Tips, Tricks, and Dungeons

So now you know how to be a better Player and a DM, but what about a better experience overall? There's more to a good game than a good DM and having excellent players. 

It certainly helps, but you can do so much more than what I've already mentioned, and this is just for everyone to do. Players and DMs listen closely, because these can help your game immensely. 

Prepared for war: 

The best players and DMs are prepared for whatever session they come to. As a dungeon master you will need to prepare more than your players, but never just wing it for a session. 

You will need to improvise sometimes, but what you plan to do should have some prep work done for it (it also makes things WAY easier). This helps the game flow much better when you have material ready and on hand. 

This applies to players as well, have everything ready for your characters. This include your character sheets, any special abilities or spells you may have. 

Understanding everything there is to your character makes it much easier when you're put in a tight situation and have so many options available. If you have a spell for invisibility, knowing that makes a stealth based mission you're trying to go through. 

This also pertains to the flow of the game. It breaks the immersion and fun when you're sitting there for 5-10 minutes trying to pick what you want to do. 

Be prepared so you don't stop the flow of combat or usual role playing opportunities, it makes the game flow much better, and overall keeps everyone involved and motivated. 

All of these things are necessary to keep the game going, and makes it much more enjoyable for everyone. 

Good people: 

This may sound cheesy (and extremely stereotypical) but you have to be a good person. Being rude to people while you're trying to play with them just makes you a terrible person no one wants to play with.  

It sounds like something you learned about in grade school, but it's true. No one wants to play with people who suck all the fun out of everything. 

DMs can do this by being very strict, playing exclusively to their own house rules or not letting their players have freedom to do what they want. Don't feel bad taking the reigns every so often (players derail all the time) but don't go overboard. 

Players are guilty of this too, but the biggest offense is being a distraction at the table. Looking at your phone or talking over people just makes the game feel, bland. 

It's not fun, does that sound like fun to you? 

No, it's not. Basic human decency is necessary for a game so dependent on people. People run the game, and they play every part of it. 

Being preachy is necessary as too many newcomers have ruined experiences because one person couldn't keep it together.