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<blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6499274" data-attributes="member: 6787650">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. &quot;Great, I'll take the mission to solve the murders. What do I do now?&quot; &quot;Ummm.&quot; 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.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="FormerlyHemlock, post: 6499274, member: 6787650"] 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.) [/QUOTE]

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