How Do You DM? (It's a bit long.)

[ThaDium]

I've been thinking about how I DM lately, and so I figured I'd share some of those thoughts and ask y'all about how you do it.


How I Plan a Game:

I generally start by planning out a few scenes/beats for the session. These are usually really cool in my imagination. Then the come into contact with my players and turn out nothing like what I expected (especially combat scenes). But at least my initial imaginings provide me with a framework to run within. Also, the beats lead me to developing NPCs, which I give personalities and stats to, of course. These NPCs give me yet another framework to play in. What do they want? What are their goals, secrets, foibles?

Lately, I've been thinking about how I tend to start each individual games. The first beat of a game is generally one of three options.

1) If we're starting a new plot, it's your typical exposition beat, introducing a new adventure and/or plot. I've found that I tend to do this through a twist/surprise. I may drop a sudden combat encounter, one I expect the PCs to win handily, but will reveal hints of the deeper plot I'm planning to run. On the other hand, I might have an NPC bring a concern to the party that they must then deal with. The further into the game we are, the more large scale/important the NPC's concern will be. (Of course, pacing is important too. If it's been been nothing but world plot for the past several games, I'll drop a compelling small scale plot just to mix it up.)

2) If we're in the middle of something I generally take something that was established in the previous game and apply it to the situation the PCs find themselves in. For example, last game ended with my PCs (9th level party) in a city's menagerie saving a pseudodragon from a sea hag while lizardfolk and aboleth invaded the city. The party had previously visited said menagerie to see the animals within (rust monster, shocker lizard, ettercaps, etc...). While there, they overheard three kobolds planning an escape in draconic, which one of the PCs understood in snippets, but didn't follow up on. Next game will begin with the kobolds having escaped. They were previously freed and equipped by the hag: monk (5), a rogue (5) and a sorcerer (5).

It's added complexity. The PCs forgot about the kobolds; didn't even go down that hallway. They PCs the pseudodragon and fell safe. Now they have to tangle with both the kobolds and whatever creatures they free within the menagerie, all while trying to escape and get the pseudodragon to safety. Te kobold's objective is to kill the pseudo dragon because he knows too much. (Luckily, he's currently dazed from the Sea Hag's evil eye so he can't really tell the PCs what he knows and the PCs don't know why the bad guys are after him anyway, so they're unlikely to ask. I expect the scene will end with him giving the PCs a clue or two, but dying before it all gets out.)

3) The third starting beat is mop up. The plot has reached a good breaking point, and now the PCs guide the action. They're divvying up the treasure, reviewing recent events, etc...


My Approach to Experience Points:

I give XP out at the end of each game, but totally ignore the book's advice for how to do so. I give a blanket based on what happened and how important it was. Succeed or fail, you get XP. Then, we do "individuals" Each player gives something they did that they thin deserves specie notice and something one of they other players did. They get XP for their spotlighted moment and the other player gets XP for what was pointed out. Each player must have something given, so the last one to go is pretty much locked into who they're giving to, but everyone else gets to pick who they're shining the spotlight on.

I do it this way for a few reasons. Spotlighting their own actions, clues me in on how the player sees his character and their place in the world, which helps me tell the game's story. Spotlighting someone else keeps my players tuned into the game even when they're "on stage" and it helps bond my group.


Anyway, those are my longwinded thoughts. There's more bouncing around in my head, but enough's enough.

 

[Randomthoughts]

I've been thinking about how I DM lately, and so I figured I'd share some of those thoughts and ask y'all about how you do it.

How I Plan a Game:

I generally start by planning out a few scenes/beats for the session. These are usually really cool in my imagination. Then the come into contact with my players and turn out nothing like what I expected (especially combat scenes). But at least my initial imaginings provide me with a framework to run within.

I like running open-ended campaigns with character-driven story arcs. So, I leave "hooks" for PCs to pursue, but sometimes they do, sometimes they don't and sometimes they make up their own hooks. I'm fine with any of these.

I mention this b/c it highly influences what I prepare for each session. Sometimes, the point of the session is clear. For example, last session, if the PCs travelled through the desert to find the ancient ruins, I will prepare this session (obviously) for them to explore said ruins. But there are times where the direction is not so clear, in which case, I create flow charts and an abundance of scenes that PCs are likely to encounter. Personally, I like using large or multiple skill challenges to frame these kinds of adventures.

