Page 6 - Dungeon Master's Guide

KNow YouR PLAYERS FIGHTING
The success of a D&D game hinges on your ability to P layers who enjoy fantasy combat like kicking the
entertain the other players at the game table. Whereas tar out of villains and monsters. They look for any
their role is to create characters (the protagonists of excuse to start a fight, favoring bold action over careful
the campaign), breathe life into them, and help steer deliberation.
the campaign through their characters' actions, your Engage players who like fighting by ...
role is to keep the players (and yourself) interested and
• springing unexpected combat encounters on them.
immersed in the world you've created, and to let their
vividly describing the havoc their characters wreak
characters do awesome things.
with their attacks and spells.
Knowing what your players enjoy most about the including combat encounters with large numbers of
D&D game helps you create and run adventures that weak monsters.
they will enjoy and remember. Once you know which of • interrupting social interaction and exploration
the following activities each player in your group enjoys with combat.
the most, you can tailor adventures that satisfy your
players' preferences as much as possible, thus keeping OPTIMIZING
them engaged.
Players who enjoy optimizing their characters'
ACTING capabilities like to fine-tune their characters for peak
combat performance by gaining levels, new features,
Players who enjoy acting like getting into character
and magic items. They welcome any opportunity to
and speaking in their characters' voices. Roleplayers demonstrate their characters' superiority.
at heart, they enjoy social interactions with NPCs,
monsters, and their fellow party members. Engage players who like optimization by ...
ensuring steady access to new abilities and spells.
Engage players who like acting by ...
• using desired magic items as adventure hooks.
giving them opportunities to develop their characters' including encounters that let their characters shine.
personalities and backgrounds. providing quantifiable rewards, like experience points,
• allowing them to interact regularly with NPCs. for noncombat encounters.
adding roleplaying elements to combat encounters.
incorporating elements from their characters' back- PROBLEM SOLVING
grounds into your adventures.
Players who want to solve problems like to scrutinize
ExPLORING NPC motivations, untangle a villain's machinations,
solve puzzles, and come up with plans.
Players who desire exploration want to experience the
wonders that a fantasy world has to offer. They want to Engage players who like to solve problems by ...
know what's around the next corner or hill. They also • including encounters that emphasize problem-solving.
like to find hidden clues and treasure. rewarding planning and tactics with in-game benefits.
• occasionally allowing a smart plan to grant an easy
Engage players who like exploration by ... win for the players.
dropping clues that hint at things yet to come. creating NPCs with complex motives.
letting them find things when they take the time
to explore. STORYTELLING
providing rich descriptions of exciting environments,
Players who love storytelling want to contribute to a
and using interesting maps and props.
narrative. They like it when their characters are heavily
• giving monsters secrets to uncover or cultural
invested in an unfolding story, and they enjoy encounters
details to learn.
that are tied to and expand an overarching plot.
INSTIGATING Engage players who like storytelling by ...
Player's who like to instigate action are eager to make using their characters' backgrounds to help shape the
stories of the campaign.
things happen, even if that means taking perilqus risks.
• making sure an encounter advances the story
They would rather rush headlong into danger and face
in some way.
the consequences than face boredom.
• making their characters' actions help steer
Engage players who like to instigate by ...
future events.
allowing them to affect their surroundings.
giving NPCs ideals, bonds, and flaws that the adven-
• including things in your adventures to tempt them.
turers can exploit.
letting their actions put the characters in a tight spot.
including encounters with NPCs who are as feisty and
unpredictable as they are.

INTRODUCTTON