I think published adventures require MORE prep, not less.

[Fenes]

Part of the story is for me defining NPCs and including twists - NPC A might seem like a potential ally, but has a secret agenda. Hints lead to NPC B being a potential enemy, but that's just a false lead by NPC C. And stuff like that. That's story for me. And if I don't have enough time, these things seem often to simplistic. "NPC A is the bad guy". NPC B needs your help. NPC C helps NPC A" with no twists except maybe those that the PCs introduce (like deciding they want to aid NPC A - which rarely, if ever happens. If I add a few twists and ambiguities, either can happen)

Improvising such twists is second nature for me. It helps of course that I rarely present anyone as "good" and "bad", but shades of grey. Then it's just a matter of juggling and twisting stock motivations, and dressing them up in interesting ways.

 

[vagabundo]

I find there is too much in most of the adventures to run it all, so I need to do some heavy editing. I use some of the combat encounters and other stuff, like setting detail.

But places with too many NPCs or locations can be a pain to learn. I'm more relaxed about running them nowadays, I used to try run everything by the book and would get hopelessly lost, but now I adlib a lot.

Use them as a base and dont worry too much about fupping them up and your good to go.

 

[Gwaihir]

When I run adventures I've written myself, they always seem to flow more smoothly, since most of the information is already in my head. I can't get that with published adventures no matter how much I read over them or prepare.

I have to agree with the OP as well. Recently, we lost two Characters from our Rise of the Runelords Campaign. (one player got married, One attacked a major villan by himself) Having felt some frustration depicted in the last sentence of the quote above, I asked if they wanted to continue RotR or if they wanted to go back to the usual way we run stuff, which is me running a homebrew and improvising on the fly.

Pretty much they all wanted the homebrew stuff.

So I agree with the OP, even though the Paizo stuff was better than anything I could have put together (in a million days of vacation from work) It was more difficult to prepare for and to DM for me.

 

[Thanee]

After flipping through Keep on the Shadowfell, that was my same response. Amazing looking adventure, but who's got the time needed to adequately study that book to run it?

KotS is extremely easy to run and takes almost no preparation at all.

It's also pretty straightforward and not very "twisty". Those latter adventures tend to require a lot more preparation work.

Bye
Thanee

 

[roguerouge]

Uh... no. Pre-made adventure modules have saved me from DM burnout. They're infinitely easier.

Think of it this way: yes, it's hard to edit a novel, but isn't it easier than writing one?

 

[Fenes]

Think of it this way: yes, it's hard to edit a novel, but isn't it easier than writing one?

No. Only if just some minor edits are needed is editing easier.

 

[satin]

Think of it this way: yes, it's hard to edit a novel, but isn't it easier than writing one?

Totally agree with this one. I use the monster stats, maps, and plots from published modules. I improvise a lot for the NPCs (and the odd situation when the players do some crazy thing the module writer didn't plan for).

So far I have had one #$!@ moment where they did something that completely exploded the entire plot, but the rest of the surprises were manageable - had to wing it a bit but it was still easier than writing my own.

 

[Stormborn]

I like having stats and maps from published adventures.

But following the story, trying to keep things in order, compensate when things go off track... these are all things I find much easier when I conceived the scenario than when I am playing with someone else's scenario.

Yeah, this is my feeling on it too. I do run portions of published modules - encounters moslty- but dont know if I have ever run one completly, or even mostly, as written.

 

[Runestar]

Am I the only one who has looked at the npc statblocks in a module and think to myself..."Say, I think he/she might be more interesting/effective if I made XX changes"...and ended up revising the entire statblock...

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Am I the only one who has looked at the npc statblocks in a module and think to myself..."Say, I think he/she might be more interesting/effective if I made XX changes"...and ended up revising the entire statblock...

Not in 4E, and the only 3E module I used was a 3rd party Psionic book adapted for Dragonstar. I tweaked a little there.

Edit:
Wait, that's not true. I also used an IH module for Iron Heroes. I think I changed some stuff then... But it was not even close to the work I spend on my homebrews.