How to Handle Dungeon Master Mistakes in D&D

Mistakes Are Part of GMing

Look, mistakes are going to happen. You’re human. You’re juggling monsters, maps, NPC voices, initiative orders, and whatever wild curveball your players just threw at you—while trying to keep the story fun, coherent, and engaging. It’s a lot.

But here’s the thing: how you handle your mistakes matters more than whether you make them.

Owning up to an error and addressing it with care actually builds trust. Your players see that you care about the game, about fairness, and about their experience. That kind of transparency strengthens the table dynamic.

In fact, a well-handled mistake can even enhance immersion. When you fold a fix seamlessly into the narrative or take a moment to clarify a bad call, you show that the world is responsive and alive—and that their choices matter.

So don’t beat yourself up. If your players see you handling mistakes like a pro, they’ll feel safer, more respected, and more invested in the story you’re building together.

A Note on Scope

Okay, let’s talk about scope, because there are LOTS of mistakes DMs are prone to make. However, we’re limiting the scope to breaking down the kinds of mistakes that can actually hurt your game—and more importantly, how to handle them. We’re talking about mistakes that negatively impact the players and the story. Not the small stuff. Not the “oh no, I forgot the troll’s regeneration for five rounds” kind of mistake. That’s just a missed opportunity. And if it happened in the players’ favor? Well... suck it up, buttercup. Of course, if you feel a terrible injustice at making a mistake in the players’ favor, you can address that as well in many of the same ways listed below.

But if your mistake made a combat fall flat, derailed a dramatic social encounter, undermined a rule call in a way that broke trust, or gave the players the wrong information and wrecked their sense of agency—then yeah, we’re going to talk about how to fix that.

Examples of DM Mistakes That Actually Matter

Let’s say you’re in the middle of combat, and the bad guy drops a nasty area of effect spell. Players are failing their saves left and right, and it turns the tide of the battle. But after the session, you realize you were looking at the wrong monster stat block. The DC should have been 18, not 21. That’s a massive difference. Half the players who failed would’ve succeeded—and now the encounter feels unfair, even if they don’t know why—though, I must point out, many players might LOOK UP the monster after the game session and they’ll know.

Or maybe you flubbed a social scene. The players finally get into the Duke’s palace, and the guard who lets them in is supposed to log their names. That detail? Important for what’s coming. But in the moment, you were focused on roleplaying the grumpy sentry and just forgot.

Maybe you made a bad rules call—like making the Strength 17 fighter rolling an Athletics check to jump a 10-foot pit. They roll a 1. Into the acid they go. Only later do you remember that with a 10-foot running start, they should’ve made the jump automatically.

Or maybe the worst one: you forgot to deliver a critical piece of lore. The players searched the room, they asked the right questions, they earned it—but your notes got shuffled and the big clue never hit the table. And now they’re lost, and more importantly, the plotline is at risk.

These are the kinds of mistakes we’re talking about—the ones that matter. So what do you do when this happens?

Step One: Assess the Impact of the Mistake

So you've made a mistake. That sinking feeling in your gut is the DM version of rolling a natural 1. But before you start rewriting history or confessing to the table like you’ve committed a crime, take a breath—and assess.

First, was this a narrative mistake or a mechanical one? Narrative mistakes are like forgetting to mention that the Duke’s guard took the players’ names—details that affect story, continuity, and immersion. Mechanical mistakes are things like botched DCs or bad rules calls.

Then ask: did the mistake result in an unfair condition? Was it something that robbed the players of a win they earned or made them suffer consequences they didn’t deserve?

Did the mistake affect player agency? Did it rob them of a real choice? If you gave them bad info or forced them into a situation they should’ve avoided, that’s more than a hiccup—it’s a dent in the integrity of the game.

And most importantly, before you even think about fixing it: would going back and correcting the mistake cause more harm than good? Sometimes the fix is messier than the flaw. And that’s what we figure out next.

Step Two: Sometimes, Just Let It Go

Not every mistake needs a grand gesture or a campaign-altering correction. Sometimes… you just let it go.

If the mistake had minimal impact—maybe a slightly wrong DC, a skipped condition, a spell effect that didn’t land quite right—but it didn’t ruin anyone’s fun or derail the session, you can move on. Especially if fixing it would kill the momentum. Some players like gritty realism and tactical rewinds. Others just want to keep the story flowing. Know your table.

And if you realize your mistake too late—after the combat is done, after the session is over, or after the fallout has already been folded into the narrative—then just note it and keep going. You can say, “Hey, just realized I messed that up. For the record, we’ll do it differently next time.”

If someone gets upset, toss them a small mechanical concession like Inspiration or a hero point. Just… don’t train them to expect it every time. The last thing you want is a table full of rules lawyers trying to earn cookies for every minor slip-up.

Step Three: Fix It

However, if you assess the mistake and determine that it needs to be addressed, there are multiple ways to proceed.

1. Retconning

Sometimes, a mistake is too big to ignore. It changed the course of a combat. It erased player agency. It confused the narrative. In that case, it’s time to break out the GM scalpel and perform a retcon—short for “retroactive continuity.”

A retcon means stopping the game, acknowledging the mistake, and narratively rewinding events to correct it. But before you do, check in with your players. Are they okay with a little temporal disruption? Some groups are totally fine with it. Others find it jarring. Always read the room.

If you go ahead with the retcon, explain clearly what the mistake was, how it changes the scene, and what the new version looks like. Most importantly, allow limited do-overs for player decisions. If their action would have changed based on the corrected version of events, let them revise.

Example: You forgot a monster’s ability to teleport next to a target it hits with a ranged attack. Another player casts an AoE spell targeting that now-vacant spot. Oops. Fix the monster’s position and give the player a chance to aim elsewhere. That’s fair.

