Dungeons & Dragons DMs have revealed the things they wish players understood about what they do, which turned into what they want players to do make their lives easier.
Being a D&D DM is considerably more difficult than being a player. It’s no coincidence that many who step behind the DM screen don’t last for long, with the “Forever DMs” left to their fate as the eternal storyteller.
There are some things that players can do to make it easier for their DMs, as outlined in a thread on the DnD Reddit, which originally asked what struggles DMs wished players understood during their games.
“Learn your character’s abilities and the rules that govern them! Please!” one user wrote, while another said, “Take notes, I am begging you. It doesn’t need to be a book report but if I have to recap the vision you had six months ago for the twentieth time I’ll just choose violence instead…”
“Just tell me the thing you’re trying to do, whether it’s an unorthodox move in combat or forming a pirate crew,” another user said, “Too many players feel like they have to spring their big idea on the dm/party for some reason and waste a lot of time and effort when they could just say “I want to pole vault up to the dragon, how would that work?”
One user said the one that all DMs are thinking. “That if you just let me finish describing what I’m describing… you might not actually need to ask those 10 clarifying questions you have.”
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“Setbacks are a part of every good story,” another user said, “Don’t take them personally and instead think of what a character in a book or movie would do when faced with such a setback. Complain about the situation in character, have yourself a meta chuckle, whatever. But don’t be a downer because you’re playing with dice that are random and not 100% in your favor.”
Another DM wrote, “Natural 20s are for combat only. “I mentioned it in Session Zero, I have it in the Discord rules, I have it taped to the DM Screen, and I am not changing it.
Every D&D game is different, as are the expectations of each DM and player. Not all players have the time to learn the rules verbatim or to craft compelling narratives that merge with the campaign’s storyline.
That being said, there are still basic courtesies players can respect, making the game better for everyone. Whether it be learning how their character’s abilities work, preparing for their next action, or just knowing that D&D at its best is an ensemble piece.