But my planning usually starts with my imagination, like you mention above. I usually "think out" what the PCs are likely to do this session and prepare accordingly. And just like you said, it is often the case that PCs go in different directions, but I find that preparation still helps me.

Lately, I've been thinking about how I tend to start each individual games. The first beat of a game is generally one of three options.
....
3) The third starting beat is mop up. The plot has reached a good breaking point, and now the PCs guide the action. They're divvying up the treasure, reviewing recent events, etc...

This was a good summary of how I tend to start my sessions. I like "James Bond" openings, that don't have to be combat - they could be skill challenges like chase sequences - but provide some initial tension that hopefully sucks the players into the gaming mindset. In any case, what I try to do early on is to give or get from the PCs a sense of the direction of the session.

As to the third option though, I tend to resolve the "mundane" stuff like dividing treasure over email before or after the session. Something I also do though (which might be new) is take some time to talk with the players about how the campaign is going, what their particular characters want to do and generally try to evolve their story arcs.

Here's something that might be controversial: during these discussions, I encourage players to connect their story arcs and motivations/goals with those of the other PCs. This is to avoid a situation where Player A wants to establish a kingdom, Player B wants to locate an ancient relic to become a god, while Player C wants to simply find his long-lost sister and retire in peace. Now, I don't discourage this necessarily, but the practical reality of my gaming group is that we don't have the time to fully flesh out 5 or more separate epic story arcs.

My Approach to Experience Points:
....

At various stages in my GM experience, I was much more specific with assigning XP, both to the group and for individual performance. At this point, I don't track XP; I just level PCs after a few sessions or at certain points of the story. I've had a few discussions about whether players wanted, say, "rewards" for individual performance. But so far, the players are content with this approach...and I'm glad for it.

 

[pemerton]

I think about the scenes I might run in the session, or at least a few of them.

I think about the books I might need to help me run those scenes - any modules, MMs, etc.

I think about a few motivations for the NPCs I am using.

The above is done mostly keeping in mind the backgrounds, past behaviours and thematic orientations of the PCs.

I have to run a session on Sunday, and here is my current thinking:

Starting Point

The PCs are in the Underdark, hunting for Torog's Soul Abbatoir. They were pretty badly hurt in a fight with a hydra and some elementals, during which they recovered a fourth shard of the Sceptre of Law (= Rod of Seven Parts).

A duergar helped them in the fight - she was hidden in a cleft in the ceiling of the cavern, and dropped down a regeneration potion. They agreed to repay the debt. She tried to take the shard of the Sceptre of Law as payment, but the PCs wouldn't agree to that. But they did agree to travel with her to her stronghold. The last session ended with the arrival at the stronghold, and the PCs settling down for an extended rest.

Obvious sources of conflict/pressure
One PC is a dwarven fighter-cleric of Moradin. He and the duergar are ideologically opposed in some fundamental ways -worship, slavery, their conception of what is best in dwarven culture.

One PC is a drow chaos sorcerer. He and the duergar are also opposed, though in different ways - they oppose chaos, he embraces it; they are dwarves, he is an elf. Also, he has a magic mask that means that, after he leaves someone's presence, they remember nothing of his appearance but the mask. This gives him some opportunity to move through the duergar stronghold without provoking hue and cry about a chaos drow.

Two PCs get on well with the duergar. One is a tiefling paladin of the Raven Queen - there is a shared diabolic heritage there. The other is the invoker who wields the Sceptre of Law, and serves Erathis (among other gods). But there is conflict here too. First, the duergar want the Sceptre. Second, they already have a piece of it - and the invoker knows that, and the Sceptre knows that and wants to merge. But the Sceptre is also hostile to the Invoker just stealing from the duergar. Third, the invoker has a magic tome that houses an imp familiar, and that familiar serves Levistus and is hostile to Asmodeus, and part of its mission is to make sure the invoker PC doesn't inadvertantly or deliberately further Asmodeus's cause. Whereas the duergar worhsip Asmodeus.

Current ideas for the session
The duergar insist that the dwarf take a turn in the fighting pit with an arena-trained ogre. (This would be mostly a colour fight, but I think some other activity involving the other PCs could be built in around it.)

The duergar offer better quarters to the two PCs they like, splitting the PCs.

The two privileged PCs are invited to an audience with a duergar leader, in which niceties are stated and conflicts over the Sceptre tip-toed around, but which gives me a chance to download some background info, for the players to have their PCs influence the duergar, etc.

The book imp can turn invisible, so maybe can do some scouting and searching for the duergar's component of the sceptre.

