Let’s say today is the day the characters reach Phandalin. As a DM, the bulk of your preparation likely focused on what’s going on at the Stonehill Inn, and then all of the possible directions the story can take as a result of overhearing the locals talk among themselves in the common room. There’s only so much you can prepare for, right?

But your rogue decides he’d rather go shoplifting at Barthen’s Provisions. Or, apropos of nothing, the barbarian decides to sate his urge for murder by seeking out the townmaster. Or the ruin of Tresendar Manor on the hill at the edge of town calls the party to an early grave because they’re not sufficiently leveled-up yet.

And then there’s you, at the end of the table behind your DM screen, thinking loudly at these people FFS the inn is over here!

Back here in the Metropolitan Division, all of the rain and wind this week got me thinking about inclement weather in-game, and how it might be utilized to subtly guide players along to the things you’ve actually prepared for.

The characters arrive in Phandalin on a crisp autumn day. Sun and blue skies dotted with white fluffy clouds illuminate the heavens above, while the streets bustle with activity as the townsfolk go about their lives on the ground below.

Now, you may not have described their arrival in Phandalin using those terms. In fact, you may not have set the scene at all beyond “you arrive in Phandalin.” But the players? They’re likely filling in those blanks in their mind. And if you play this game long enough, you’ll arrive at the conclusion that most players want a scene to be set in the most idyllic or advantageous manner for them.

Or put more bluntly, a great many players do not like to be inconvenienced.

If the players at your table click their tongues at the thought of counting arrows or managing rations or an inability to stuff the entirety of Smaug’s treasure hoard into their pockets in one trip, it’s because such things are inconvenient. The only challenges some players want in their game involves a race to 0 hit points.

And so, when player characters arrive in Phandalin to what they perceive to be ideal conditions (because they have not been told otherwise), the inn can suddenly become the furthest thing from their minds.

And that’s where using weather to set a scene can come in handy.

The dark outline of Phandalin comes into view through a lashing rain. Dimly lit windows and wood smoke curling from the chimneys of the town’s modest homes are the only signs of life on this dreary evening as you trudge through sucking mud and ankle-deep puddles on the road into town.

Just as most players don’t like to be inconvenienced in their fantasy world, nobody on planet earth likes to be caught in a downpour either. Inject that psychology into your attempt at nudging the party toward the Stonehill Inn.

Make them feel the rain:

• Skirling winds and cold rain lash at their faces.
• The characters are soaked from head to toe, sending shivers through them.
• Every step along the muddy road squelches and sucks at their boots.
• Tangled hair and sodden clothing cling to their skin, chafing them raw.
• They almost get bonked by the sign of a local business, which a gale of wind catapults in their direction.
• All of the businesses are dark. And none of the locals are going to open their doors to let the rain in.

When the party gets to Phandalin’s town square, the Stonehill Inn should present a very stark contrast:

• The leaded windows of the Stonehill Inn burn with a soft, cheery glow.
• The faint din of laughter and conversation can be heard through the inn’s stone and timber walls.
• The smell of whatever’s in the pot tonight smells pleasant enough.
• Music, laughter, clinking glasses.
• One of the townsfolk goes splashing through the muddy streets past the party, reaches the inn, and then disappears into a warm stream of light as the sturdy oak door opens. As the door closes behind him, it sounds like everyone in the common room all shout “NARTH!” in unison.

Of course, it shouldn’t be a railroad. But if you’re hoping to steer the characters in the direction you’re most prepared to take the story in, lean into contrasts and make one place feel like it is so much better than everywhere else.

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