How to Improve your tabletop role-playing. (Without too much Improvisation.)

If you want more role-playing at your table, or you want to improve your skills, as a player or a game master, you came to the right place. This article will help you play a character that people will be talking about for years to come.

 Here you will learn how to implement new character aspects you can use right away to improve your role playing skills.

Improvising is important, but if you aren't good at that, it's okay. We'll look at strategies that you can prepare for almost any situation, instead of feeling the pressure to improvise.

Using just a few of these fundamental tools will help you and your character be ready for any situation.

Put some extra thought into your character. (This should be obvious, people.)

First of all make sure you have a backstory created and a simple goal for your character to eventually accomplish. Having even a few sentences of your characters backstory and goals is a lot better than nothing at all. Check this for how to create a character.

If you are lucky enough to have a session zero, make sure to be utilizing that time. 

If you jump into a game and don't have time to prepare a character, that's okay. When you have nothing to work with, you can help out the other characters work toward their goals. It's great to be a supporting player, as long as you are consciously making decisions and using your abilities that help out the rest of your party. The DM will definitely make it clear where your party needs to go.

It's totally okay to develop your character in game. It happens all the time. Players are always making decisions about their characters during the game. Let them evolve naturally instead of trying to force every personality detail right away.

 The more time you spend with the character and the more encounters they are exposed to, the more you will get to know them.

Create a catch-phrase so you don't have to improvise every time you have to talk in character.

If you do have a catch-phrase, I would suggest making it reflect you characters goals or alignments. 

Captain America says "I could do this all day." This shows that he will always stand up to bullies and never back down. 

Maybe your catchphrase reflects what you believe in or what you care about. "Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come." 

Or a specific philosophy, "Do, or do not, there is no try."

You don't need to read that deeply into it. "I’m really bad at stealthing. We should go."
–Scanlan, Critical Roll episode 6.

How about a fighter or barbarian who says, "It's clobberin' time!"  Ben Grimm knows what he is good at and isn't afraid to say so.

Say something that reflects your goals. "You killed my father, prepare to die."

What specific actions or habits does your character have?

How does your cleric or wizard meditate? What does it look like when they cast their spells?

What does your character do when they are spending alone time standing watch? Does your character have a victory dance they do after they make a kill? Are they obsessed with making sure all the adventuring gear is organized? 

Do they take time to talk to horses or other pets? Is your character always using magic to change their hair color?

 Does your character keep a journal? Do they write poems or songs? Are they always doing some kind of research?

Does your character like to whittle or carve wood? Make toys? Forge weapons? Tell stories? Buy low and sell high? Knit sweaters? Make jewelry? Constantly make bets? Flirt? Host parties? Wear costumes?

Making small character habits will prepare you when you need to make more drastic choices. 

Use actions that don't disrupt the game flow or stop other players from doing what they want to do.

Simple choices can be made to  participate in the game. These pre-prepared actions give you something that you are ready to do instead of having to improvise.

What are your characters social circles?

being part of a group or a club gives your character something to talk about and connects your character to the world.

Is your character part of an athletic or a golf club? A group of adventurers? Do they frequent a specific tavern or coffee shop or weapon smith? 

Do they hang out with old college buddies on the weekend? Are they a part of a study group? Are they in a choir or a acting troupe? Do they gamble or attend a poker night?

Or maybe your character wants to get back to town just to have a drink with the boys.

Being part of a social circle makes your character more connected, you could get help or contacts you might not normally have. Having your character be initiated into a specific guild or legion could become a huge plot point.

Give your character a specific item that they can't live without.

This is another thing to prepare for before the session starts. Another trick to have prepared instead of improvising.

Arthur Dent just wants to find a good cup of tea. Sam-wise always has his pots and pans with him. Gandalf is always puffing on his pipe.

Maybe your character has a pocket watch that belonged to their grandpa. Or a locket with your lovers picture in it. 

Get specific weapons or armor that you can't leave without. Or other accessories. A very comfy robe you need to travel with. Or that impressive cape you like to wear to parties.

If your character is awkward at a party, you can tug at your fancy cape, or fiddle with your necklace.

Hold up your holy symbol and pray to your gods that the awkwardness will end soon.

Bring a real life props to the table.

Having something specific that your character plays with gives you something to focus on when you don't know what else to do. If you don't have a plan, fall back on sharpening your sword or tuning your lute.

Don't think about how intelligent your character is, instead think about how your character is intelligent.

