You’ve probably heard the saying “If you fail to plan you plan to fail.”
As DMs we usually (hopefully!) heed this and plan out our games.
Some improv is good and necessary, of course, but if you show up at the table with absolutely no ideas at all, you’re probably running a lousy game.
So no planning is planning to fail. But what about our PCs?
It’s always rewarding when your players think up a cool plan and execute it to obtain some kind of victory. But do we as DMs plan for when that doesn’t happen? What does failure look like?
Usually, just death. But that’s a boring game when the only way to fail is via TPK.
I’m guilty of this myself, so I’m actually currently thinking about what it might look like for my party to fail in an upcoming naval encounter. Or in the adventure they’re on in general.
Maybe for your next session, think about some alternative failures for your combats or adventure as a whole.
Remember: when you plan to fail … uh … your game gets better. Probably.
The Iyesgarten Inn – Dyson’s Dodecahedron
How would you rule a character using catapult to launch acid vials? – Sage Advice
Let’s Design an Adventure: Encounters and the Three Pillars – DnDBeyond
New Ways To Describe Harmless Things Players Won’t Stop Investigating – DnDBeyond
Mostly Mundane: Adventuring Gear Expanded – DMsGuild – $2.00
Now get out there and tell a story!
Peace,
Maximilian Hart