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<blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 1486509" data-attributes="member: 7737">It seems to me there is a spectrum from hyper-prepared to players-just-showed-up-and-I've-got-to-DM. Most DMs fall somewhere towards the middle, but we often drift towards one side or another depending upon our mood, stage in life, and vagaries of the campaign. &nbsp;Back in the day, I was much closer to the hyper-prepared side of the spectrum than I am now. Partly, that's because I was younger, with fewer reponsibilities and more free time. But it was also party because the rules were so cumbersome then that not being hyper-prepared was just asking for trouble. With the current incarnation of D&amp;D, the rules system hangs together much more neatly, which makes winging it not only easier, but more balanced.&nbsp;The other huge advantage that DMs have these days is what you're using right now: the Internet. In various places you can find the game rules (online SRD) -- including every table you could ever need for a standard game --, as well as generators of every stripe (NPC, treasure, map, plot, you name it), various XP calculators, etc. ad infinitum. It makes being a &quot;lazy DM&quot; seem no only acceptable, but downright smart! Why prepare in advance when just-in-time DM'ing is so much more efficient?&nbsp;I will echo the advice that you keep track of everything. Not only does this add to the verisimilitude of your campaign, it can spark all sorts of ideas for future plots. (&quot;Hmm, back in Whitehaven, the PCs 'borrowed' some horses from a wealthy merchant and never returned them. I wonder what he's been up to since then?&quot;)&nbsp;Above all, have fun, and be glad that your players are also having fun. That's what the game is about, after all.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Joshua Randall, post: 1486509, member: 7737"] It seems to me there is a spectrum from [i]hyper-prepared[/i] to [i]players-just-showed-up-and-I've-got-to-DM[/i]. Most DMs fall somewhere towards the middle, but we often drift towards one side or another depending upon our mood, stage in life, and vagaries of the campaign. Back in the day, I was much closer to the hyper-prepared side of the spectrum than I am now. Partly, that's because I was younger, with fewer reponsibilities and more free time. But it was also party because the rules were so cumbersome then that not being hyper-prepared was just asking for trouble. With the current incarnation of D&D, the rules system hangs together much more neatly, which makes winging it not only easier, but more balanced. The other huge advantage that DMs have these days is what you're using right now: the Internet. In various places you can find the game rules (online SRD) -- including every table you could ever need for a standard game --, as well as generators of every stripe (NPC, treasure, map, plot, you name it), various XP calculators, etc. ad infinitum. It makes being a "lazy DM" seem no only acceptable, but downright smart! Why prepare in advance when just-in-time DM'ing is so much more efficient? I will echo the advice that you [b]keep track of [i]everything[/i][/b]. Not only does this add to the verisimilitude of your campaign, it can spark all sorts of ideas for future plots. ("Hmm, back in Whitehaven, the PCs 'borrowed' some horses from a wealthy merchant and never returned them. I wonder what he's been up to since then?") Above all, have fun, and be glad that your players are also having fun. That's what the game is about, after all. [/QUOTE]

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