Everybody is smart in some way, or an expert in some specific area. Make your knowledge and skills mean more than what is on your character sheet. With your DM's permission.

This isn't limited to what you get from your class or background. Your characters skills go beyond just a profession. I'm talking about what your character enjoys and excels at.

Do you know how to play five different musical instruments? Do you know all the landmarks between here and the mountains? Can you track every deer trail and footprint you see?

Can you read magic without a second thought? Can you navigate your way through any social situation?

You might not be able to read but you know all the critical areas of the human body and know exactly where to strike. You may be knowledgeable about 17 different types of poison and their effects.

Maybe you can recount every bit of gossip or scandal in the royal court? You can talk endlessly about the history of the region and never be bored of it.

Can you identify 53 different species of monster or magical creatures and list their weaknesses? Do you understand all the trade agreements from 7 different countries?

Do you know how to sail a ship? Identify weather patterns?

Is your character a talented artist or sculptor? Can you brew potions and recognize every spell component?

You might not know how to act in front of the queen, but you can forge the strongest sword out of any type of metal available.

These ideas can be another weapon in your arsenal when you want to contribute to the story or you don't know what else your character can talk about.

What subject is your character an expert in.

Figure out what your characters likes and dislikes about themselves.

Are you proud to be a dragon-born or ashamed to be half demon? Are you hiding the fact that you are half-goblin? Do you agree with the fact that your fellow dwarves might have dug too deep?

Do you support your elfin nation making alliances with the orcs?

What part of your backstory are you ashamed of? What does your character regret?

What abilities do you resent? Are you ashamed of being born as a sorcerer? Do you hate the fact that you can sing to inspire people? Are you constantly healing people that don't deserve being healed? Are you dismayed of turning into a rage monster whenever you get angry?

How does your character react when they know they can't do something? Or fail to do something? Are they afraid of change or scared to try something new?

What about your backstory are you the most proud of? What do you like to brag about?

Knowing what your character likes or supports, goes a long way toward knowing how to react and respond to specific situations during the game.

Set the Scene. Ask players about their characters. 

Now that you have more inspiration prepared about your character, you need to put your character into the action. Don't be afraid to start a conversation or set the scene. Relate your character to the other characters.

If you want to role play, you can't do it by yourself, involve others in it too!

Ask the monk where he learned how to fight. Ask your wizard why he wastes so much time reading. Talk about your family or why your character wants to protect innocent people.

 Ask another player why they need that fancy cape at all the parties. 

Have your character tell the other characters what they care about. Show off your magic sword you got from the holy order of knights. Talk about why the pots and pans always need to be clean.

Tell other characters why you are so good at picking locks. Brag about your favorite things in your backstory.

Tell the players that you are ashamed of being a sorcerer and you didn't choose to be born with it.

The more you work with others to develop characters the more they will work with you too. This is how character moments are created together.

A good DM will let the players role play a scene without interrupting the players or rushing the plot forward.

Support and react to other players actions.

I am always baffled by how many players don't do this. Your party is travelling together, camping out together,  fighting side by side constantly, and yet so many players don't react or play off of the other characters.

A great game master, who wants to emphasize roll play, will always be reacting or responding in character.

React to other players stories and support their character arcs.

If you want good role play and character development, this is how you do it. Create friendship and camaraderie with the party members. Grow your personalities and interactions together!

 Include the other characters in your story!

Interacting with other players characters will create so many chances for good role-play and too many players don't even think about this! 

React to your friends making a great kill or executing a creative plan. 

Support other players when they are role playing, get involved with the conversation. If you aren't good at improvising, have catch phrases and other stuff ready to use.

Work with your DM and players to create your characters story. You should be helping them do the same.

If you want to plan a character arc, make sure the group knows about it.

If the party knows what is going on, they can, and should be helping you out with your character development.

Especially if your character is insufferable. Make sure the other players know that your character will learn his lesson. This way the players will actually be patient with you when your character acts like a jerk.

Other players can then make informed decisions and role-play their reactions, based on where they know your character wants to go.

The DM can work with you to prepare specific scenes and opportunities to role play towards that goal.

Work together to emphasize characters abilities. 

Ask other PC's to help you out.

Get the fighter to cause a distraction. Ask the rogue to scout ahead or pick some locks. Ask the cleric to turn the undead. Ask the bard to help talk your way out of a situation.

