Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Windbit 03-19-07, 11:57 PM	I'm a new DM, and I've got a question: I planned the first two adventures my players went through extensively. I typed summaries, determined DCs, monster stats, NPC stats, treasure, drew maps, etc. All that planning takes a LOT of time, and the second adventure didn't even turn out that great for all the planning I did. Tonight, though, I tried making an adventure with just a map I doodled on lined paper, a few notes about interesting locations, a sheet for keeping up with monster HP and turn order, the Monster Manual II, and a blank piece of grid paper. And I'll be damned if it didn't play just as well as as the adventures I meticulously prepared and saved in a folder due to the dozens of pieces of paper I needed. Was this just a fluke? Having to spend hours planning takes a bit of the fun of DnD in my opinion, but I'm afraid that the next time I try to wing an adventure it will fall apart in a disorganized mess.
Zorminster 03-20-07, 12:36 AM	my DM dosn't plan anything except NPCs- he writes out a brief NPC concept and if he thinks we may be inclined to kill them, he stats them. He also has the most important locations (houses, temples, etc) drawn out and has the rooms that have encounters marked w/ the idea. Other than that its pretty much on the fly. Descriptions of areas are all offhand, as are actually determining most of the encounter statistics (usually done while we are wandering through his on teh fly descriptions). Notable treasure is already known, everything else is on the fly. Id say his adventures are 30% planned and they play great- he has plenty of time to flesh stuff out because he's really creative, and we go on lots of bunny trails and extended jokes while playing. Our game night is also the only night we all get to hang out so we're pretty laid back.
Benaiah 03-20-07, 03:43 AM	As the game I run is kind of a free-for-all, and my players always go where I don't expect, I've taken to prepping a certain number of encounters beforehand, along with a general story idea. From there, I adjust the story to run with their actions, and insert the encounters where they fit. I've found this style works well for me, because neither I nor my group require really detailed maps or handouts. At worst, I doodle a few lines on the paper mat we use for terrain. It's just knowing what you need to prep for your group.
ChuutRiit 03-20-07, 04:06 AM	Yes..I also tend to be rather slack in planning my adventures and try to train my spontaneity as well as my talent for improvisation through that.
Cantankerous 03-20-07, 04:26 AM	The best bet, from my long experiences as a DM, is to have a mix of both and to always stay flexible when running extensively planned adventures. There is an old saying that also applies to this situation. "No plan ever withstands first contact with the enemy." The PCs aren't the enemy, but they very often prove the rest of that statement, so stay flexible. Also, remember, if the PCs don't take the proferred sceanrio/adventure bait, don't railroad them into it. Save it, tweak it with a few new names and the like and a changed situation or two and re-present it with a hook that seems like it might be more appealing. Isshia
kelvinaw273 03-20-07, 06:53 AM	And the Lord of All DMs Did Say Unto His Minions: "Yay, verily it be that if thou taketh long to plan thine modules, thine players shall, in a moment of spite, bugger it up. And Lo if thou merely maketh but sketchy notes, shall they enjoy thine creation all the more. For be it as it may, thy players shall enjoy free will in all things, and having such, they shall rejoice and frollic and be happy; and if they have it not, shall they then mock thee and make choo-choo noises, and sing 'the Locomotion' which is an abomination unto me. Amen."
Sunic_Flames 03-20-07, 10:01 AM	I don't do extensive planning, it often proves to be a waste of my time and resources. Instead I come up with a few general ideas, and if the PCs seem interested I start fleshing it out more as they go, moving just a little ahead of them. Some things are decided far in advance, but this way if they turn left when the stuff I set up was right, no big deal I can start whipping up some other stuff. And if the PCs get in an unexpected fight, I can do basic stats in a few minutes if they aren't spellcasters so it rarely slows play. On the other hand I do play by post games, which often have downtime as it is rare for everyone to get on at once. In a more traditional game, such breaks rarely exist mid session, so a higher degree of spontantity is required.
WayneTheGame 03-20-07, 10:07 AM	I do extensive planning for the location of the adventure, but only so much as I need to run it.
celtredleg 03-20-07, 10:17 AM	It depends on you. If you can keep up on the fly, that usualy works best. But sometimes, you may find insperation failing. Then it is good to have something caned to pull out.
Merloth 03-20-07, 10:33 AM	Hey, I've started to feel the same way as you do. Not only is it just as good when I do things on the fly, it actually seems that the PCs enjoy those sessions the most... My opinion on this is that as long you have planned the "main quest" or the BBEGs main goals as well as what he's trying to do to reach them, you've planned almost enough. If you're good at DMing at the fly, then there's not much planning you need to do.. Here's what I find important to plan: -BBEGs, their goals, and what they plan to do to reach them. -Encounters...(much more fun if you plan them thoroughly, for you and the PCs, and it's about the only thing the PCs will know if you don't plan...) -Plot twists -Investigating-adventures (clues and stuff) -The world (countries, special locations, some history, and important organizations.) -Puzzles (or you can write down tons of puzzles and throw them in when needed.) Except from these things I try to plan as little as possible. It makes the sessions more fun for both me and the PCs.
