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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Benimoto" data-source="post: 4147349" data-attributes="member: 40093">I don't need 6 hours to prep, but I'm also rarely completely satisfied with the adventures I create when I whip them up in the last 2 hours before the game. I run a fairly combat-heavy game, with about 2-4 fights per session, each usually against multiple varied monsters.  Once the party hit level 12 or so, I discovered there were fewer and fewer monsters usable directly out of the Monster Manuals.  So, I end up making around 3-6 stat blocks for opponents every session.  I would say I spend an average of 20 minutes on each stat block.  Some, usually melee brutes, are easy and get done in 10 minutes, while others like spellcasters or monsters I spend a lot of time looking up feats for take more like 30.  So that's 1-2 hours spent on monster stat blocks.Then I like to make maps for some of the encounters.  I like terrain to be an important factor in at least one fight each session, so that takes another 10-30 minutes of planning.  Then, there's all the out-of-combat stuff, and while I'm happy to improvise, I like to jot down at least an outline of the major plot and dialog points beforehand.  I hate it when I forget to mention important stuff, so writing it down helps.So what we're looking at is 2-4 hours of prep for each 4-6 hour session.  I usually work on stuff throughout the week, so it's not like it's a burden.The thing is, I don't particularly expect 4e to change the time I spend that much.  I already skip allocating most of the skill points and any unnecessary feats or low-level spells in my stat block, so the simplifications there won't help much.  Still, if 4e cuts down my average monster stat block time from 20 to 10 minutes, that will halve the time I spend there.  Not having to give NPCs pointless stat-boosting items, just so that they can properly threaten the PCs will help.  As will not having to figure out a "buff suite" for some spellcasters, I suppose.I do hope encounter design is faster and easier, as promised, but from what I've seen so far, I doubt 4e will cut more than an hour off my process.  Still, that's one less hour per session spent on prep, so that's something to look forward to.</blockquote>

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