William drake
First Post
Flynn said:Good Morning, All,
As a GM/DM of D20 games in general, I've found that, as time goes on, DM Prepwork is a greater and greater burden, to the point where it has actually started causing me to experience DM Burnout. Now, I don't want to suffer this foul malady, so I'm trying to find ways to work around it. However, given the increasing complexity of the game through the sheer volume of character and rule options, and the increasing amount of material that one has to keep track of in order to keep up with the players, DM Prepwork has become overwhelming in many regards.
Now, I could write my own simple gaming system (and have even done some work in that direction), but the problem with not playing D&D v3.5 is that you lose a lot of the potential gamers who don't want to play anything but D&D v3.5. Therefore, trying another gaming system is not likely to be an option for me. Simply put, I like having a greater variety of gamers to choose from, as it's a lot easier to build a compatible gaming group if you are choosing from fifty potentials rather than choosing from five potentials.
So, here comes the big question: Aside from suggesting that I play something other than D&D v3.5, because that's not what I want to do, what suggestions do you have about making the DM's life easier for prepping for a v3.5 game, and for removing/preventing DM Burnout?
Thanks In Advance For Your Time,
Flynn
Make the players really make their character: background, names, places...conflic prior to the game. Use the phrase "what do you do" alot, let the players pick and chose. You will find that when the players are able to move in the world, the world grows twice as fast. You will be forced to do alot of things on the spot, but, if you can control it, you will find that at the end of the night, you will have plenty of things for the next game to pull upon. And that number only grows as the games become more indepth. What is also good, is when players play off each other. I've found that a fun bit of plot line is to somehow put the players' goals against each other. Not in a combative way, but a political or personal gaining stort of way. Let them play that out to the point that they both know what's going on, then once the talk about it...you might find that the game's taken a totally differnt path.
Another thing....don't let the players stay on the heals of the enemy. Make it a chase, or rather a long track. Use real forms of travel: ships, boats....horses. And, while the players are after said foe, make them come across other minor plots that might be interesting. This way, if they happen to get involved with one of them, by the time they get back to the real plot...you would've had enough time to reset the villian in another part of the world.
Remember, even if your players dont follow the man villian, he still has his own motives. And, what if he finds out that he's being followed?
Also, another idea. Pull from movies and books. Not entire stories, but minor plots that go on. use them to weave into your story. Ofcourse change the names and the setting, but the core fiber can inhance and easily extend your plot, and like I said, let the players go where they wish.
"So, what do you do?" THis line has put my game some times two hours out of the way, and it was worth it.
later.