As a DM, how do you prepare for published adventures?

[sfedi]

Do you read the whole module beforehand and only glance at the module during play when you need to?
Yes, I read it all. Sometimes multiple times (specially the larger ones, like RttToEE)

Do you study it so much that you remember everything?
I study it so much so as to have a "holistic" view of the module. To have a feel of how it works, or should work.[/b]

Do you skim over the module just to get an idea of what to expect and basically learn it as you are running it?
Never. I don't trust modules that much

Do you study the module first and just run what you remember and wing the rest?
Never. That's what I buy a module for.

Is it frowned upon for a DM to quickly review a portion DURING the game because he forgets the details?
As long as it isn't frequent, I wouldn't frown at that.

And what about running a huge module that's 150 pages or more? Do you study sections of it between each session or do you learn the whole module and then run it?
As mentioned above, I read it multiple times, but also prepare before the session.

Do you usually study several adventures at once so you can use multiple scenarios in the same game so players don't feel railroaded? For example; you study 3 different modules so if the players start to head in one direction that is part of adventure A, and then take a turn down Adventure B because you presented the opportunity, they can end up taking a turn down Adventure C and they won't feel railroaded.
I prepare one at a time.
But if I finish preparing a module, and my players haven't started it yet, I sometimes begin to prepare another thing, so they can choose.
So, basically, I prepare one module at a time.

Oh and my last question, do you take notes while studying a module, and if so, what kind of notes?
I should. But somehow, I remember most of the "notes" I make.
I usually fix things that don't make sense.
Give more depth to the plot, the NPC's and the surrounding terrain/towns/NPC's, things that aren't part of the module, but are near it or affect it.
Sometimes I rewrite descriptions to enhance certain aesthetic aspect or mood.

 

[Berandor]

Well, I don't run that many published adventures, but having just prepared for the Dungeon Adventure Path, this is what I did. Keep in mind thatI had a *lot* of time to prepare for that, as I wasn't DMing our current game, so I had maybe six months to prepare.

I read the whole path once just to see which plot threads are taken up again, and which are not.
I have read the initial module twice. I jutted down any monsters/allies on sepearate pages (just their stats) and filled out initiative cards for them. I prepared handouts. I noted changes I made to the adventure.

All in all, I probably prepared too much, but I don't like being bound by what's written in the adventure, and I thought the more I prepared and learned, the better I would be able to run it free.

Oh, and I also compiled a 41-page city guide to Cauldron as well as a soundtrack to the module, but that was probably lost in my recent computer crash (never spill coke on a laptop).

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

If I'm intending to run it as is: For a normal sized module I'd read it through thorougly a few times until I've got what's going on.

Then write a crib sheet with reminders of vital stuff in each scene. I've got a brain like a sieve and find it easy to forget a vital clue or two if I'm not careful about it.

More often: I'll read the module. Pillage any appealing ideas and drop them into my campaign. If there's a good map or stat block, I can usually find a place for that too.

 

[wedgeski]

Do you read the whole module beforehand and only glance at the module during play when you need to?

I read the whole module beforehand, more than once if I can help it. I will still occasionally look at the adventure during play, especially with large, dangerous encounters which have umpteen hundreds of words of text, all of which are relevant from the moment the encounter starts.

Do you study it so much that you remember everything?

No. I'm not a machine. Neither am I at university studying for my finals.

Do you skim over the module just to get an idea of what to expect and basically learn it as you are running it?

See above.

Do you study the module first and just run what you remember and wing the rest?

If the game is running at a fast lick, or is being played particularly well, I will favour winging it rather than checking the facts. However, successful winging requires a good knowledge of the adventure as a whole.

Is it frowned upon for a DM to quickly review a portion DURING the game because he forgets the details?

Not in my group. If the DM's nose droops down into the module then we generally fill the space with some innocuous (or not!) roleplaying or OOC chatter.

And what about running a huge module that's 150 pages or more? Do you study sections of it between each session or do you learn the whole module and then run it?

I tend to study as much as I think we'll get done. Since I always woefully underestimate how long encounters will take to complete, I'm usually fine. If not, then I may take a 30min break to catch up on what's about to happen. In my experience longer roleplaying sessions (6-8 hours) will always present natural breaks where the DM can swot up if he needs to.

