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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ThaDium" data-source="post: 6044368" data-attributes="member: 10437">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.</blockquote>

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