Post/Author/DateTime	Post
UMiskatonic 11-21-06, 11:12 AM	Hey all, Borrowing heavily from MwaO's player prep post, I thought that I would see what people do to prepare as a judge. I'll start with a few of my tricks. 1) Read the mod. 2) Don't read the mod. That's to say, don't ever read the mod to the players. Almost ALL the box text I've ever seen in my life says 'read or paraphrase'. Why judges then proceed to read in the dullest monotone they can muster is beyond me. 3) READ the mod. Not enough to say 'Yes, I looked at every page', but read it until you have a sense of where everything is, and why it is there. What will NPC's do if the players are early? late? Will they flee, or fight to the death? What are the likeliest actions for them to take to start a fight? How do their special actions work? 3) Don't trash the mod. As a teacher, I know that if you complain about the subject, it makes it MUCH easier for others to do so. If you take it seriously, others will too. Few mods are perfect, but few are so bad that you can't have fun either. 4) Buy a watch. Think about how long certain sections take, and stick to it. For example, this could mean 'PCs have one hour to roleplay with the townsfolk, but then they need to start looking for the cult.' 5) Push a bit. The players are EXPECTING you to take charge. Do so. Ask repeatedly 'What do you do?' 'Where do you go next?' 'A round is six seconds, make a decision' 6) Buy some index cards. They are good for everything. You can make quick table tents, identify battlefield effects, and track initiative. And make table tents for both yourself (they don't know your name automatically) and the host of NPC's. It's MUCH easier to remember a name if you both read and hear it. And the game isn't about memorizing names, it's about being a hero.
copper_wyrmling 11-21-06, 12:30 PM	I agree with everything you just said ;) I haven't actually done (6) before - I'm usually willing to remind the players of an NPC's name if they forget it. It's a good idea though. I would add: - Resist the urge to comment on the mod, and especially the urge to discuss how it went when you played it. Of course, there are times when you want to do this (playtests and slot-zeroes come to mind, for example you might want to tell your fellow GMs that the encounter changes radically at the next APL up and discuss how to handle it), but as a general rule, it takes time and breaks immersion in the game. (This is something I have a tendency to do as a judge, I'm trying to train myself out of it.) - Look for confusing rules that are particularly likely to come up in the scenario (my usual suspects are aerial combat with less-than-good manouverability, grappling with improved grab / snatch / constrict, and mounted combat). Make sure you know those sections of the PHB / DMG / FAQ really well, and also have them bookmarked. One of the best GMs I've played with used to bring small items to represent the treasure and quest items found in-game, so she could actually physically hand them out to the PCs. That was fun, and made it much easier to remember who had which item (e.g. "Um, I think I fail my massive damage Fort save - wait! Does anyone remember if I took that amulet of Con from the last encounter? I know I wanted it, but the rogue asked for it as well...") You could also just write the item description on index cards and hand those out.
solbergb 11-21-06, 01:04 PM	I don't use index cards either but I'd rephrase #6 to be 6. Have a way of quickly referencing everything important about the module. (names, statblocks, key clues/plot elements etc) that doesn't involve shuffling papers. My method is to cram the whole thing on one page, sometimes two pages (if a lot of APLs are covered) with cryptic excel shorthand. Some like index cards. Some use other tricks. #6 is easier if you have done a good job with #3, because more is in your head. I don't like to run a mod until I've internalized most of it. This gives me the bandwidth to handle all the weird things PC's want to do. Not reading the boxtext usually takes a fair amount of understanding of the module too, in order to avoid forgetting vital clues or cues. I like to have miniatures that at least sorta look like what the PC's are fighting. I find the abstraction of dice/poker chips/whatever a bit much at times but not everyone has boxes of minis donated by friends over the years like I do :) I also do 3 simulated fights at each APL I run. This gives me a sense of the pacing of the fights compared to the rest of the module and also which fights are unusually easy or difficult. Usually I think about roleplay aspects while driving or walking or whatever close to the time I'm going to run it. (especially if I know who the players are going to be). This falls under "good idea" but not every judge will do it, and many that might don't have time. The main thing is to THINK about the module, not just READ it. Try to understand the story and characters. Know what the combat-stuff is capable of so you run it with proper challenge, and know also what limitations are built into the terrain or tactics. I think the most important rule though is #7 - Don't run a module you don't like. And try to run mods that you are excited to share with your players. The enthusiasm (or lack of it) that the judge has can greatly affect the fun for the entire table.
