9 Tiny Tactics to Make D&D Way More Fun

Fast wins, zero prep required. You don’t need 300 pages of rules or a Master’s in Applied Dungeonology to make your next D&D session run smoother. Sometimes all it takes is one tiny tweak.

Here are 9 Easy Hacks, bite-sized tricks, that take almost no effort but make your games faster, funnier, and more fun.

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✏️ Be sure to share your table’s helpful hacks in the comments! ✏️

Tiny Trick Makes NPCs Instantly More Memorable

Give every NPC one thing. A weird voice. A single mood. One strong adjective.

“Oh, that’s the shifty guy who won’t make eye contact,”
“The bartender who screams everything.”
“The elf who talks like he’s constantly in a Shakespeare play.”

It sticks. And suddenly, your world feels alive without ever writing a paragraph of backstory.

Dice Rule Instantly Speeds Up Combat

Roll your attack and damage dice at the same time. That’s it.

One hand = d20.
Other hand = damage dice.
Toss ’em together.

You’ll shave 20–30 seconds per turn, and that adds up fast. Combat moves quicker, and players stay engaged.

5-Second Agreement Stops Rules Arguments Cold

This rule saves friendships: “The DM makes the final call at the table, in the heat of things. We’ll look it up on a break.”

Everyone agrees on this up front. It prevents mid-session bickering, keeps the story flowing, and avoids turning game night into a courtroom drama. You could even take it a step further: no rulebooks allowed at the table.

Initiative Swap Makes Everyone Pay Attention

Let players go in any order they want during their team’s turn, as a group.

You keep initiative between sides (players go, then monsters go), but the players decide who acts when. It feels fast. It encourages teamwork. And nobody zones out waiting for “their turn.”

There are a few other alternative-to-RAW (rules as written) initiative suggestions that are worth a look, but I’ll save those for another email.

Inventory Rule Makes Looting Way More Fun

Limit inventory to 10 slots + STR modifier.

Armor’s a slot. Weapon’s a slot. Bundle of 3 torches is a slot. 100 coins is a slot. A ration’s a slot. Now every item you choose to carry matters.

Picking up loot? Cool. What are you going to drop to make room for it?
Torch bundle? Your backup shortbow? Your waterskin? Your shield?

This one rule turns looting into hard choices, and suddenly it feels like survival, not just shopping.

Turn Timer Improves Roleplay, Cuts Waffling

Put a 60-second hourglass timer on the table. Flip it when a player’s turn starts.

No pressure. No shame. But once it runs out, the turn’s over. Maybe the character froze under pressure or fear.

It’s a fun constraint that stops rambling, keeps momentum up, and helps indecisive players actually decide.

BUT, DMs, don’t be a jerk! The goal is 60 seconds to get started doing something, not 60 seconds to have everything completed. If you’ve ever had a player wait until it’s their turn to read every spell description, then waffle for 5 minutes on the best choice, only to cast Toll the Dead again, you know how much this will help.

(And, yes, it works for DMs too.)

Timer Trick Makes Dungeon Crawls 10x More Tense

Use a real-world 1-hour timer for torches and light sources.

Give players one real-world hour of torchlight. When it’s out, it’s pitch black… and roaming monsters love pitch black.

This isn’t just some old-school nostalgia trip, it’s core to my current favorite game, Kelsey Dionne’s ShadowDark RPG, a brilliant blend of old-school vibe, new-school mechanics. A torch that may sputter out at any minute makes dungeon-crawling feel like a fight for survival. Every minute of torchlight matters.

Party Rule Fixes Group Conflict Before It Starts

Before the first session, ask “What’s the party’s shared goal?”

That’s it. One sentence. Everyone buys in.

You’ll save yourself hours of aimless wandering, pointless side quests, and “My character wouldn’t do that” nonsense.

Dice Pile Makes Everyone Want to Roleplay Better

Create a visible pool of Heroic Inspiration tokens (or dice). I use miniature d6s that can be added to any roll or passed to another player.

When someone roleplays well, stays in character, or makes the table laugh—toss one their way. Don’t lecture people into roleplaying. Reward it.

You’ll see the difference in five minutes.

No prep. No planning. Just better play. Pick one and try it next session.

-- Dick Crackfang, A.W.E. (Arcane Wizard Extraordinaire)

P.S. ✏️ Don’t forget to share your table’s helpful hacks in the comments! ✏️