How learning to properly utilize consequences in your game can elevate your skills as a GM.
Written by: Trip
Consequences. We all hate ‘em, right? We do everything we can to avoid having to deal with them, and in fact a large part of why we play TTRPGs at all is so that we can do what we want without any consequences, right?
WRONG!
I’m here to tell you that not only do you *want* consequences, their absence is the single worst thing that can happen to you in a game. But how can I say such a thing? Well let’s start with ensuring we understand the definition of the word:
- Consequence: “A result or effect of an action or condition.”
Note that it does not say a negative result or effect. Positive effects are consequences too. Saving the village is a consequence of slaying the dragon, for example. All of the things you strive to accomplish in a game are, by definition, consequences of taking the proper actions.
“But wait!” I hear a disembodied voice objecting, “You’re just being too literal. Obviously people want positive consequences. It’s the negative consequences we all want to avoid!”
Also wrong!
And I know this, because I’ve been in a game like that.
As of the time I am writing this, I am in a Transformers RPG game as a Player and, more recently, Co-GM. The reason I started Co-GMing this game was because our GM was having a lot of trouble inflicting proper consequences on us, and it was leading to a lot of frustration for everyone at the table. As an example, he had a tendency to throw enemies at us that were WAY too strong. And he would realize this 2 Rounds into the fight and would come up with BS excuses to get us out of a TPK. “As you drop to 0 HP, a ground bridge opens up behind you and Optimus pulls you through back to base.” or if we were on a mission to retrieve some kind of Macguffin and it was going south in a hurry, “You look down and see that the Macguffin was right there at your feet the whole time! Go on and grab it!”
Not only that, but he did the same thing for the enemies too. If we were getting a few too many hits on a foe that we weren’t supposed to defeat yet for plot reasons, they’d just teleport away during their turn. No chance to stop them, no opportunity to get one more shot in, they’re just gone. Or we’d start getting bombarded with Missiles from a Decepticon jet that just so happened to be flying nearby and was definitely there the whole time.
I can’t speak for the other players, but as for me it produced a weird sort of apathy towards my own character and their actions. Why should I bother trying to come up with plans or play strategically if the GM is just gonna Deus Ex Machina to get the result he wants anyway?
Now thankfully, the GM also felt this tension and came to me asking if there was something he was doing wrong. At which point I brought up my concerns about recent sessions and he was very receptive to it. He had no idea that he was doing that or making me feel like my actions didn’t matter. We were all new to the system at the beginning of the campaign and we all had quite a bit of learning to do. So we decided to try alternating weeks to give us both a chance to see what the other side of the GM’s screen looks like. And so far it is going much better than it had been!
Long-winded anecdotes aside, this isn’t an article about open and honest communication between GM and Player. This is about how to properly inflict consequences within your game, and I think I’ve come up with a few good guidelines to follow:
- #1. Never ask for a roll unless there will be meaningful consequences for success/failure.
I’m gonna paint a little scenario that I’m pretty sure a lot of us have been in at least once before… Unless it’s just me. 😅
- DM: “The room before you is a dimly-lit corridor of hewn stone and-”
- Player 1: “I wanna make a Perception check to see if there are any traps before we continue.”
- DM: “Umm, okay roll for it?”
- Player 1: “… 7.”
- DM: “Well umm, you kinda squint your eyes and look around and uhh, you’re like, you’re pretty sure there’s no traps here.”
- Player 2: “I wanna look for traps too… 24!”
- DM: “with your keen powers of perception, you are certain that there are no traps here.”
The room never had any traps to begin with. The DM knew this, but of course the players did not, so the DM decided to let them roll for it.
The problem is that there were no consequences at stake for a successful or failing roll other than maybe looking a little silly squinting into the darkness. Now the party has wasted several minutes of IRL time, and the DM has to re-set the scene to pull the players’ attention back into the game.
Here’s an alternative to the above scenario:
- DM: “The room before you is a dimly-lit corridor of hewn stone and-”
- Player 1: “I wanna make a Perception check to see if there are any traps before we continue.”
- DM: “You don’t have to roll for it. There are no obvious dangers here. Now as I was saying, a dimly-lit corridor…”
In this scenario, nobody wastes any time with pointless rolls and the scene can flow naturally forward. Now, if there had been traps or if the party was being chased or something, then stopping to look for traps could have had interesting consequences. Which leads nicely into my next point…
- #2. Consequences can be more than just success or failure.
Another big mistake a lot of people–myself included–make when they first start out GMing is that the consequences of a roll have to be completely binary, “You get exactly what you want” and “You get nothing”. Which is a very limiting way to view consequences in your game. The party makes an Investigation check to solve the puzzle and continue on in the dungeon? “Well, nobody rolled above a 15 so I guess we’re just stuck here. Campaign’s over, fellas.” The Fighter tries to jump a gap and rolls a 1? “You fall to your death. Shoulda played a Halfling.” And of course the inverse is just as bad–I’m sure we’re all familiar with ye olde “Bard asks the King for his crown and rolls a nat20” meme.
A much better way of handling such cases is “failing forward”. This is where you still get what you want regardless of whether your roll succeeds or fails, your roll just determines how much it costs you. Let’s use the above examples to demonstrate. If time is a factor, perhaps the Investigation Check merely determines how long it takes? Perhaps you’re racing your rival to get to the inner sanctum and fumbling with this puzzle put them just a step ahead of you? Or if time isn’t an issue, maybe someone accidentally triggers a trap upon discovering the solution?
For the jump example, maybe a failed roll means he slams into the ledge and knocks the wind out of himself, taking some bludgeoning damage? Or twists his ankle on the landing, temporarily reducing his movement speed?
And as for the Bard, a very common response to that is “your Nat20 means the King thinks you’re making a joke and laughs heartily rather than demanding your immediate execution.”
Now, a lot of systems already implement one or both of these tips into the mechanics of the base games, but if you happen to be one of the many TTRPG players out there who exclusively play 5e, it’s quite possible you might have never considered either of these approaches to your game. So if your game is struggling, why not try changing your approach to inflicting proper consequences on your players? Or asking your DM about trying these tips? Worst they can do is say “Rocks fall, everyone dies.” 😅
About the Author:
My name is Trip and game design is my passion. I started out with D&D about 10 years ago, but have played a few other systems like Fellowship and Monster of the Week. I’ve even tried my hand at designing my own TTRPG a few times (maybe one of these days I’ll actually finish one?) I love both playing and running games, but I also love the oft-overlooked joy of learning new game systems. It always sparks my imagination seeing a new take on mechanics and rules, and I’m always excited to test the boundaries of those rules to see if they work as-intended and whether they can be improved upon. And who knows? Maybe someday I’ll successfully create my own game and become a household name in the TTRPG sphere? A boy can dream. 😅
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