Mommy was an Orc 11-21-06, 01:10 PM	I think judging is often more of an art form, but a few things I do: Write down player initiative on the battle mat, in a roughly table type form. Then list the monsters initiatives nearby. Then start marking down damage by the monster initiative rolls. I've seen people use the index cards, but they take me more time to use. Where index cards seem more valuable to me is when you need the player to make a roll, but you'd rather not them know what they're rolling for... Play test combats with a solid, reasonably iconic, 4 person party. Doublecheck the CRs. See if anything weird pops up from the tactics. Succubi, as an example, can potentially Summon a Vrock, which can throw the entire EL out of whack. Does the mod offer ways of defeating the BBEG via items, hints, tactics or circumstantial modifiers? Make sure I know those things before I've TPK'd the party. Know the tactics that I plan to use for each monster and how far I'm willing to deviate from that. I think a common mistake made by a lot of tactical DMs is to play the best possible tactic they can think of for the monster. Look at the AR. Find out how the party could get to every item on the AR. Figure out how exactly players are supposed to get from point A to B to C to D. Is it obvious?
copper_wyrmling 11-21-06, 01:30 PM	Mommy and Solbergb always make me feel so inferior in these discussions... I don't have *time* to playtest the encounters at every APL, although I do try to imagine likely tactics for the PCs and how the monsters would react, and with spellcasters I plan out a rough outline of what spells they're going to cast if everything goes to plan (which of course it never does). Solbergb, any chance I could see how you cram all the key information onto one page? An example would be very useful, I hate shuffling papers. My approach to the problem (especially when running with minimal preparation time) has usually been to note down initiatives and hide / move silent / spot / listen modifiers for all the monsters at the point in the module where the encounter is described - that normally lets me resolve the start of the encounter quickly (is there a surprise round, what do the PCs see), put the miniatures down, describe the scene, then turn to the appendix with the full stat-blocks and run the combat from there. With regard to solbergb's point 7, sometimes you don't really have a choice... unless you think you really can't run the module fairly, I think the players would usually prefer a game with an unenthusiastic judge to missing the mod entirely. I agree that judge enthusiasm makes a big difference to the quality of the experience though.
UMiskatonic 11-21-06, 01:34 PM	In a related vein, here are some things I like to see in a mod. If the author didn't put it in, I generally will when I prep. For example, it's easy to pre-draw a map. a) Break up the stat blocks by APL, not by encounter. I've I'm running at APL 8, I don't need all the other stuff, and being able to set it aside really helps. b) Give me a map. It's a tactical game, and those are needed. Give me starting encounter distances too, those were not reprinted in the 3.5 DMG. c) Don't bottleneck the story. If there's a key piece of information, there better be more than one way to get it. If the PC's have to track down the badguy, there better be a tracker in the town they can hire. If they have to make a knowledge check, they better be able to hire a sage. If there's an NPC with key information, they better be able to get that information with good divinations as well, or gather info. d) I'd rather see a number of Q&A for important NPCs than a prepared speech. I'll usually convert it over to Q&A style if I've got the time. And remember, the question is "Are the players showing interest in this info?" and not "Did they read the mind of the author and ask this particular question, using these particular words?" e) Make minions the same if it doesn't matter. If there's a evil wizard and six bugbears, PLEASE make the bugbears all the same. Or three archers and three pikemen. But not six different bugbears who all have different stats and equipment.
