D&D 5E DM Prepared one page of notes.

[Psikerlord#]

I like the flexible dm style too, it makes the most fun games, imo, for both players and dm. I think spending some prep time thinking about cool npcs is always helpful. There are some excellent online tools that gel with the improv style - Donjon has random inn generators, npc generators (inc names and descriptions), pocket treasure, all sorts of stuff. You could easily print off a random npc list actually if you dont want to generate an npc etc on the fly with a laptop or tablet at the table. I added the random trap tables from dmg to my dm screen, too.

 

[Kaychsea]

I've just finished a five session (4 hours each) CoC campaign based on a 4 generation family tree I jotted down on the train to the first game.

Everything else was off the cuff. Although I did write it down as it was going down as it were.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I find it helpful to write down names for NPCs so that I'm not coming up with them on the fly, and also to sketch out some interesting encounters (room that smells like blood; murky fountain with a water weird; storage room full of animated skeletons). In an urban adventure I sketch out plot threads based on which factions are up to what.

I'm still learning, and I find that the hard part of improv is giving guidance to players how to pursue a plot thread. "Great, I'll take the mission to solve the murders. What do I do now?" "Ummm." I may know what is causing the murders, but figuring out how to get the players pointing in the right direction is something else. Last time I tried this the players wound up chasing a red herring into a dungeon of undead, which is basically a way of giving up on the mystery. When they get back to town they will discover that the murders have escalated a bit... (Rakshasas, vampires, and Cthulhu cults are now all operating simultaneously, and killing each other.)

 

[trentonjoe]

These are my notes from my last game.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

These are my notes from my last game.

Aha. I see someone's been reading AngryDM. I recognize the squiggles.

 

[trentonjoe]

Aha. I see someone's been reading AngryDM. I recognize the squiggles.

No, what are the "supposed" to mean? That's a circular stair case in my simple mind.

 

[DM_]

I'm beginning to be able to pull off this style, I find the difference in prep works out amazingly for my table. Far more direct interaction with simple notes.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I sometimes just wing entire sessions. But we normally don't runs something that has plot points that need to be hit or anything like that. More location based adventuring. I think its why adventure paths rub me so wrong.

 

[Herr der Qual]

When I DM my only major planning happens at the start of the campaign, I dream up some cool NPC's of varying level and roles (with lots of random rolls to give me some playing in-character challenge), I draw up my original game path idea, they will be hired by this guy to go do this. Then the random improve begins, the first time I ever DM'd the group took a total alternate root to what I was expecting and I had to flush like 5 hours of prep down the drain. I also try to set up a unique homebrew world for them to inhabit, my current project is Ravenborne. After this initial set up prep, I run them through my only 100% designed dungeon, the level 1 icebreaker, from then on, I let them encounter NPC's and brainstorm quick ideas for what they want to pursue, my icebreaker always has loads of loose ends for them to attempt to tie up! I can quickly get them on path, and the things they do, the way their characters come to life, their passions and goals are enough fuel for my brain to come up with interesting story arcs that can keep the whole party entertained, I include lots of brain teasers and logic puzzles and award them XP based on their performance dealing with them, as constantly just hacking up monsters gets to be mundane.

 

[DM_]

When I DM my only major planning happens at the start of the campaign, I dream up some cool NPC's of varying level and roles (with lots of random rolls to give me some playing in-character challenge), I draw up my original game path idea, they will be hired by this guy to go do this. Then the random improve begins, the first time I ever DM'd the group took a total alternate root to what I was expecting and I had to flush like 5 hours of prep down the drain. I also try to set up a unique homebrew world for them to inhabit, my current project is Ravenborne. After this initial set up prep, I run them through my only 100% designed dungeon, the level 1 icebreaker, from then on, I let them encounter NPC's and brainstorm quick ideas for what they want to pursue, my icebreaker always has loads of loose ends for them to attempt to tie up! I can quickly get them on path, and the things they do, the way their characters come to life, their passions and goals are enough fuel for my brain to come up with interesting story arcs that can keep the whole party entertained, I include lots of brain teasers and logic puzzles and award them XP based on their performance dealing with them, as constantly just hacking up monsters gets to be mundane.

Oh very nice! Do you have any recommendations on good ways to involve logic puzzles into the game? What was your favorite puzzle and how did the players solve it? To keep this on topic, do you remember what notes if any you had for it?