Tips for TTRPG Players

I would first like to apologize for not posting last week or yesterday. Life unfortunately got in the way. However, I am planning to be more consistent with my work here with prewritten concepts of topics. That way, what I write is more planned out. Also, I am temporarily moving the release date to Fridays as I will have more time. I will switch back to my original Tuesday and Thursday schedule in late May. Thank you so much for your patience and consideration.

               But on to the meat of this post. I am an avid DND player. I’ve been playing since my freshman year of high school and love it. I’ve tried to dip my toes into being the game master, but I’m just not that good at it. I know how I could be a good GM, but it’s such a steep hill for me, and it feels like I would never have the time for it. I’m too impatient, and I have expectations about the player characters and the game, so often I am not vocal about my expectations for the game. Maybe one day I will truly cross that threshold. But today, I’ll talk about some tips I’ve learned to be a better player. Things you can control and things that you just can’t.

               For starters, Character creation now this isn’t going to be about how to make a character that is in plenty of other places but how to act and what intentions you should go in with. This is also not beholden to Dnd. I have played plenty of other TTRPGs, and this is the same advice I would give anyone.

               Your approach to the new character is already where many people get this wrong. First, you should start by talking with your GM about what their intentions are with the game and what tone they are going for. This is always a great start; you will know better what you are going for and what the GM wants out of you. Then I would say start to look at characters around you, think about what you would want to play, combine them, and change them all. Then, you should be conversing with your fellow players to see what they want to play and shift your character idea to fit around theirs. For new groups, I would suggest making characters who would like each other and where less conflict is possible. Now, this doesn’t mean you don’t have conflict with your fellow players, but for the first couple of sessions, you need to have reasons to stay with the group to facilitate deeper connections to other player’s characters because this game isn’t only about you falling in love with your character but other player’s characters so you need to care about their creation.

               Then we’re finally at actually making the character. Always infuse one flaw, whether that be that your character is greedy, headstrong, or anything else. The best characters in media are not compelling because they are perfect but because they are flawed. They have stuff about them that means that they might not make it, and seeing them fight through it is fun, and that should be how you make the character. Not with perfection so you can kill the most goblins and do everything right, but so you can make that triumphant success that no one saw coming because you’ve failed before.

Then, when it comes to your character's goals, I would suggest making them something that can fit or align with the narrative that the GM wants to do with you. I have had a handful of characters I’ve made who had goals that were separate from the GM's goal, and I, at times, had to ask why my character is here. They didn’t want to be doing this. I had to completely shift the character around to fit the needs of the story. Even then, I felt like it didn’t always work.

Finally, some advice on backstory. When I write my backstories, I have a clear narrative that hasn’t been completed yet, either a goal that hasn’t been resolved or a value that needs to be put to the test. By the end of the backstory, I’m usually at the start of my journey. I also keep the specifics vague. This is so the GM can tie the character into the fabric of the world and can fill in the blanks for his own means. If there is a person who caused harm to my character in the past, I make it so my character doesn’t know who it is, and the GMwas can make it anyone they want to. Contradictory to this, being very specific has also been helpful to me as it gives the GM more stuff to grab onto when tying the character in, and perhaps that is the right direction for me to go in from now on.

Actual play.

Then we get to actual play. This is mostly about manners for your other players and GM. I find that the best place to start if you truly want to have fun is to give up on the idea of failure in the game. There is no losing in role-play except not having fun. Your character dies, and everyone crying, yelling, and laughing is what we want. Role play is about triggering those emotions. Don’t be afraid to fail. That is just life. Don’t get mad if you aren’t the best in the room because it’s not you who makes fun of your character. They are not you and not real. However, do not make fun of others; you do not know the emotional investment they put into making that character.

On the subject of other characters, you should also respect them and their space. To me, at least meta-gaming isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, your character needs knowledge to move the plot along, but do not use this to disrupt the story either. For example, your character is comfortably sleeping, and in the next room, your ally is being attacked. You should not use meta-gaming to wake up out of nowhere and come to their defense. Instead, ask the GM to play the role of hearing. This moment can be a time for the other player to have fun and have a cool encounter, and the scene doesn’t ruin that for them.

In fact, avoid interrupting other characters. You will find your time to shine, and it’s rude to say you aren’t playing a video game; you’re playing with a team. To add to that, spending time doing stuff with other characters and players in the game will strengthen the narrative, and you’ll feel more for their characters and needs. I will often look across the table and look for the person who seems most disinterested in the game and try to have our two characters socialize or do a task together. I just find this very helpful.

We also need to think about how we treat the GM. The GM is playing just as much as you are playing with them. They have a story they want you to be part of. Be part of the story; let them monologue, investigate, and propel the plot yourself. You will be glad you did, I promise.

Time for some miscellaneous advice.

Let your character die. I promise it will move you, and no one will forget it.

Clearly communicate with everyone at the table. Don’t leave people out.

Listen to what others are asking of you. Don’t be a jerk.

Now, this is all just advice, but this is what I have learned over the years, and I am still having fun with the game. See you all next week when I talk about a character finally clicking.