trollbill 11-21-06, 02:43 PM	One thing I have found very helpful, especially when DMing at Gamedays and Cons where you have more time contraints than you do at a home game, is to predraw as many combat maps as possible. I get eisel pads with 1" grid patterns on them from Office Depot. They are large enough for most combats and pre-drawing them saves a lot of time at the table. Even better is how much doing so helps when the Module doesn't supply a map of its own. I watched one combat in a particular mod get played 3 almost completely different ways because there was no map, and each DM tried to visualize one on the fly. After I got a chance to run the mod myself, I discovered there was a fairly detailed description of the combat area. Detailed enough that no one was going to get it right on the fly. I drew out the map carefully following the description and ended up with an extremely useful map that wasn't anything like any of the other games I saw played for that encounter. It also made a lot more sense to the players than any of the on-the-fly maps. I also usually have an "adventure in a bag." This is essentially a ziplock bag into which I put the plastic minis and Game Mechanic Initiative Cards for all of the encounters in a given mod. If I know what APL I am running, I fill out the cards ahead of time. If not, I just fill in the monsters name and put in what I need later. This is especially helpful if I am going to a Con or Gameday in which I am running several different mods. After everything is prepared I gather it all together. In my Crystal Cast BattleHive I put: my rule books modules hand painted minis DM's screen markers pens pencils dice clear Chessex dice boxes for use as a stands for flying creatures Steel Squire templates small note pad additional Game Mechanic Initiative Cards snack food retractable badge holder for use as a LOS tool pill box with assorted over the counter medicines for various problems that may crop up. Battlesystem counters to use for marking the location of dead/unconscious monsters/PCs I then take the two part plastic "scrapbooking" container I bought at Target. In the top compartmentalize section, I place a variety of PC D&D Miniatures minis (humans, elves, dwarves, etc) plus a bunch of summonable creatures for use by the players. In the bottom, non-compartmentalized section I place all of the "adventures in a bag." I put all of the pre-made maps, my Chessex Battlematt and my map of Greyhawk in a plastic art tube I bought at Office Depot. I then grab my two notebooks (one containining all of my chacters, the other containing the LGCS, complete Metaorg listings and complete deity listings) and I'm, ready to go.
UMiskatonic 11-21-06, 03:26 PM	Amen on the pre-drawn maps. For the delve-type adventures, I've seen stacks of maps eight deep. And you know, it's worth it. I really like cardboard counters for monsters and NPCs. They pack down flat, and you can pre-print whaterver you need. Fiery Dragon is great, there are other companies too. They are also disposable, so if you lose one, its ok. And steel squire templates are just fantastic.
gomeztoo 11-21-06, 03:52 PM	d) I'd rather see a number of Q&A for important NPCs than a prepared speech. Sometimes, though, a prepared speech is easier to get all the important bits. Another way is a handout. In the intro 'hiring' hook, that can be easiest, and the best way to make sure you get all the info (and the DM doesn't accidentally skip it), and people are quick on their way to the real adventure.. IF there are Q&A, don't treat it as box text. I've had a DM read aloud all questions and answers. No roleplay or nothing.
