How much prep time do you use each week?

[Desdichado]

Preparation, of some form or another, is a major part of the hobby for me. Although I don't typically spend much time preparing "modules" or adventures, I love to tinker around with setting details in my spare time.

 

[Psion]

Less than I should.

Between work, moving, and new baby issues, I've been crazy busy. It's hard enough as it is fitting in an hour or two of prep time.

(I bet some publishers are annoyed at the delay of reviews, for which I can only offer my continuing apologies and the promise that they are on the way.)

 

[Liquidsabre]

I run a weekly game that alternates between 3.5D&D-FR and SWd20, weekly I spend anywhere from 1-4 hours prepping. It usually averages to about 3 hours a week of actual planning, stating, and NPC character/personality development (sometimes even practicing mannerisms and whatnot to what works and what doesn't).

Once every two-weeks I also run a 3.5D&D-DL game on Sunday, on those weeks I tend to spend a litle more time prepping but not too much.

I think it's a good rule of thumb for every hour of planning you get 2-3 hours of in-game play time. Once you've prepped a solid story-arc or region (such as that Sahuagin village and military hiearchy or the major players of a port city and their relations to one another) you're pretty much set for in-game running it's only certain details that need to be prepped for most games. As in the suggestion, the PCs are now assaulting the Sahuagin village so all I need to do is stat some Sahuagin clerics and it's four-armed chieftan and come up with a plot twist, that's it.

note- forgot to add that I usually run 5-6 hour sessions

 

[Gospog]

For Iron Kingdoms, it's typically 1-2 hours of prep tme, and we play (almost) weekly. Typical game lasts about 3-4 hours.

For Shadow Chasers, it's typically 2-4 hours prep time, as I easily get sucked into writing for the campaign as a whole, and preparing stuff for games down the line a bit.
We play Shadow Chasers once a month for about 4-5 hours.

 

[Rel]

I'd probably break it down like this:

5 hours a week "getting inspired" (basically reading ENWorld for about an hour a day)
1-2 hours a week going over the rules for the particular bad guys I think they'll be facing and organizing their tactics (most of this time is spent on the crapper with Monster Manual and PHB close at hand).
1/2 an hour typing out story oriented stuff
1/2 an hour writing up the "combat cards" (basically the 3x5 initiative cards that have the bad guys' stats on them)
1 hour reading and replying to various e-mails from the players.

So I guess I'm looking at 8-9 hours of prep time each week. That sounds like a lot until you consider that over half of it is just dorking around on the boards.

I think the time I spend going over the bad guys abilities is particularly well worth it as is writing out the cards. It shows in the the good tactics of the enemy (in cases where the enemy is smart enough to use good tactics) and I get to reuse the cards pretty frequently. Plus they speed up combat tremendously since I don't have to refer to the books as much.

 

[Desdichado]

Between work, moving, and new baby issues, I've been crazy busy.

For what it's worth, congratulations on moving.





And on the new baby! How many is that for you now?

 

[Desdichado]

I'd probably break it down like this:

5 hours a week "getting inspired" (basically reading ENWorld for about an hour a day)
1-2 hours a week going over the rules for the particular bad guys I think they'll be facing and organizing their tactics (most of this time is spent on the crapper with Monster Manual and PHB close at hand).
1/2 an hour typing out story oriented stuff
1/2 an hour writing up the "combat cards" (basically the 3x5 initiative cards that have the bad guys' stats on them)
1 hour reading and replying to various e-mails from the players.

So I guess I'm looking at 8-9 hours of prep time each week. That sounds like a lot until you consider that over half of it is just dorking around on the boards.

I think the time I spend going over the bad guys abilities is particularly well worth it as is writing out the cards. It shows in the the good tactics of the enemy (in cases where the enemy is smart enough to use good tactics) and I get to reuse the cards pretty frequently. Plus they speed up combat tremendously since I don't have to refer to the books as much.

