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Is the DM the most important person at the table
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7927938" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>Ah, okay....probably not all that much more at all, then. I usually wind up with a few lists of bullet points. I just type it up in MS Word, and if needed, I'll add a second column to I can maximize space on the sheet. This is mostly because I realized a while back how much of our game time is spent with the players looking at me as I flip pages. So I've tried to limit that by reducing my need. I don't rely on the Monster Manual itself for stats, and I try to keep everything on two clipboards so that I can easily track it all, and minimize the page flipping. </p><p></p><p>Other people probably don't struggle with that at all, but I think it was one of my weak points so I've tried to improve that.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Yeah, after my session last night (I referenced it earlier in the thread; the PCs went into an asylum to find someone interred there who had information they need, there was a weird situation going on there with some of the other inmates and they had to deal with that), I'm not quite sure what they'll do next. We left off with them coming face to face with the person they had come for, so we'll start off with her sharing the information they were looking for.....and then I'm not quite sure what they'll decide to do with that. </p><p></p><p>What I'll likely do is prep a few short lists of possible routes forward and potential obstacles or encounters for each route.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I think that the ability to let go of prepped material when it makes sense to do so is a big part of successful GMing. It's also one that many people will push against. I have a friend who GMs regularly at a game store. Hes GMed for far, far more people than I ever have. Yet all he runs are published modules and adventure paths, and as soon as anyone starts to deviate from the available options presented in the book, he shoves them right back onto the expected path. </p><p></p><p>And honestly, for the most part, that's fine....adventure paths can be perfectly valid fun, and often they're dismissed as railroading and so on, and that's not the point I'm trying to make. Even in the most direct and straightforward adventure ever, the GM should allow for a little wandering from the path. Not abandoning the path, but just little detours or sidetreks here and there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 7927938, member: 6785785"] Ah, okay....probably not all that much more at all, then. I usually wind up with a few lists of bullet points. I just type it up in MS Word, and if needed, I'll add a second column to I can maximize space on the sheet. This is mostly because I realized a while back how much of our game time is spent with the players looking at me as I flip pages. So I've tried to limit that by reducing my need. I don't rely on the Monster Manual itself for stats, and I try to keep everything on two clipboards so that I can easily track it all, and minimize the page flipping. Other people probably don't struggle with that at all, but I think it was one of my weak points so I've tried to improve that. Yeah, after my session last night (I referenced it earlier in the thread; the PCs went into an asylum to find someone interred there who had information they need, there was a weird situation going on there with some of the other inmates and they had to deal with that), I'm not quite sure what they'll do next. We left off with them coming face to face with the person they had come for, so we'll start off with her sharing the information they were looking for.....and then I'm not quite sure what they'll decide to do with that. What I'll likely do is prep a few short lists of possible routes forward and potential obstacles or encounters for each route. I think that the ability to let go of prepped material when it makes sense to do so is a big part of successful GMing. It's also one that many people will push against. I have a friend who GMs regularly at a game store. Hes GMed for far, far more people than I ever have. Yet all he runs are published modules and adventure paths, and as soon as anyone starts to deviate from the available options presented in the book, he shoves them right back onto the expected path. And honestly, for the most part, that's fine....adventure paths can be perfectly valid fun, and often they're dismissed as railroading and so on, and that's not the point I'm trying to make. Even in the most direct and straightforward adventure ever, the GM should allow for a little wandering from the path. Not abandoning the path, but just little detours or sidetreks here and there. [/QUOTE]
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