solbergb 11-21-06, 05:41 PM	Yeah, I pre-draw all my maps. I even bought more maps to facilitate this. Saves tons of time. Imagining the fight is a lot better than running it cold, if you can't make the time to simulate it. What Tracy describes is a lot like what I do for the social-roleplay bits (less amenable to simulation...) I've done something like that a couple times, running fights from the statblocks in the appendix when I didn't have time to properly prep or didn't have the tools to make the cheatsheet and once when I LOST the cheatsheet. (that was traumatic) It's not as smooth as my usual method but it is a whole lot better than nothing. For statblocks...here's a simple example. The power attack notation is bolded, the potion of cmw is in blue with italics and in Excel, this is a 3x3 cell block with a border around it. Note how I fit in the hit dice by the name (sleep spells, or banishment spells or turning..I don't do it for all monsters), I usually have regular and touch AC but calculate flatfooted on the fly in my head if they lack a deflection bonus.). Note the initiative is a hard number..I preroll all the initiatives. This makes my simulations much more like what I run...but I DO randomize the inits. These guys only have two atack modes and simple feats, but the terrian involves stuff they might want to climb over and jump on..and they've got a rank in tumble. Guard1x2 AC18/10 hp 12 12 init 9 42.-1(3) /43 pot cmw cl4 jmp4 +6 d6+3 mw shspr tb1 pwr2 AC16 +3 d6+3 cmp sbow Now for a complex statblock. It looks bad here, you can't see the formatting, the color coded spells and spell-like abilities, brown defensive stuff, red weaknesses, the bolded feats etc. There are patterns to how I do things....AC/hp is top line, and I try to have the saves underneath the AC/hp most of the time with main melee attack nearby. Spells I'm unfamiliar with might get an extra notation explaining their effects on the side or inside (unholy Aura has some notes here). There is also border stuff that separates the main statblock from the spells. spells running at start of fight are bolded. Magic items are usually in italics. Amandrucul (4) ac12/12 hp 15 sr15 imslp wnd mgms init 7 clk+1 345(7)/0 2 1 d6-1 mw rp 6 d4 mw hxb pf13 sl5 c8/12 sc11 dnc lts, vl dkns, faerie fire acid flask pot clw,cmw dc14+: acid spl, dt mgk, open/close, rd mgk grease(15), mgk msl, ray enfeeble, sleep(15) fl sph(16), scorch ray, mirror image(4) ightblind abrupt daylight blinds 1r, then dazzle Here's about as nasty as it gets - this is a high APL caster with summoned monster statblocks and both normal and powerup physical statblocks. It takes about 3 pages in the appendix, not counting the Monster Manual statblocks. I have no idea how ugly it will render here. beard6 AC 19/12 45hp 875//8 2 rAC 17/10 r57hp rage 6r 0333 9/4 d10+3 (pwr6) r 11/6 d10+6 (pwr6) r10.77/10 4 (as lich) 8/8 d6+2 beard d8+2, f16 dvl chl gr teleport, 50lb acid/cold10, im fire/psn,dksight,sr17 dr5s/g wnd 2hp/r, heal16/cl16 concentr3 chain8 AC20/12 52hp 30' 886/10 2 regen2 0001 10/10 2d4+2 2 chains(+4 dance) unnerve gaze dc15w 30' -2atk 1d3r (as lich) dance chains dc15 will if attend any chain within 20', add+15'+barb acid10 im cold/fire/psn,dksight,sr18 dr5s/g imp crit (chain) Lich 25 dwf ac25/10 dr15m+bl hp153+34 20' med ac33/14 hp 153+15+20+34 dr9/good 0001 i13 17.11.18/15 2 10 d8+5 f17 plz ce5 pw11 16.10.19/24 12 22 2d6+13 f17 plz pw15 s/l14 s19 c17 12/7/2 d4+3+2d6 vcs th dgr 5 d8+4 f17 plz 24/19/14/9 d6+11+2d6 vcs th dgr 17 2d6+9 f17 plz imn cold/elec/poly/mind af fear60' 5hd dc17w 17/19 cl11 detm, readm,virtue,guideance dth, div fv3 cmplng, entr shl,prt good, sh fth5 18/20 doom,obsc mist; aid, dscr, egl spl, owl wis, res eng (sonic30) 19/21 dth knellx2, silence, mag vest3, prt eng(fire150), prt eng(acid150) 20/22 blindness dispel magic, inv purge, sear light; air walk, divine power, free movex2, spel im (mg msl, ccrit, cser) 21/23 confusion poison; rightous might, spell re24 22/24 flame strike,sl live LUCK REROLL! mislead, summon 6 bolstered! 23/25 blade barrier, harm spell turn8l (1-70 spx,71-80 both,81-97stx; rift) 24/26 repulsionx2 smn 7, moment prescience 25/27 fire storm My statblocks have become more compact and more color-coded and more standardized (and more cryptic) as I've gotten practice. I go back to early mods I prepped and marvel that I used a 5x5 block to describe a simple ogre. The reason they work though is I run the simulations out of Excel, with the map usually in my head, but sometimes "drawn" in grids and with border stuff if it is especially complex. Problems with statblocks (like needing the real flatfooted AC, or a skill I didn't list, or anything else that has me referring to the adventure appendix) get fixed up during the simulations, so by the time I run the game, I've already USED these cryptic statblocks 3 times per APL. They're old friends by then and no longer confuse me.