When NOT to Retcon

Not every mistake deserves a rewind. Sometimes, the best course of action is to let things play out and move forward.

Let’s say a player casts ray of frost at a white dragon, and the GM declares that the dragon is immune to cold. The player groans and says, “Well, if I’d known that, I would’ve used fire bolt instead.” Sorry, but that’s not a retcon moment. That’s a character learning experience. The character didn’t know, so now they do. That’s how adventuring works.

Or imagine this: You accidentally roll d8s instead of d6s for a monster’s damage, and a player dies. Three sessions later, the player says they looked up the monster and realized you rolled too much damage. Yeah, too bad. That’s way too late for a retcon. At that point, the story has moved on, the group has adjusted, and the consequences have become part of the campaign’s continuity. If the player really wants their character back, you can absolutely work with them to create a story-based reason for their return—but don’t try to rewrite the past.

For what it’s worth, I believe that retconning is the worst path for correcting a DM mistake unless it’s a quick retcon and the story hasn’t moved on. Undoing the past too much gets sticky and empowers the players to request more retcons in the future if they’re not happy with something.

2. Fix It Going Forward

Not every mistake needs a grand announcement or a campaign-altering rewind. Sometimes, the best way to fix your mistake… is to just fix it going forward.

This works best when the players didn’t notice, and the impact wasn’t major. Maybe you accidentally rolled d8s instead of d6s for a monster’s damage, but no one died and no one’s even mentioned it. Or maybe you used the wrong DC for a saving throw, but the outcome didn’t drastically alter the scene or player decisions.

In cases like these, there’s no need to draw attention to it. Just correct the numbers behind the screen and move on. Roll the right dice next time. Use the right DC next time. No harm, no foul.

Now, if it’s going to bug you or you’re the kind of GM who likes to own up to every little flub, you can say something like, “Just realized I rolled the wrong damage die last round—got it fixed moving forward.” But most of the time? Quietly correcting it keeps the game running smooth and your players happily immersed.

3. Balance the Scales

Sometimes you realize you messed something up, and fixing it doesn’t require a retcon or even an apology. You just need to rebalance the scales moving forward.

Did you forget that the ogre in the last room had a +1 greatsword? Easy fix—just slip it into the next treasure drop. “Oh look, it turns out this goblin stash has a suspiciously ogre-sized +1 greatsword in it.” Turns out the goblins stole it from the ogre who has been furiously looking for it ever since.

Maybe you accidentally had an NPC treat the party like enemies when they should’ve been allies. Next time they meet, have the NPC rub their temples and mutter, “Sorry about the last time we spoke. It had been a long day. I hope you understand.” And just carry on with the friendlier tone.

Or what about that troll you forgot could regenerate? If the fight’s feeling too easy, just quietly start giving it back some hit points—just be sure the players soon notice so they can do something about its regeneration.

This kind of behind-the-scenes correction lets you maintain the flow of the game, preserve immersion, and still keep things fair.

4. Fix It “In World”

Sometimes you make a mistake—but instead of rewinding time or fudging numbers behind the screen, you can just fold it into the narrative.

This works best when the mistake didn’t have a huge negative impact and you want to maintain immersion. For example, if you forgot to give the players a piece of lore they’ll need later to solve a puzzle, don’t panic. Just have a dusty book fall off a shelf in the next room, or describe a new painting on the wall that reveals the info.

Was an NPC accidentally hostile when they were supposed to be friendly? Maybe they were being mentally dominated or charmed.

Did you give the party a magic item that turned out to be way too powerful? Maybe it has a secret curse that activates later, weakening it or requiring a quest to cleanse.

These kinds of narrative patches not only fix the mistake without players noticing—they can make your world feel more alive. And in my opinion, this is almost always the best way to fix a mistake if it’s possible.

5. Talk to the Players and Work Out a Solution Together

Sometimes, the best fix is the simplest one: talk to your players. I swear, TALKING TO YOUR PLAYERS, solves 95% of the problems you’re likely to have in the game. Imagine that. D&D’s a social game and sometimes we have to talk to each other.

Anyway, if your mistake significantly impacted the game—or might in the future—open a dialogue. This also works great for extremely minor things, like forgetting to ask the party their names at the city gate. Just ask them now what they would’ve told the guards their names are and move on.

But if the stakes are higher—like a bad call that disrupted expectations or changed outcomes—bring it to the table. Something like, “Hey, I made a bad call last session that might have messed with some of your characters’ expectations. Would you rather we retcon it, roll with it, or find a middle ground?” Then talk it out.

Now here’s the key: you make the final call. You’re the DM, and your role includes guiding the story. But giving the players a voice shows respect, builds trust, and reinforces your commitment to a great experience.

Handled right, conversations like these don’t just solve problems. This kind of discussion strengthens your “social contract” and demonstrates transparency and your willingness to fix issues while maintaining GM authority.

Choosing the Right Fix

I’ve given you several ways to fix a mistake now, but how do you decide which to use?

If the mistake caused a major disruption—like derailing a scene, invalidating a player’s big moment, or fundamentally altering the story—then your best options are probably either a retcon or talking it out with your players. You want to get things back on track without creating more problems.

For smaller issues—maybe a rules misstep or a missed detail—fixing it quietly behind the screen or working it into the story is often smoother and keeps the game flowing. No need to grind everything to a halt just to adjust the damage dice by two points.

Personally, I always talk it out before I retcon. I’ll only do a full-on rewind if the entire table agrees that it’s the right thing to do. Otherwise, we find another way forward.

And honestly? Most of the time for an obvious mistake that I can’t quietly fix, if nobody died and there was no major effect, I just admit the mistake, say I’ll remember it going forward… and move on.