There are conflicts among the duergar - some want to delay assembling the Sceptre because they think it is too early to trigger the final confrontation between chaos and law, whereas others want to hasten that day. Some of these conflicts could come out in the diplomatic scene, or in the betting on the dwarf fight, or in some other way (if the PCs end up in trouble, one faction or another could offer them aid/shelter).

The drow sorcerer is, at present, permanently blinded from internalising too much chaos energy (although he can use a chaotic-powered blindsight instead of normal vision). A mysterious visitor (Pazuzu) will appear and offer him his vision back. In exchange all he has to do is open a particular door in the duergar stronghold. A nabassu demon will then try to establish a portal to the Abyss through this door - I'm not quite sure what will come through, but it gives an opportunity to download some backstory relating to Baphomet (the duergar stronghold was once a minotaur hold) and also the Queen of Chaos (about whom the sorcerer has heard but knows little). I am thinking maybe demons trying to destroy the Sceptre of Law, or to capture it for their own purposes, could come through.

I'm keen to run a purple worm encounter in some fashion. That will require all the PCs to be present together, however.

Possible destination for the session, given the above
The idea is to maximise the various points of pressure on the PCs within the stronghold - law vs chaos, Levistus vs Asmodeus, two duergar factions plus the PCs all with different views about who should have the Sceptre of Law and what should be done with it.

The purple worm could be a challenge the duergar set for the PCs, or a disruptive element to introduce at a key moment if some sort of complication or rescue or "look, over there!" distraction is required.

The likely upshot is disruption of the stronghold, and conflict between at least some of the PCs and some of the duergar. The details will have to emerge in play.

Resources needed
I have the duergar and their orc and ogre slaves already statted up. I have maps for the stronghold, if needed, in H2 Thunderspire Labyrinth. I will need MMs and the Demonomicon for demon stats.​

 

[Hautamaki]

I generally plan out an entire adventure in advance; that way I only have to prep once and it will last for up to 2 or 3 months. Prepping an adventure is a big deal; I generally put about 20 to 40 hours into it. It includes all of the important NPCs (depending on the adventure this could be under a dozen up to over 100), all of the important locations (usually adventures with fewer NPCs have more and larger important locations, and vice versa), and all of the important off-screen events (everything that will happen if the PCs don't prevent it in some way). The off-screen events is the hardest part; you have to figure out what all of your major NPCs are going to do, when they are going to do it and why, and how the PCs are likely (and able) to affect these plans.

My work schedule makes this arrangement convenient; I generally put in 50 hour weeks for 4 months at a time then a very relaxed schedule for 2 months. So I can prep a major adventure during my relaxed period, and then use it during my busy period. I can also just adapt a suitable published adventure of course.

Once the adventure as a whole is finished, it only takes me about 10 minutes or so to 'prep' a session, which basically consists of reminding myself everything that the players have already done, and where the off-screen events are at and which if any are going to happen during that session.

 

[d2OKC]

When I was running my own campaign I had a pretty good system for me. Keep in mind, I have a group that doesn't mind being rail-roaded or dragged around a bit, as long as they are having fun with it. They've actually encouraged that kind of thing, so it may be a bit different than other people's experiences.

Basically, I'll come up with a basic storyline or macguffin. An example was the Black Blade of Kai-Tan. My fighter's goliath was a bit of a lush, and enjoyed partying and drinking a lot. The party was approached by a group of rough-looking goliaths, trying to recover the blade they had given to Sid (the goliath) to keep safe. The problem was, Sid was completely wasted when they gave it to him, and he had no idea where it was anymore. So, the party had to backtrack his steps to locate it.

I design several big combat encounters. Get a rough idea of what the villain is like (in this case, it is the leader of the goliaths, who was actually trying to get the sword for himself). Then, I let the players find their way from place to place and let the story unfold for them.

Usually we only have one storyline going on at a time, because my players (and me too) lack the ability to properly focus on more than one at a time.

I also am a very visual person, so I always try and prepare minis, maps, etc to use beforehand, and only recently (since I started running Zeitgeist) have I started drawing maps on the fly, and those were only for a few encounters that I didn't really expect. Most of the time, I can reasonably figure out their plan before each session and have those things prepared when I go.

 

[howandwhy99]

1st session is campaign discussion and character creation, but I like to bring a starter campaign sort of in my back pocket as default if the players just want to quick jump in and start gaming.