solbergb 11-21-06, 05:47 PM	I also usually have an "adventure in a bag." . Since I use lead/pewter miniatures mostly I can't bag the minis. I use the old style plastic boxes with foam inside. But I try to get each adventure's minis grouped in a lump and in order that I'll pull them (although at the table I sometimes remove everything from the box...depends how much room I have) My main "adventure pack" though, aside from maps and minis is a copy of the module with my cheatsheets used as a sort of binder. (81/2x11 paper sideways around the mod, to let me grab it without mixing it with other mods). As I run through the mod, adventure sheets usually are dropped on the floor (I'm more careful if I have to re-run the mod later in the con) in a big muddle....starting with all the appendicies and pre-adventure boilerplate that I won't be using. One way to avoid running the wrong APL is to physically separate those pages from everything else. (my cheatsheets usually have all APL's, but for some reason I don't seem to have much trouble remembering..if I'm fuzzy, I circle the section I'm going to use)
Haro 11-21-06, 06:15 PM	3) Don't trash the mod. As a teacher, I know that if you complain about the subject, it makes it MUCH easier for others to do so. If you take it seriously, others will too. Few mods are perfect, but few are so bad that you can't have fun either. You won't believe how much this infuruates me. I've been a hair's breath from walking away from two tables in the last month because of the GM *****ing about how poorly the module is written or designed while running it. One of them was a teacher as well! It doesn't make it impossible to have fun but it certainly makes it a damn sight harder. There's a very well known judge Down Under who is infamous for putting PCs through the wringer when he GMs mods that he didn't enjoy or found tough. I'll also add my voice to the opinion that GMs using dice to substitute for miniatures is somewhat lazy and makes it harder to immerse players into the scenario. Several people I know have used white out or some other way to clearly number monsters so that players can still say "I attack number 2" while also getting the benefit of seeing something that hopefully, vaguely mimics the thing you are fighting. Budget allowing of course. Joe
_m_ 11-21-06, 06:31 PM	s mods that he didn't enjoy or found tough. I'll also add my voice to the opinion that GMs using dice to substitute for miniatures is somewhat lazy and makes it harder to immerse players into the scenario. Several people I know have used white out or some other way to clearly number monsters so that players can still say "I attack number 2" while also getting the benefit of seeing something that hopefully, vaguely mimics the thing you are fighting. Budget allowing of course. Joe the d&d minis game, which i admit i dont play, is awsum for bolstering minis. we used to have a little problem sumtimes (though often everyone just brought there mordheim warbands, which coverered most of the person sized monsters) but with a bunch of us getting a box or 2 from the alst con, we suddenly have enough monsters for every situation. whilst minis and bored position dont make...eth the game, the do add a level of depth that really does make it more enjoyable.
trollbill 11-21-06, 10:34 PM	Another thing I do is on my second readthru of the mod, I usually practice voices. Yeah, I know...sounds silly, but it really helps the RPing. Any NPC the players are likely to have any major interaction with I try to imagine how they act and sound in my head, then try a few lines out loud to listen to how it sounds. Practicing in front of a mirror can help too. Using 'the voice' helps me get into character and enriches the RP experience of the game. Of course, I have occasionally been guilty of dropping the whole thing and rushing through the boxed text (especially from some of the more verbose adventure writers) in order to finish the module in time when at an event. It decreases the fun of the mod, but not as much as not finishing and not getting all the gold and xp.
Sieylianna 11-21-06, 11:27 PM	Write down player initiative on the battle mat, in a roughly table type form. Then list the monsters initiatives nearby. Then start marking down damage by the monster initiative rolls. I've seen people use the index cards, but they take me more time to use. Where index cards seem more valuable to me is when you need the player to make a roll, but you'd rather not them know what they're rolling for... I like index cards. I generally ask for 3 Spot, Listen and Sense Motive rolls in addtion to initiative modifier. I've seen people write on the mat and it seems to be about as prone to error as cards. Whichever method you use, you need to use it consistently until it becomes second nature. Ed
LGMoses 11-22-06, 01:55 AM	wow, these are great. This will improve a lot of my flaws. I think first I'll buy a watch....
Mommy was an Orc 11-22-06, 08:36 AM	I like index cards. I generally ask for 3 Spot, Listen and Sense Motive rolls in addtion to initiative modifier. I've seen people write on the mat and it seems to be about as prone to error as cards. Whichever method you use, you need to use it consistently until it becomes second nature. Ed That's one thing I think that can be improved by index cards, but I don't think that's the right way to do it. I'd ask for 10d20 rolls and for the Spot/Listen/Sense Motive/Saves. That way, instead of someone knowing that they were particularly sensitive that day, they wouldn't know which value was going to get used when.
