Railroading: Everything You Know About It Is Wrong

Railroading has a bad reputation in the TTRPG world — but is it actually the villain DMs think it is? In this live panel from FanX 2025, Justin Lewis, Tanner Weyland, and Cayden Ottley dig into what railroading really means, why every DM does it whether they realize it or not, and where the line sits between guiding a story and steamrolling player agency. Expect real talk on good railroading vs. bad railroading, how to course-correct when you've leaned too hard on the tracks, and how player perception shapes whether a table even feels railroaded at all.Thanks for listening to today's show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmithHire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/Discord: http://session0studios.com/discordPatreon:https://session0studios.com/patreonDungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter