When you sit down to play Dungeons & Dragons®, you’re probably thinking about the character you’ve created, the monsters you’ll fight, or the treasures you’ll win. You’re probably not thinking about how love and romance could factor into your game—or perhaps you are. There are many kinds of players, and some enjoy deep characterization and high adventure over clobbering monsters and taking their treasure. Anyone who’s ever fallen in love knows there are few stronger emotional motivators.

This article is intended to give you a few ideas on using love as a plot device or driving force in your game, either for your character or for the movers and shakers of the setting. There is no end to compelling love stories in fantasy fiction that you can draw inspiration from, and more can be found in D&D® novels old and new. My advice is to steal their ideas outright or reconfigure them to suit your own style.