Swiftbrook 11-22-06, 09:23 AM	Here's my two copper: DM's, don't have a memmory! I've seen a few games where a party member pulled his favorite trick (a charge, a trip, something). Later on in the mod, the DM played the BBG in such a way that the character couldn't use his favoirte trick, but there was no way the the BBG could have known what the character wanted to do. Run the bad guy the way he should be run. Don't optimize the bad guy to best defeat the party based on what you (the DM) have observed as the parties tactics unless the mod indicates that the BBG has a way of knowing this. -Swiftbrook
Sieylianna 11-22-06, 11:52 AM	That's one thing I think that can be improved by index cards, but I don't think that's the right way to do it. I'd ask for 10d20 rolls and for the Spot/Listen/Sense Motive/Saves. That way, instead of someone knowing that they were particularly sensitive that day, they wouldn't know which value was going to get used when. I roll randomly to determine which of the values to use, I don't just start with the first value. Ed
Mommy was an Orc 11-22-06, 01:36 PM	I roll randomly to determine which of the values to use, I don't just start with the first value. Ed That's not the problem - if I roll 3 dice for Spot and I see they come up all better than 10, I, the player, know I should not take 10. If I roll 10 or less on all 3 dice, I know I should take 10. I shouldn't know that. And the odds of me knowing what I should do on at least one of those values on your index card(3 sets of 3) is 58%. Pretty high, don't you think? And that's not even taking into account when you know the odds favor you because you got 2 high rolls and 1 low roll or vice-versa. (odds - there's a 1 in 8 chance of rolling 11 or better on all 3d20s, there's also a 1 in 8 chance of rolling 10 or less on all 3d20s. That's 25%. 1-(.75^3) = .58)
solbergb 11-22-06, 01:58 PM	Here's my two copper: DM's, don't have a memmory! I've seen a few games where a party member pulled his favorite trick (a charge, a trip, something). Later on in the mod, the DM played the BBG in such a way that the character couldn't use his favoirte trick, but there was no way the the BBG could have known what the character wanted to do. Agreed. However sometimes the BBEG has been using earlier encounters to study the players, or somebody escaped and blabbed your favorite tactic. I like to use this sort of thing to reward "clean" victories by the PC's. If they let people escape and those guys report to people you fight later, or let the bad guys spy on them they may well adapt their tactics to what the PCs do earlier. It rewards stuff like detect scrying or being paranoid about witnesses. Of course this can backfire if your party used weird tactics in earlier fights that they don't use in this fight....
LGMoses 11-22-06, 10:45 PM	man, index cards rock. I just had this idea that I'll start making my players write their weapon names on index cards and turn them face up when they've got them equipped and face down otherwise. This way no more arguing over what got equipped.
_m_ 11-22-06, 10:56 PM	man, index cards rock. I just had this idea that I'll start making my players write their weapon names on index cards and turn them face up when they've got them equipped and face down otherwise. This way no more arguing over what got equipped. what's a weapon? lol thats actually a fairly cool idea.
Sieylianna 11-22-06, 11:07 PM	That's not the problem - if I roll 3 dice for Spot and I see they come up all better than 10, I, the player, know I should not take 10. If I roll 10 or less on all 3 dice, I know I should take 10. However, the numbers on those cards are used when the spot check is secret. You don't know that you're making a spot check and taking 10 isn't an option. Ed
_m_ 11-22-06, 11:39 PM	However, the numbers on those cards are used when the spot check is secret. You don't know that you're making a spot check and taking 10 isn't an option. Ed alot of spot checks ARE voluntary though.
LGMoses 11-23-06, 02:15 AM	It'll be funny when they go into town and forget to flip the cards. "uhhh, hey buddy u wanna put that sword up?"
Mommy was an Orc 11-23-06, 09:43 AM	However, the numbers on those cards are used when the spot check is secret. You don't know that you're making a spot check and taking 10 isn't an option. Ed Taking 10 is always an option unless you're distracted, under threat or using UMD. That the roll is secret or in advance doesn't change that. My Elven Rogue at 8th+, as an example, will always find secret doors if I take 10 on such checks. But there are reasons I might change that - if I know I'm in the lair of the master thief and didn't find any secret doors, I might choose to roll if I swoop around a second time without spending a lot of time.
