DM's, when do you prepare for your game?
- Thread starter weem
- Start date
Gilladian
Adventurer
I think about and work on my game a lot of mornings before work, and in the evenings. I do run a fair number of modules and such, so those I'll read the few days before.
I make accessories (item cards nad such) usually right up at the last minute. As my players walk in I'm usually finishing the player maps of whatever location we're using this week. I like to draft themout in battlemat size on sheets of giant graph paper - and then I frequently make props, too.
That may happen at any time fancy strikes me, but usually a day or three before the adventure is to be run.
If I do it too far ahead, something usually diverts the party and my work is "wasted".
I make accessories (item cards nad such) usually right up at the last minute. As my players walk in I'm usually finishing the player maps of whatever location we're using this week. I like to draft themout in battlemat size on sheets of giant graph paper - and then I frequently make props, too.
That may happen at any time fancy strikes me, but usually a day or three before the adventure is to be run.
If I do it too far ahead, something usually diverts the party and my work is "wasted".
EricNoah
Adventurer
I do it in spurts. I do a lot of the plotty thinking off and on for weeks. I sometimes will sit down and do nothing but stat blocks for a couple of hours at a stretch just to give myself a little toolbox to play with as I am fiddling with the plotty stuff later on. And then a couple of days before I force myself to sit down and go through the adventure in order and iron out details like names, motivations, etc as well as encounter details. I am typically "done" about 2 days before the actual game.
I do the majority of the prep work well in advance, often months before we actually get to play that part. Since we're still playing 3E most of the work is creating stat blocks for npcs and advanced/templated/classed monsters. I've also made it a habit to prepare about twice as many encounters as I actually need to have something ready if things don't go as planned.
The day before the session I prepare and adjust things I believe I'm going to need. This is also when I prepare battlemaps and select minis (if necessary). And a couple of hours before the session I reread descriptions and the last session journal and look over maps.
The day before the session I prepare and adjust things I believe I'm going to need. This is also when I prepare battlemaps and select minis (if necessary). And a couple of hours before the session I reread descriptions and the last session journal and look over maps.
weem
First Post
I kind of wish my players didn't visit the site as there is a lot I want to share here, hehe. I think someone mentioned being lucky in that regard above, but while I trust my players completely to avoid a post I ask them to avoid, I still can't do it...
...well, I could and still might, but it will be hard
...well, I could and still might, but it will be hard
I do a lot of the initial prep (cultures, prominant setting NPCs, prominant organizations, major sites of interest) before the campaign starts.
After the initial adventure, I usually spend a few days thinking of ideas in response to what the characters did last session, where they want to go, and their goals. Then, the day before the game or up to 4 hrs hour before the game, I jot down notes, NPCs, maps, etc. trying to keep most details loose rather than overly detailed.
After the initial adventure, I usually spend a few days thinking of ideas in response to what the characters did last session, where they want to go, and their goals. Then, the day before the game or up to 4 hrs hour before the game, I jot down notes, NPCs, maps, etc. trying to keep most details loose rather than overly detailed.
We play every other week. So I tend to dream stuff up for the first 10 days and then put off writing stuff up until 2 days before.
Then tweak it before I print it out. The Monster Builder really makes it much easier to build what I want. This week, I wanted some Fomorians, but they were too high a level. 15 second later, they were the correct level. It makes it so much easier to fit what I want in.
Then tweak it before I print it out. The Monster Builder really makes it much easier to build what I want. This week, I wanted some Fomorians, but they were too high a level. 15 second later, they were the correct level. It makes it so much easier to fit what I want in.
weem
First Post
Yea, that's pretty much what I do - lots of ideas in the time between games, but then I go into mad dash mode the night before. I have a game to run tonight and I finished almost everything last night - few more things to do when I get home before they come over, hehe.
And YES about the MB - it makes things so much easier... It's nice being able to filter down to what I am looking for role/level-wise - then either choose/print, or modify/print. I have not yet adjusted the difficulty (level) of a monster yet, but I tend to do everything custom so I just grab something close of the correct level and go from there.
I used to spend a lot of time making maps, making plans, etc., but not so much anymore. I mean I still will make basic sketches whatnot, but I pretty much improv everything anymore, its usually more fun and I can react to what the players are doing at the time.
I still brainstorm all week on what to do in certain situations and play the scene in my head, but thats about as far as it goes. Usually the night before a game I will jot down some basic notes, write up a few stats for key npc's and then wing it.
Right now I think we are having one of the better games I have ever run.
I still brainstorm all week on what to do in certain situations and play the scene in my head, but thats about as far as it goes. Usually the night before a game I will jot down some basic notes, write up a few stats for key npc's and then wing it.
Right now I think we are having one of the better games I have ever run.
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