How to Stop Metagaming in D&D

Written by Luke Hart

Metagaming. Every dungeon master (DM) has faced it. Maybe your players always seem to know exactly what to do when fighting trolls. Maybe their wizard casts a fireball into the exact spot where hidden enemies are waiting—enemies their characters couldn’t possibly know were there. It’s frustrating. It can feel like the players are cheating, breaking the immersion, or just not playing fair.

But before you grab your DM screen and toss it in frustration, take a deep breath. Metagaming isn’t always evil. In fact, some of it is unavoidable—and even helpful. So today, I’m going to coach you through how to handle metagaming in your D&D game. Here are six key plays to help keep the game fair, fun, and frustration-free.

By the way, if you're looking for a low level pre-made adventure module for your D&D 5e game, I highly recommend Into the Fey. It's designed for levels 1 to 5, features tricksy fey and their sly schemes, and contains everything you need to play!

Watch or listen to this article by clicking the video below.

1. Not All Metagaming Is Worth Stopping

Let’s be honest: some metagaming is small, harmless, and not worth making a fuss over. A level 2 character using a torch against a troll? Maybe that’s based on campfire stories from their childhood. A wizard casting fireball perfectly to hit enemies around corners? Perhaps they just made a smart guess.

Yes, your players might be peeking at the grid or drawing on their own knowledge of the game. But do you really want to stop everything to call them out? Probably not. Choose your battles. Save your intervention for major issues that truly affect the game, not minor elbow nudges that happen in every session.

2. Some Metagaming Is Actually Good

This might sound counterintuitive, but some metagaming is essential to the game functioning at all. Why do players keep going on dangerous adventures instead of retiring after level 3? Why do party members with opposing alignments stick together? Why do they always seem to follow the DM’s plot?

Because they’re metagaming—acknowledging that they’re playing a cooperative game with narrative goals. Without that shared understanding, the party would fall apart every other session. The paladin would smite the rogue, and the level 3 party would wander into an ancient red dragon’s lair. So yes, a little metagaming grease keeps the campaign wheels turning.

3. Call It Out—Gently

Now, when metagaming crosses the line, what do you do? One of the best tactics is to call it out calmly and constructively. Ask, “How would your character know that?” or “Can you explain how your PC would be aware of that situation?”

This approach does two things. First, it draws attention to the behavior without attacking the player. Second, it gives them a chance to justify their character’s actions. Maybe they do have a familiar spying on the other room. If they don’t, they’ll often admit it and revise their action accordingly.

And if they try to justify it with something flimsy—“Well, my wizard’s smart, so he figured it out…”—you can decide whether that passes muster. Sometimes it’s fine. Other times you may have to say, “Sorry, I’m not buying it. Try something else.”

4. Limit the Opportunities for Metagaming

If you want to reduce metagaming, make it harder for players to metagame in the first place. One easy way is to stop naming monsters. Instead of saying, “You see a troll,” describe it: “A huge green-skinned brute with tusks and gangly limbs stumbles toward you.” Boom. Now they have to react based on the description, not their player knowledge.

Same goes for spell saving throws. Don’t say, “Make a DC 12 Dexterity save.” Just ask them to make a Dexterity save and track the DC secretly. Revealing the number gives away too much—how strong the spellcaster is, how hard the fight might be, and more. Keep them guessing. Mystery keeps the game exciting.

5. Change the Game So Metagaming Doesn’t Work

In some cases, you can just change things to make metagaming fail. Does the whole group know trolls are weak to fire? Fine—make yours vulnerable to cold instead. Got a player who reads monster manuals for fun? Homebrew your monsters. If someone is reading the module ahead of time? Change the layout or twist the plot.

Now, to be fair, this is more work. And you shouldn’t feel like you have to rewrite the entire adventure just to get around one player’s behavior. Use this strategy in moderation—or better yet, talk to the player. Say, “Hey, I know you’re a veteran DM and you know these monsters well. I’m not going to homebrew everything, so just do your best to play fair.” Most players will appreciate your honesty.

6. Don’t Let Metagaming Break Your Game

Here’s the truth: a little metagaming shouldn’t ruin your campaign. If your game is so fragile that a single instance of “player knowledge” derails it, the problem isn’t the metagaming—it’s the structure of the game or your mindset as a DM.

Sure, if a player is reading the module during the session or googling monster stats at the table, that’s a bigger issue—and it should be addressed. But most metagaming is harmless and minor. If you freak out every time it happens, your players are going to feel like they’re walking on eggshells.

Instead, focus on building a strong, flexible game that can handle a little metagaming now and then. Keep the story engaging, the stakes high, and the world reactive. Do that, and your players will be too immersed to care about what’s on page 112 of the Monster Manual.

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• Eleven fey-themed adventures for level 1 to 5 adventuring parties
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• Maps of Aeredale, the surrounding region, and the Fey Plane
• Player handouts
• Hag potion system
• 15 new fey magic items
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