Britt 11-25-06, 03:24 PM	I have a character with a huge Spot and Listen bonuses and at the beginning of every mod, I tell the GM that I am always taking 10 on Spot and Listen checks for a total of XX and YY. That way if anything comes up, I can remind them of that and there's no argument.
budleiser 11-25-06, 06:12 PM	Wow...Some of you put alot more effort into DMing than I would expect from people. Practice fights? Excel spreadsheets? Personally I like to play the mod months ago, then run it without pre-reading it. ;) No no just kidding prepping is great. Maybe a bit overrated? I know some DM's who can do a great job without prepping at all.
Swiftbrook 11-25-06, 06:27 PM	I like index cards. I generally ask for 3 Spot, Listen and Sense Motive rolls in addtion to initiative modifier. I really don't like this. I understand why DMs might want to have some pre-rolled checks, but as a player I don't like it. I can, and do, play my character so that if I know something is amiss, but he doesn't, my character will continue to ack as if nothing is wrong. Now, on the other-hand, the DM having spot, listen, and sense motive modifiers written down and asking a party member for a d20 roll without telling them why ... that's fine. -Swiftbrook
solbergb 11-26-06, 10:38 AM	No no just kidding prepping is great. Maybe a bit overrated? I know some DM's who can do a great job without prepping at all. Some DM's can. I'm not one of them. Be sure that you are one before ou go this route. Most DM's benefit from some preparation. They are at minimum far less likely to make errors in either running the module or running the battles. Some of it is not just index cards and maps and whatnot. The main effect of those things is to make the pacing/speed of the game and combats more reliable and in general, faster. Most of it, however, is becoming familiar enough with the module that you have internalized it, allowing you to 1. Paraphrase the boxtext without leaving anything important out 2. roleplay the NPC's with distinct personalities and to the module's motivations - both in and out of combat. 3. run the combats according to the full abilities of the enemies by the tactics prescribed in the module with a minimum of time wasted "looking things up". 4. Know all of the plot elements and hooks and be able to roll with any PC actions that go "off the rails" that the author expected - keep PC's in the adventure even when they do the unexpected. 5. fill in the gaps in 1, 2, 3 and 4 not defined in the module while retaining the flavor and feel of the parts of the module that are defined. The amount of prep needed to "internalize" a module does indeed vary a lot from judge to judge. We all have a point though, where we're running it cold or semi-cold, vs actually feeling prepared and comfortable with the module. You need to be self-aware on where that point is, and demand sufficient time to prep it from your players (homegame) or convention/game day coordinator. Judges who have not internalized modules are far more prone to do things like botch major plot elements, run enemies ineffectively (or ignore mitigating tactics/environment and run them with optimal characteristics for a flat, open plane the size of their battlemap), run the wrong APL, have no roleplay, run over time and/or read boxtext verbatum in the most boring monotone imaginable. Having played with most judges in my region both prepared and unprepared, I much prefer the experience when they feel prepared. Some can run an entertaining game even cold...but they do BETTER when they're prepared.
UMiskatonic 11-27-06, 11:42 AM	Absolutely. I mean, I think that we've all been tapped on the shoulder and asked "Can you judge this slot?", and been handed a mod. Sometimes that works fine. Some mods, though, have a lot of intrigue, numerous NPC's, or a lot of mitigating circumstances (looking at YOU, Frozen Spire) that a judge needs to keep track of. So, it's nice to prep. We've seen a LOT of good ideas about how to be thorough about things, which is nice if you have the time. What if you don't have the time? Anyone have thoughts on how to prep a mod in, say, one hour?
JohnduBois 11-27-06, 09:20 PM	Anyone have thoughts on how to prep a mod in, say, one hour? Here's my advice for a one-hour prep: 1. Read the adventure background/summary first. Above all else, it's important to know what's actually going on in the adventure so that you can answer questions asked of NPCs with minimal tomfoolery. 2. Read the combats. Keep an eye out for any tricky tactics. 3. Read the appendices. Again, look for anything tricky or complicated. 4. Read the new rules items. Make sure you're familiar with the really new or unusual stuff. 5. Repeat steps 1-4. When I'm getting ready to run a mod mostly cold, I don't read most of the adventure beyond the combats. I find that players are much more forgiving of verbatim boxed-text reading and having to look things up during roleplaying encounters than having to look things up during or screwing up combats. This isn't even an issue of LG being combat-focused or roleplaying-focused. This is based on observation that a poorly-run or slowly-run combat will ruin most people's fun before halfway fleshed out or slow roleplaying will.
