Player Tips: "What Should My Character Do?" – Tips for That Stuck/Overthinking Moment
Today we’re talking about something that every TTRPG player has felt at some point - That creeping fear that you’re gonna mess it all up. That you’ll break the story. Do the wrong thing. Mess it up irreparably and irreversibly. So you get stuck in analysis paralysis.
We’re going to talk about why that’s bullshit. There’s a million other ways you can be a shitty player and ruin the game but this “getting it wrong” isn’t one of them.
Because here’s the truth: There are no bad decisions in a TTRPG.
There are selfish decisions. There are careful decisions. There are out-of-character decisions. There are generous, messy, brilliant, confusing, decisions. There are decisions that end up working out beautifully, and ones that end up exploding in your face.
But there are no bad decisions.The only bad decision? No decision.
That’s the one that leaves the table kind of stuck. People start glancing around, not sure where things are supposed to go. And it’s not that you’re lazy - it’s that you don’t want to mess anything up. You don’t want to derail things or step on someone else’s moment.
But I promise you: that fear of “getting it wrong” will rob you of so many moments. Moments that don’t need you to be flawless or clever. They just need something to happen.
And if you’re worried about annoying your GM? I promise you, and I say this with love: most GMs aren’t hoping for polished, perfect plans. We’re just hoping you’ll be present and do something. We want momentum. Choices we can build on. There’s a fork in the road and we just want you to pick a direction and move forward. We’re excited whatever you pick as long as you pick something.The game will meet you wherever you go. It always does because games are built to bend, not break. Commit, fail if that’s how the dice go, and watch the table be so into it anyway.
And hey - if you’re someone who needs to consider every angle before making a choice? I see you. This isn’t about rushing past that or ignoring how your brain works. It’s about reminding you that especially if you struggle with open-ended stuff like “just decide!”, yes this part can feel huge but your brain’s lying a little. This is play. This is a game and even an imperfect, instinctive choice based on incomplete information can still be honest and interesting. The story won’t break and you won’t ruin anything. You should try even if it’s messy. Especially if it’s messy. Because nobody’s grading you. This isn’t a test. You don’t have to make the smartest or most impenetrable move. So don’t overthink it. Just give yourself permission to maybe fuck up and see what shakes out.
Trust that the unplanned and the unexpected might be where something really special can happen and when you don’t know what your character would do - that’s an interesting storybeat in and of itself. It’s even better if you’re worried about consequences because shit thrives on the ‘fuck it let’s see what happens’ and the ‘yeah let’s do it’. So pick something. Anything.
Push the door open even if you failed the check to look for traps. Tell an obvious lie. Say something too honest. Pick a fight. End a fight. Give someone a kiss. Apologize. Or don’t. Say “screw it,” and chase the monster through the woods. Take the first step toward something weird, or tender, or loud, or reckless and you can muse later about how it did or didn’t work out.
So make the choice that might potentially backfire. Make the choice you hope will work out. Just make the choice in all its messy, risky glory. Hopefully this helped with the analysis paralysis of “What if I mess it up?”. You literally can’t.
