The 8 D&D Player Types and How to DM Them

In an ancient tome — the 4th Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide — WotC broke down what it considered to be the eight main types of players and gave DMs tips on how to handle them. Understanding who your players are, what they want and why they play can be a big help in DMing them. At the same time, how much should a DM have to adjust their game to fit different kinds of players? In this episode, we revisit the eight player types to talk about whether the advice still applies, how we relate to different types of players (sometimes poorly), and strategies to bring out the best in your party and yourself. 2:00 Understanding different types of players — a 4E lessons today’s DMs should learn4:00 The 8 player types according to 4E: Actor, Explorer, Instigator, Power Gamer, Slayer, Storyteller, Thinker and Watcher7:00 Casting different player types into the right roles10:00 How we handle Actors and Explorers16:00 Engaging Watchers and Storytellers18:00 Instigators starting trouble we still talk about decades later20:00 Helping players understand their power to impact an RPG game22:00 How we engage or don’t engage with different player types (Thorin does not put on a show)23:00 Philosophies in encounter building25:00 Is the DM more (most?) responsible for everyone’s fun?27:00 Monster wrangling for Slayers and Power Gamers30:00 To what extent do we influence PC character selection and party roles?35:00 Pitching you campaign to players (shout out to Matt Colville)41:00 Is it the DM’s job to adjust to the players, or should they adjust to you?44:00 Specific strategies we use to interact with different player types52:00 Curse of Strahd: What to do when even the module designer tones down the encounter57:00 What your encounters teach the players: Should they be brave or scared in your game word?1:04:00 Fun with secret Lovecraftian monsters1:06:00 Getting players to accept and embrace the consequences of their actions1:09:00 How different groups and circumstances impact DM style, players types and game expectations1:13:00 It’s important to also play as a PC1:16:00 Final thoughts: The DM is a player, too