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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 8563631" data-attributes="member: 6855114">And you get it wrong.Improvisation can be free form, as you claim.Or can follow parameters.In a D&D context, improvisation always follow some parameters. Otherwise, you do not play D&D, you improvise.When Robert Downey Jr improvise on a set and that impro is better than what was originally written, it is not free form improvisation but an improvisation which follow parameters such as a movie scenario, known character's behavior, history of the previous movies and so on. Robert is given parameters and he improvise on these. Sometimes there a flashes of genius, sometimes, it is not even taken into consideration. But he follows parameters. And within these parameters, almost anything can be possible. But Tony Stark would not all of a sudden be able to do magic out of nowhere. A non parameterized improvisation would allow exactly that.Not at all. It is quite easy but requires a few things.1) An extensive knowledge of monsters. Flipping through the pages is bad. Right of the bat, I can play any monsters in the MM and be almost perfectly right. Memorization of the stats with a small margin for errors is more than enough. So far, I have read the MM about 20 times. (but I am a fast reader, I know not everyone has this advantage..)2) An extensive knowledge of the rules.Again, flipping pages is bad for improvisation. You need to know most rules. This one is simple enough to understand.3) Know your players and their characters.This one is not easy, the more players you have, the less it becomes possible. At 12 players, my memory can have some lapses but usually, I can easily play each character of every single players with ease. I sometimes, even remind them some of their equipment that they are forgetting. With that knowledge, you do not need to flip through pages of notes, you can easily stir the improvised events in the direction you want. This allows for complete improvisation on the adventure.Even If I said the random dungeons and encounter table can be used. I do not always do so. I know my players and their tastes. I know what will "work" and what will not with them. One fact is to be considered though. When you have an open game with random players, this can't be done with any efficiency or consistency. An AL type game needs more restrain than a personal games with friends. It maybe why you say that improvisation is hard in D&D. When faced with random players, you simply can not do that.</blockquote>

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