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DM prep time with D&D
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<blockquote data-quote="Arrgh! Mark!" data-source="post: 2030520" data-attributes="member: 14559"><p>You know, my first game I spent about two to four hours on prep time. My first few years of DMing were much the same. Sometimes I succeeded. Other times I failed. </p><p></p><p>But one thing I've managed to do is cut my time to less than an hour. This is how:</p><p></p><p>Make it up on the spot. Okay, so I know a rapier guy is here to challenge the thief. So, what.. 14 strength. He's a rogue/fighter. So, expertise. 2d6 sneak sounds good. Rest fighter. HP up to challenge - 5-15 more than PC. </p><p></p><p>Boom, excellent challenge. Hasn't failed me yet. It's also never failed when searching for a monster - I ignore CR and ECL. I check their MAIN abilities for how tough they are. If it's suitable for the level, I put it in. </p><p></p><p>Example of my pre-decent DM days. I faced the party against a large spider in a narrow corridor. Ouch, this thing had more hit points than the whole party and a base attack of +20, as well as nasty poisony stuff.</p><p></p><p>DM mistake 1: CR or ECL = anything making sense.</p><p></p><p>DM Mistake 2: Assuming anything but the bad guy or a powerful wizard will survive more than 12 given seconds of combat with the party, no matter the pc combination. They don't need stats; they need to make a decent challenge. Whats going to hit the fighter? Make your evil fighter able to hit it. Damage? Enough to be careful.</p><p></p><p>Maybe it's my players, but they will do anything in the world to hound an enemy to death if he's on the run. They won't let go. One personally leapt strait into a one way portal to the abyss so he could finish the BBEG.</p><p></p><p>So don't assume bad guys to survive in a fight. Smart bad guys realise that. They therefore don't prepare to fight; they prepare to prepare again. </p><p></p><p>You want to cut down your time. So; assume your guys will die, but only enough to give a decent challenge. (Or occasionally splat the odd unlucky player with a critical). Don't write them up other than (Ftr10,Rog8,Clr10). Look at the DM's book for a nifty picker of spells for relative levels. Don't prepare them all. Be smart; Prepare WHAT THEY WILL USE. Rnd1 Prismatic wall, Rnd 2 Dispel magic. Or whatever. Change only if neccesary; Your wizard won't be silly enough to let people get past without serious luck or smarts. He won't play fair. </p><p></p><p>Prepare about 5 rounds. Then teleport away. If you have a decent wizard, thats two dead PC's, a shitload of monsters to fight, dealing with Prismatic spray and he's teleported to the beach for a pina colada.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Arrgh! Mark!, post: 2030520, member: 14559"] You know, my first game I spent about two to four hours on prep time. My first few years of DMing were much the same. Sometimes I succeeded. Other times I failed. But one thing I've managed to do is cut my time to less than an hour. This is how: Make it up on the spot. Okay, so I know a rapier guy is here to challenge the thief. So, what.. 14 strength. He's a rogue/fighter. So, expertise. 2d6 sneak sounds good. Rest fighter. HP up to challenge - 5-15 more than PC. Boom, excellent challenge. Hasn't failed me yet. It's also never failed when searching for a monster - I ignore CR and ECL. I check their MAIN abilities for how tough they are. If it's suitable for the level, I put it in. Example of my pre-decent DM days. I faced the party against a large spider in a narrow corridor. Ouch, this thing had more hit points than the whole party and a base attack of +20, as well as nasty poisony stuff. DM mistake 1: CR or ECL = anything making sense. DM Mistake 2: Assuming anything but the bad guy or a powerful wizard will survive more than 12 given seconds of combat with the party, no matter the pc combination. They don't need stats; they need to make a decent challenge. Whats going to hit the fighter? Make your evil fighter able to hit it. Damage? Enough to be careful. Maybe it's my players, but they will do anything in the world to hound an enemy to death if he's on the run. They won't let go. One personally leapt strait into a one way portal to the abyss so he could finish the BBEG. So don't assume bad guys to survive in a fight. Smart bad guys realise that. They therefore don't prepare to fight; they prepare to prepare again. You want to cut down your time. So; assume your guys will die, but only enough to give a decent challenge. (Or occasionally splat the odd unlucky player with a critical). Don't write them up other than (Ftr10,Rog8,Clr10). Look at the DM's book for a nifty picker of spells for relative levels. Don't prepare them all. Be smart; Prepare WHAT THEY WILL USE. Rnd1 Prismatic wall, Rnd 2 Dispel magic. Or whatever. Change only if neccesary; Your wizard won't be silly enough to let people get past without serious luck or smarts. He won't play fair. Prepare about 5 rounds. Then teleport away. If you have a decent wizard, thats two dead PC's, a shitload of monsters to fight, dealing with Prismatic spray and he's teleported to the beach for a pina colada. [/QUOTE]
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