Work together with other players to plan ahead and use each others' skills to support each other. This is why it's a group game.

Take advantage of your skill proficiencies, spells and racial bonuses. These are what makes your character unique. This is how you contribute to working with the party.

Do not dismiss other players' ideas.

Be inclusive, adaptable and supportive.

Let other players try out their ideas. Next time you have a creative idea they might listen to you.

The crazier the idea, the more interesting the game will be. Tabletop RPGs are designed to allow freedom of creativity.

If you are denying creative freedom, you are denying a main element of the game and denying what makes the game fun in the first place.

If players are afraid to be wrong, or make the wrong choice, they won't be able to create anything. Be supportive so you won't be the reason why people  are afraid to be creative.

Get the hint! React and respond to the story.

If the NPC gnomes tell you that their friends were kidnapped by goblins, you should get the hint and maybe go save them.

Getting the hint means moving the plot forward. Ask questions. Why were the goblins kidnapping people in the first place? Why are the goblins working with a bunch of skeletons?

What happened in your tragic backstory that is relatable to this situation? 

When anyone is talking about their character or their goals, there is a chance for role play. Get the hint and start interacting.

How does it make your character feel when the bad guys plans are revealed? 

How offended are you when someone raises the dead? What is motivating you to catch the bad guys?

Are you scared or nervous when you find a terrible cursed item?

Make sure you have clear actions that support your characters goals.

Having a cool backstory and a goal doesn't mean much if you aren't including it in the game. Use your goals to drive your character and the role-playing ever forward.

Use backstories, goals, and alignments to inform your characters decisions.

Use your backstory to relate to other characters and whatever else is going on in game.

Make sure you and your character adapts to the group dynamic and play style.

You need to know why your paladin is willing to travel with a bunch of thieves. Why does your necromancer work with a group of clerics? How does a wizard work with a bunch of hack-n-slash barbarians who can't read?

Adapt to the DM's style of play. If the DM wants a game about killing monsters and you want to role-play, put some effort into making a compromise and work together.

Some of the best role play I've seen is during battle. Don't just attack on your turn during battle. Take advantage of the spotlight on your turn to role play as well as fight.

Make sure the DM knows how you want to play so you both can adapt to each others styles.

If the Dungeon Master doesn't know what you want out of the game, they can't give it to you. It's your job to communicate to them what you want and how you want to play.

If that doesn't work, you need to find a different group to play with.

All of this goes along with how to be a good player in general.

Be responsible for your character.

Be responsible for moving your story forward. Your character won't evolve or grow unless you put effort into cultivating them. It is your responsibility to continue moving forward.

Be proud of what you create. Be confident in your choices.

The more confidence you have, the more realistic your character becomes.

Don't rely on the DM to remember that you sent a love letter to your main squeeze. Remind the DM that you are waiting for a reply. Ask the DM if you recognize someone specific from your backstory.

The more you ask about things, the more likely the dungeon master will add things in for you.

Take your special magic sword to the blacksmith for repairs. Go home to visit your family. Create your potions and scrolls. Look for leads to solve a mystery. Find out what kind of enemies you are fighting next and get their weaknesses.

Do not wait for the DM to say what you are going to do. You need to take action and make decisions for your character. Ask if you can try something. Tell the DM what you are planning on doing.

If your character isn't making decisions or taking action, you aren't role playing. 

Deciding to stay back at the farmhouse while the rest of the players continue the game without you, is not a decision. If you choose to stay behind, you deserve to be left behind.

The DM can only give you so many options as far as where to go and what to do. Make smart choices based off of those options.

You are responsible for how much role-playing you want to do and how much fun you have with it. No one else is going to play your character for you. No one else can control your attitude at the table.

Remember why you are playing in the first place. Have fun with it.

The more effort you put into the game, the more you will enjoy it.

Lets face it, you will have to improvise a little bit.

In fact you will probably be improvising a lot, thus is the nature of the game. But you can be prepared for it. And practice it.

It's okay if you aren't good at improvising. Use these tricks, your backstory, and your characters goals to inform your decisions.

It's totally okay to plan what you want to say beforehand or follow another players' lead. You can even print out the ideas here or other character questionnaires to motivate you in the midst of the game.

 As long as you can interact with the game you will be role playing.

When you don't know what to do, have something prepared that your character can say or do. This gives you something to fall back on. Your character can play with props, do a little dance, using specific sayings, etc.

Put some effort into your game. Experiment with what works and what doesn't. 

