D&D is a game with many protagonists

How do you make a story work in which you have many equally important protagonists? As Dungeons & Dragons DMs we are faced with this question in each new campaign. And in each session and adventure, really. We have 4-6 players, and each of their characters deserves to be treated as an equally important protagonist in the unfolding story. One solution is to focus individual D&D sessions on individual characters.

10 ways to spotlight a character

When we prepare our next game session, it’s worth thinking about whether and how we can highlight a particular character in that session. Here are ten ways in which we can focus the next D&D game on one of our “protagonists”:

1. An NPC from the character’s backstory becomes the party’s guide for the current adventure.
2. The character is familiar with the current adventure location, and might receive additional secrets and clues, or have advantage on certain Ability checks related to the location.
3. The villain of the current adventure is an old nemesis of the character.
4. The character receives visions about the adventure from a mysterious source related to the character’s origin.
5. The abilities and skills of the character prove particularly useful in the current adventure.
6. A language only this character speaks becomes crucial for navigating the adventure.
7. A magic item for the character is the reward for the adventure.
8. An NPC from the character’s past can be saved during the adventure.
9. A trinket the character has had for a long time turns out to be a key to solving the adventure.
10. A personality trait, ideal, bond, or flaw of the character presents a challenge for them in the current adventure.

Of course, the same method can apply to all of the characters in one session. Within one game session, we can find moments to highlight each of the characters. But from time to time it can be fun and engaging to focus a D&D session on one character in particular.