Righto; I could use more time on the crapper looking over potential encounter stats myself -- I occasionally find myself wondering what some foe's special abilities are supposed to do exactly.

I guess the mechanics of the game bore me somewhat, so I don't spend quite as much time on them as I should. My bad.

 

[Telperion]

To answer my own question:

For me, I play once each week. I do perhaps 15 minutes of prep time unless the party is facing the BBEG that week (in which case it is more like a couple hours).

Of course, I play online via OpenRPG, so a lot less happens in a session nowadays, but even when I did tabletop DMing I rarely had much prep time (but a lot more than "none to speak of").

When I DM I generally do it on the fly. My players and I come up with the story together. That's not a great description of the process, but it is nice and short

I haven't found that PC interactions suffer, and the plot is usually good. My players think I am a lot better DM than I do. Go figure :/

I prep for hours and hours. I don't count, but its probably in the multiple tens. On the other hand I'm also writing the campaign that the group is playing at the same time, so I suppose it doesn't count as prepping.

 

[Rel]

Righto; I could use more time on the crapper looking over potential encounter stats myself -- I occasionally find myself wondering what some foe's special abilities are supposed to do exactly.

I guess the mechanics of the game bore me somewhat, so I don't spend quite as much time on them as I should. My bad.

I don't blame you. I'm just a Tactician. I get considerable enjoyment out of placing myself in the position of the bad guys and saying "given what I know about the party (often nearly nothing), how would I accomplish what I want (often merely survive) using the abilities and material at my disposal." This is part of the game that I really enjoy and it shows in how I GM and how I play my characters.

Other players in our group are more Story Teller oriented and say, "I don't care how (mechanically) the bad guy calls forth the army of Fire Elementals - He just does." That's cool too but I'll note that some of those players tend to have less of a grasp of the nuances of their own characters' abilities and spells.

I'll also note that, despite the considerable amount of time I spend on the crapper, I suffer from no abnormal bowel disfunction. It is just that, generally speaking, my wife and child will leave me alone for a few minutes in there.

 

[Neo]

I run a game twice a week (though currently down to one a week due to some of the group suffering car troubles).

Regarding prep time, I would have to say I spend every available minute throughout the week doing prep of some sort. To elaborate however I do not "over prep" I dont write out every room of a locale, detail its entire contents, list all fixed encounters etc... as that is what Published adventures tend to be and I'm no great fan of those.

I prefer a non linear approach, so I'll have a plot idea written down and the kind possible resolutions written down also. I'll then detail any significant NPC's on thier own sheets, and do another sheet of various other NPC's that may turn up (guardsman, commoners, thugs etc...). I may also get a map or two together but do not as I say detail its contents beyond room functions. Next based on the groups ECL I'll prepare a sheet of suitable CR traps that could be used. Beyond this I'll create the odd handout and thats about it.

In this way I am able to run a very open ended game where the PC's have almost total freedom to explore or act as they wish. My PC's tend to further add to events by writing character backgrounds and from these I frequently weave thier own sub plots into the main plot here and there, this creates a very personal campaign.

Individual adventures or more accurately "plots" will have an obvious goal, but not necessarily an obvious end..so I avoid the whole "Congradulations that is XXX completed..next week we'll be playing XXX for 4th to 7th levels" mallarchy.

I'll add numerous twists and possible encounters throughout the week many times also, most often in the form of a sentence or brief descriptor e.g Talons sister has been corrupted into the service of the Villain, add showdown with possible redemption and reunion".. sort of thing, which all go into a notebook I keep. Many times i'll get a brainwave when I go to bed...this makes getting sleep a hit and miss thing <lol>.

Ive heard many times in the past people claim they arent ready to run a game or didnt get things written up in time...but generally I think thats just over-prep anyway. the trick is to provide what you need in as minimalist way as possible and develop your ad lib skills to take the adventure in whichever direction it naturally flows, without the need for half a tree of preplanned rooms, encounters, tables and so forth..