Want to be a Better DM? Let Your Players Tell You How!
written by Donat P. Fevre
November 13th, 2006 · 2 Comments
Here’s some tips on how to get feedback from your players on how you’re doing, and how you can improve.
End of Session Wrap-Up
At the end of each D&D session, take some time to ask your players how they felt it went. Also ask them about what aspects of the session didn’t seem to go as well as it could, and how you could improve on it.
Ask them about what their characters are thinking at the time you wrap up the current session. What are their characters’ fears? Their desires? This can help you come up with future adventure ideas, as well as making the player feel like their character is really making a difference in the campaign world.
Out of Session Communication
Take the opportunity to ask your players about your campaign when you get in touch with them outside of a session. Whether you keep in touch with them via email, instant message, phone, or even in person, take time to learn about their feelings of the campaign. Ask them how you can improve the game.
Also, out of session communication, such as email or IM, on an individual basis is a great way to talk with your players about what they want for their characters. It may change, from session to session, so be sure to keep tabs with your players and their characters. Also, some players may not be as open around the group as they would be outside of the gaming area, as perhaps their characters have ambitions that would conflict with other characters. It’s possible to have a rogue in your party who wants to steal a very valuable item from one of the other players. Use this to your advantage; it can result in a fun adventure!
During the Session
As you’re running a session, pay attention to your players! Subtle visual cues, such as the faces they make, or how they react, can provide you with great input on how to move your adventure somewhere more exciting. The same goes with audio cues, such as the tone of their voices and even what they say, which can give just as great an indication of their enjoyment. You should be able to determine if they are bored or excited. And of course, you would rather see them excited. So if at any point you see your players beginning to get bored, switch over to something different. It may make just enough of a difference to get them excited once more!
Topics: D&D General
Good tips.
When I was in high school we tried putting together a short newsletter for our group. It was a great idea in theory but, being high school kids, some members took things a bit too personally and we had some ‘issues’ develop.
These days I make it a point to always ask my players a few simple questions:
1) How do you feel the session went?
2) Is there anything you want to have happen in the campaign?
3) Aside from handing you free gold, do you have any ideas for making the game better?
That’s generally the same as I ask my players, though I guess I tend to word things a bit differently.
As far as newsletters go, they can be a fun little side project if you have the extra time to make one. The Eberron campaign setting has a couple in-character publications that are known to the populace of Khorvaire. Taking one of them, and making newsletters based off from in-game events can be fun, plus it can provide adventure hooks for your players to follow.