Five Things to Say to Your DM

Several weeks ago I read Five Things You Should Never Say to Your DM, which got me thinking recently about what you should say to your role-playing game director. So without further ado, here's:

Five Things to Say to Your DM

1. Thank you.

It sounds simple, but it's something players often forget. While players simply get to show up and play, with no gaming-related stress between sessions, many DMs spend hours and hours prepping for the games. If combat is too easy or too hard, if the story-line seems cliched or predictable, if personalities clash, it's usually the DM who is stuck with the responsibility of fixing things. A simple thank you is a nice way for the players to acknowledge the DM's sacrifice of time and additional stress.

2. I really liked that NPC/plot twist/game mechanic you came up with.

Some DMs simply run stuff from modules and that can be fun, but the best ones go the extra mile to customize the game for the players by creating interesting and original elements. The best incentive for a DM to keep doing this is for players to notice and compliment him or her on the creations that really add something to the game.

3. If you ever need a break, I'm happy to direct a session.

Believe it or not, DMs are people too and also have family, work, and other stressors to deal with. Sometimes everything happens at once and it's important for the DM to be able to hand off a session occasionally to someone else, who'll take on the task without grumbling. Another advantage of saying this to your DM is that he or she will get a chance to see the campaign from the player's perspective (which can be quite eye-opening) and have a little extra time to prepare the next adventure.

4. What can I do to make the campaign better?

DMs really appreciate it when players are willing to commit a little extra effort in order to make the game more exciting, deeper in background, or simply to run smoother. This is also a great question to ask because it provides the DM with a non-confrontational way to let you know if you're doing something a bit annoying, like dominating role-playing time, min-maxing characters, fudging dice, etc.

5. I was thinking about the campaign between sessions, and I realized . . .

The best way to show your appreciation to the DM is to really engage with the story he or she is trying to tell. If there's a mystery, think about the clues the DM has given you; if there's political intrigue, think about how to manipulate the people involved; if there's an important scene or dramatic event coming up in the next session, prepare how you're going to deal with it.
If you show up to every session barely remembering what happened before, caring little about the setting or NPCs, and trying to hurry or force your way through anything non-combat related, you might as well be playing a computer game.