GMs: How much time do you spend creating your games?

[MerakSpielman]

I draw a few rough maps, stat out a few NPCs, and that's about it (unless I'm running a mod). My players are encouraged to be unpredictable, so I don't dare put in more work than that for something they might totally avoid visiting.

 

[Qualir]

The biggest thing I worry about are maps (I usually just steal them and must've used Hamlet at least 3000+ times) and plot lines. NPC stats are a dime a dozen if you look through any WOTC or 3rd party modules/supplemets.

I have spent years and endless hours detailing my homebrew world (politics, boundries, history, religion), but why spend an emmense amount of time on adventures that players might miss half of?

"The best laid plans of mice and men........"
"Strategies and plans generally only last until the first engagement."

 

[Arnwyn]

Nothing fits, so I didn't vote. My maps and NPCs (combat NPCs only) are detailed, but other NPCs and monsters are not detailed at all. Written combat tactics are rare, though not unknown. Sometimes there are player handouts, often not.

 

[Chingerspy]

I voted: Write brief stats on a few monsters and give some NPCs a name

But in reality I like the card file system of holding monster/NPC information ordered alphabetically. I can then go into a game with nothing but an idea in my head. I ran Shadowrun for 2 years with this system. In that time you create quite a nice card file collection I have a new box and set of cards for an upcoming FR PbP game, I will probably sort the cards by EL for D&D though. Its great because...
<Flick, flick> "oooo I need an encounter, hmmm thats nice, not used one of them for a while..." <WEG>
I like "winged" games, I find they are more interesting and if you can do it its great for when the players go do something unexpected. As you are "winging it" you are always ready to expect the unexpected

 

[Morpheus]

I write and stat up the major NPCs using index cards (combat stats on one side, roleplaying stats on the other). I then write out the plot and timeline on index cards also (notice the theme). I make any maps that I don't steal...ummm borrow...from any of the modules I have.

 

[Umbran]

It varies wildly for me. Some sessions I go for a great deal of detail, other times I wing it. It depends a great deal upon what system I'm using, and what flavor I'm going for, and what system I'm working in.

 

[tjoneslo]

Given the other discussion on the board, I'm not surprised with the results of the poll. I would guess DMs prefer to spend less time preparing for a game than actually running it.

 

[Mark]

I detail quite a bit but can just as easily wind up falling back on previously-detailed material if the players wish to follow another path.

 

[MonsterMash]

Back when I first DM'd I'd wing a lot of it, but that was with OD&D or 1e so it didn't matter having huge stat blocks. As I've only been playing 3/3.5 for a year now and have only just started DMing again in Feburary I'm doing a lot of prep, but as I get familiar with the rules and build up a collection of reusable NPC's that should change and I'll be able to be more free flowing.

 

[robberbaron]

Depends what game I am running.
I am currently GMing Star Wars d20 and a heavily modified AD&D1 campaign, and the prep overheads vary wildly.

For SW I have to read through the adventure a couple of times (when I use a WotC module - most of the time), make notes regarding pertinent plot points and changes to fit the plot into my galaxy far, far away.
All in all, I prepare for 5-6 hours per session.

For AD&D1+, the campaign has been going for 16 years so the players and I have quite a lot of knowledge about the world.
Mostly, I flesh out the major NPCs (the ones that are worthy of a name and background), any monsters (I almost always modify existing monsters or make them up from scratch to keep the party on their toes) and a backstory (what is going on in the world at large). Takes 2-3 hours per session.
Trouble is, the players ALWAYS do something I didn't plan for so I ALWAYS end up GMing on the wing. Then again, because of the investment I have already put into the game, I have a large number of potential plot hooks buzzing around in my head, ready to pull out at a moment's notice.

Obviously, all the above is subject to multi-session games, where the prep for the second session is significantly less.