M.T. Black
Hero
Here are some of the best tips I've collected from various social media:
- When a player rolls a death saving throw, ask them to share a flashback from their character's life.
- Skill checks are more interesting if you let players choose between two reasonable options, which have different ability bonuses. Not every character is going to approach the same problem the same way.
- Insight is not a "lie detector". It allows you to see signs of how an NPC feels about specific subjects. "When you mention the Captain of the Guard, you notice that the sergeant bites his lips and tenses his knuckles."
- 0 HP doesn't have to equal death; it can just be the failure of the character. It's often more interesting to ask them what they lose rather than tell them to roll up a new character.
- Not every encounter has to end in combat. Use some form of monster reaction rolls.
- Rarely do living creatures fight until death. Make morale checks once the battle starts going poorly.
- "Show, don't tell" is a classic, but it works. Does a tyrant rule the city? Have the PCs see a squad of city guards frisking peasants against a wall or witness a public execution.
- Let anybody attempt to cast a spell from a scroll, but their chances of success vary based on their experience with magic. It can be a game-changer in a pinch!
- Describe all attacks as hits, even if they bounce off armor or get parried. If everything hits, it feels better.
- When a player reduces a monster to 0 HP, ask them to describe their killing blow.
- When attuning to a magic item, the character should experience a flashback to the last (or most important) use of that item. Perhaps that magic sword was once used to slay a dragon. Loot becomes a story.
- If a player asks if they can use an alternative skill to what you've set for a particular task, say, "Okay, sell it to me," to give them a chance to explain themselves into doing something awesome.
- Encourage players to make a short list of narrative objectives they want to accomplish. "Next Session: Ask Bob about that strange guy that threatened him."
- When introducing new NPCs, try to "show" who they are instead of having them in passive roles. Are they meeting the captain of the guard? Maybe she is shouting at a subordinate who fell asleep while on duty.
- Don't have the unconscious condition; replace it with the critical condition where your character knows they're on their last legs but have restricted movement and restricted actions; that way, they can RP their final moments.
- Instead of killing a PC, have a powerful entity show up to save them. It's a devil with a contract, an arch-fey with a deal, etc. It creates future roleplay and goals for that PC.
- At high levels, round damage to the nearest five. At really high levels, to the nearest ten.
- Emphasize, early in your campaign, that running is always an option.
- Roll hit and damage dice at the same time.
- If players have a problem with procrastination, don't just ask them, "What do you do?" Instead, provide concrete choices and list examples of actions they can take.
- For DMs who have trouble keeping track of Monster HP: Add up to the HP; don't subtract from the HP total.
- Make sure actions have consequences. If my party robs a courtesan, they will find out the hard way that she has a powerful patron next session.
- Ask the players not to share the results of their Death Saves, pass or fail. It tends to lead to a sense of tension and urgency during the encounter.
- Do you struggle to come up with personalities for random NPCs? Choose an animal for the NPC to copy: weasel for a traveling peddler, bear for a guard captain, etc.
- It's okay to remind the players what their characters know. Perhaps only an hour of character time has passed, but you last played a month ago.
