D&D General Zero-Prep D&D Game?

[Clint_L]

The poster wrote that there are "Lots RPGs where no prep is one of its features." I'm curious what specific titles with zero prep as one of its features they were thinking of?

That's a significantly different question than whether "You can zero prep any RPG."

Fiasco is show up and play, but it’s one shots. That’s the best example I can think of.

Starter kits that can be played out of the box. Though those have tons of prep done by the designers, and the GM should at least familiarize themselves

It is hard for me to imagine a zero prep campaign of any kind.

 

[grimmgoose]

Regular basis no.

Occasionally yes.

^^^ same here. If I'm feeling absolutely lazy, I'll just reskin a video game quest and improv the rest. Or, if I've overprepped (like for a dungeon that is taking several sessions), I'll just glance at my notes and keep going.

 

[TwoSix]

I also think "zero-prep" is probably being used in several different ways, and it's probably important to be clear on the distinctions.

I don't do "zero-prep" in the sense that I show up to session zero or one with nothing created at all. I will normally present some kind of campaign frame and starting scenario to the players.

I don't do zero-prep in the sense that I never think about the game or dream up new ideas between sessions.

When I say "zero-prep", I mean I don't write down encounter stats, NPC stats, or create a bunch of maps or plot points between sessions.

 

[Seramus]

I actually find it hard NOT to prep. I'm just going through my day and my brain spits out things that would make a good cinematic or memorable scene in a game. You can't always use every scene you imagine, but my brain just starts absently trying to figure out how to connect those scenes, and how to get from where the party is now to those scenes.

Like, unless it's a one shot my brain just daydreams prep.

 

[Stalker0]

I have done zero prep before. Basically its the classic "you all are in a bar and X happens" and then we go.

A few important notes:

1) Now the key is, you have to be exceptionally good at improv as a DM. If you aren't relying on plans, then you have to be able to pivot and create on the fly.

2) You need a group that self motivate. People who have character motivations they are not afraid to make the stars of the show. Aka they see a hook they go for it, or even better, generate their own hooks based on their characters. A group that tends to want the DM to lead them around doesn't work as well in zero prep.

3) You have to take good notes (or even better, have a player that takes good notes) if this is meant to be more than a one shot or two. While you don't need to prep ahead of time, you do need to start recording what has happened, as well as all the names, places, etc etc you make up on the fly. If you don't you will quickly lose track and the game will lose cohesion.

4) Honestly the encounter part is actually the easiest part imo. You can use stock CR encounters for your group until you get a feel for how strong they are, and 5e is so forgiving imo if I throw something a bit too challenging the party usually can work through it. I would go with theater of the mind so you don't have to build battle maps and the like.

 

[TwoSix]

I actually find it hard NOT to prep. I'm just going through my day and my brain spits out things that would make a good cinematic or memorable scene in a game. You can't always use every scene you imagine, but my brain just starts absently trying to figure out how to connect those scenes, and how to get from where the party is now to those scenes.

Like, unless it's a one shot my brain just daydreams prep.

Is “mental prep” prep? I don’t feel like it is, but I can understand the opposite viewpoint.

 

[Ringtail]

I've never done literally no prep before, but I think I could. I've run enough low-level adventures that if a bunch of friends asked to play D&D I could probably improvise a session with 2 - 3 fights, some RP and a trap and treasure without cracking open a single book.

I'm not sure its sustainable though, eventually I would need to check something, and I might as well do it before game night to save myself some down time at the table and oops now I've prepped something.

I'm a big proponent of low/minimal prep though. I think you can run a really engaging session with no more than a single page of notes. Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master was huge for helping me figure this out. Pair it with a few random tables and improvisational aids from OSR or Solo Game books and you can be pretty spontaneous. I wouldn't call that "no prep" though.

 

[Seramus]

Is “mental prep” prep? I don’t feel like it is, but I can understand the opposite viewpoint.

I suppose the dividing line for me would be... the moment I start trying to figure out how to get from A to B. Like, just daydreaming a cool scene wouldn't count in my book. But once I start thinking about where in the story the scene should be, what might lead up to it, and what consequences the scene might create? Well, now I've accidentally started an Outline!

 

[John R Davis]

A lot of zero prep games actually lead to session zero.
PBTA has prep in the amount of sheets you need to print/laminate, and then two quite tiring hours of creating pcs, setting, relationships etc.
Lot of parlour type games that dont have GM prep but are very highly structured in their play and are a one off. ( Shab Al Hiri roach, witch: road to Lindisfarne, Kagametsu etc).
Players always need to prep ( know what your pc does, don't be drunk, smell nice, etc).

 

[seebs]

I have done this in the past.

You can do an incredible amount of exploration adventure using the following rule, as long as the players don't know you're using it: "What you search for twice exists." It doesn't necessarily exist where you looked, but if the players looked twice, the world will seem more realistic to them if it exists somewhere.