The Great Pretender – How To Lean Into Metagaming To Enhance Your D&D Games

3 Wise DMs

Metagaming. It’s one of the many topics that will spark controversy among those in the hobby. A listener wrote in explaining that they love making terrain and minis and have offered their services to their DM. Unfortunately, the DMs are reluctant, as they don’t want the player to have metaknowledge or spoil the reveals of the campaign.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave bring on our return special Wise DM, the Wizard Washburn, from our Terrain and Minis episode, to discuss how we have leaned into the inevitability of metagaming to enhance our campaigns by letting Scott build out a ton of our terrain, maps, and minis and how we have let it not spoil the fun for the DM, Scott, or any of the other players.

3:40 Our return special guest… Scott “The Wizard” Washburn from Paper Terrain!

5:05 The overview of how we approach compartmentalizing the knowledge of the player and the knowledge of the character.

7:05 The fact of the matter – once you’ve played once, you now have “meta” knowledge.

10:15 The Wizard Washburn reveals his general approach to planning with the DM in multiple campaigns he’s been a player in.

13:35 The idea of context in metagaming.

18:22 Terrain is one thing… but what about miniatures and seeing what the other team is playing with?

25:50 Always remember that RPG means roleplaying GAME.

30:05 Leaning on players to help decrease the level of prep necessary for your game.

32:07 Final Thoughts.