Railroading Can Actually Be Good in D&D

By Luke Hart

There was a time when calling a dungeon master a “railroader” was basically the ultimate insult—right up there with fudging dice and forgetting passive Perception. And if you spend any time on Reddit, that hasn’t changed. Railroading is still treated like the cardinal sin of game mastering. But let’s be honest: a lot of those shouting the loudest about player agency have never actually run a D&D game. Some haven’t even played one.

Here’s the truth: railroading can ruin a campaign—but it can also save one. Not all railroading is bad. In fact, when used thoughtfully, it can be one of the best tools in a DM’s kit. Whether you’re guiding new players, keeping your pacing tight, or setting up an emotional story beat, a little structured guidance can go a long way. Today, we’re breaking down when railroading works, how to use it well, and why “never railroad your players” might actually be some of the worst advice you’ve ever heard.

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. Railroading Is Great for New Players

Picture this: a seasoned Wizards of the Coast dungeon master sits down with a table full of Stranger Things actors—celebrities who’ve never rolled a d20 in their lives. He weaves an epic vision of a grand city gate, complete with bustling markets and looming spires, then turns to the group and casually drops: “Alright, what do you want to do?” Silence. Crickets. Total bewilderment.

That’s not a failure of the actors—it’s a failure of context. For board gamers or first-timers, D&D feels like jumping off a cliff without a parachute. There’s no fixed board, no strict turn sequence, no rulebook telling you exactly when to move or attack. When you present brand-new players with infinite possibility and zero guidance, you often get confusion or even performance anxiety: “If I make the wrong choice, am I playing the game ‘wrong’?”

Enter what we traditionally call railroading—a structured approach to easing new players into the game by guiding them along a clear path, especially early on. Here’s why it works:

• You Build Confidence through Guided Choices: Instead of “What do you do?” try “The city guard beckons you toward the northern gate—do you follow or ask about the missing caravans?” You’re still giving them agency, but within boundaries that make sense. They learn how the rules flow—movement, skill checks, simple combat—without the paralysis of total freedom.
• You Teach Mechanics in Context: Railroading lets you introduce rules at the right pace. First session, focus on ability checks and simple role-play. Next, slip in combat with a low-threat encounter. Then magic. By the time they hit deeper dungeons or political intrigue, they’ve already internalized the basics.
• You Guarantee Story Momentum: When you guide players to specific encounters, you ensure they experience a bit of everything—combat, exploration, social scenes—so they see the full spectrum of D&D and get hooked on the variety.
• You Transition Smoothly to Open Play: Once players get comfortable—usually after two or three guided sessions—you can start peeling back the rails. “Do you want to investigate the eastern district, head straight to the castle, or rest and gather rumors?” Now they’ve got reference points and can make meaningful, confident choices.

Remember: railroading new players isn’t about taking away freedom—it’s about building the foundation they need to use that freedom well. By guiding them early on, you empower your group to explore the open world with curiosity instead of confusion.

2. Railroading Can Strengthen the Story

We’re in an era where the story is king. A lot of players today—especially those raised on Actual Plays and story-driven campaigns—aren’t just here for dungeon crawls and treasure tables. They’re here to feel something. They want character arcs. Emotional payoffs. That cinematic moment where everything ties together.

And sometimes? Getting to that story means doing a little railroading.

Now, I’m not talking about dragging players through a rigid, pre-written campaign while ignoring their choices. I’m talking about steering—subtly guiding them back toward the narrative they want when they’re off course or unsure what to do next.

Even top-tier GMs like Matt Mercer and Brennan Lee Mulligan do this. Watch closely, and you’ll see the quiet nudges—the NPCs offering the right information, the flashbacks that drop at just the right moment. It’s not controlling. It’s curating. And when done well, it keeps the game moving and the story emotionally grounded.

This kind of railroading works especially well with players who are invested in the story and want to see their characters evolve. A small nudge toward a major plot beat can lead to a massive emotional payoff—something they’ll talk about for months afterward.

It’s also a great way to honor player agency in a deeper sense. In one of my friend’s recent games, a player asked if they could visit his character’s home city again. He’d mentioned it in his backstory but hadn’t been back in ages. So, my friend steered the party toward a rumor—an ancient dwarven artifact had resurfaced. Boom: narrative justification, travel hook, and a satisfying emotional beat all in one. The next adventure was shaped around that request, and the payoff was huge.