You'll never get good at anything if you don't test things out and practice. It's okay to experiment who your character is.

Trying new things is the only way to grow and learn.

Don't be afraid to change something you don't like about your character. That is what experimenting is.

Practice asking questions in character.

Practice relating your character to the story and ask how they feel about what is going on.

Practice improvising.

Take the time to listen and allow other players to role-play. Don't dismiss others ideas. This is a group game and everyone deserves a chance to role play too.

Drive your characters story forward.

Use these skills to find out who your character is, and what is working for you.

Mistakes I've Made As A DM, And What I should Have Done Differently.

I let a player torture a goblin for hours in game.

One of my first mistakes as a brand new DM was letting a PC torture an innocent goblin for hours in game. The player left the party and stayed behind to torture my poor NPC. Even after the party had already gotten the info they needed. I don't remember the details of the story or even what the player was asking about.

I played the goblin, saying over and over that the players already had the info. I don't know anything else! The player continued to stay separated from the party and described in detail what he wanted to do to the goblin, like putting the point of a dagger under the goblins fingernails.

 The player didn't get my hints and continued to try to torture this poor guy even after he knew that the goblin didn't know anything else. It was really creepy and weird. It still leaves a bad taste in my mouth to this day, over 15 years later.

Since I was new to the game, I didn't know what to do or how to handle it. My only strategy at the time was to repeat over and over again that I didn't know anything. I felt so uncomfortable and just wanted the player to get back to the group and on with the game.

Back then my stories and sessions didn't get very far. But I'll never forget this creepy torture players choices. It was really weird to me that someone would do that. Weird power fantasies I guess. I don't know how long it took in real time, but it felt like forever.

Looking back, there are a lot of things I could have done.

Most simply, I could have just said "You torture the goblin for a few hours and you get no other information from him. Now back to the players who are actually playing the game..."

 I let this gross player hog the spotlight and hog my attention instead of focusing on the players who were trying to advance the story.

I could have made the goblin suddenly get a lot stronger and just beat the player to a pulp. Good revenge, right?

I could have made that player miss out on the next battle or loot cache. He wasted so much time in game that I could have ruled that he wasn't there to join in with what the  group was doing.

I could have said, "The goblin doesn't know anything, you would just be wasting your time."

But being the nice guy I am, I let him role play that nastiness. Never again.


I stopped a fight mid-battle because I wanted to move on to the next dungeon. 

The players were around level 3 in Pathfinder. They were fighting some large trolls and the BBEG who was a female elf wizard. My plan was to set up how powerful the villain was by having her kill some NPC's and ultimately capture the players. I wanted the players to wake up in the next dungeon so I could get them to where the plot needed them to be.

The plan didn't go well.

I was being really lazy that day and didn't put any energy into the baddies goals or characterization. So the battle was droning on, and I got bored. I cut the fight so early that I didn't even get a chance to establish how powerful the enemy was. The players had no idea that they were supposed to lose.

I had no clue how to plan for this. But I know now what to do.

During battle, on my turn, I should have made the enemies hit harder right away. Establishing the story and plot points in round one.

I should have told them that there would be a transition cut scene, and they would get a good chance to escape afterwords. If the players knew this, they probably would have trusted me more as a DM and enjoyed the story.

Instead of a cool story scene introducing the bag guy, it was an awkward and abrupt cut mid-battle. The players didn't know what was going on.

I didn't communicate to the players and I didn't put any energy into telling a good story.

In the end. I told them that they were captured and left in a dungeon. I got them to the content I had prepared so the game would be easier for me, at the cost of some great storytelling.

I had no patience for myself, and the lack of confidence in telling the story.


I gave my players a powerful magic item and two MacGuffins without making them work for it.

I felt bad because that session only had two players, and they ran into a really hard encounter without the rest of the party to help out.

The encounter I prepared was hard because the PC's had just gotten to 5th level in 5e. They all got to attack twice per turn now. So I decided that all my enemies had multi-attack as well as a few hell-hound creatures that have a powerful fire breath weapon.

Since it was pretty hard and there were only two of them, I let them sneak past a few enemies and let the players find some magical stuff like a broom of flying.

Since I let them sneak past a lot of my encounter, I didn't have anything else specifically prepared and I wanted to wait until the next session for the other players.

I also didn't have much of the world prepared and I definitely didn't plan on the players having the power to fly wherever they wanted.

