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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7929726" data-attributes="member: 6785785">Using prepared material is certainly one of the ways to save prep time. However, you generally still have to read through the material, and those big books can take a lot of time to read. I ran Tomb of Annihilation about a year ago as part of my 5E campaign, and I found it difficult for a number of reasons. I've since decided to only run my own material, and I am finding it far more easy. But, I've also been DMing for a long time. I think for those starting out, using prepared material is a good idea. Although even that won't apply to all (I think [USER=7016699]@prabe[/USER] mentioned that he can't make sense of the APs). I think that smaller bite size chunks are far more helpful to newer DMs. A few pages and a map, and not a whole lot more. I think the Adventurer's League stuff may be more in line with what's useful to a new DM, and certainly smaller adventures that can be found on the DMs Guild.I agree on published modules, as I mentioned above, but I think the smaller the better for newer DMs, generally. But when it comes to getting PCs' backstories to "fit the setting", I think it's useful to kind of look at it another way. What if the setting fit the PCs' backstories? Sure, you may have a general setting idea such as "we're going to play Dark Sun at the time of the fall of Kalak" as [USER=42582]@pemerton[/USER] used as an example. But what if that's step 1, step 2 is the players make their characters and related concepts (whether backstory, related NPCs, kickers, or some mix of all), and then step 3 is that the DM fleshes out the other details? This allows the player suggested material.....material they'll likely have more vested interest with....to be prominent. Then the DM can structure the missing pieces around that. Certainly this will reduce the DM's need for prep at least as much as what the players bring to the table.....maybe some NPCs, factions, locations, or connections to existing ones. It also gives the DM very clear cues about what the players would like for play to be about, which can help when it comes time to mine for ideas for conflict or adventures. Many of the "adventures" in my 5E game largely write themselves because the players have an agenda other than the potential agendas I sprinkle into play.I agree that this stuff can take time to get comfortable with. But the earlier people begin, the earlier they'll get the hang of it.Two things on this. I think that using a pre-established setting can indeed cut out a lot of work on the part of the GM. It may also serve as a hook for the players because they may already have an understanding of the setting and possibly strong interest in it, too. This is a big part of why my 5E campaign takes place in the D&D multiverse. It allows us to use any and all published bits, and a lot of the big players are known NPCs that the players already have an interest in.....Eclavdra and Iggwilv and Snurre and Mephistopheles and Graz'zt and Shemeska and so on. All of this gives me a plethora of material that I can mine for ideas, and the same for my players. Having said that, I think that telling a new GM that they need to construct an entire world with all these details predetermined is one of the things that perpetuates the idea that it's so difficult to GM. There's no reason that this stuff can't be built as it's needed. Start with a town or city and the surrounding region. Add members of the pantheon as needed. And so on. There's nothing wrong with a Dm who's experienced and has a clear idea of a setting or world that he wants to craft for his group. But I don't think it's good advice for new GMs. It's too daunting. And the chance that they'll do it all so well that they'll actually get to use it all? Seems pretty slim.</blockquote>

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