In Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), there are two types: the Dungeon Masters (DMs) and the players, both of which have very important roles to play and they rely on each other to play the game. Many players in D&D are “scared” to be creative as they think it may break what the DM has already made, but players shouldn’t feel scared. In fact, the players are the authors of the story despite being characters in it, and should feel motivated to engage with the creative process.

The thing most players don’t understand is the idea that the DM has less control over a game than the players do because while the DM makes a frame of a story the players are the main characters. Let me make an example: if I hand a boulder of limestone to a sculpture and he makes a beautiful statue based on ideas I give him on what to build, who built it? Well, the answer is… both. Both people’s creative minds went into the work, but the sculptor had more freedom than the one that provided the baseline.

D&D is like a dance: both people have to participate, but the players are like the dance moves themselves. Sure, the DM is the one dancing, but the players make the DM build around their actions.

While obviously as a DM you can always just say no to your players and run the game how you want, that ruins the fun of D&D. It is supposed to be random and with things you can’t plan around, and the idea of not being able to plan around it makes it more fun for everyone involved. A well-run game feels like the players’ actions shape the world into something not even the DM (the creator of the world) could predict.