Best advice on having guest players in your DnD games

While not a common element of Dungeons & Dragons, it sometimes introduces guest players to the table who may only be played for a few sessions at most, then leave and are rarely seen again in the same game. Whether you're a new player or a local friend with some tabletop experience, guest players can be a fun way to shake up the party dynamic.

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This creates many unexpected problems that the average player at the table, regardless of experience level, would not consider. Either way, they're likely to leave a lasting mark on the table that most NPCs can only hope to get.

8

Introduce them as soon as possible.

The wizard and bard negotiate a deal with the hag.
Negotiating with the Old Woman, by Linda Lithén

Assuming your guest players will only play for a few sessions at most, you'll want to make sure they play as soon as the main group does. This is to prevent you from twiddling your thumbs on the table while waiting to play during an already short period of time.

This may be difficult in the area the party is traveling through or currently hiking through the frozen wilderness, but with magic and suspension of disbelief, anything is possible. Players will also appreciate being able to roleplay with new players right away.

7

Allow it to become unbalanced

Dungeons & Dragons image showing two adventurers narrowly avoiding an arrow trap.
Artwork by Linda Lithen

The advantage of having guest players at the table is that they can act as NPCs or dungeon master helpers, in that their roles don't stick around long enough to worry about the outcome. This can also give them more options in terms of roleplay and combat strategies, in addition to having the exact same power level as the players.

This can go both ways, with guests playing as either a frightened child or a high-ranking cleric on a time-sensitive mission. Allow guest players to choose which role they want to play in the session, but consider giving them more options outside of classes that are at the same level as other players or classes that aren't fully covered in the Player's Handbook.

6

Make sure players need help

A Dungeons & Dragons image showing a party of adventurers about to consume a Festival of Heroes.
Source: Raluca Marinescu.

DM Just like introducing a player character to the party, the best way to welcome a new party member is to ask the player to help you in some way. This process is especially seamless when offering gold payments or other types of rewards for party services.

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You can also set up a quick side plot or quest hook that can reward players for their participation while making the entire encounter focused on guest players and their goals. This is also a lubricant for role-playing, as it doesn't force players to find excuses to get strangers to join the group.

Don't make your guest player's character too rich. If they decide to abuse it, it can backfire fairly quickly.

5

Keep characters as NPCs

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a wizard making slime.
Art by Olga Drebas

Memorable NPCs are hard to create and even harder to keep around. But what makes NPCs more memorable is that players can associate their faces and voices with them. Just because a guest player eventually leaves the table doesn't mean their character has to leave too.

Although making a purge roll isn't the best option, consider preventing the monster from outright killing the guest player's character. This may break your role as an NPC or cause negative emotions if this is your first game of D&D. Even if you decide to kill the character later, ask the guest player for permission first.

4

Give them great moments

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a barbarian receiving a blessing or amulet from a unicorn.
Art by Axel Defois

Whatever the reason a guest player joins your table, their time in the spotlight is fairly limited compared to the rest of the party. This means that their experience is close to all-or-nothing. To help them enjoy their time at your table, consider guiding them through some great memorable moments at the table.

After all, it can land the final blow on a monster with low health, make a villain call its name and swear revenge, or anything that makes you stand out from the party. Not only will this ensure your guests are satisfied with their short stay, but it will also give your players something to remember them by.

3

Stay tuned for more brief backstory.

Dungeons and Dragons art by two scholars reading a book.
Via Wizards of The Coast

Players' backstories are important to making them feel like their characters are part of the world and personally affected by its risks and rewards. This typically culminates over several sessions and may require an entire campaign to achieve a satisfactory resolution.

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Guest players don't have enough time to have a full character arc within the span of a few sessions at most, so give them advice on how to create a short and sweet backstory. This will also temper their expectations and allow them to improvise new details about their character that they did not follow during the roleplay.

2

Consider an adversarial role

Dungeons & Dragons warlock makes a pact with a bone demon while the imp takes notes.
Bone Devil art via Wizards of the Coast

If your guest players are experienced tabletop gamers or just role-play in general, consider giving them an antagonistic role at the table. They may be the main villain's henchmen in disguise, or they may be fae con artists who use the party's trust and kindness for their own purposes.

Whatever you decide together, make sure it's not clear from the start. Otherwise, the entire session can easily be derailed because the players won't want to work together. You can also plan exactly when to start the party, which will be a moment you will never forget at the table.

Do not allow guest players to kill your players' characters, especially if you have session zero rules that take internal party conflicts into account.

1

Provide information you do not have

Dungeons and Dragons wizard studying scrolls
Dungeons & Dragons art by Manuel Castañón via Wizards of the Coast

A detail the party can already consider about any NPC they encounter is how much information they have about the world. By changing this, we can create a more livable world where not every shopkeeper knows which of the king's advisors harms or owns which castle in which city.

Passing secret information to guest players can be useful to the party in more ways than just swinging a sword, while making them feel like real characters in the party rather than just guest players. This information may become an important plot element that connects to the main story in a unique way.

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