Player Prep in D&D | Lessons from Gygax’s “Successful Adventures” | Wandering DMs S07 E39

Dan and Paul discuss the often-overlooked idea that players can (and perhaps should) prepare for a D&D session. Using Gary Gygax’s “Successful Adventures” section from the back of the AD&D 1E Player’s Handbook, they explore how early D&D expected parties to organize missions, plan loadouts, coordinate spells, establish marching formations, avoid unnecessary encounters, and operate like a disciplined expedition.

How do these expectations compare to modern table norms? What echoes of this philosophy appear in West Marches play? And what lessons can today’s players still take from Gygax’s advice?

We’ll dig into the text, test its ideas against practical experience, and look at how player preparation changes the feel of a campaign.