Motivating your players in #dnd

[Ked]

“If you got beef with beef, you got beef with me.”

[caleblyman]

The villain grasping at straws until he reached for the pasta

[daltongarrett]

I’m pretty sure I read his lips saying “grab his duck and twist it!”

[cosmicvoidtree]

The “works every time” face at the end

[FiddleForge]

"Kick the dog." Works every time.

[agentapples]

Most DMs: I’ll destroy the entire world and rebuild it in my image

Brennan: I’m gonna kill that dog 😈

[dislexyc]

The dice box opening shot was fmsking majestic

[Mossdeep]

Player made lore vs dm made lore. The players will kill an entire campaign for thier npc companion

[originaljacmg]

Screaming counterspell while pointing like that goes hard

[Sphendrana]

I once gave one of my players a Displacer Beast as a pet of THOSE things) and it was loved by the entire party. We had many great adventures with her. Here's her story (well, part of it)

Fast Forward about a month, and three sessions into our game, it was the sole reason they survived a potential TPK to a group of Jacked Up Kobolds (I may have used a different stat block and "called" them Kobolds lmao). Everyone was really happy to have such a wonderful companion around.

Fast Forward again, an unknown amount of time, the BBEG's Right and Left Hands (minions ranks, not their actual hands) were battling with the players. They had all been mostly evenly matched, Right Hand went down first, fell into a chasm of lava. Two of the players were dangling off the edge trying to climb back up after it tried to drag them down with it and get back to the fight. The other two then got tossed that way. As they flew past, the displacer beast grabbed one by the cape and flung them back, and stopped the other with her body. Unfortunately, she couldn't save herself and the momentum carried her down into the HFS (happy fun sauce).

I never saw my players get so enraged and roll so well in two rounds, utterly obliterating the Left Hand. After combat, they immediately decided that the only course of action was to use the artifact they found many sessions before. It granted them a single wish spell. They asked to be sent back in time to the moment before their beloved companion was sent to her doom.

I ruled that only one player would be able to "pass through the gates of time, and only for a brief moment". Thankfully, everyone agreed that the sorceress, who's pet the Displacer Beast was, would go through.

We had a short debate (myself and the player) about how they would use their time. I agreed to their plea to UPCAST MAGE HAND AS A 7TH LEVEL SPELL (I didn't know what was best to do with upcasting a cantrip at the time)

Here's how things concluded:

"As you step through the shimmering rip in the air, your body is sucked violently in no direction, and all directions at once. You arrive just seconds before [The Displacer Beast] fell towards the chasm. Upon regaining your composure from the trip, you speak in a thunderous voice that echoes throughout the cavern."

"THIS. SHALL NOT. PASS!"

"Behind you, several multicolored hands manifest, and fly forward, bracing against [Displacer Beast] and lifting her back, just enough to purchase ground. As the spell ends, you are sucked back through time. Once again, after regaining your composure, you blink several times, adjusting to the visage you THINK you see next to you, as your companion nuzzles your OTHER hand."

The entire table stood up and screamed with joy. They were NOT going to let that happen. I think I avoided a physical confrontation from 4 angry nerds that night lmao.

Disclaimer: I don't remember her name, but she was the best Displacer Beast ever. Often they would role play trying to pet her and completely missing, due to the false image it projected, only for it to move its head directly under their hands after.

[MOAl-GUY]

"You dare touch beef stroganoff I Archibald the high and my small companion puffy shall end your evil plan and your life" -me in an average dnd session

[esteban]

A good group will get invested in the story. A good DM will give the group a damn good reason to get invested in the story.

[RockThekami]

In the first campaign I ran my party captured and interrogated a cowardly enemy goblin named Droop. After they got the information that he almost immediately gave up the party adopted him and forced him to fight with them. Because he's a coward I gave him disadvantage to attack unless he was in stealth which gave him advantage like normal. I think he hit the party more often than the enemy but they kept him around until he died against some ogres. They went on a side quest to revive him but brought him back as an elf instead of a goblin. He became more confident after that but still wasn't a very good person. I have no idea why they kept him around, let alone revived him

[Tarkua-asmr]

"counterspell" into pointing was unironically a slapper

[bogustoastnone]

“I won’t just kill you, I’ll erase every trace you ever existed.”

The line I have loaded for when the BBEG goes after my warforged’s adopted daughter.

[dorothyweaver]

Cities can be rebuilt, but there is only one Beef Stroganoff

[DarthMudd]

Sinister Kid by TBK has to be one of the most unique song choices for this short but it works so well.

[Lisorael]

Causing sudden panic in one of my players was a fun one. He encountered a dog-sized mantis shrimp and barely survived. Then, a year later, same campaign, he encountered a gargantuan version. The player just stared into space for a solid minute

[romanterry]

"NPCs are there to die, and it's up to the players to save them." - Brian Murphy

[Drakenrahll]

That wry smile at the end is priceless! Well done Zach!