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Improv is a central part of the tabletop roleplaying game experience. “Yes, and” or “No, but” is the first key to unlocking this skill. Support your improvisation with roll tables and tools like Opus. The next step is giving characters points of pride, fear, or self-interest. With practice, it will feel a lot easier.
When Do We Improvise?
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The short answer is simple—all the time. Outside of reading prepared text, Gamemasters (GMs) and players are always improvising. Is the Player Character (PC) sneaking quietly into a room? Or are they striding in like they own the place? Perhaps they are stalking in because Dallah the dwarf stole their war hammer. Players are constantly improvising by choosing how characters act and respond in RPGs. Likewise, the GM is choosing how the world at large is doing the same.
So Why the Drama?
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For many people, improv is out of the comfort zone. It’s diving into the unknown. The player side gets less attention because they have more brain power free to deal with it. Meanwhile, GMs are trying to keep countless plates spinning. There’s only so much grey matter in the head to go around.
Improvising is challenging for many people. It’s a lot harder when you are also thinking whether the next map ready to go. Is everyone getting enough of the spotlight? When should the Big Bad start crying in the corner? So, how do we make improvising easier? Here are some trusty fallbacks:
1. Use "Yes," "No," "and," "but"
2. Use roll tables and tools like Opus.
3. Give NPCs (or PCs!) things they are proud of, scared of, or desire.
General Tips for Improvising
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The GM has all the breadcrumbs laid out. The party are barrelling along, and the Big Fight is right around the corner. Everything is in place. But wait, what’s this? The party are in love with a throwaway NPC? Or are now fixated on a really minor rumour? Or Mynk the ranger suddenly really, really wants to befriend a pack of dire wolves?
When players go hard left, improv kicks in. There is a GM side to this coin, too, of course. One example is unknown family members appearing out of nowhere. Or the classic kindly, old quest-giver turning out to be the Big Bad (classic as in should stay in the history books).
Additionally, improvising can create minefields. Examples include gems like giving a world-bruising magic item (Decanter of Endless Water says “Ho!”). Or saying yes to a simple request because the GM is too busy to stop and consider the consequences. There are even times when the rules don’t have the GM's back. I’ve never faced a peasant railgun, but it’s a thing.
So, how can we deal with these?
We dig into the writer’s toolbox of combining yes, no, and, but.
Yes, No, And, But in Tabletop RPGs
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Using “Yes, and” is a commonly pushed GM tool. It encourages GM-player engagement and co-operation in building the narrative. A player asks if their character can leap off a chandelier onto an unsuspecting enemy. The GM replies, “Yes, and you’ll get a bonus if you want to swing Tarzan-style onto the second chandelier and slam into the droid with added momentum.” The player responds with a grin and rolls.
However, “Yes, and” has flaws. For one thing, it is blind to what the GM might be setting up. It encourages the Rule of Cool, but it might demolish the groundwork for something far more epic later. Then there are the requests that might accidentally break the game world. And, very occasionally, there are players who will take advantage.
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Recall the Decanter of Endless Water. Mix with an underground dungeon the GM has made and the gaming table has a flooded dungeon where most inhabitants have either drowned or are struggling to breathe. Smart? Sure. Heroic or dramatic? Hardly. Sid Meier wasn’t kidding when he said that given the chance, players will optimise the fun out of a game.
Ginny Di did a great video pointing out “Yes, and” should run with “No,” and “but.” These lend gamers more options. She gives some lovely examples where “No,” or “but” are much better choices than “Yes, and...” For example, when the party want to deal with a key NPC quickly (and violently) without exploring all the options first. Her breakdown is here:
Building on her idea, the first thing a GM should ask is: would the outcome be fun? If it’s cool and there’s no world-burning consequences, then roll with it. Follow the Rule of Cool and dish out full player agency. This is “Yes, and” territory.
However, what if the power warning klaxons are blaring? The idea is cool or in the right ballpark, but has obvious (to the GM) problems. Consider “Yes, but” instead. Sure, there is enough elixir here for a super healing potion, but there’s only enough for one vial. Yes, the party can jerry-rig the mech, but it’s going to fall apart before long (read: at the end of the next combat).
As an aside, one-off conditions are fantastic for this. Even if the power level is wonky, it only matters once. Even if it alpha strikes the Big Bad, that’s fine. There can always more Big Bads. In fact, consider intentionally giving hugely powerful single-use items to the party once in a while. This is central to Monte Cooke's Cypher System. Everyone enjoys a power fantasy occasionally. Even us grimdark folk.
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What if the idea lacks the cool factor, or would be a disaster? Use “No, but.” This lets the GM swerve the party away from some disaster. At the same time, it opens avenues they didn’t know about or hadn’t thought through. No, punching the fuel cell won’t do much, but you spot some nearby canisters. Paired with a timer and you could make a bomb...
Try and give one or two alternatives for the party to consider. It’s keeping the world believable while still giving the party agency. The players may choose to ignore Plan B. That’s fine, too. They are aware the first idea is off the table as it is. A rethink of plan A or creation of a Plan C are other cards they can play.
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One thing: do not be afraid to say no. “Yes, and” is a great tool, but it’s one of many. Used all the time and players might switch off. Nobody plays a game with all the cheats turned on for long. Players love boundaries. Logical and consistent boundaries present fair challenges. “How do I solve X?” is okay. “How do I solve X with Y and Z in mind?” will fire up the grey matter a lot more and their own improv will go up a gear.
