Tips to help you get along with your gaming group

Work with the Group / Everyone is Equal The Dungeon Master (DM) is the only person who has the ability to really moderate the ebb and flow of the game. No matter how good you believe your idea may be, your role as a player is equal with every other player (regardless of character rank). A good D&D character group generally has a tank, magic user, rogue, healer, and a wild card. Often, that wild card will be a charismatic class such as a bard. In these cases, the bard’s natural charisma might grant them a bit more pull in conversation than others. Would it really make sense if your cleric stepped up and grabbed the spotlight at every turn? Likewise, sometimes sacrificing what you (the player) would rather do for the good of the team works out for everyone’s benefit. No one likes a spoilsport, and the purpose of the game is to encourage teamwork and problem solving. Your Character Isn’t Always the Center of Attention The goal of any good DM should be to make sure that each player receives an equal amount of attention and opportunity to impact the outcome of the story. If the majority of your team wishes to follow a certain path or one of their characters becomes the highlight of a particular encounter, then it’s your role to play your character as it would be played but to also respect that invisible boundary that allows that individual to play out their moment without stepping in and proclaiming your dominance. Try Something New I’ve played with a few folks who roll the same character over and over again. Some folks have a natural affinity towards gnomes, but when every character played by that person has the same personality and basic stats, it gets rather old. Try something new. Expand your horizons and work with characters outside of your preferred class/race once in a while. In an exceptionally long campaign, don’t be afraid to allow your character to die midway through. Rolling a new character keeps the game fresh for you and your companions. Play Your Character, Not Yourself Personal issues can work their way into a game faster than anything else. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. When you’re making decisions or speaking as your character, do what you believe they would do in a situation. Not everyone’s half-orc warrior has an IQ of 125. That leads me to the second sub-point in this particular rule: Work with (not against) your character’s faults. If your character doesn’t have some outstanding flaw or fault with them, then you might as well be playing a god. Let your character have a phobia it can’t overcome without magical assistance, give it an ugly scar, or at the very least play out its weakest stats the way you’d expect them to be played by the DM. If your character is an idiot, then play it like an idiot. Don’t go overboard to the point where your companions stop having fun, though. Dungeons & Dragons Player Etiquette by Ryan Matthew Pierson

Know the rules Whether in a backroom of the friendly local game store or the living room of someone’s house, gamers need to be aware of any rules in place ahead of time. The proprietor/owner of the establishment has final say on behavior. Sometimes this means being careful of language used because there are children present. Perhaps a spouse has to get up early for work, so the noise has to be kept to a minimum. Whatever the case, be aware of any rules that need to be observed. If they’re not readily apparent, it is the prerogative of the gamer to ask about them. That said, a gamer should also be ready to pick up on the rules of a particular game. Few things are more frustrating than people that slow down a game continuously because they don't take the time to familiarize themselves with the rules and mechanics. If necessary, gamers should do a little reading on their off-time, so they become an asset to the group rather than a hindrance. Practice good sportsmanship Tabletop games are often competitive and gamers get heavily vested in winning or losing. Gamers should keep their composure at the table. No one likes a poor sport, winner or loser. Gloating and whining should be kept to a minimum. If the game has a GM or referee, it is best not to argue with them over a ruling. If a gamer doesn’t’ t like the way a game is being run, its best to simply speak with the GM privately later, or just find another group to play with. Tabletop Gaming 101: What are the rules of gaming etiquette? by Jeffrey Lee