Most of the session had to be improvised and role-played because I let them skip past the prepared content. Since things weren't prepared properly, I was panicking about what to do.

 They were searching for MacGuffins and I gave those to them relatively easy too. I let them charm and steal from two different NPC's I had just made up and neither of them put up a real fight.

I knew beforehand that a player wanted a magic broom, and I should have prepared for it. I should have made them go on a quest for it. Make them explore and work for their items instead of just dropping exactly what they want in front of them.

In that session, I became a pushover DM. I knew what the players wanted and I gave it to them. Without any real obstacles in their way.

I screwed myself over in 4 ways. Giving them powerful items, Preparing an encounter that depended on a specific player who didn't show up, and letting them sneak past the obstacles that was supposed to be the entire session of content, and Improvising pushover NPC's who didn't have specific goals or character personalities. Therefore the NPC's were really lame obstacles that the players easily got past. These are all bad ideas.

In my career as a DM I have gotten more and more scared of railroading. In that fear, I have tried to say "yes" to just about anything my players want to do. Usually I can improvise my way out of most situations and get the players back on track, but this time, I let it go too far.

I became out of balance with my preparation and my improv.  My neediness to allow players to make  choices destroyed the session.

Overall, I think the players still had fun, they had a great time role-playing and charming NPC's. They were freaking out because the battle was super hard. The session had ups and downs like any good story. And at the end of the session they did ultimately beat the baddies, after I fudged the dice and lowered some HP. The fact that they were worried the whole time mad it an intense experience.

I also could have given players more hints to make the battle easier for them. "Do you have any spells or items that don't use up spell slots?" "Do you have something that does ice damage to hurt the flaming hell-hounds?"

The main lessons I have learned here is to plan correctly and follow that plan even if the story becomes a bit too linear. Communicate better with players to tell them where to go and what to do.

I always give advice to people about not planning too much and now it's bitten me in the ass. I still think you should only prepare for no more than 2 or 3 sessions at a time, because you still won't know what might happen. In my case I didn't prepare a single session properly.

I have grown a big ego about being able to improvise my way out of most game situations. This situation got me into trouble because I was too nice and unprepared.

How To Be a Good D&D Player

 If you use just two or three of these ideas, your DM and other players will always want you at their table.

Be Prepared and Be Ready For Your Turn.

A good TTRPG player will always have a general idea of what they want to do and what their goal is. This is key during battle. Know what dice you need to roll before your turn. Know when you are next in initiative.

Know what your spells and abilities can do beforehand. If you are ready to go, the battles are quicker and the game runs a lot more smoothly.

Don't waste the parties time by looking stuff up during your turn and trying to figure out what to do. You should have time before your turn to look up what you need to. Make sure you know everything on your character sheet and what dice you need to roll.

You don't need to know all the rules, that's almost impossible. All you need to know are the attacks, abilities, and spells that you are planning on using. Make the game run smoothly by being prepared.

If you don't know, ask questions before your turn.

Use Your Items and Abilities in Creative Ways.

This isn't a video game. That means you should not be hoarding all your magic items or special abilities for the final boss. The DM is giving you items for a reason. They want to help you out.

If you aren't using your cool gear and special abilities, you are wasting some great opportunities.

You will always find more loot and items. Use the magic items you already have!

Do not be afraid to try new things. I recently had a player tie a bear trap to a rope and throw it in the air to attack a harpy that was flying around. He rolled well, and I let it work. It was a great idea and a cool move that made the battle more exciting.

A good DM will let you try anything within some reason.

Remember that sometimes the dice won't be on your side, The GM might ask for a roll of the dice to decide how well it works out. 

Be creative. here are some examples:

Use a prestidigitation spell to add a special effect to your diplomacy or performance skill. Cover your blade in holy water before you attack the zombies.  Use your thunder wave spell to knock enemies off of cliffs. Tie your giant spider fang to a dagger for some poison damage.

You don't have to wait for the end of a fight. Use your turn to do something besides attacking. Unlock a door, or pull the lever, disarm a trap, pull someone out of danger.

Doing something besides attacking adds more strategy and complexity to a simple battle. Let yourself be part of the narrative by doing something that isn't in the rulebook.

The more creative you get, the more interesting circumstances arise to make an exciting and memorable game.

Help Out The Other Players And Share the Spotlight

The biggest part of the game is finding a good group that plays well together. The more you can do to make players feel welcome and accepted, the more fun the game will be.

