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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Warmaster Horus" data-source="post: 7129533" data-attributes="member: 6785438">Be ready for noise.  Use things like tented index cards to keep/show initiative and indicate who players are.  Keeps need for talking down and makes it easier for folks to follow along.  Time is your enemy.  If you can streamline the opening of the mod so you get a lot of exposition done in an opening monologue.  Establish a deadline for getting to the climax of the mod even if it means skipping an encounter or two.  Players are usually accepting of skipping filler if necessary but they universally detest being denied the finale.  Don't be afraid to mix the mod up a bit if you find the party is having too easy a time of it.  I usually err on the side of increasing difficulty as players can nearly always rise to the occasion and like the thrill of a closely run encounter.I ran three mods at last year's Gamehole Con and was able to use the hall we were in as a template for nearly all the encounters.  Never used a grid and was able to point to different places in the room and say, "Your party enters from (there) and see a large cave with scattered puddles on the floor.  A small waterfall tinkles into a small pool (there) and next to that is a wretched, overgrown iron-bound chest."  Encounters went very quickly and the player/DM visualization was very clear.</blockquote>