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“No, and” is the beat stick in the writer’s and GM’s arsenal. Writers use it at the beginning of stories to push their lead characters into following the main plot. Or, it’s used at the darkest hour to really twist the knife. This pumps the high even higher when the protagonist is finally victorious.
However, writer’s characters are not PCs. PCs have a living, breathing (hopefully) human behind them. Use “No, and” very sparingly. “Yes, and” is good for free-flowing fun, safe requests. “Yes, but” and “No, but” balance player agency, challenge, and a logical world. “No, and” is for special narrative pivots.
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The party are packed to the gills with resources and well-rested? A massive reward is just around the corner? These are ideal moments. But remember “No, and” heaps a problem on an existing problem. It also shuts down player agency. Doing this often will hurt the group’s gaming Hit Points.
It has its place. Defusing the bomb didn’t work and security forces are now closing in. The mafia boss sees the lie and her goons are now pointing guns at you. The escape ship cannot wait any longer and there’s only one spot left. It can lead to some of the best rewards. But first, the players are in for a rough time.
Use “No, and” when there’s strength and resources to accept the gut punch. Then, reward it swiftly.
Resources to Help Improvisation
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Helpful tools on hand can be a life saver. Lists of names are amongst the most frequently purchased or downloaded RPG resources after rulebooks for a reason. Roll tables, a staple of TTRPGs, are extensions of this. Kelsey Dionne's Shadowdark rulebook has pages and pages of names and descriptors to plunder. There’s a wealth of amazing RPG books and PDFs out there. Scan a table or roll twice, whichever works best.
Opus is another wonderful launchpad. In many cases, dScryb’s non-AI, pre-generated text is ready right out of the box. However, the text can inspire new directions. As with roll tables, a word or phrase can spark something amazing.
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Lift shimmering sands and conjure the home of an oracle. Sandstorms of prismatic crystals whirl around their sanctuary. Poor souls see things in the swirl. Dangers to body and mind. Few attempt the journey. Fewer get to ask their question.
Both curated and community playlists are ready to go. For example, The Lost Mine of Phandelver is all set (and not just on Opus)! And of course, personal playlists can be created as needed.
On top of that, the app lets GMs enhance their game on the fly. Sound effects like a cat meowing, or a howling gale can sell locations the GM never saw coming. Such touches can make players think it was all part of The Plan.
Stumbled down a literal blind alley and trolled a random encounter with street robbers? Low-level fight playlists are ready to roll. A car crashes onto the scene (there’s SFX for that) and the mafia boss steps out ready to unleash? Switch up the playlist to a serious battle playlist (search “battle” and have a scroll through the massive fantasy, contemporary, and sci-fi weapon SFX range with body hits, too)!
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But what if the party pushes the mob boss to negotiate?
NPC (and PC) Improv Tips
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In one video, Matt Colville says countries go to war for three reasons: pride, self-interest, and fear. Countries under the leadership of governments. People thinking and feeling these motivations. The perfect springboard for creating believable characters (both PC and NPC) on the fly:
What if the mob boss is proud of never breaking their word? Or they are so sure of the quality of their guns, they couldn’t possibly be trapped…
Avoid answers that are too vague. For example, greed isn’t very helpful as a self-interest. It doesn’t have immediate depth. We would need to start asking why. Save exploring that rabbit hole for another time. A boss hunting for rumours of a mythical weapon is much better. Or they have a deep love of a certain beverage that is hard to find. Or they are on the lookout for ways to expand their territory.
What is the boss afraid of? Being scared of bees or the dark lacks detail. Better to connect fears with the wider world. They are afraid of the neighbourhood burning. They are scared of a rival group’s meteoric rise to power.
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In a pinch, this works for PCs, too. If there is time, players can make a really well developed character. However, there are times when the GM springs a one-shot. Or death strikes unannounced and a replacement is needed ASAP.
A cleric is afraid of their village getting over-run by goblins. They will lay their life on the line to protect it. And the player is up and running.
But what if they succeed? The village is now safe. This creates a (good) crisis moment for character growth. They can choose to stay at the settlement (and retire; roll up a new PC) or the player chooses a new fear.
Creating characters on the fly needs just one of these. The other two can come later. And characters can always add to each later. Therein lies the beauty of improv. For now, keep it light and fast-moving. Let the fear, or their pride, or their self-interest lead what they say and do.
Bonus: Improvising a Living World
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PCs stumbling into rooms where orcs simply wait to be bopped and looted is lazy. But constantly thinking up varied and interesting scenes is another brain tax. Again, roll tables come recommended. Ben Milton's Knave 2e has a brilliant encounter table.
GMs don’t just roll for enemy type, but also what the enemies are doing. Plunder this idea liberally; use tables like these. Or, jot down a few ideas during prep. Orcs conducting a mass for their god. Droids rolling dice and gambling hardware. Bandits digging up a false grave for gold.
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These are infinitely more inspiring and varied. Additionally, it’s a golden chance for the GM to slip in world-building naturally. Keep it short. No more than two sentences if possible. This keeps players fully engaged. But over time, players will build up a picture of the world far more organically than any large block of text can.
Practice, Practice, Practice
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Improv will, with experience, become your bread and butter. Practice will make you better, of course. Use these springboards to get back on track when the brain needs a boost. And remember, don’t be shy of using roll tables or tools like Opus. They will keep it fresh and mix up the brain waves.
Good luck!
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