DM Preparation

[Celebrim]

Sounds like a good approach. I put small stat blocks (many can be cut and paste from downloads available on the net) into my adventures (word processors are great!) that serve much the same purpose.

I like to have a list of the PC's spot/search/listen/sense motive skill bonuses, and there saving throw bonuses and there normal attack bonuses with commonly used weapons on a legal pad close at hand. This saves alot of book keeping/math time, and also tends the keep the P's focused on what they are doing and not on thier character sheet, as well as helping me avoid giving out metagame information. For example, I can roll listen checks for a party, and if they fail they don't know that there is something that they should have heard because they know they failed a listen check (OotS like).

Another a approach Ive seen but not yet implemented is a stack of 'enhancement' cards for commonly used party buffs to keep track of who has what buff and reduce the math required to keep everything straight, to say nothing of PC's 'finding' a buff and then wanting to retcon past consequences (again OotS like).

 

[ronin]

I try to involve the players as much as possible. We use the Combat Pad to track initiative which one of the players is responsible for running. I need to look up a rule, I assign a player to look it up for me while I continue to run the game (not always possible but it is more often then you'd think).

I also use the Battlegrounds program combined with a projector to display maps during the game. It saves a TON of time during the game with the added bonus of having awesome looking maps.

That's all I can think of for now.

 

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

Well, I'm probably the last person to talk to about prep times, since most of my home brew adventures become 20+ page documents full of room descriptions and back story, but honestly it's the only way that I can think. Here are some things that I've used both at the table and beforehand:

#1: The old monster switch has already been described by Land Outcast, but I've taken it even further (it goes to 11!) and revamped entire adventures. Last year I ran Necromancer's Ruins of Rappan Athuk, but the entire place was a fortress in the land of the dead instead of...well, whatever it was supposed to be. I didn't pay much attention, to be honest. Loads of time was saved, as orcs, grunts, etc. just acquired the undead type and I rolled with it.

#2: I used to hate the idea of a laptop at the table, and I still do for tracking initiative, monsters, etc. However, d20srd.org (become a subscriber and you can download the whole thing) + the firefox suggestions here (http://www.d20srd.org/usageTips.htm) make for the fastest rules reference ever. I can usually be reading the rule while my players are reaching for the book. Mmmmmm....typeahead find.

#3: Can't remember how grappling works? Drowning? Cold exposure? Me neither. That's why if I KNOW that stuff is coming up, I flip over to d20srd.org and copy and paste the rules wholesale into my notes.

I'll pop back in if I think of anything else....

 

[Friendless]

Some actual at-the-table tips that may help:

Do you use your computer at the table, or do you print out the spreadsheet isntead? Using the spreadsheet to track initiatives and keep them in order is a great time-saving tool. If you don't use the computer, then Game Mechanics Press' free Initiative Tracking index cards can be a tremendous help in keeping the game fast moving - I us those instead of a spreadsheet, as I don't use a computer at the table.

One other tip is to have the players roll attacks and damage, and miss chances for concealment, at the same time. If they succeed, then they have the damage roll already done.

The treasuretables.org link above looks helpful. Even if it's not it'll give me something to read at work.

I don't use the computer at the table, I just print the spreadsheet. I do like the idea of the initiative tracking cards.

I actually DM in a very strange environment - my players are my son and my girlfriend. He plays because he's a geek and she plays because that's what everyone else is doing. Her idea of a good time is cuddling up to me (sorry to make all you young geeks jealous but it will happen to you one day too). Certainly, hiding behind a DM's shield is not going to work! So I work from just a few sheets of paper which get shuffled so as to hide any secrets I might have. I can't see a laptop working very well.

I'm sure things would move faster if I had proper geeks as players (my son is only 10) but at the moment most of the drudge work falls to me so I need all the shortcuts I can get.

 

[Nightfall]

Laptops work well for some I've noticed.