d8 cheap DM tricks

An answer to:

https://sunderedshillings.blogspot.com/2021/09/30-cheap-tricks.html

https://spiceomancy.blogspot.com/2021/09/d20-cheap-tricks.html

https://modronrpgs.blogspot.com/2021/09/10-cheap-dm-tricks.html

1. If you don’t know what to say, ask the players what they expect will happen.
2. Delegate typical DM work like notetaking, describing the looks of npcs or adding decoration to scenes as special roles to your players. Reward them with XP for doing it.
3. Always describe things the players can interact with.
4. Always describe which locations the players can reach from their current location.
5. To create a lazy riddle, just describe some weird things in a room and let the players interact with them. Declare that they solved the riddle, when you feel they did something clever. Do not overuse this, or they will find out.
6. Let everyone write down open questions and loose ends on a special piece of paper, that way you never run out of things to do.
7. A random weird thought is better than not saying anything.
8. If you wrote a cool encounter, but the players don’t go to the location where it is supposed to happen, just let the players stumble upon it somewhere else.