How much material do you normally prepare?

[Palskane]

How much material do you normally prepare for a good game session? Do you wing most of it, or plan certain encounters?

I am running my group every other week or so, and each session is 8-10 hours long. Granted, there is a lot of normal chatter, but they still can get an amazing amount accomplished. I was just curious as to how other DM's prepare their games.....

Thanks!

 

[JoeGKushner]

Back in the day I winged it almost 100%. I'd have all the character stats written up but monsters, magic items and other goodies were pulled from the good old bookshelf behind me.

Now that I'm older and so many different rules and materials are about, I run modules due to lack of time and customize those 100% before running them. By this I mean change classes, items, etc.. to incorporate the matieral found in other books that works better for my campaign.

 

[Mordax_sighs]

I try to have as much prepared material on hand at as I can: custom monsters, custom treasure, pages of names (thanks, Onomastikon!), maps, and even pregen PCs for games I might suggest. I can run something hack'n'slash on the spot, normally.

As for plots: I usually spend a few hours thinking about what will happen in the next session or three, and bounce ideas about it off a friend. I like to have a loose mental flowchart for my next game - usually think of three or four ways it might go. (I don't take notes about this stuff, usually, since it isn't as easy to recycle.)

 

[Orco42]

Some weeks I wing it, other times I do many hours of work.

It really depends how lazy I am.

 

[Tonguez]

One page plot synopsis
Setting descriptions (general)
Map of 'Plot events' (ie the ones that have to happen at some point and which the PCs can foil)
List of ideas for other encounters
Description and stats of major npc(s)

The details ad liberatum...

 

[Neo]

Originally many many years ago, i used to plan "everything" every room, every encounter, everthing!

Nowadays i make all the relevant major NPC's, keep track of only names for minor NPC's or contacts.

I keep an A4 side or 2 of plot notes making sure i include important events for the plot which it's important to known inside out if your running a campaign, and dependant upon your groups actions these will usually get updated or altered many times.

any relevant maps dungeons, towns, cities, overland etc...

any relevant handouts, journal excerpts, dreams, events of note etc....

any major items so called "campaign" items that they obtain also get thier own sheet write ups.

I've also taken to doing quick sheets for any monsters etc i'll be using, as it stops my group prempting an encounter when they see me pick up the Monster Manual and maintains the surprise

 

[gamecat]

Chronic Lazy-A$ DM syndrome prevents me from preparing anything, but I am in remission as any printed monster the party falls like an avenging scythe through corrupt grain...

 

[Teflon Billy]

it depends on the night. I don't really "plan out" anything until the previous week's game is complete. It allows for more of a "player determine the direction" kind of thing.

What I do plan out is...

• Important NPC's and their motivations (in regard to the PC's and seperate from them). Stats if necessary.
• Interesting locations (and quick maps of same). Nothing too elaborate, just little scraps to give me an idea of what to draw out on the battlemap.
• Anything that I can't make up quickly which might be crucial. (For example, a baddie has a sized up gargoyle with the fiendish template as a servant. I will have made that up ahead of time. wouldn't need to do that with Just Gargoyles, as I can use the ones in the MM)
• A good idea of how the movers and shakers of the City/town/whatever will react to different stimuli that the PC's toss into the game

I guess what I'm saying is that I make an effort to understand my NPC's and my setting. If you can do that (and they are interesting) "Adventures" will pretty much write themselves.

 

[Voneth]

Depends on the game system.

If it's a loose system, I can wing it for a whole night or maybe a whole campagin.

If it's a detailed system where people love the detail (like DND), sigh! I have to at least make page number references if not out and out "cut and paste" or type up stuff to keep all the revelant numbers at my fingertips

 

[Napftor]

I almost always plan as much as possible before game time. This includes written out module including important NPC dialogue, full NPC stats, statted monsters, and, well what else is there?

In my newbie DM'ing days, I winged it quite a bit. Today, improving only comes when the PC's go off the beaten path. This may happen often but doesn't last too long.