In running aDungeons & Dragonscampaign, you’ll inevitably have to punish your players. After all, if players succeed all the time, even when they make unwise choices, the campaign can start to feel a bit too easy. Punishment is the best way to keep things feeling high-stakes and grounded in reality.

But, how can you punish players in a way that feels fair? The last thing you want is for your adventuring party to feel like you’re being too harsh on them when things go wrong. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can soften the blow of punishment, and verify that the table feels like the campaign is still fair.

Three rogues infiltrate a vault and steal a gem while attacking a pair of guards in Dungeons & Dragons.

When Should You Punish The Party?

First, it’s important to keep note ofwhen it’s actually fair to punish the party. As a DM, younever want to develop a god-complexor make it seem like you’re punishing the players unjustly. Broadly speaking, there are a few timeswhen you should never punish your party.

If you avoid these types of punishments,you’ve already done the bulk of the workneeded to be a fair and merciful DM. But when is the right time to punish players? When it comes to dolling out consequences, it’s important tostart with neutral, objective situations.

A thief holding a treasure chest and sack of gold runs from a red dragon in Dungeons & Dragons.

Any of the above conditions, whichall have objective rules that are spelled outin either the Player’s Handbook or the Dungeon Master’s Guide, are alwaysgreat ways to serve stakes and consequencesto player actions. The table shouldn’t argue with youif you’re adhering to pre-established rules, and they’re less likely to feel picked on when it’s objective.

If a player begins tocontest your decision as a DM, it’s likely best tocall a breakanddiscuss it with the player separately.Intra-party conflictis never fun. Make sure youexplain whythey’re being punished, and assure them thatit’s temporary!

Two fighters hide under a shield as a black dragon spits acid at them in Dungeons & Dragons.

However, there are also momentswhen it’s fair for a DM to punish the partythat areless neutralandmore subjective. Dole these out sparingly, but don’t be afraid to shy away from these situations, either.

How To Keep Punishments Feeling Fair

Fairness canfeel really subjective,depending on your table. It’s easy for some people to feellike they’re getting put down for creativity, especially if you’re punishing the party for their poor decision.

To keep things feeling fair, there are a couple of aspects to keep in mind when it comes tocreating punishmentsthat feel just.Let’s look at ourexamples of subjective punishmentsand how tokeep them feeling fair.

Consequence And Punishment

Fairness

The Party’s Plan Fails

The party tried tosneak pasta group of city guardsbut were spotted. They have subsequently beenarrested and jailed, and now must find a way to escape or barter for their release.

Civilizations haverules and lawsthat must be adhered to. The partywas acting unlawfully, and knew this.

Advice Is Ignored

A player wantsto jump across a 100-foot chasm. Despitewarnings from the DMof the difficulty of this feat,the player tries anywayand rolls a 15. Despite the decent roll, the player is reminded thatjumping that distance is nearly impossible. The player stumbles andtakes severe fall damage.

It’s okay to remind the player calmly thatthey were warnedof the difficulty challenge.

Even though this is fantasy,the world has physics and other rulesthat keep things feeling grounded.

Party Is Off-Course

The party has an assigned missionto protect a magic shopfrom a robbery, butignores this requestin order to spend time at a local casino gambling. The following morning,the party finds the shop burglarized, and they arebanned from the storefor life.

Choices have an impactin this world. Remind players thatthe stakes are real.

The fun of D&D is thatyour decisions matter, and this is one way to demonstrate that.

Make Punishments Feel Like Rewards

In addition tokeeping player consequences feeling balanced, it’s also important to find ways to make punishmentstwist the narrative in rewarding ways.

After all,a punishment won’t feel like a punishmentif there’sa silver lining. Here are justa few examplesof ways you can make the consequences your players sufferfeel like rewards.

Rewards Or Silver Linings

The Party Has Been Arrested Or Jailed

While in jail, the partydiscovers a secret passagethat leads into the stronghold they were trying to infiltrate.Or,During the party’s interrogation by a city guard, the players learn that thisguard is not loyal to the crown, and can betheir eyes and earson the inside.

A Player Takes Severe Fall Damage

After falling, the player in question discovers they have landednear a treasure chest, with a riddle inscribed on its lock.

Or,From their new vantage point on the ground, the player can see thatthey’ve been traveling in the wrong direction. They can now show the rest of the party theright way to go.

The Party Is Banned From A Magic Shop

With their access to buying and selling cut off, the party isintroduced to the black market, where they can getmore valuable rewardsat a lower cost.Or, arival mageinforms the party he is glad to see his business competitor shuttered, andoffers the party magical itemsif they continue to help him monopolize the market.

Beyond the above examples, it’s also imperative to thinkof extra rewardsyour players can earn bysuccessfully overcoming their punishment. Giving the partyan especially powerful boonfor taking the road less traveled and coming out on the other end smiling willmake your players feel like they are superheroicrather than a bunch of naughty schoolchildren punished for bad behavior.