Balancing the freedom of exploration that Dungeons & Dragons offers with compelling storytelling can be difficult for some Dungeon Masters, but experienced DMs understand when to encourage free-roaming world-building and episodic adventures, and when to stay laser-focused on dramatic stakes. Exploring the campaign’s fantasy world and pursuing whatever character-driven agenda appeals to the party is a key part of the classic DnD experience. Once a high-stakes conflict is introduced, presenting a session that feels like a filler episode of a television series is a sure-fire way to kill any narrative momentum and urgency the DM has worked to build.

https://screenrant.com/dnd-campaigns-conflicts-stakes-dms-tips-op-ed/