You are part of the group.

Do your part to make it a good experience. It is a group game. Games fall apart for a lot of reasons, usually it's because of a bad DM, a bad player, or a general lack of energy.

Do not be the player who feels the need to lead the party at every turn. Let other players role play and use their ideas. You don't need to be doing everything. Since you are part of the group, you need to let other players try things.

 Sometimes your best skill is to support other players with their ideas or abilities. Different classes have different abilities for a reason, you should not be doing everything and you should not be able to.

Share the spotlight with other players so when it's your turn to do something cool, the other players will be there to support you.

Take time to step back and listen to everyone else.

Share Information With the Party.

Apparently this can be a problem in some games. Players keep secrets from each other and try to be special because they have a secret. If it is for a character, that's different.

If you have relevant info that the party needs to survive, tell them. Lack of communication is a problem in every group. Be helpful and be engaging.

Have a Clear Back story and A Character Goal.

Your backstory doesn't have to be a 30 page epic. No one is going to read something that long. Make it more like a paragraph or two with only 4 or 5 sentences each.

Make your backstory something easy that the DM can build off of and expand.

If you want good storytelling for your character, you need a backstory.

You need something connecting your character the the world around them. The more connections your character makes, the more you will be invested in the story.

Type up your backstory. Make sure your DM gets it and can work with your ideas.

 This is your chance to be a part of the world building and creative process, don't squander this opportunity.

Make sure your character has a goal to work toward. It doesn't have to be groundbreaking, just something to motivate your character to be a part of the game world and a reason to be there. It can be something as simple as wanting to own a castle or finding loot. Maybe you are searching for your lost siblings or you just want to go do some good in this crazy world.

Communicate with your DM in order to play your character effectively. Make sure your DM knows what your goals are so they can add it to the story. A good DM will listen and create opportunities for you to role play and advance toward your characters goal.  If you don't take advantage of those opportunities, that's your problem.

The better goal you have, the better story your character will have. Without your characters story, you might as well be playing a board game. For more ideas on character creation check this out.

Ask Questions and Help Move the Plot Forward.

Asking questions is key to a good game, a lot of players can end up missing out on things. If you have a good or helpful dungeon master, they will end up sharing a lot.

 Let the characters tell you stories and plot threads. You'll know exactly where to go next if you are paying attention.

Most DM's add things to the game for a reason. Ask about the odd looking painting on the wall. Find out why the villagers seem so stressed out. Ask why the orc shaman has a such better quality robes than the rest of her tribe. Ask the lord who hired you if they have anything that could help you on the quest.

In big cities, there might be clerics or seers who could spy on your enemies for you. Or a special shop selling the exact spell you were looking for. If you can't buy a spell, maybe you can hire someone who can cast the spell for you.

Dungeon masters can't possibly prepare everything, but if you ask for it, and let the DM know what you want, they can put it in the game for you. Ask for the flaming sword your character wants or the address to the vampires estate.

You want more loot? Ask about where the banks are, or the opulent merchants guild. As long as you make sure the DM knows what you want, you will probably end up getting it.

It never hurts to ask.

 Role play on your turn.

You can ask questions during battle. Talk to your enemies. As a DM, I get so bored when players just attack every turn.

Get your enemies name before you destroy them.  You do not have to attack all the time, but you should always be helping out the party in some way.

You don't have to kill every enemy. Allow your blood lust to have a little mercy. Tie them up and get info from them.

Knowledge is power. Most enemies will know more than your character does.

Help the DM.

Help your DM by stopping other players from making stupid game breaking choices. There is no reason to allow the edge-lord player to kill the bartender or burn down the potion shop. Stop the player who continually tries to kill the king. It makes things a lot simpler for everyone.

Help out with looking up rules, keeping track of initiative, or anything else you could possibly handle to make the dungeon masters job a little easier.

 It's usually pretty easy to see where the DM wants you to go, and what they have prepared. A good DM will let you stray from the railroad tracks. If you can tell that the story is lagging, or getting low on energy, it's probably because the story is off track. Go back to where you are supposed to go. Let the DM give you what they prepared for you.

Don't be a Dick. Do Not Fight Against the Other Players.

There is a big difference between playing a character, and just generally being an asshole. Don't waste too much time debating. No one wants to sit there for an hour while you argue about opening the next door. It's tedious and no fun. This is not a competitive game.

