The best and worst players to play D&D with
A dungeon master who has planned and played adventures for over a decade shares insights on the best and worst players to play Dungeons & Dragons with. Discover how to keep them in line while enjoying the joys and horrors of D&D.
I’ve played with real-life friends and colleagues, as well as solo campaigns where I DM and play alone. I’ve encountered players who skip activities, talk incessantly, and can’t take initiative. I’ve witnessed players roll characters who are the exact opposite of what I’ve written, and I’ve seen players die – a lot.
The best D&D players
Playing with friends is the best part of D&D. It is ideal to play with regular groups of people you know because you’re sharing experiences with friends. There’s the joy of mutual storytelling and the excitement of seeing how players upend your plans. Planning adventures for over a decade, I have learned to embrace the fear of what might come next.
While some DMs plan one session ahead and others make it up as they go, I find myself somewhere in between, piecing together plans and letting the party spin them awry. Imagining how plans might go wrong is another layer of excitement.
The worst D&D players
Playing with colleagues may seem like the worst thing you can do, but it can still be enjoyable if you approach it with the right mindset. Despite experiencing players skipping activities and having to cut things short, I have also witnessed them doing things I never expected.
The real fun for me comes in the writing and planning, but watching it all unfold is pretty cool, too. The joy of D&D lies in mutual storytelling and witnessing players upending your plans. The fear of players doing something unexpected is ever-present, but the joy of surprise keeps me going.
The next session will take place in a larger city, offering more opportunities and room for error. I have planned various scenarios, but I have no clue how they will unfold. The players have a lot of leeway, and I am trying not to stifle their creativity.
