One way that Dungeons & Dragons stands out against other forms of modern media is the powerful level of immersion it provides to its players. A Dungeon Master can make the story revolve around the player characters and their decisions in ways not possible in a video game.

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Another way it stands out is with the ‘only one chance’ stakes most games have. There’s no quick saving and no trying again. These two ideas combine to make for some powerful moral dilemmas sure to make your future sessions all the more memorable. Here are the best ethical and moral dilemmas to add to your own campaign.

Not all dilemmas have to be grand and dramatic. They can also be small decisions or actions that seem insignificant but build to create a greater portrayal of the party’s moral standing and the potential consequences they bring.

8 Which Rivaling Nation Or Group Do They Align With?

Recruitment Drive by Diego Gisbert

A classic concept in any game with political conflict, the party can be given the opportunity to choose which ‘team’ to side with. Do they help the Northern nation or the Southern one? Do they help Guild A or Guild B?

The trick here is not to vilify either side. Both groups have justifiable reasons for war, and both sides have done some pretty uncool things in the name of war. Whatever side they choose can have a big impact on the rest of the game, though, so be prepared to modify some upcoming plans to fix the new environments or allies accordingly.

7 Do They Kill Humanoid Criminals?

Grunnald and Edgin Darvis by Eduardo Ferigato

Not everything that your party will fight will be beasts and monsters. Oftentimes, they’ll encounter other people. These could be bandits and highwaymen looking to rob travelers or mercenaries for an evil organization. Maybe they're just guards for a thieves' guild. But every foot soldier and mugger is inherently a bad person.

Plenty of folks could have fallen on hard times and had no choice but to lead an immoral life to make enough money to provide for their family. How they treat these people, even when they’re hostile, can be complicated. Do they use nonlethal damage, kill them anyway (they’re violent, after all), or try to talk them down?

You can help create player uncertainty by having them overhear the enemies before they notice the party. For example, the bandits could discuss how they didn’t want this life but had no choice.

6 Do They Kill Animals In Their Natural Environment? What About Monsters?

Half-Elf Monk by Zoltan Boros

Whether exploring caves or trekking across a forest, your D&D party will encounter all sorts of wildlife. A lot of that life will not be friendly, either. But how do they react to that? Do they run from a wild bear encounter? What if it’s protecting cubs? Or what if it’s protecting a treasure chest?

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This can also be applied to strange creatures and other monsters. Elementals, Demons, and Oozes are all monsters, but they’re still normal parts of the natural world. Is your party more willing to kill them than an animal?

Aberrations and Monstrosities are common exceptions to this idea since they are not ‘natural’ creatures. Even they can find a place they belong, though.

5 Do They Engage In Necromancy To Benefit Themselves?

Summon Undead by Dallas Williams

Necromantic magic is generally frowned upon in the societies of most games. But how far down that path will they go if it will help them? Not everyone is raising the dead. It could be as small as digging up a grave to cast Speak With Dead. Would your party defile a grave to find out the name of a serial killer? What about to find out where treasure is?

It’s not just graveyards, either. Plenty of tombs and catacombs can exist. The souls inside could rise as zombies and skeletons to defend their resting places. Do they still raid the tomb? Do they take the valuables left there as offerings? Would they still do it if an NPC asked them not to, even if that NPC would never know?

Death has a different meaning in traditional D&D landscapes. Souls experience a great deal more after death, including going to different planes depending on which deities the character worships. In the end, though, what happens after death is up to you, the DM.

4 Do They Help A Good Person Do Something Bad? Or A Bad Person Do Something Good?

Sly Instigator MtG Art from Commander 2021 by Justine Cruz

Not everyone is fully good or bad. That applies to NPCs, too. Sometimes good people make bad choices. What does the party do when said good person asks them to help accomplish something the party believes will be bad overall? A druid caring for endangered plants and animals might want your party to ruin the life of a factory owner, for example. The owner provides jobs and takes care of his staff and their families well, but the factory still harms the environment.

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It works inversely, too. Say there’s an NPC that is unpleasant, rude, and known for immoral behavior. They want to accomplish something that, while bad on the surface, would be better overall. Do they help them? A drug lord wants to build an orphanage, for example, but will still peddle drugs to adults on the street.

3 Do They Manipulate People Using Enchantment Magic?


Bloodboil Sorcerer by Bartek Fedyczak

Everyone knows that Necromancy is a frowned upon school of magic, but not everyone talks about the potential concerns of using certain Enchantment spells. These are spells that manipulate people and force them to behave differently. Some spells include Charm Person, Calm Emotions, and Modify Memory.

To take away a person's control of their own body can be more than a little traumatic, depending on the circumstances. But what if it's the only non-violent way to stop someone? When is it acceptable? Using Charm Person to stop a murder is one thing; using Dominate Person to force someone to kill their allies is another.

If this isn’t something the party has questioned before, you can try ‘turning the tables’ by having the same spells cast on them, highlighting the frightful nature of such magic.

2 Who Do They Revive First: The Beloved NPC Or Another Party Member?

Potion of Healing by Pauline Voss

This one is very circumstantial and will be rather difficult to plan ahead of time, but it can still happen. Whether from a dangerous battle or a lethal trap, two characters need to have been both downed and killed. The party then will find a single item or scroll that can revive one of them. Who do they pick?

The NPC could be powerful and important, like a duke or king. They might also be a beloved character that the party has bonded to. But to save them means a player character having to retire a character. You could potentially instigate this by having both characters kidnapped by a villain and given a lethal poison or curse. This would help negate a cleric’s magic. The villain can be the one holding the key to their revival, too.

You may wish to discuss this situation with the dying player character first to avoid real-world hurt feelings.

1 Will They Hinder An Ally For Their Own Safety?

Hand of Vecna by Irina Nordsol

Adventuring is easy when the player characters are the ones taking all the risks. Whether it’s because of the power their characters wield or the natural implication of player character plot armor, the folks at your table will always be willing to risk their lives to accomplish a goal. But what if they’re not the ones taking the risk?

NPCs are people, too, each with their own motivations. So what happens when a beloved NPC tells the party that they plan on doing something dangerous for the sake of their goal? Maybe this is an occult ritual, storming a troll cave or bandit camp, or even taking a portal to a different plane. Perhaps it's for revenge or to rescue a loved one. Maybe its to find an important artifact.

The NPC refuses to accept help, believing they have to do it alone. If they try, they will almost certainly die. But if the party tries to talk them out of it or stop them, the NPC will become resentful of the party, becoming upset with them, potentially forever. Does the party save their life, even if it’s against their wishes? Or do they let them make a potentially lethal mistake?

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