Tips for Playing

Player Tips

Stay Spoiler Free

I don’t really need to say this, but I will anyway, please don’t google anything related to the campaign!! The Web, after all, is dark, and full of spoilers!! This enhances everyone’s enjoyment of the campaign. Don’t be that person who knows what monsters are up ahead and how much loot they have.

DO NOT METAGAME

Remember that just because you might know that a troll can regenerate and you can stop it from regenerating by using fire, doesn’t mean that your character knows that. Your character may of seen a few things, but they certainly don’t know it all. Once your character learns about that troll, they can use that information to their advantage the next time they come up against one.

Utilize Player Roles

Player roles are a great way to give everyone playing a specific “job” while playing DnD. These roles help everyone stay on track during a session or campaign. Everyone has their own unique playstyle so the roles help focus that. Please establish who in your group will be filling each role prior to playing. It doesn’t have to be the same person every time. It’s up to you how you manage them.

Party Leader

This role is similar to a coach on a sports team. They are responsible for the final decision when it comes to which direction to take, what to focus on next, choices that are sometimes presented and so on and so forth. This person will gather the players and listen to everyone’s feedback before making the final choice. Sometimes, there isn’t time for that, so everyone needs to trust the leader when time has run out.

Historian

The historian is in charge of note taking. Each session the historian will record what is going on with the story. They record NPC names, towns, quests, and much more. Some historians like to write short stories, while others may like a brief overview. This person is generally the one who gives a recap of the prior session, but can always ask someone else to do so. Sometimes the historian is also the banker.

Banker

The banker is in charge of group loot. Anytime an item or coin come into play, they are busy recording the details. They also are in charge of splitting up any coins and loot fairly. If there is a group loot for anyone to pull from, they make sure it is up to date an accurate.

Rules Lawyer

This is an important job because sometimes rules can slow down a game when they aren’t known. This person doesn’t have to have the rules memorized, but they should be ready whenever there is a rules question to look it up. Remember just because you are the rules lawyer doesn’t mean you get to override the DM. The DM always has the final say in a ruling.

Tech Wizard

The tech wizard is usually also the DM, but a player can ask to help with running the actual game with foundry. This person should know foundry quite well.

Take Notes

You might not be the person who is taking all the notes for the session, but many people find that taking a few notes will help them remember what is going on. Plus the main note taker might of missed something that you picked up on. You can easily remind them of something they forgot.

It can also help you to keep track of what spells you have cast or what things your character has learned that they might now know.

Learn about the Game

If you really enjoy the game, take some time and invest in reading through the entire Player’s Handbook (PHB). It can be overwhelming at first, but as you play you will begin to understand different things. Reading through the PHB will allow you a deeper understanding of the rules and how things work. This also can help speed up things like combat where having a good understanding of things like status effects comes in handy.

No one expects you to have memorized the entire PHB, but you should at least have a good idea of general terms and where you can find certain information. Don’t lean on the rules lawyer or DM to know everything.

Roleplay your Character

Try speaking in a unique voice that you think your character sounds like. This will help you to get into the spirit of your character. When talking to NPCs, don’t say things like, “I ask him…” just start talking back as your character. This will add to the immersive experience.

Stay Engaged in the Story

Try not to stay in the background and listen to what everyone is saying. Engage with the story and other players. Every character has something that they alone excel at. You know their strengths and weaknesses and how they would react in certain situations. The other characters depend on you to help in those situations where you may shine. Maybe your character is a quiet brooding type, so dialog might not always be their thing, but if someone is threatening one of their party members, that brooding character might become quite hostile and try to intimidate them into leaving. Don’t be afraid to speak up.

Character Tips

Class Balance

We don’t need to have a good “balance” of classes. It isn’t as important in DnD5e as one would think. Play the kind of character that you enjoy playing. Having fun should be your number 1 goal. Everything else is there to enable you to do that.

Learn your Character

Read the player’s handbook and learn everything you can about your class and race. If reading isn’t your thing, you can also watch YouTube videos about your class and race. It is very important to understand how your character works. This is true both in and outside of battle. You should have a good understanding of at least these following things:

Racial Traits – Know what traits your race has. Maybe you are a dwarf and that means you get Darkvision. Do you know what that means?
Class Features – What are some special features you get with your class? Are you a barbarian? That means you get Rage as one of the features. What does it do?
Personality Traits – What motivates your character? What are the ideals, bonds and flaws they have?
Background: What is your characters background story?

Remember that you are not your character, and invest real time in developing their thoughts, personality, and motivations. Externalize failure and use setbacks or defeat as an opportunity to explore your character’s perspective and personal growth.

Combat Tips

Plan your Turn

Know what actions you have available and what your character can do in and out of combat. This all goes back to learning your character. If it is time for combat, don’t be the person who is taking 5-10 minutes to decide what to do. While the other players are taking their turn, plan your next turn out.

Describe your Attacks & Damage

This is an optional suggestion, but will add flavor to combat. Try to describe how you are attacking and what it looks like. This will add more excitement to the turn.

Here’s an example of some boring combat:

You: I attack the goblin close to me with my longsword.
You roll the attack and roll a 13
You: Does a 13 hit?
DM: yes, roll the damage.
You roll damage
You: That’s all I can do so I end my combat turn.

Here is an example of a better turn:

You: I rush over to the closest goblin I see and try to catch him off balance with a well timed swing of my longsword. I am determined to try and cut him down quickly.
You roll the attack and roll a 13
You: Does a 13 hit?
DM: yes, roll the damage.
You: I lunge at the goblin with my longsword cutting a deep gash across his arm.
You roll damage
You: That’s all I can do so I end my combat turn.