So yes, even experienced players can benefit from a little railroading—when it’s used to serve the story they’re helping to tell. It's not a leash—it's a gentle hand on the tiller, helping steer the ship through narrative waters they already want to explore.

3. Railroading Helps Set the Tone and Manage Expectations

Here’s the thing most people don’t tell you about railroading—it’s not just about controlling plot. It’s also one of the best tools you have for setting tone, managing expectations, and keeping the table on the same page.

Sometimes, as the DM, you have to push the narrative forward—not because the players are doing anything wrong, but because they’re stuck. Maybe they’ve been arguing about a plan for 20 minutes. Maybe they’re chasing red herrings. Or maybe things just feel... sluggish. A little light railroading in those moments isn’t oppressive. It’s helpful. It keeps the game moving and keeps the players focused.

But it’s not just about pacing. Railroading can also help establish the emotional tone of your campaign.

Let’s say you’re running a horror-themed game. You can’t always rely on the players to conjure that sense of dread themselves. Sometimes, you have to guide them. That doesn’t mean telling them, “Your character is scared.” That’s proscriptive. It tells them how to feel, and players tend to push back on that.

Instead, use emotive railroading: “The hairs on the back of your neck rise. The air suddenly feels colder. Somewhere in the darkness, something shifts.” You’re not taking away their agency—you’re creating a mood. You’re encouraging them to react, not forcing them to.

In a comedy game? You do the same thing in reverse. You might nudge the party into a ridiculously awkward social encounter or set up a goblin ambush that involves banana peels and bad poetry. You’re laying the track for humor—not demanding it, just framing it.

Tone, pacing, and genre cues don’t always happen on their own. Sometimes the players need a little guidance, and railroading—used subtly and with purpose—lets you manage expectations while preserving the atmosphere you’re all trying to create.

4. Use Railroading Sparingly—and Intentionally

Let’s be clear: just because railroading can be helpful doesn’t mean it should be your default.

In most of the examples we’ve talked about, we’re not talking about driving the party down a rigid plotline with no room to breathe. We’re talking about light railroading—gentle nudges, scene framing, and occasional steering to maintain tone, pacing, or clarity. And when used well, it can absolutely enhance the game.

But it’s a tool—not a crutch.

Taking away player agency is something you should never do casually. If you're going to guide players into a specific emotion, reaction, or choice, it needs to be for a good reason—and it helps a lot if you have the player’s buy-in.

If a player pushes back—says, “That’s not what my character would do” or “That doesn’t feel right”—don’t double down. Let them adjust. Maybe the emotion was too strong. Maybe the motivation wasn’t clear. Work with them to reshape the moment so it fits the fiction they’re building. That doesn’t mean letting the whole thing go off the rails—it just means respecting the shared narrative.

And especially in that first case we talked about—guiding brand-new players through their first adventure—you’ve got to know when to let go. Once they understand the rules, start taking initiative, and clearly know what kind of game they want to play? Pull back. Give them the freedom to explore, fail, and surprise you.

Railroading is like salt: a little bit can bring out the flavor of the game. Too much, and you ruin the dish.

So, use it sparingly. Use it intentionally. And always—always—make sure it’s in service of a better experience for the players at your table.

Confront Devious Fey and Their Tricksy Plots!

For years, the fey creatures inhabiting Pelview Grove to the north and Pelfell Bog to the east have not been a source of trouble, though perhaps they were a shade too mischievous at times. That has now changed.

Beset on all sides by a variety of issues -- childish pranks gone wild, dwarves forced out of their own brewery, and farmers missing -- the Aeredale guard is looking for help from local adventuring parties to set things right.

For those brave souls who accept the call to adventure, it'll be time to go into the fey.

If you’re looking to start up a new 5e campaign or reboot your current one, Into the Fey may be exactly what you need. Designed for levels 1 to 5, Into the Fey contains everything you need to start playing:

• Eleven fey-themed adventures for level 1 to 5 adventuring parties
• Over 40 new fey monsters
• The fully fleshed-out town of Aeredale
• Maps of Aeredale, the surrounding region, and the Fey Plane
• Player handouts
• Hag potion system
• 15 new fey magic items
• JPG image files of all Into the Fey adventure maps, including GM versions and gridded/non-gridded player versions
• JPG images files of all Into the Fey world maps
• Digital tokens of Into the Fey NPCs and monsters

Pick up the Into the Fey Ultimate Bundle to get the hardcover, the PDF, digital maps, and digital tokens.

Starting a new campaign can be tons of work; let Into the Fey do some of the heavy lifting for you!