You shouldn’t know everything that will happen

Many DMs talk about “creating the story along with their players.” While this idea sounds nice, it’s rather abstract and difficult to know how to put into practice. 

Here’s a simple way you can think about this: make sure there are “questions” within each session you do not know the answer to beforehand. In other words, you want to make sure the party has interesting and meaningful decisions to make.

For example:

• Will the players decide to free a demon who has been trapped in a dungeon for hundreds of years?
• Will the players catch up to the spy who is running to warn their guild?
• Will the players have enough time to stop the cultists from completing their ritual?
• Which faction (if any) will the party side with in the upcoming conflict?

In each case, you’ll want to give both sides a fighting chance. Neither outcome should derail the campaign (you’ll notice that none of the examples above are life or death situations). For instance, if the players fail to chase down a spy, they may be able to warn their guild of the party, ensuring they are not surprised going into combat. 

Players want their choices have a genuine effect on the story. The victories the players achieve are meaningful because there was a legitimate chance of failure. 

As a DM, it also help keeps you excited to run the game. It’s super fun to create an interesting choice and wonder what the players will do. This way you’re not just shepherding the players though a predetermined story. The players are helping to form the story with you. If you already know what’s going to happen, what’s the point of playing?

Ideally, we want to give the players as many meaningful choices as possible. But at a minimum, try to make sure each session has at least one key question you do not know the answer to.

Easy evocative locations

When you’re worldbuilding, a simple way to create evocative locations is to think about the inhabitants of the area. For example: the centaur forest, the spider caves, the scorpion desert, etc. 

Not only does this paint a picture for your players, it also helps you plan which creatures / monsters the party may encounter.

Let me know if you have other ideas on how to make locations exciting and memorable.

Trap alternatives: challenges!

Traps and setbacks serve an important role in the pacing and layout of dungeons. After all, if everything is too easy, the game will feel boring and rewards won’t feel as special.

However, I’d like to suggest you use challenges in place of many of your traps. Example challenges could include:

• A path that becomes very narrow along a high ledge. Characters must succeed on an athletics check to pass safely. If they fail, they fall down, taking some bludgeoning damage.
• A ladder that has crumbled away, making it treacherous to climb up a rock face.
• An old, collapsed bridge that forces the players to jump from support beam to support beam.

These sorts of environmental / physical challenges are similar to traps in a number of ways:

• Both involve various skill checks to safely navigate the danger.
• On a failed check, a character suffers some minor damage or other setback.

However, there are a few key differences that I believe make challenges more engaging for players:

• Challenges are not hidden or disguised the way traps are. Constantly checking for traps is time-consuming and tedious.
• Challenges are less abstract, so it’s easier for players to think of creative workarounds.
• Players choose to engage with challenges while traps engage with them. When players made the decision themselves to enter into a dangerous situation, they don't feel as bad if things don’t go well.

There still may be situations when traps make more sense, especially if your players are in an enemy’s lair. However, if you’re just trying to challenge your players in general, I would recommend including these types of environmental challenges.