Say “Yes, But”

In today’s gaming circles, there’s a lot of talk about the importance of saying "yes, but" as a Dungeon Master. The concept is simple: you want to be open to your players' creative suggestions, allowing them to explore imaginative solutions. If you shut down their ideas too often, they might stop coming up with them altogether. However, to maintain balance and avoid making things too easy, you add a caveat—there’s a cost, a challenge, or a risk involved.

While many DMs advocate this approach, concrete examples are often lacking. Let me share one from my own campaign that illustrates how this method can be both fun and effective.

In a recent session, our cleric found herself in a tight spot, grappled by a giant mantis shrimp in the shallows. The druid, having exhausted his spell slots, asked if he could use shape water to create a wedge and break the grapple. Now, this request was clearly beyond the intended scope of shape water, but I didn’t want to stifle such a creative idea. I agreed, but with a condition: the cleric would need to use her reaction and then make a roll to break the grapple.

To the satisfaction of the table, she succeeded.

Reflecting on this interaction, I feel it was a great example of how saying "yes, but" can enhance the game. It encouraged creative spell use while maintaining the challenge, ensuring that players feel rewarded for their ingenuity without undermining the game’s balance. I encourage you to try this approach in your own game—it can lead to some memorable and rewarding experiences.osophy.