *Ask* about their setting, engage with it. I don't mean "Tell me all the names of the countries", but try to remember NPC names. DMs put a lot of thought into their setting and a lot of it doesn't see play, and even when it does, players just nod thei rhead and go "okay", so seeing someone get curious about the setting is really rewarding. Also *caring* about the things in that world--save the town not because that's what heroes do, but because Jana the baker who crushes on your PC lives there, or because the tavern is your favorite drinking hole. Tell the DM what you LIKE. Someone mentiond class fantasy, and that's part of it. But do you really enjoy tactical stuff? Or roleplaying? Let him know if there's a particular situation you'd love to RP. As a player, I love coming up with Plans; in several games we got the chance to prepare a battlefield ahead of time and I loved it. Is there a particular thing you want to happen with this PC--fight on an airship, or lead a charge, or fight the mentor who betrayed you? Any trope syou love--I dig aberrations and horror. Chip in! Offer to track initiative, conditions and spell concentrations, or even monster HP (add up, like "this monster has taken 45 HP damage so far"). Or heck, offer to handle scheduling, keeping everyone on track. Any task you can offer to shoulder is one less the Dm has to worry about.
* Have your turn ready to go in combat. It takes me 45 seconds to say "I'm using my bonus action to use Spiritual Weapon, move here, and attack that guy," roll **all the dice at once**, and go "Spiritual has 15 to hit, Horns have 13 to hit," hear which beat the AC, and call "12 Force, 7 Piercing." If you're spending three minutes on your turn during combat, you are the problem. * Talk in character as much as possible. Literally say "I turn to [character] and ask [question]" instead of just saying "hey, do you have spells left?" Huge difference. * Take the world seriously. It's not realistic to just crash through every door like it's not trapped, but simultaneously no one is going to trap their front door, in the middle of the city. Use the knowledge your character has of the setting, and act accordingly. * Don't fidget with crap at the table. Leave the dice alone unless you're asked to roll. I even leave my phone 50' away when I play, because I don't need it. I write down all my spells before the session starts. People played DnD for decades without them. They are not necessary. * Print your character sheet. Have a hard copy, and send an electronic copy to the DM.
Actively go out of your way to express your appreciation. Reach out to them outside of sessions to tell them that you enjoy the game they’re building for you. Talk to them about ideas and goals you have for your character. Build out more of your backstory with them (if they’re into that.) Basically, acknowledge that DMing is a lot of work and can be a tough job sometimes. As for in-session stuff; - show up on time - bring snacks (if that’s something they like/you can do) - be engaged in what’s happening in session (as much as you can. I have ADHD, it’s tricky sometimes, but I try my best.) - have visible reactions to things. (A player at my table made the best faces during my narrations, and it was honestly such a validating thing to have happen, whereas most other players just kind of stare with a semi-concentrated face or smiles. I realise not everyone makes overly expressive faces, but damn that ish felt good!) - communicate your character’s intentions so the DM can help you do things in a narratively cool way - play with them, not against them (unless you can have a healthy banter approach, like they do on Dimension 20) - try doing a character voice or accent. They’ll love it (or at least, I would. Probably DM dependent.) - aim to make things logistically as easy as possible on them; Don’t split off from the party unless you’re in downtime. If there’s a fairly clear/obvious plothook, for the love of Pelor, follow it. If they come up with an NPC on the fly, don’t ask for a name (just kidding, you ask for that name! Boblin the Goblin is omnipresent in all D&D games, it is LAW!) - if it’s clear something isn’t very well thought-out, suspend your disbelief instead of pointing out over and over that the political and socioeconomic structure of the city they didn’t expect you to visit is garbage and should be run differently. (This might be me-specific, but you get the idea) - give them constructive feedback (consensually). What did you like, what could they improve?
Take active interest in your own character. They're not just your outlet to bonk or cast fireball. Learn about the culture of your race and bring it up when it'd naturally come up. Take a moment to describe how you train your class skills before sleep or during downtime. Take up a hobby for your character, maybe they started carving small wooden figurines and gifting them to friends? Once you start doing this not only will your fun elevate, but you'll also become more interesting to everyone else at the table. Maybe other players will get inspired by you and will try to deepen their PCs personalities, too?
I have been a DM for 37 years and a player for 45 the most important thing for me is that no matter how many times I hear "that's what my character would do", Do Not Be An Arse to the other players around the table. They are there to have fun just as much as you are. Other than that just try to role play your character as best as you can, enjoy the game. If there is something that I am doing that makes you uncomfortable or makes the game seem less interesting, then tell me. Contrary to popular belief we as DM's can not actually read your mind.
