D&D General What's your best D&D tip (50 words or less)

[Corinnguard]

Have fun creating your character and let your imagination out to play.

 

[Hussar]

When in doubt, give the players a little more information than you think they need.

Just cos this is so good gonna repeat it again. With maybe a caveat of not just a little more information but a LOT more.

Never be stingy with information.

 

[Quickleaf]

"When an outspoken player declares a course of disruptive action, do not immediately reply. Pause. Acknowledge their intent. Then ask the rest of the group what they want to do."

This is short and sweet, actionable, and will probably improve your game – it encourages players to think as a team, gives space for quieter voices, lets outspoken players know they've been heard while modeling that D&D is a team game, and empowers the rest of the group to be the better angels for an instigator type player. It transforms a moment that could become very disruptive to everyone's enjoyment into a moment of roleplay, perhaps talking down the instigator that lets them enjoy a fun little spotlight.

This also encourages players, over the long-term, to think of their declarations as intent as opposed to a foregone conclusion that the declared action takes place. This helps, in my observation, differentiate "I make a Perception check" play style from "I press my ear to the stone tile" play style.

 

[Quartz]

If you're having fun, you're doing it right.

If you all are having fun, you're doing it right.

 

[Echohawk]

For an immersive campaign, spend as much time on post-game notes as you do on pre-game planning.

 

[billd91]

"When a player rolls a death saving throw, ask them to share a flashback from their character's life."

I did something similar a couple of weeks ago when I hit the PCs with a weird spell (high level characters, they're starting to really get hit more with very high level spells). When it shows them their greatest fear, I had them explain what that was. Got some interesting responses. I will definitely do that more as opportunity permits.

 

[FrozenNorth]

RPGs are all about players making choices and dealing with the consequences that follow from them.
Don't prepare adventures with scripted scenes and outcomes.

And players, don’t be afraid of making choices even if said choices are sub-optimal.

 

[Yora]

"When an outspoken player declares a course of disruptive action, do not immediately reply. Pause. Acknowledge their intent. Then ask the rest of the group what they want to do."

Oh, reminds me of my actual most important piece of advice:

If a player declares an action that seems nonsensical, most of the time the player misunderstood the situation you described. To clarify, ask the player what the action is meant to accomplish. This usually reveals if you explained the situation in a misleading way. It's your duty to clarify.

 

[Stormonu]

Just cos this is so good gonna repeat it again. With maybe a caveat of not just a little more information but a LOT more.

Never be stingy with information.

It bears repeating. Also, give the important stuff to them thrice. The first time it's missed/glossed over, the second it's merely coincidence, the third time the PCs finally pay attention.

 

[overgeeked]

The referee puts obstacles in front of the PCs; the players figure out how to overcome those obstacles. The only “story” in RPGs should emerge from the combination of the referee’s obstacles, the players’ choices, and the luck of the dice.