Do you usually study several adventures at once so you can use multiple scenarios in the same game so players don't feel railroaded? For example; you study 3 different modules so if the players start to head in one direction that is part of adventure A, and then take a turn down Adventure B because you presented the opportunity, they can end up taking a turn down Adventure C and they won't feel railroaded.

No, because I can just take a timeout to get my bearings if the players do something unexpected. I suppose some DM's can have three adventures in their head at once, but I'm not one of them.

Oh and my last question, do you take notes while studying a module, and if so, what kind of notes?

I'll jot down a few notes on the big encounters, perhaps coming up with a few tactics for the bad guys or likely actions on the part of my PC's and how the encounter will react to them. I also always jot down a few quick quotes for the NPC's that I feel capture their character, so that they're on-hand when I need some inspiration or the NPC is coming out a bit flat during play.

All of this is part-and-parcel of the DM's gig and a lot of the fun of running the game.

 

[Li Shenron]

Here's from my own experience:

Do you read the whole module beforehand and only glance at the module during play when you need to?
Do you study it so much that you remember everything?
Do you skim over the module just to get an idea of what to expect and basically learn it as you are running it?
Do you study the module first and just run what you remember and wing the rest?

Absolutely I always read it through all, from the first to the last page. Normally I have read the adventure some time before I decide to run it, so usually I have to read it again once more when we agree about playing that. Since I do it typicall at least a week before the gaming session, in the following days I think about it on spare moments, like on the bus for example , and in those moments I often come up with my own little ideas about details to be added.

I always make a photocopy of the pages with creatures and NPC stats, and use marker to highlight important things (typically one or two special abilities that are hard to remember or on which I may base their entire combat tactics), so that in-game it's easier to keep those in front of me.

Since usually an adventure takes at least 3-4 evenings, I have plenty of times to read each chapter or part with best attention on the evening or afternoon before playing.

It's not that I need to remember everything, and in fact I still keep the book on my laps at the table.

Is it frowned upon for a DM to quickly review a portion DURING the game because he forgets the details?

Depends how much. Usually players themselves need to review their character abilities every time, so they don't have much right to complain

If I notice that I really have some problem, I just suggest a pause to have something to eat or drink, while I get myself back on track.

And what about running a huge module that's 150 pages or more? Do you study sections of it between each session or do you learn the whole module and then run it?

I haven't run long modules yet, probably it's much more difficult and I would easily get lost if I used the same method...

Do you usually study several adventures at once so you can use multiple scenarios in the same game so players don't feel railroaded? For example; you study 3 different modules so if the players start to head in one direction that is part of adventure A, and then take a turn down Adventure B because you presented the opportunity, they can end up taking a turn down Adventure C and they won't feel railroaded.

That would be the best! Not rather because of the reason your mention, but instead because of keeping up more stories at the same time, which is by the way possibly my first reason to play some CRPG sometimes . I haven't really tried yet, except having small subplots but still contained in the same main adventure; having more adventures starting and ending within each other would be great to give the players a sense that the world never stops.

Oh and my last question, do you take notes while studying a module, and if so, what kind of notes?

In long-gone early years of DMing - that is, 3 years ago - I used to take loads of notes about everything, but at the end I noticed I used only very little, and tended to be confused by the sheer amount. Nowadays I keep a few papers around me during the game, and not even always: the creatures/NPC stats summary, a photocopy of the map with hidden stuff and "secrets", occasional prints of rules which some foe is going to use as main tactic (e.g. invisibility or grappling), gather info or knowledge small tables for hints, and a summary table of PC's reactive skills that I should roll hidden.

 

[MonsterMash]

Okay I usually skim read first taking brief notes where I think there are items I want to clarify or alter to fit into my campaign. After that I'll read it more thoroughly putting in post-its as page markers for description text and making notes on what changes I need to fit to my campaign. If NPCs that can be encountered at multiple points are detailed in the main text of the book I'll copy their details to a separate sheet, which is why I prefer NPCs in an appendix.