Stalf 03-20-07, 10:39 AM	Planning? That's working with paper and pen and background stories right? Yuch.. And now the more serious reply: Planning is useful. Face it, it is. You can make things happen through a timeline, which will affect your story. The BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy for those who don't know) doesn't sit still all campaign. He has plans and ideas to be completed aswell. Which gives players a chance to meet the evil henchmen of said villain, and thus can contemplate on the evil plot of the hot Goblin Spices the henchmen had to obtain (hey, evil masterminds do like nice food aswell) I had players dig up old potion recipes contain the Goblin Spices, while all the villain wanted was lunch. Wonderful roleplay, sidequests and what not (all winged, but that's besides the point) So, in the end: planning is useful for your setting, not your story. players mess up. Always.
Brehon 03-20-07, 10:41 AM	Personally, I would emphasize preparation over planning. Have a lot of set pieces (NPCs, locations, etc...) statted out ahead all of the time. Have a strong guideline to your story. Create a timeline and stick to it. Let the players lead the way, though. If they leave the story guideline you had in mind, make another one. Don't be afraid to use cliches. Do be afraid to overuse cliches.
Kilsek of Sheverash 03-20-07, 10:51 AM	I've DM'ed for ~15 years now, and the truth is that you have to find a balance of the two that works for you. Don't create more than you have to. That's actually one of the Rules of Dungeoncraft from the Dungeon/Dragon magazine column series of the past few years. See, if you overdo it, and write up all this awesome stuff for your adventures and campaign... inevitably the campaign takes different and surprising directions, so some material rarely if ever gets used or in fact, needs to change, to accomodate the actions of the players. It's tough to fight the urge sometimes, especially if you enjoy writing and creating as a DM, to continue writing up more and more material for your campaign or the next night's session. But honestly, fight it. Most of the time, with the basics of the campaign flavor and highlights of main plot/story points summated clearly and briefly, and monster stats in front of you, the lion's share of the work is done and you don't have much to worry about come session time. I know that I've spent many long hours in the past over-statting or "over-creating" NPCs or sections of the campaign world... only to see it "consumed" during the D&D session in mere minutes or not used at all because of the turns the campaign took. That's not a very efficient use of time! And it can lead to DM burnout, very easily. So compromise, and save yourself some time and potential disappointment. Have cool stuff, just be more succint about it when you draw it up. You can always add more detail later, but basics cover your campaign's needs perfectly over 90% of the time. Again, don't do more than you have to be able to simply PLAY the game of D&D. Find a balance between what amount of prep/planning time you are comfortable with, the amount that's actually really needed to get playing, and how much you enjoy winging material completely off the cuff.
Muspelheim 03-20-07, 11:00 AM	As with alot of things which have to do with DMing it really depends on the sort of game you are running. Personally, I do very little planning as far as the 'what's going to happen to the PCs' part; instead I have a quite large gallery of NPCs and I consider what they are going to do during the timespan of the next session, especially the ones whose actions might be of direct interest to the PCs. Sometimes I write this down in detail, but most of the time I just jot down a couple of notes (mostly for consistency, if questions about the timing and such of certain actions arises later). The other preparation I spend time on is NPC/monster creation, which probably takes up the main part of the time spent. I very, very seldom use NPCs/monsters straight out the book, preferring using advanced/templated/tweaked monsters and NPCs created from scratch, often with multiple classes. This can often consume quite a bit of time, but since I find the whole character creation process enjoyable, I don't mind. The last thing I do (and which might consume all or none of my 'creative' time between sessions, depending on need, or more often, inspiration) is background. Often this might have no direct relevance to the next session per se, but it's enjoyable and helps solidify the background, especially when players do or ask something unexpected, and you actually already have that answered. So as far as actually planning sessions out, I don't really do that. I have a general idea of what is going to happen in the world as such, but not what the PCs are going to do or how they 'should' react to said events.
HerbalTea 03-20-07, 11:10 AM	I usually make a few areas here and there, download a few more random encounters and other locations and let the players tell the story :) I must admit I do write down several possible plots, with a few NPC drafted up here and there. If they do happen to encounter one, I merely flesh the bones of it a bit more. Depends on the group though. If they are unimaginative slugs, plan several thorough adventures. If they are all near professional storyteller level, make the odd thing here and there and let 'em loose :P
hedgeknight 03-20-07, 11:47 AM	As the game I run is kind of a free-for-all, and my players always go where I don't expect, I've taken to prepping a certain number of encounters beforehand, along with a general story idea. From there, I adjust the story to run with their actions, and insert the encounters where they fit. I've found this style works well for me, because neither I nor my group require really detailed maps or handouts. At worst, I doodle a few lines on the paper mat we use for terrain. It's just knowing what you need to prep for your group. I agree with Benaiah - prep a few encounters, have an overall goal in mind, maybe a rough map, drop a few hints or rumors to get your players going, and let it ride, baby! Of course, this will become easier to do with some more experience under your belt. Hopefully your players are just as eager as you are to have fun and not be rules lawyers. Winging it is exciting for everyone, if not a little nerve wracking for you the DM - but I've found that after a 2-3 beers, even an encounter with rock can be fun. :P -g-