_m_ 11-27-06, 09:37 PM	Here's my advice for a one-hour prep: 1. Read the adventure background/summary first. Above all else, it's important to know what's actually going on in the adventure so that you can answer questions asked of NPCs with minimal tomfoolery. 2. Read the combats. Keep an eye out for any tricky tactics. 3. Read the appendices. Again, look for anything tricky or complicated. 4. Read the new rules items. Make sure you're familiar with the really new or unusual stuff. 5. Repeat steps 1-4. When I'm getting ready to run a mod mostly cold, I don't read most of the adventure beyond the combats. I find that players are much more forgiving of verbatim boxed-text reading and having to look things up during roleplaying encounters than having to look things up during or screwing up combats. This isn't even an issue of LG being combat-focused or roleplaying-focused. This is based on observation that a poorly-run or slowly-run combat will ruin most people's fun before halfway fleshed out or slow roleplaying will. plus its pretty damn rare to die whilst role playing, but getting killed from an unprepd combat is fairly possibly, and very annoying, especially if you find out longer that it was run incorrectly.
Japangirl 11-27-06, 10:38 PM	I'd add just one thing. Look for encounters that are specifically designed to be avoidable with diplomacy. If they give you a starting Attitude, and there is potential that the PCs might try to talk it out, make sure you let them. Almost nothing (with the exception of a bad death) is as annoying as finding out that the roleplaying + 35 diplomacy check at level 3 should have averted the combat and gained you a mega-favor but your DM ran it wrong.
Britt 11-28-06, 12:23 AM	I like what John said about quick prep, with the addition of paying attention to the Development section. Troubleshooting is also important, but is rarely included. So my list would be: 1. Background 2. Summary 3. Combats 4. Tactics 5. Development 6. Troubleshooting 7. Appendices 8. Repeat 2-7.
UMiskatonic 11-28-06, 10:23 AM	Oh, the troubleshooting aspect is critical. It's especially key in the investigation mods, because there's always a table that either doesn't think to do the critical thing, or simply can't. A lot of the old Chaosium mods had sections like 'Getting the players back into the story'. Without that, I find I have to invent one myself sometimes. Occassionally, I'll go so far as to just tell a group "There's nothing else in the old house. After searching, you've found everything". I don't like to do it, but I think it's preferable to missing half the adventure because the players stopped to cast 47 different divinations on the shiny rock from room three.
solbergb 11-28-06, 10:48 AM	Ugh..one hour prep. Actually I'd just say no. But assuming I had a fit of insanity and agreed Well first, insist on a single APL to prep. That cuts down the combat thinking a lot. I read pretty fast, so a one round mod is likely read front to back in 15 minutes. I'd do that first. Then I'd focus on getting the combats straight, reading the tactics and checking the statblocks and noncore rules. In a 1 hour prep I'd throw away all the appendicies that didn't apply to my APL so I did not accidently run them, and then annotate the appendicies to highlight key abilities and attributes that I normally have summarized. 15 minutes more to get all the combat stuff straight. Then I'd focus on the the plot hooks and make sure I understand them, then go over the NPC's characterization again. Another 15 minutes. Then I would probably spend the last 15 minutes just thinking, trying to make it fit together. Then I'd run a game where I had to draw the maps by hand, reading boxtext from the module, use random crap for miniatures instead of stuff that more or less fits the story, and running combats where I had only the most cursory idea of how it is likely to flow. It would be a choppy and bad experience. Hold out for two hours notice :) The extra hour makes all the difference.
Mattastrophic 12-14-06, 09:42 PM	A little tidbit to add... If you're running a spellcaster, know the spells!!! As a player, I tend to get really annoyed at DMs who, on the caster's turn, start flipping through several books to decide which spell to cast. I also really don't like it when the judge runs a spell completely wrong and throws everything off. Sure, Fireball's an easy one, but trickier stuff like Unhallow or Dispelling Screen, I wish more DMs would reread before the game. -Matt