If you’re a Dungeon Master, chances are you’re making one of these common mistakes that’s totally massacring your D&D night. Don’t worry, though – we’ve all been there. GMing takes practice, and nobody’s perfect (just ask my players!). But avoiding these pitfalls can really help your sessions feel more immersive and enjoyable for everyone at the table.
1. Railroading Your Players
One of the easiest ways to kill D&D night is to make your players feel like they have no agency or control over what happens. As DMs, we often make the mistake of giving the story in our heads priority over the players at the table. There’s a fine line here – hopefully, the story you’re laying out is part of what’s keeping them coming back. But you have to avoid forcing them down a certain path or railroading them into outcomes you want at the expense of their own ability to shape the story.
Remember, tabletop RPGs like D&D, Pathfinder, or Dungeon Crawl Classics are all about cooperative storytelling. Instead of railroading, give your players options and the freedom to make choices. Then, react to the choices they make. It’s that simple!
2. Talking Too Much
As DMs, we like to take the lead and, let’s face it, we like to talk. But hopefully, we’re also in it to go on an adventure with the players at our tables. It’s easy to start monologuing and describe every rock, puddle, and crack in the dungeon floor in excruciating detail. But long speeches or too much NPC dialog can get pretty boring for your players. Even if they’re not saying it, the bard’s definitely thinking, “For the love of Lord Bahamut, get on with it!”
Try to keep your descriptions and conversations short and sweet. Remember, it’s supposed to be fun, and for your players, that means giving them the opportunity to drive the action through their choices, not through your interminable exposition dumps. Make sure your players have time to roleplay too!
3. Not Tailoring the Game to Your Players
This is honestly one of the most difficult parts of being a DM or GM because every player wants something a little bit different out of D&D. One of the best things you can do in session zero is just spend some time trying to understand what your players enjoy and give them a chance to experience it in the game. Whether it’s combat, exploration, roleplaying, puzzle-solving, or whatever – create moments for everyone at the table by designing encounters and challenges that address what they’re looking for in the game.
4. Being Unprepared
Lack of prep as a DM is hard to hide, and more than almost anything else, it can slow your game way down. We all know life happens, and sometimes other things have to take precedence, so we don’t have the time to prepare the way we’d like to. But are you legitimately putting the effort in? Are you spending time between sessions reviewing notes, brushing up on rules, and coming up with ideas?
It’s really frustrating when you’ve spent a ton of time prepping for a game night and a player doesn’t show. Well, think about how frustrating it is for your players if they take time out of their schedules to be there and you’re not ready. We’re all human, but do the best you can because there’s a direct correlation between your level of preparation and the amount of fun had at your table on D&D night.
5. Not Adapting to Players
You know it, and I know it – no storyline or adventure ever goes exactly according to plan. As a DM, you have to be ready to improvise when your players inevitably do something you didn’t plan for. Being able to improv and think on your feet is hard (trust me, I know from personal experience), but I really think it’s the key to being a great DM.
Don’t panic or shut down their ideas. Just relax, hold loosely to your planned story beats, and embrace the creativity of your fellow adventurers. Because that’s what they are – your fellow adventurers!
There you have it, folks – five mistakes that are probably killing your D&D night. Avoid these, and you’ll go a long way toward creating an experience that’s fun and memorable for everybody, including you. Because I don’t know about you, but for my money, not a whole lot is better than leading my players on an adventure that they’ll remember for years to come.
If you purchase any products linked on our website, we may receive an affiliate commission.