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DM prep time with D&D
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<blockquote data-quote="broghammerj" data-source="post: 2029228" data-attributes="member: 1869"><p>I think someone can be intimidated by a number of factors, but they're are ways to minimize them.</p><p></p><p>1. The amount of material can be overwhelming. I would suggest you use the KISS theory. <strong>K</strong>eep <strong>I</strong>t <strong>S</strong>imple <strong>S</strong>tupid. (Note this is not an insult, but a joke on the philosophy of how I DM). The more books and options you use, the more complexity to add making thing more difficult. Start a game using just the core rules. I find most DMs are players who have played for awhile so understanding the rules isn't too much of a problem. I haven't met very many people who are brand new and decide to start running a game.</p><p></p><p>2. DM one shot games or short adventures. It's hard to write a campaign. Many people can be bogged down by trying to put together a long and detailed campaign.</p><p></p><p>3. DM low level adventures. Your starting to discover the complexity of high level games. As the characters level, so will the complexity. The nice thing is the DM will grow with players picking up new and easier ways to run the game.</p><p></p><p>4. Steal NPCs from other sources. Find prewritten NPCs from other games and incorporate them into yours.</p><p></p><p>5. The devil is in the details. Do you need to completely write up everything for your NPCs? Is it important to wirte up your NPC completely like you would a character? Do you need to know how many ranks he has in his knowledge local or his perform skill? If it won't affect the adventure, then don't do it. This will eliminate much of the accounting type feel.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="broghammerj, post: 2029228, member: 1869"] I think someone can be intimidated by a number of factors, but they're are ways to minimize them. 1. The amount of material can be overwhelming. I would suggest you use the KISS theory. [B]K[/B]eep [B]I[/B]t [B]S[/B]imple [B]S[/B]tupid. (Note this is not an insult, but a joke on the philosophy of how I DM). The more books and options you use, the more complexity to add making thing more difficult. Start a game using just the core rules. I find most DMs are players who have played for awhile so understanding the rules isn't too much of a problem. I haven't met very many people who are brand new and decide to start running a game. 2. DM one shot games or short adventures. It's hard to write a campaign. Many people can be bogged down by trying to put together a long and detailed campaign. 3. DM low level adventures. Your starting to discover the complexity of high level games. As the characters level, so will the complexity. The nice thing is the DM will grow with players picking up new and easier ways to run the game. 4. Steal NPCs from other sources. Find prewritten NPCs from other games and incorporate them into yours. 5. The devil is in the details. Do you need to completely write up everything for your NPCs? Is it important to wirte up your NPC completely like you would a character? Do you need to know how many ranks he has in his knowledge local or his perform skill? If it won't affect the adventure, then don't do it. This will eliminate much of the accounting type feel. [/QUOTE]
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