Metagaming is something that can occur pretty naturally in a game of Dungeons & Dragons, sometimes without players even realizing what they're doing at first. There's usually at least one metagamers in the pack when it comes to RPGs, which is the term for a person who uses their own knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons' rules to gain an advantage where they wouldn't otherwise have one.

That can apply to a ton of different in-game situations. Sometimes metagaming takes form when the players come up against a weird, obscure monster--and one player happens to know exactly what that monster is. Now, unless that player's character also knows about the monster, that external knowledge shouldn't dictate any of the player's actions; a sorcerer who'd never fought a vampire before wouldn't instinctively know to avoid inflicting necrotic damage, because they wouldn't know that the vampire has a natural resistance. But if the player knows and acts accordingly anyway...that's metagaming.

Similarly, metagamers can use their deep D&D knowledge to build overpowered characters in a way that doesn't fit with the story and the campaign overall. None of that is exactly "cheating," since there's no fibbing about dice rolls or illegally modifying stats or anything, but it can still damage a campaign's role-playing elements. Of course, there's a reason metagaming is natural to a certain degree; some players do the "rules lawyer" thing instinctively or make plans based on their knowledge (rather than their character's knowledge) without even realizing it. So, it isn't entirely possible to eradicate metagaming, but it's possible to help players be a little more aware of the future.

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Communicate

One of the more straightforward ways to put a stop to metagaming is to just talk it out within the group. If it's becoming a noticeable problem with one person, rather than tweaking the rules or coming down harder on them through gameplay, it might be best to take them aside and honestly discuss the issue.

Dungeons & Dragons isn't competitive, not between players and not even between the players and their DM. The game is meant to be a collaborative experience, where every development is made by building off of one another, which means that aggressively searching for out-of-character ways to "win" a situation isn't necessary at all. Make sure the problematic player is aware of what exactly they do that constitutes metagaming. It shouldn't be a tense or hostile conversation, and the person in question doesn't need to be accused or judged. Just explain what's going on and work out how best to help them make a change.

drizzt in combat

Put the Books in Time-Out

To reduce the amount of "rules lawyering" that happens, it's always possible to just prevent it from happening in the first place. Restrict the players' access to all but the rules it's fair for them to have so that there's no chance of peeking ahead or arguing for something that really shouldn't happen in-game. There are a lot of Dungeons & Dragons books out there, and a fair few of them are purely rules for different settings and campaign types. So if there's information out there that players really don't need to have at their fingertips (and there always is), then make sure the only rules they've got are the ones they absolutely need to know.

For DMs with the time and inclination, this could even mean throwing together a little homemade rulebook. Since the D&D sourcebooks have so much information, it's hard to pick and choose what players can see from them. Instead, compile a document with the rules that players will need for their game, and leave it at that.

Add Some Variation

If it feels like players are too easily able to identify the enemies they're fighting and subsequently find ways to metagame, then just switch up the combat encountersDungeons & Dragons is decades old and there's no shortage of creatures to choose from, so there's bound to be a monster type that the players in any D&D group don't have too much experience with yet.

One common way to metagame is by knowing a monster's strengths and weaknesses and playing accordingly, even if the characters shouldn't be able to do that. So, if it's really that much of a problem, then make that type of metagaming utterly impossible instead. No players can metagame in combat if they don't know what they're going up against, after all.

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Shoot it Down

This might sound harsh, but it doesn't have to be: if a player starts obviously metagaming, and tries to make a move based on that, then simply tell them "no." DMs exist to run the show, and they're allowed to tell players whether they can or can't do something. So if a player is doing something that they really shouldn't be allowed to do, then tell them so. Problem solved: the metagaming doesn't happen after that.

Of course, if it comes down to flat-out telling a player no, then DMs will probably have to prepare to "communicate" too, as listed above. After the session, take that player aside and explain what happened, so that it doesn't have to turn into a complete callout in front of the entire group.

Offer Incentives

Players are less likely to metagame when they're fully focused on role-playing. That's because role-playing is about embodying the character and doing things exactly as the character would do them--not as the player knows it would be smart to do them.

So a campaign that rewards players for this behavior is one that is more likely to run without too much metagaming. Sure, extra experience points are nice, but a reward can also be less "concrete." When players invest themselves in the story, they're probably going to get more information, more of the story, and meet more NPCs, right? Show players what they'll get when they stick to the role-playing side of D&D, and why it's way more fun to have a fulfilling NPC interaction and cool loot than it is to try and "win" every encounter. They'll get the message loud and clear.

One way or another, it's entirely possible to weed out the metagaming from any Dungeons & Dragons campaign (without just giving up and TPKing the party, that is). It may seem impossible to do without making things awkward or hurting someone's feelings, but that's not the case at all. If the problem is addressed directly, simply to it in a considerate manner. If the problem is addressed through tweaking gameplay, then it should resolve itself over time with little to no fuss.

The fact is, there's only one thing that doesn't make sense: allowing metagaming to continue when it starts to actually disrupt a campaign. There are ways to fix things that'll work for any kind of Dungeons & Dragons player, so long as DMs aren't afraid to get a little creative and proceed with confidence.

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