 No one wants to watch you try to kill the other players. The games take long enough without your pointless squabbles. I'm not going to sit there wasting my game time while you are basically measuring your long sword against other players.

We are not here to feed your insecure nerd ego and your ego has nothing to do with the game.

If you want a fight, go play a video game online and don't waste our time at the table. D&D is a group game, and you should be working together. As a DM I do not allow players to fight each other.

Do Not expect other players or the DM to know all the rules. Do not argue with the DM. It's OK to tell the DM what the rule is, but you have to let the DM  make the final decision. You have to accept that decision and move forward.

It's OK to help out and let people know the rules. There is no reason to hide information or make someone feel bad about not knowing a rule or ability.

No one will want to play with you if you are purposefully being mean or making things harder.

Don't condescend or berate other players when they don't know something.

Don't Be A Cheater.

Make sure your numbers and stats on your character sheet are correct. Have someone double check for you when you level up. If you are using an app for your character and stats, make sure you still know what your abilities are and where you are getting your numbers.

Make sure you aren't lying or cheating on your dice rolls. You can't be good at everything all the time. This is why we're rolling in the first place.

You need a random element of chance to tell an interesting story. If you are lying about your rolls,  fudging the chances,you deserve a boring story.

You need to be honest for the rest of the group to trust you. Don't let it become a problem. If your DM tells you to roll a different dice or roll for everyone too see, do it without arguing.

You Can Not Do Whatever You Want.

Despite popular conceptions, you can't do whatever you want. More accurately, you can BE whatever you want.

You can't burn down the village just for fun. You can't kill the king during his speech. You can't purposefully break the game or you won't have a game left to play.

 Use your cool ideas and great role playing. but don't go so extreme as to destroy everything.

The DM built a world for you to play in, and the players came to do some fun stuff. Don't ruin things for the group. Don't destroy things without a purpose or a plan. Don't use your evil alignment as an excuse. Show respect to the world that your DM took the time to create for you.

If you plan on destroying something or killing someone important. Let the party know about it. Let the DM have time to plan for what happens. Let the story progress instead of chopping it's legs off on the first session.

Be Appreciative.

Be happy that you have a group to play with.

Be thankful that you have a great game master who builds amazing worlds and continuously runs a game for you.

Be grateful that you are always invited back to the table.
 
Have Fun!

Come to the gaming table with a good attitude, and maintain that attitude.

The better you feel and the happier you are, the game will be that much more enjoyable for everyone.

The key here is to maintain a good attitude. Like maintaining a car or a good looking costume.

Being happy is a habit you have to form just like anything else in life. Being happy and actively choosing that is an essential part of any experience.

Especially a game where you have to work with other people. Choosing to be happy is essential to having fun. Having fun is what the game is ultimately all about!

Remember to be prepared.

Have an idea about what you are going to do next.

Be creative and ask questions.

Use your magic items.

Help out other players and the dungeon master. Don't be a dick.

Keep the game moving forward.

And above all, have fun!

Creating an Unforgettable D&D Character

   Today I'm focusing more on personality traits and backstories. Nothing here about numbers or stats. So you can use these ideas for any rpg system.

   There will be a lot of questions for you to think about. Get brainstorming!

   Choose a Race. 

Do you want pointy ears? Demon Horns? or the extra abilities you get as a more versatile human?
 
   A lot of players choose race to boost their stats based on their class. You want to be a strong fighter, be a half orc or a dwarf that boosts strength. A halfling thief will have more dexterity than most. I'm sure you want to do something you don't get to do in real life.

   Don't be that player who wants to be a dragon. It makes the game harder for everyone. You can totally do it if your DM lets you of course, but you should definitely ask about that one first.

Find the class and their abilities that are right for you.

How does your character like to fight?

How brave/stupid are they?

Would they rather heal their friends instead of seeking out a fight? Be a cleric or a bard.

Would they make tactical plans instead of jumping headfirst into battle?

Would they prefer to make weapons or brew potions instead of fighting?

Would they rather sneak up behind their enemies or karate chop them to death? Rogue or monk.

Would you like to throw fireballs or sing a song to inspire your friends?

Do you spend all your time hugging trees and raising animals? Druid.

Personalities are not classes!

Classes are simply what determines the abilities your character uses.

Personality is how they act and feel, how they interact with the world around them.

Remember, that classes aren't necessarily a characters personality. 

All barbarians aren't stupid, like Bruce Banner. All clerics aren't brainwashed religious nuts. 