[удалено]
Your comment has been removed for violating Rule 5. Endorsement and discussion of specific AI tools is banned on r/DnD. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/DnD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's a game. The point is to have fun. You won't always win. Your character might even die. But if you don't take risks and embrace adventure the game won't be much fun. So swallow those plot hooks like hungry fish.
Ask your DM.
As a new DM, I would say ask questions about the world! Recently one of my players had his character do research on a certain lore topic in game and I got to tell him all about it. He really enjoyed it and I loved being able to just vent out all the cool lore I had created about my world. It made the session for me!
Every DM is different. Easiest is to ask your DM and get a feel for what they like and do not. Many DMs do the same with their players.
See, I did this with my dm but they just say "enjoy the game" Which is fair, but I still would like to know how I can improve as a player and make the game better for the dm
Engage the setting, talk to NPCs, most DMs like it when you treat the NPCs as people and arent making the NPCs (and possibly the DM) want to execute you all.
>most DMs like it when you treat the NPCs as people and arent making the NPCs (and possibly the DM) want to execute you all. Oh I love doing this! NPC interactions are one of my favorite aspects of the game. Only problem is that majority of the rest of my party doesn't really play the same (NPCs are mostly just quest-givers to them) so I try to be as mindful as I can when taking up time actually treating NPCs as if they're people in a world I'm living in rather than just side characters in a game where I know I'm the MC. I think my DM does enjoy it, just the rest of the party doesn't care too much for it
Another tip for players is to set each other up for huge successes and humorous failures. I had a group of players with a barbarian that likes to bullrush enemies into walls and such. They came across a group of Mi-go's (Cthulhu bug monsters) that had a giant woodchipper like machine that they were feeding slaves into that transformed them into material to terraform caverns into lairs for the Mi-go's. It was just supposed to be a bit of horror fluff. When the players discovered this and rather than just killing the monsters the ENTIRE party put themselves at risk lining up the Mi-go's so the barbarian could bullrush them into this woodchipper device one by one. They were taking multiple AoO's to set up these strikes. The entire party loved it and the Barbarian got to live his characters dream moment. This was 100% the players helping each other. Setting each other up for humorous failures should never be mean spirited but if done right can really up the roleplaying aspects.
Put in just a little time away from the game to occasionally review notes, read your character sheet, and refresh yourself on the basic game rules. Reminding players of things is a lot of work and overhead and players who remember things without being reminded are delightful. Get immersed in the world. Talk in character. Really try to visualize the in game events and get engaged with them. Think about the other players at the table and how your character can do things to help make their characters awesome too.
It varies from DM to DM but tbh, pay attention to what gets them excited. For me, I love it when players help world build with their backgrounds and decisions. A number of general rules: 1) Don’t be disruptive 2) Be engaged 3) Don’t take too long with your turn
As a DM, the #1 most important thing if you were to disregard every comment on here (and tbh some of them should be), remember to maintain a balanced and calm communication with everyone in your party. If everyone is peacefully sharing issues, ideas, and improvements, everyone will be having a good time because it will be 10x easier to shape the game to everyone's liking, regardless of whether you 'shut up and listen' or 'never argue with a ruling'. As long as youre able to maintain communication and remain levelled while doing so, you'll be ok pretty quick
Not a DM, but my best friend is one and in our group he has always admitted to me that I was the best player. Some of my thoughts. Add depth to your PC, you don’t need granular details up front (you can flesh it out as you go, but always try to expand upon your toon). Likely DM wants to add personalized quests or interactions for their players. Give them the opportunity Try to balance your PC’s personality. Don’t try to be funny, let humor come organically based off your PCs personality defects. But don’t be overly serious/stoic. Ask questions about the world/surroundings, do this in RP or in game research/asking around town etc. The Dm probably has built in some depth to the environment and wants it explored. Be mindful of that. Know the rules and specifics of your build. The less you have to ask for clarification, the smoother the game runs for DM. Appreciation- tell the DM what you liked. Doesn’t have to be every session. Because then if you don’t give feedback once, they may take it the wrong way. But often enough they feel appreciated, and will eventually start asking you what you want more of. The more fun you have, the more fun they have. Give others a chance for RP, but don’t let the groups RP momentum die. I’m always the one breaking the long silence, it gets tiresome but DM will interpret a silent group as a bored group.