How's Your Time Spent?

[Nebulous]

I was thinking that most people have different ways they allocate their time when making adventures. I used to laboriously craft plots (and enjoyed that for years, nice creative outlet) but it reached a point where many, many adventures went under-utilized or plain unused. And it sucks to plan a 10-adventure campaign arc with accompanying artwork that no one ever sees.

So i've resorted to using adventure modules now. It's too time-consuming for homebrew stuff, and there's already so many great resources out there.

For me, i dump this extra time into creating soundtracks and art handouts. And notes for whenever a campaign plot deviates or is embellished. Time is also spent on making battle boards and/or miniature scenarios if needed. Purists argue that minis detract from the "roleplaying" aspect (and they can) but i do love them. I even use Dwarven Forge sometimes don't think it's worth the money or energy to set up. Other than the occasional climatic final battle.

So, for DM's out there, where is the bulk of your "prep-time" allocated?

 

[el-remmen]

I make an outline that ranges from 1 to 5 pages (usually just 1 or 2) before each session which can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 or 5 hours to prep.

I also have one of those big pads with the one-inch graph paper from Staples and when I know there is going to be a big battle in a cool space - or I know we are going to be pressed for time in the session, I draw the area out with markers and crayons ahead of time.

I am also constantly looking through old issue of Dungeon for stuff to scavenge.

 

[Lord Ipplepop]

With my group, we have 4 DMs, so there is usually enough time between turns to develop things. I start out, oddly enough, with the idea of the first adventure, and then figure out where the campaign can go from there... then I flesh out the first mission with respects to how it fits into the grand scheme... and there are usually recurring bad guys (if not the actual same ones, then: orcs from the same tribe, members of the same cult, etc.)

 

[bento]

I try to pick a module or adventure that fits my groups' tastes. Recently it was the 1E module B4: The Lost City. I spent most of my prep time updating the monsters to 3.5E, tweaking background information for the NPCs and painting miniatures.

When the adventure isn't focused on a dungeon crawl, I usually come up with ideas on the drive to work, and then record them in a document as an outline. I then go back and break out the outline into encounters, adding NPCs to appropriate places. I'll either add the stat block from HeroForge or cut and paste the monster info from the SRD. That way when its game night I don't have to carry a bunch of books. I also cut-and-paste appropriate spells from the SRD into an appendix.

We just finished our module/adventure so I'm bounding all this information into a spiral-bound book.

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

This is all a rough guess on my part, but I'd say in an average 2-wk span I spend about an hour writing a summary or timeline of what hapened in the last session, 2-3 hrs updating char sheets, 1 hour writing/updating my broad plot notes (about a dozen pages outlining where the campaign is heading or might head), probably 2-3 hours on stats/traps/treasure for the next session, maybe 1 hour looking for art, anywhere from 0-3 hours drawing/printing/building maps and readying minis.

I wish I had more time to devote to writing story hours, fleshing out locale and NPC descriptions, and planning alternate what-if story paths, but those get short shrift in my schedule.

 

[Nebulous]

I wish I had more time to devote to writing story hours, fleshing out locale and NPC descriptions, and planning alternate what-if story paths, but those get short shrift in my schedule.

Not just NPC descriptions, i wish i was actually better at physically/vocally portraying NPCs. I consider that a real weakness with myself as a DM. It's hard for me to distinguish NPC's at the table, and they often tend to blur together. not always, but usually. Maybe i should spend time working on "voices" or attitude, stuff like that.

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

i wish i was actually better at physically/vocally portraying NPCs.

I've found its best to simply give each npc one noticable quirk, be it in their appearance, mannerisms, speech, etc. Then try to work it in at least once every time you RP that NPC. Somewhere I found or put together a big list of quirks and had this handy somewhere during the game (usually right next to a big list of random names). Then when the PCs enter a random blacksmith's shop, for example, I just look at my lists and decide on the spot that they're about to meet Jorifan Nupscleson, who likes to speak nostalgicly about the good ol days, or whatever. It's very important to write the name next to the quirk when you use, if there's a chance it'll be a recurring NPC.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

My group alternates campaigns (see my sig), so I run for a month then we switch to the other campaign and the other DM runs for a month. It allows the not-running DM to recharge, prep for a month and be a player. It also keeps the campaigns from becoming tired.

In the month when the other DM runs, I plot out what I think will happen for next month in my game - make notes as to where I think the PCs are headed, make some NPCs, think long term about where things are going, where the world is going, etc. In the month I run, I spend most of the time between weekly sessions figuring out what materials I'll need for next session.

Overall I tend to use a Dungeon Mag/Module/downloaded adventure, jigger it so it fits in my campaign, and then plot how the PCs will get to where it takes place. There's a lot of travel involved so I don't use one module on top of another.

I layed things out like this so far:

PCs form a party at City A; segue to
Basic D&D Mod B1: In Search of the Unknown in an old keep outside the city; then
PCs are hired to guard a mine and travel to desert mountain area where the mind is, have encountered along way; segue to
Goodman Games DCC#1: Idylls of the Rat King where lycanthropic Thri-Kreen replace wererats and Silverton is the mining town; then
PCs settle into mining town and solve a murder, uncover a vampire plot, and discover an invasion of tribals in the area - evacuate town, forced to run to nearby abandoned mines where they segue to;
Goodman Games DCC# 27:Revenge of the Rat King;
PCs return to nearby city two players create new PCs and one player leaves the game, new PCs have hooks which pair them with an NPC guide and they travel for a long way to another city where I will run another module.

The links between each are the toughest to write. I don't want to have so many encounters that the PCs never get around to the mission/plot, but I don't want them to get complacent about the dangers in the campaign world.
Plus they are kind of being dogged by a powerful enemy.

 

[EricNoah]

I often start with a vague notion, then build a bunch of "things" that go with it (NPC stats, monster stats, dig up a unique spell or magic item, find a map or two I can scavenge). Then I start putting the pieces together. That's the hard part for me, making it all fit and make sense.

 

[Odhanan]

So, for DM's out there, where is the bulk of your "prep-time" allocated?

Mapping, encounter design, brainstorms for sidetracks, putting myself into a "DMing mode" by listening to music, watching movies, reading sourcebooks...