The comic Rat Queens does very well to turn character tropes around. A fighters day job could be a talented chef.

Batman's personality is a lot different than Deadpool's. But their goals are almost the same. Protect innocence people and make their world a better place.

   Use a personality you like. if you can't think of a good idea it is okay to copy a famous movie star or character from any other media. 

  Do you want to be Indiana Jones or Jack Burton? Are you John Wick or Marty Mcfly? Is your character more like Jack Black than Will Smith? Could you be the next Picard or Mal Reynolds? Steal a personality idea and make it your own. Are you Arya Stark or John Snow? Are you more like Legolas or Bilbo?

  Find words that describe a personality or emotion you can base your character on. Are you loving or closed off? Boisterous or stoic? Lazy or intense? Bossy or rude? How do other people perceive your character? Do they want you at all their dinner parties? Or do they tolerate you like an offensively dull co-worker? Is your character only nice to certain people? Are they introverts who can only talk to laid back people?
 
Develop a voice or accent for your character.

   This adds personality right away. It also helps everyone at the table know if it's you or your character talking. Do you want to sound like LeeLoo or Wonder Woman?

   Maybe your character was burnt in a planet full of lava and now you sound like Darth Vader or Stephen Hawking. You don't have to have a specific accent. Maybe your character talks slower or faster than you do.

 Simple backstories are the most effective.

Try to tone down the idea into two or three sentences.
 
   Give us a simple elevator pitch; I'm a cut purse who grew up on the streets of a shady port town. I ended up traveling with a caravan of merchants to sell snake oil. Now I'm adventuring to meet my long lost sister and maybe make some extra gold along the way.

   If you can tone it down this simply, it becomes a lot more memorable and exciting. No one wants to read your 5 page history. You can write that history of course, but find a way to tone it down and get an essence of the character.

  How did your characters family die? Oh wait, not everyone is an orphan?! Your aunt and uncle didn't die in a fire and inspire you to fight the empire? Maybe your parents got killed when you were a baby and now their killer is a dark lord who wants to attack your high school.

As far as backstories go, you can make up whatever you want. Don't worry about being totally original, because it's all been done before. Put your own spin on it. Who cares if it's already been done, as long as you enjoy it.

  Keep your backstory pretty simple. If it gets too long, it gets harder to add things to it later on during the game. The DM needs something to work off of and your fellow party members should have a way to add their characters to your story.

   Plan with the other players and dungeon master. Maybe the players are all from the same village that was destroyed by orc bandits during the rat wars and now all of you want to get revenge. Maybe your character is a mob boss and your party needs to take out a few rival gang members.

Make sure your character has a goal

  I think the most important thing for a character is a goal. This can directly be related to how you character sees the world and how the world sees you. Do you want to find love? Or do you just want the world to see how smart you are?

   A goal could be as simple as wanting to live alone in your swamp and it eventually brings you love and adventure. Having a goal or a mission will help out the DM with adding your character to the story. Give the DM something to use so your character can be directly involved with whatever is going on.

   Are you looking for your missing brother? Trying to save a soldier named Ryan? Do you want to learn a new powerful spell? Or obtain a legendary weapon? Do you want money?  Or fame? Do you want to save your homeland from a dragon who invaded years ago? Did your mommy get killed by vampires and now you have sworn revenge?

Character goals work with personality.

What does your character care about?

If your character had to fight, what would it be for? Family? Friends? Money? Political power?

Does your character want to control armies or own a large shipping company?

Would your character fight for her homeland or find the easiest way to survive?

Is your character an explorer or scientist? Do they want to study magic or exotic creatures?

Do you want to study mythology or history of your world?

Do you want to craft epic magical weapons or technology to make life easier?

Does your character want to see an elf city in the trees or visit the astral plane and talk to angels?

Do you want to own a castle and have a fancy title?

Don't create a character that won't interact or play well with the group. 

RPG's are group games! You need to be interacting with the party and helping them out.

  Your lone wolf type won't be every fun if they aren't talking to anyone. It's OK to be a loner as long as you are still a part of the game. There is no reason a group of characters would work with someone who doesn't work with them. The characters have every right to kick your character out of  the party if they aren't playing well.

   If you want to lone wolf it, talk to a DM about running a solo game. Or make sure the rest of the group agrees before the game starts.

Work Together
   Create with the entire group brainstorming ideas. It also makes the beginning of the game easier if all the characters already know each other and have a common goal.