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<blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 9252485" data-attributes="member: 52734">There's a hundred ways to skin players to dress up the DM.&nbsp;&nbsp; Just about any DM who gets the players to come back to their table has some successful way of pulling off the game that works for them and their crew.Putting that method into words can be hard, because we probably don't always handle things the same way twice.&nbsp;&nbsp; Players are a crazy lot, they'll do things you weren't expecting and if you want to be successful you have to adjust on the fly or remember some tip or trick you read somewhere that fits the occasion.I try to do a fair amount of planning beforehand, so I've got a good grip on the situation before the players encounter it.&nbsp; If something goes sideways, the more thought I've put into it, the better the chances I can think my way through resolving what's going on in a logical way.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sometimes, you just plan the wrong thing though, and you have to throw away that work and go with what's in front of you.&nbsp;&nbsp; That's where the next point comes in.I also listen to what my players are saying and doing.&nbsp; If you can get into their heads, you can draw on ideas and activities that they'll enjoy.&nbsp;&nbsp; What's their power fantasy?&nbsp; What's their fear?&nbsp;&nbsp; What motivates them to action or reaction?&nbsp; Why should they care?&nbsp; If you can work backwards from that, a lot of times that can save you from a lot of extraneous overplanning.&nbsp;&nbsp; Get to the heart of what your players want to do, and they can move mountains.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Stormonu, post: 9252485, member: 52734"] There's a hundred ways to skin players to dress up the DM. Just about any DM who gets the players to come back to their table has some successful way of pulling off the game that works for them and their crew. Putting that method into words can be hard, because we probably don't always handle things the same way twice. Players are a crazy lot, they'll do things you weren't expecting and if you want to be successful you have to adjust on the fly or remember some tip or trick you read somewhere that fits the occasion. I try to do a fair amount of planning beforehand, so I've got a good grip on the situation before the players encounter it. If something goes sideways, the more thought I've put into it, the better the chances I can think my way through resolving what's going on in a logical way. Sometimes, you just plan the wrong thing though, and you have to throw away that work and go with what's in front of you. That's where the next point comes in. I also listen to what my players are saying and doing. If you can get into their heads, you can draw on ideas and activities that they'll enjoy. What's their power fantasy? What's their fear? What motivates them to action or reaction? Why should they care? If you can work backwards from that, a lot of times that can save you from a lot of extraneous overplanning. Get to the heart of what your players want to do, and they can move mountains. [/QUOTE]

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