DM's - Style of the Dungeon Master

[CobaltGrC]

I DM for a group of on average 6 people. At one time I managed to DM for a group of 11 people and kept the game running in an orderly fashion.. I have read most of the players hand book, some of the DMG, so most rules slip my mind for time to time. I prefer a more free-style form of running a game.. this also includes the time I take to prepare my campaign and game sessions. Which means I take no time to write out or even work out plot ideas. Basicly I have a list of ideas or interesting encounters all in my head. I send my players up against these challanges, wing stats for NPC's (thank god to the generic NPC stat blocks in the DMG) and even come up with treasure and magical items on the spot (magical items, most of the time are made up in my head at the time of discovery). I believe that if I just stack these encounters and plot twists/ideas on top of each other and the characters involved it will produce character and plot depth. Shockingly enough my campaign has some interesting plot lines that have just randomly apeared in my head while playing, and it makes me happy that everything seem to flow even if my style is extremely chaotic... Many a session I start dming with out any ideas in mind, but some how I manage to pull through...

But.. this style also worries me, Sometimes I feel I need to get around and actually work out things before I set down before the gaming table.... but I never seem get around to it. Can those people who wander this board share there insight and tips or stories about there styles of DMing.. ? I would enjoy hearing about other DMs ways of weaving a story... If you do prepare how long do you take to work out all the story and diffrent plots? How detailed is everything or do you just use a rough out line? Also, how do you desribe dungeons? (I have a problem with this I think).. Do you just explain the basics, DMing from room to room etc, etc... ?
Don't be afraid to talk about any little plot twist that you managed to bring over the eyes of your players that still makes you smile when you think back on them. Talk about any little quirk in your style or anything that would make your style stand out..

Thank you, Cobalt the Sprite

 

[ForceUser]

I used to DM like Cobalt but I decided that to be totally fair to my players, I needed to stop winging it and follow a consistent ruleset. Now, I'm not as organized as a friend of mine, but I try to be efficient. My adventures are usually a series of encounter ideas formed around a central theme, and my campaigns are themes sort of bumping into each other. The players get to decide which themes to pursue, and I shift the focus of the campaign accordingly. In the play-by-play, I simply won't do what my friend does - the guy practically writes an adventure module for each monthly session. I am a few steps back from that level of prep, instead opting to hand-draw a map and pencil in encounters as notes on the map. Once I've decided on an encounter, I write NPC stats (if any) on an index card for quick reference during play. I have a small notebook I reference for recurring NPCs and plot threads, and I make notes as I go all the time. I like to use those notes later on, dovetailing them back into the campaign to make the world seem more real. NPCs are placed along the way at certain points, and most non-combatants are not statted; instead, they have a short description and personality listed for roleplay interaction. If they have notable plots attached, I indicate to myself what goals they have associated with that plot.

The most important thing I do is to make sure that if I have a plot in mind that I'm setting up, I decide in advance what effects certain resolutions might have, depending on what the PCs choose to do. If they choose to ignore a plot, I need to think about what effect if any that has on the campaign world. If they choose to confront it, I need to think about what obstacles the PCs will face, and what will happen should they ultimately win, lose, or decide to stop pursuing that plot thread. I have found that being prepared in advance for several possible outcomes allows me as DM to seamlessly run the game, as alterations to the overall plot could happen through interactions with the PC. On my side of the screen, this grants me peace of mind - if I prepare for several possible outcomes, then I can seamlessly make my NPCs react appropriately to such outcomes. In other words, thinking ahead makes it more difficult for the PCs to catch the DM flat-footed. And this promotes versimillitude for the players.

 

[Ulrick]

I used to try and write out every little contigency encounter. But that was just too much time consuming and ironically it wound up with linear adventures.

Now I usually create NPCs with their stats and motives, a rough outline of what might happen and go from there. I've noticed that I've been creating and/or running site based adventures then adding a plot line as needed. It saves me a load of time.

Its nice because I don't have to plan everything out, but I have the stats for the NPCs on hand so that I'm fair to the players.


Ulrick

 

[Valmur_Dwur]

I use pre-made scenarios(modules) and fit them into my Greyhawk world. Since I have a good tho' not great collection I am able to detail out 4-6 major plot ideas and if the pcs go for them it makes it easy. If not I still have the modules that I can run just updating what the players are wont to do and in honestly I try to map out a couple of the plot ideas I orginally had to see if I can get them back on course The modules help because I have a truckload of npc's that I can use to spice up the module and the players perception of the world. you asked about describing things; I'm very "in-depth" with this especially on-line as I want the players to "feel" the setting not walk through it at a storyboard pace.

 

[arwink]

I generally try to keep encounters and locations seperate. I'll design a stack of encounters and NPC's for my game, but they only exist in very general locations (eg Tiamats Temple, Undercity, The blood district, fifth floor, etc...) until I feel their needed and the pacing of the games ready for the them. Locations are as detailed as I can get them if I have time, otherwise they're spur of the moment descriptions that I make a note of later.

I used to try and plan more, but it just doesn't work with my players and the city-based campaign style we're working with at the moment. In a perfect world, I'd have the time to do a bit of both - free-standing encounters I can move and run at will with some heavily detailed area descriptions with a few set encounters.