I'll also try to flowchart how things can happen so I know what to read between sessions. So far I've not run any of the mini-campaign modules, but this would be more important for that than a 64 or 48 pager.

I'll happily refer to the module while I'm running the game.

 

[Ranes]

For Mad God's Key (Dungeon 114), which I've just used to start a new campaign, here's what I did - and what I'll do again in future.

I scanned the article, using OCR. I edited the text in Word. This allowed me to edit out some of the howlers that had got into print and to correct OCR errors (the number 1 in an expression like '(1d6)' was often turned into a lower case 'l', for example).

Once I had clean copy, I wrote out the Greyhawk references and substituted references to my campaign's locations and gods. Then I began constructing an adventure in DM Genie. I generated NPCs from pasted stat blocks, making corrections to each one as necessary. DM Genie is not perfect but you can override it when a bug leads to an erroneous calculation.

I used Paint Shop Pro to cut sections of maps appropriate to each encounter area, adding links and symbols where appropriate. I generated all treasure as items in DM Genie and stocked rooms or equipped NPC as required. Notes for individual NPCs were pasted into the NPC file, as well as into the encounter area description, for ease of reference. I also found an unlabelled map of a city with a river running through it and made that the city map for the adventure. Then I wrote day and night encounter tables for the city, constructing completely new NPCs as required for these. I added some further important or useful NPCs and NPC templates. Then I designed a calendar, set a date and generated the weather for the next year (again, in DM Genie).

All of this took two days*, about twice as long as I would normally spend preparing for a single session (from a published module or otherwise) but I have a solid, well-organised foundation for the new campaign. And it's all just a click away on the laptop (which doesn't intrude into the game, as I set it up on a small table next to my chair, from where I can easily glance at it). The other advantages of doing all this are that I'm now very familiar with the module and I can make notes in the adventure file itself, thus tidying up the campaign tracking process.

* Including adding Unearthed Arcana's Cloistered Cleric to the class database for variety.

 

[DragonLancer]

Do you read the whole module beforehand and only glance at the module during play when you need to?

I read it at least once, and refer to it all the time while running it.

Is it frowned upon for a DM to quickly review a portion DURING the game because he forgets the details?

Nope, not at all. I recommend doing so.

And what about running a huge module that's 150 pages or more? Do you study sections of it between each session or do you learn the whole module and then run it?

Read at all at least once and then read the sections that you think will come into play prior to running it.

Do you usually study several adventures at once so you can use multiple scenarios in the same game so players don't feel railroaded?

Sometimes, but usually only when plotting out a campaign.

Oh and my last question, do you take notes while studying a module, and if so, what kind of notes?

I note changes I make to monsters and NPC's, I note locations of keys and their doors... etc. Basically small notes to help the game flow faster.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I read the adventure cover to cover once to determine whether I think the adventure is ok as is or if it needs changing. I then take some time to make the changes I think will be needed. These can be as simple as changing locations and names to comlpetely removing or reworking certain encounters.

Next step is I input the combat encounters into DM's Familiar for quick access.

Then, before each session I carefully go through the portion of the adventure I figure the party will get to during he session (I usually overestimate). I read it several times, make some notes on how I want to play certain NPCs, what kind of PC reactions I expect and some contingency notes for when the party decides to leave the expected path of the adventure.

I try to avoid having to pause to read through a part, but sometimes it is inevitable. On the other hand if I think a pause will really disrupt things too much at that point I will usually wing it for a bit until I can get to a point where a short break is acceptable.

 

[The_Gneech]

The Gneech's Module Use Procedure:

1. Read the adventure.
2. Decide on what (if any) changes to make to work adventure into setting/campaign.
3. Redraw the maps onto my own paper, making notes such as "locked door" or "skeletons." This cements the locations in my mind and gives me more or less all the "memorization" I need.
4. Write up major NPCs and big villains in E-Tools. We looooves E-Tools, my preciousss...
5. Make a quick-and-dirty map key and quick reference page with things like "Town name: Luzern. Tavern: Lion of the Valley."
6. Detailed re-writes of significant changes, as appropriate. If my changes are more than 30-40% of the adventure, basically re-write adventure and leave module on the shelf.

-The Gneech