Sometimes a player finds himself in a party of players that for whatever reason they feel that they are simply carrying the party and that everyone else is just there to leech off of his or her well optimized character and strategy.  Sometimes these same players are leading the party and making decisions and at the end of the night they feel exhausted rather than excited by what happened during the session.

What to do?

First, realize that the game really is about having fun and if you aren’t having fun then you need to change something.  Often this step, as simple as it may sound isn’t usually very easy to take.  The player described here often feels a great deal of pride in their ability to min/max any situation so they are reluctant to be humble enough to admit that perhaps the problem lies not with the other players but with their own play style.

Learning that supporting the party does not mean running the party can be a hard lesson to learn – one usually learned only after being asked politely (or not so politely) to find another group.

Supporting the party is a combination of finding opportunities to step up and take over a situation and sitting back and letting the others work it out.  Most of the time the other players will be able to come up with a solution to nearly any problem.  Letting them work through it will help them learn the game and help them enjoy it more.  If they turn to you for help then so much the better.  If they don’t, no worries.  Focus on the aspects of the game that you enjoy the most and give yourself a break at other times.

One trick that often helps is to focus very carefully on the role-playing aspects of the character.  Focus on the character’s personality.  Would that mage really use the same solution to get through this trap that the fighter you played three characters ago used?  Is this rogue really so altruistic as to care if the cleric gets hurt in a fight she started?

Whatever solution you find, make sure it is one that makes the game fun to play!

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This is a problem for a number of players.  They believe that their DM is simply out to get them.

Real or imagined, this can be a huge problem for enjoying the game.  So what do you do?

Realistically, no matter the actual cause of the problem there is only one answer.  Talk about it.  Don’t be confrontational or a jerk.  Just bring up the problem and ask what is going on.

It is entirely probable that whatever the true source of the problem is has nothing to do with anything that you have considered to this point.  It is also highly probably that the problem can be easily resolved.

A lot of people make the mistake of whining about the problem instead of dealing with it and drag the baggage around for months or even years before quitting and finding a different game.  This is unnecessary.  Either the problem is easily resolved or it isn’t, but it will never be resolved until it is confronted.

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Telling the story in a role-playing setting is tricky business.  When you pick up a book, you understand that the author is in complete control.  You will go where she takes you and have no control over any of the action or characters.

The DM/Player relationship is not the same as an Author/Reader relationship.  Some of the same principles apply, and some are completely different.

The elements of a good story include (but are not limited to):

• An interesting plot
• Memorable, multi-dimensional characters
• Interactions between those characters

 We’ll get to plot in a minute.

By definition Dungeons and Dragons and pretty much any other role-playing game will have characters.  If the people you play with are as much fun as the people I play with then those characters will be memorable.

But the players are only a handful of characters in a rich world that can have dozens even millions of characters.  As a DM you have to make those characters memorable.  This means giving them personality and depth.  Does that innkeeper just automatically bring what is ordered or does he do it with a snarl?  Is he racist against elves?  Is he in love with dragonborn?  Does that shopkeeper always talk that way or are those allergies?  Why does she keep a vase of violets on the counter?

Once the characters are interesting, they have to interact with the players.  This interaction can be physical, verbal, emotional, etc.  Don’t be afraid to spend time dialoguing with the players in-persona.  Don’t be afraid to avoid a combat altogether so that the cowardly goblins can back out of a combat.  If everyone the bad guys all jump to the attack and the good guys all act as money-changers the game can grow stale quickly.

The players will remember the story element of that goblin who talked his way out of a fight long after they kill his buddies.

Finally, a word on plot.  Plot is far less important in a role-playing setting than in a novel or short story.  If you have interesting characters and interesting interactions, the thinnest of plot lines will engage your group for hours.  In fact, some of the least memorable and least interesting sessions happen when the DM tries to bury the players in the plot rather than letting them grow into the story.

Have a great game!

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