Roll Initiative

Even if you have been playing Dungeon & Dragons (D&D) for over forty years, there are still ideas that you can add to your repertoire and master, and if you’re thinking about taking the initial plunge into the realm of role-playing games, there a few basic player mechanics that you should learn. I’ve consulted with a few lifetime gamers around my city to come up with a short list of general game knowledge that will help anyone trying to get better at D&D. Adhering to this list won’t automatically make you a superior player in a few days, but they make you a better teammate and can potentially lead to greater things if you stick with it.

1. Practice Proper Table Etiquette

As simple as this sounds, you’d be surprised by the number of people that don’t practice proper hygiene or like to degrade other players. Be courteous of the other players at your table, even if you’re playing at your house with friends. Nobody likes to be made fun of for making a poor decision, and nobody likes smelling horrendous body odor from someone who hasn’t showered in over a week. Follow this rule and you’ll at least gain the respect of your fellow players.

2. Don’t Be Selfish

The main goal of your characters in D&D is to win. Winning can have a plethora of meanings in a tabletop game such as this. It can mean defeating the dragon menacing a town, rescuing a troop of lost orphans, or delivering a holy statue across the desert to another town. Whatever the quest, don’t forget that you have other players helping you along the way. Don’t throw them under the preverbal bus and use them for your own gain. Try to give others a window of opportunity to do something great. It doesn’t matter if they blow their chance in the spotlight or if they shine brighter than a fireball crashing into a horde of goblins. What matters is that you encouraged someone to reach for greatness.

3. Don’t Make the Dungeon Master (DM) Do All of the Work

They may put in a lot of hours every week or month to make sure that the players have a great experience with challenging encounters and a well-planned narrative, but it should be the players that drive the story, not the DM. A great story is meaningless if the players don’t help to shape the world they live in. Don’t be afraid to add mysterious creatures or characters not already included in the game. Just be mindful to not venture too far off of the beaten path by yourself. Incorporating your own take on the story or a unique roleplay with an NPC/Monsters will allow you to have more fun and will diminish the burdens put onto the DM.

4. Think Outside of the Box

It is all too tempting to attack a problem head-on, whether that be in D&D or real life. Many problems can be solved through sheer willpower and a little elbow grease, but that doesn’t mean it is the best way to approach a problem. During the past year, I have learned firsthand that many problems are best solved with wit and teamwork. Let’s say that you’ve heard that a cantankerous dragon lives in an abandoned tower, and it has been terrorizing the nearby village. You’re just a low-level character, and you can’t think of a way to reach it without getting your entire party incapacitated. Try thinking of ways to affect the dragon without entering into a slugfest with it. You could consider knocking the tower onto it or try to take away its oxygen supply. Being creative in a dangerous situation might save your character’s life, if not your entire party's.

5. Have Fun

Fun and excitement should be at the core of every game you play. If the game you’re playing isn’t enjoyable, then there isn’t any point in playing. You will have sessions that may seem impossible to overcome, or your character might be blown to smithereens by a fireball. Some get a thrill from close encounters with death, while other players prefer to go on small, tranquil quests that they know they will survive. Whatever your playstyle, find a DM and a group of people that are willing to play a game in the fashion you are comfortable with. That being said, don’t be afraid to come out of your comfort zone every once and a while. You might just like might have fun.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other tips that you will gain from playing with other people, but those are for you to find. Adhering to these tips will sharpen your sword of knowledge and allow you to become a better gamer. If you have any tips that you would like to share, feel free to do so.