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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7929529" data-attributes="member: 42582">I can't comment on effort, which seems like it could vary with the individual as you say. But as far as prep is concerned I'm pretty confident that it reduces it.You don't need to prepare an "adventure" ie a series of situations, adversaries, etc - because that has already been done as part of PC-building.I think tying the PCs' backstories together is not the right description. In neither of the illustrations from actual play that I posted was their very much backstory. For the Cthulhu Dark game there was no backstory beyond occupation (some backstory - eg homes, relationships - emerged during play after the initial set-up). What there was was a current episode in which the PC was involved.In the case of the "kickers" for our Dark Sun game there also was not much backstory - none for the gladiator who missed out on adulation, a little bit for the other two PCs. What there was, in each case, was a situation that would prompt some sort of evocative or meaningful response from the PC.As a GM, in neither case did I have to "tie backstories together". What I had to do was weave together the three situations.To some extent that is a matter of skill and practice. But there are also tools that can be used. For instance, Dark Sun is very heavy with prominent tropes - Sorcerer-Kings, templars, psionics, gladiators, etc. And 4e combat resolution makes a big deal of space and positioning. I drew on these things to weave the situations together: conflict in the stands (templars investigating the sudden death of the Eladrin PC's contact) merged with conflict in the arena (involving the two gladiators vs angry members of the crowd).To build on [USER=22779]@Hussar[/USER]'s remark about GMing advice: it is possible to give advice which can help with these sorts of techniques, therefore making them easier to implement for those who might want to.</blockquote>

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