5 tips for being a better D&D player.

Let me start by saying that there is no right or wrong way to play a Roleplaying game, so long as everyone has fun. These tips will merely elevate the experience at the table for you and your group.

1. Embrace failure

If I could give only one tidbit of advice to a new TTRPG player, this would be to "Embrace failure". The choices and the possibilities are almost endless in a game that takes part in your imagination. Sometimes people are paralyzed by all the avenues they can have in front of them. The ramifications of your choices are usually permanent.

The significant wall people hit, in my experience, is not that they are afraid of their Character losing or potentially dying. They don't want to feel stupid as a player, which is entirely understandable. You have to go for it. Your Paladin may wish to save the princess and be praised as a hero, only to find out she doesn't want to be protected, and you failed your persuasion check, so she won't even talk to you. Your Rogue might have been eavesdropping trying to get that crutch piece of information, but you failed your stealth check. And you have a +7 to stealth! These failures can feel like you lost the game in a way. It can sometimes cause players to deflate and withdraw and, in some cases, become upset or even angry. This behaviour can bring down the tone of the table and may inadvertently create a feeling of competition or resentment between the GM and the player.

Disappointment comes from unmet expectations, so you want to be reactive in handling failure. It always helps to laugh firstly. You can still be frustrated but try to exclaim your anguish in a fun way and lean into it. The other players will empathize with you out of Character if you do this. It is then a shared experience that you can reminisce about in the future. The easiest way to do this is to inject a bit of comedy into describing how your Character reacts to failure. Depending on the circumstance, you may want to take a serious tone and use it for a moment of character growth. Maybe this was a valuable life lesson for them. These moments are usually the best chance to be creative with your choices. Get the table engaged, and usually, another player will want their Character to be a part of the scene you have created out of a poor dice roll.

2. Commit to the game schedule

Discuss what the GM expects of you as a player regarding the game schedule. Ask them how many sessions roughly the campaign will last. How relaxed are they going to be with the session length? Are they ok with running a session if one or two players cannot make it? We can't always know how life will change, but knowing this information will help you decide. Tables are always better when everyone is as excited for the upcoming session. Some players may see this game as the highlight of their week, while another at the same table might only play when they don't have something better to do and therefore cancel often. Neither is wrong, but different levels of commitment can cause problems in the group if everyone isn't on the same page. On game day, check-in with everyone and let them and the GM know you are excited to play. Consistent extreme lateness is unforgivable. It is hard enough to get 4-6 adults to come together for 4 hours in their week. Don't waste everyone's precious time by always being a lousy timekeeper.

3. Be invested.

We have all been guilty of not being invested in a game, even seasoned players. Your Character isn't in this scene, so you whip your smartphone out, browse social media, talk to another player about what you did last night. Maybe you are the barbarian, and you don't care about all this political intrigue, and you want to have a tavern brawl. Perhaps you're the wizard that doesn't care about flirting with the bartender, and you want to head to that abandoned tower to look for magical tomes. I get it. Remember that this is the Avengers, not your heroes solo movie. Try engaging with what another character's interests and motives are. The GM has worked hard to tell a story and is currently working hard on bringing this world to life so you can all have fun within it. Engage with what the GM puts in front of you. Don't sit in silence.

One way to invest in what is happening is by taking notes….urgh. Notetaking is objectively a good practice as a GM and a player. I am just terrible at it. I find I can't get into the flow of roleplay and improv if I'm constantly scribbling. However, it is generally a good idea to record what has happened, and treasure found etc. If you take notes, offer to recap the previous session at the start of the game. It shows the GM  you are invested in the campaign and usually gives the group a bit of focus for the session ahead.

4.  Roleplay.

Roleplaying is the name of the game, literally in the name of the game. If you have never played D&D or any TTRPG before, it can be nerve-wracking and feel highly awkward to act as a character in an imaginary setting. Most of us are not trained actors and don't perform in such a way in our everyday lives. As children, we played make-believe naturally. That is part of the magic of this game! It breaks down the barriers socially forced on us by adulthood. You might be afraid of feeling stupid. I can tell you that if you feel silly while roleplaying, especially if you are new to it, you are doing it right. Regarding roleplaying, I refer you to my first tip, "Embrace failure"!

If you aren't confident at roleplaying, then start small. Call your fellow players by their character name while at the table. Ask a question of an NPC without the preface of "my Character asks them ". You will usually get a response in Character if you ask a question in-character. You don't have to do a silly voice or an accent. You're not trying to win an Oscar (maybe you are, who am I to say). I don't think there is enough coincidence in the world that there are tables at which people hardly come out of roleplay and tables where there is none whatsoever.  If one or two players up their roleplay, the whole table will follow suit. We are trying to enrich our game experience, and Roleplaying leads to those inter-character moments you will remember and cherish forever.

5. Support your fellow Players.

Supporting the other players at the table is the most important tip to improve your overall game experience and is also predicated on the previous four tips. If a fellow player succeeds or fails, you should congratulate or commiserate with them. Clap when they succeed that Charisma check. Shout "oh no" when they fail that acrobatics check. Cheer when they roll a natural 20! If another player thinks of something clever, let them know you think it is a good idea. If you empathize,  they will reciprocate when you succeed or fail in the future. Be invested in other Players characters and listen to their interactions. Their Characters are unique to them, and they love them. Be courteous, Don't crash that long-awaited Roleplay moment of Character backstory with toilet humour.

Roleplaying is scary and difficult. When someone is roleplaying, encourage them. They are putting themselves out there to enrich the experience of everyone at the table. Please don't make fun of the accent they are trying to do for their Character. Don't criticize them for getting tongue-tied or lost for words. Involve quieter roleplayers but don't consistently put them on the spot. When formulating a plan, ask, "what do you think [Character Name]?". Another trick is to ask them something specific about their character description. "Hey [Character Name], I like your tattoos. Where did you get them?"

Offer the same kind of support to experienced and more confident roleplayers. I have sometimes felt that a party has just expected roleplay out of me and let the silence hang until I say something.

Here is an exercise for those of you into the popular D&D streams such as Critical Role. The next time you watch the show, pay attention to the players who aren't involved in the current scene. Watch how they react to what is happening to their fellow player. Please note what they do when another player is trying to do something funny, emotional, or dangerous.

These tips are for improving the player-driven aspects of a game. A good gaming group is fun, supportive, and committed. Finding that group is the only way to win a Tabletop Roleplaying Game.

Oliver.