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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerakSpielman" data-source="post: 1411193" data-attributes="member: 7464">Yes, but keep in mind that you don't have to be so well prepared that you've essentially produced a module. My first 3.0 dungeon was like this - ten pages of exquisitely drawn maps (I swear I used a compass to precicely draw the diameter of a Hallow spell), twenty pages of notes, with everything from search DCs to monster stats to possible results of improbable actions... Preparation IS key, but overpreparation can burn you out like nothing else. My dungeon maps evolved into more streamlined maps with lots of scribbled notes in the margins and a sheaf of monster stats (since I love making stat blocks I rarely use anything stock out of the MM). You have to know the site for the adventure inside and out - but if you create it on your own, a lot of it is just in your head. You know how the place works, how it's put together, and why things are the way they are already. You don't need to write it all down unless it's so complicated you might forget it (which generally means you've put more thought into it than the PCs will ever discover, so you're creating extra work for yourself and only yourself). Also, keep a map file. If you expect your PCs to explore a temple of Lloth, and they do something else, don't trash it. Stick it in your file as a "evil temple" that you can pull out and use at a moments notice. I'm collecting quite an archive of maps like this, or ones I downloaded, or saw in a book somewhere. Your players think you're uber-prepared when you have a detailed map/adventure lined up when they could have sworn they were going off the beaten path and were forcing you to ad-lib.  Another bit of advice (and this is a matter of personal opinion): Develop a poker face. Don't let the players know they're confusing or surprising you. If you need some time to think, say "Just a moment," roll some dice, take some notes, and take your time to think of what is going to happen. Suspense is your friend, as long as it's not overdone. Also, learn to use adjectives and adverbs. These can be easily overused in fiction writing, but they add great depth to settings you're describing. Combine them with useless "dungeon dressing." Your empty thirty-by-thirty foot room becomes "A broad, square chamber, the walls of which are lined with the tatters remains of old tapestrys hanging from rusted iron bars set in the stone. A faint draft of fresh air issues from a small hole in the ceiling, where you catch a glimpse of starlight. A small puddle of crystal-clear water has formed directly under the hole." A dungeon with only seven rooms becomes more interesting than a dungeon of thirty rooms, if they're all well-described. With a bit of practice, you can come up with these descriptions on the fly, too.</blockquote>

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