If no gaming happens this session, then I do campaign creation for the first campaign session. That is a bit more I think than any other prep at any other time, but not as much as one might think. A lot of it has to do with having game modules on hand that can be altered to the player's design preferences as given and are what I'd call Campaign Starter modules. The creation process works from a ground up process with the sort of top down preferences preset by the players. I generate the world until I have enough for play for the length of the next session, probably 4-6 hours, and take care of any details afterwards. By details I mean illustrations, handouts, sound bits, models to show, and so on. Plus I want to have the layout of the room and my DM's station fine tuned for quick play on my part. I find this is best learned through play, but I do at least one practice run of the players PCs through the starting adventure to playtest and shake the rust off my game running skills, if necessary.

After a normal session, basically the first actual play session and every thereafter, I go through a number of steps to prep for the next.

1. The first step is to go through my session notes and clean them up trying hard to remember anything I might have missed. I don't mind contacting players for this, but I try not to have to. Truly, the best time to do this is immediately after a game session. It is very important and my memory certainly deteriorates quickly, so I find it best.

2. The next step is to integrate all changes into the the current campaign design. This includes any new elements the players added, so those are set up like the original campaign designing I do above, but for areas not already determined of course. Any time I need more material that isn't brought up by players I just use adventure modules I've already converted to the system, but haven't yet integrated. More on that later.

3. The biggest thing and probably the most fun prep I do is generating the next session's Scenario. This is basically playing the game timeline forward and rewriting the calendar map of the campaign notes for future play. This results in all kinds of play content I wouldn't have imagined on my own, but come about because of the game system I'm using.

4. Next is playtesting just like before. I run the players PCs through the created scenario looking for any design flaws just like any editor. It's not just rules mistakes, but also missing integrations I forgot to add. I also look at what challenges the players are most likely to face and try and think for myself of at least a number of options I could think of if I were in there place, you know, knowing only what they do from the game that was explored so far.

5. Last is simply pre-game time prepping. I reread my notes, go over any details I wanted myself to remember, set up the table and the room to be focused on gaming, get myself awake and ready to go, and so on. Basically I want to be awake, well fed, mentally flexible, and just ready to go wherever the players lead me.

What's not on that list are a few of things I do that aren't related to DMing a particular campaign, but part of staying a good DM.

1. I look at the rules I'm using and keep abreast of any other new innovations in gaming to make sure I'm using the best rules I know of for the game. This changes depending upon the game, but no one expects a DM to run every kind of game imaginable on a moment's notice either.

2. I read and convert modules and campaign setting material, a good bit from the players, but mostly from published sources that work within the system I'm running.

3. This doesn't have to be done, but I like to write my own setting and module material as well. Of course, this I design within the rubric of my game system, so I don't have to convert it. However, I do try and playtest these quite a bit more than the ones I convert from commercial or fan-created sources - if only to take pride in my own work here. Not that I don't have well designed conversions. I probably just spend more time on my own because I want them to not be lacking when compared to the great adventure books I didn't write.

 

[Sunseeker]

I plan by creating copious bullet-points. I leave them intentionally vague(save for when something necessitates specific information), because I know my party will never do things exactly as I want. I create a rough outline of what's going on in the world, who the movers and shakers are, and then decide what events are on the PC's level. Is it small-time petty theives causing trouble? Is an organized Mafia trying to overthrow the city? Are demon-worshipping cultists summining fel creatures into the countryside? Has a hibernating dragon awoken and sending legions of minions to scour the lands for the magical items that will grant it goodhood before it dies in a firey blaze that will destroy half the continent?

These are the sort of things that go through my mind. Right now my party is working on stopping a civil war and an impending invasion. They are not outright tearing through the streets, but are working the angles to overcome the rather large task in front of them.

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I do not use XP. I set various goals for my party, or when they create their own goals, reward them for completing them. Smaller goals net treasure, magical items, curios, reknown among the people. Bigger goals and special events give them levels in addition to that.

As above, I set the general "here's what's going on" and that's what I primarily use as my "big accomplishments" award time. When players create goals for their characters(such as seeking revenge on an adopted father or locating a special religious relic), that's when I reward players with treasure.

I like not using player-specific XP, because it then allows me to reward the group for a single character completing their own goals. Generally speaking, at their current level(9th) appropriate goals are a challenge needing multiple people, so when Jim needs to go on a personal quest, Bob and Sue have reasons for helping him out. I never have to worry about a player demanding the DM give them something special or they won't help Bob. They know they'll get something, so there's no reason to hold out.