My DM'ing has gotten worse over the years, not better
- Thread starter Kzach
- Start date
TarionzCousin
Second Most Angelic Devil Ever
FIFRBDM's.
Summer-Knight925
First Post
DMing is really just telling a story, and (if you remember english class at all) there are important parts of a story
Hook
Rising Action
Climax
Descending Action
using those 4 steps you can simply and improve
the hook
why are the adventurers on this deadly trek?
that depends on the group you play with, but make it realistic, not important unless its for a longer story ark
the rising action
this is the juice of any adventure, describe anything and everything you want, throw monsters that challenge them, puzzles that baffle them and traps that slaughter them, I have found that when rolling up random treasure, especially random weapons (since everyone names their swords) just giving them a name makes them stand out more, go by what abilities they have (flaming dragonbane? FROST BREAKER [since its for 'breaking frost dragons i.e. white dragons)
Climax
this is usually 1 single battle, but it could be an entire chapter, the climax should be the most epic and fantastic, and when they kill the dragon at the end, describe his death, describe his horde, make sure it was such an epic battle none of them can forget, also try to make the boss monster fight like a boss, so many time's Ive ran into a mind flayer who fought like an ogre
Descending Action
this is the end my friend, few battles, lots of roleplay and the road home, make sure the ending leaves the players wanting more
and with that being said, you can crank out an adventure in about 15 minutes
Hook
Rising Action
Climax
Descending Action
using those 4 steps you can simply and improve
the hook
why are the adventurers on this deadly trek?
that depends on the group you play with, but make it realistic, not important unless its for a longer story ark
the rising action
this is the juice of any adventure, describe anything and everything you want, throw monsters that challenge them, puzzles that baffle them and traps that slaughter them, I have found that when rolling up random treasure, especially random weapons (since everyone names their swords) just giving them a name makes them stand out more, go by what abilities they have (flaming dragonbane? FROST BREAKER [since its for 'breaking frost dragons i.e. white dragons)
Climax
this is usually 1 single battle, but it could be an entire chapter, the climax should be the most epic and fantastic, and when they kill the dragon at the end, describe his death, describe his horde, make sure it was such an epic battle none of them can forget, also try to make the boss monster fight like a boss, so many time's Ive ran into a mind flayer who fought like an ogre
Descending Action
this is the end my friend, few battles, lots of roleplay and the road home, make sure the ending leaves the players wanting more
and with that being said, you can crank out an adventure in about 15 minutes
Raven Crowking
First Post
(shudder)
This sort of thinking is probably why your DMing has become worse.
May I recommend instead: Raven Crowking's Nest: C is for Choices, Context, and Consequence (Part I)
Summer-Knight925
First Post
in a way it is telling a story, you provide the adjectives and some nouns and the players provide the other nouns and verbs
but using the same method you can still create and adventure, i was refering to that for adventure creation, not running
but using the same method you can still create and adventure, i was refering to that for adventure creation, not running
G
Guest 85555
Guest
Interesting article. I agree choice is very important.
I'm forced to agree with Raven Crowking: Linear techniques do not work well for RPG adventures.
I also recommend Node-Based Scenario Design and Don't Prep Plots.
Stay flexible in your prep: It requires less work during prep and it makes the game better during play.
Doug McCrae
Legend
One technique I've seen work well is - Fixed Scenes, Flexible Connections. Two of the most minimal prep (like 5mins for a session) GMs I know do this.
They create some set pieces, perhaps 2-4 for a session, much akin to those in movies, such as a fight on a Ferris Wheel. Then they improvise the connections between them during play, depending on what the PCs do. For example if the PCs talk to an NPC then the NPC points them in the direction of the next scene (if he could plausibly do so).
Of the two GMs, one, Al Hutton, sometimes railroads (always to the game's benefit, imo) and the other, Al McGowan, does not. Al McG runs longer sessions, and is more flexible about the presence and absence of scenes. Nonetheless their prep work is extremely similar. Both are excellent improvisers. Both games were strongly based on fiction, Al McG's game on Buffy, Al H's was generic anime.
Last edited:
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
To give an opposite perspective: leaning on the three-act structure has helped every single RPG session I have ever run.
This is mostly because a game and a story are the same thing, when boiled down like that:
Characters (PCs) vs. Obstacles (NPCs, monsters, dungeons, environment, etc)
"Rising Action" really just means don't blow your big guns right away. "Climax" really just means "when you use your big guns."
The rules of drama are very effective at creating an immediate emotional impact on the players, and if you have fun like that, it is very easy to wing it on the fly.
Not everyone plays in that style, of course. "Sandbox" style play where you can do anything and the DM just reacts is also great, but, for me, sometimes requires too much prep work and might pale in comparison to a computer game that does nearly the same thing (like WoW).
But, hey, there's no extremists that are one or the other entirely.
pawsplay
Hero
Two things. First, planning is not the enemy of spontaneity. Far from it. However, in planning, it sounds like you are overthinking and overplanning. You have realized that when you improvise, your confidence level is higher and your ideas are less tethered to your preceonceptions. That is a useful insight. I think it's worthwhile to often plan less (but still plan as much as you need to). It does take nerve to plan the unexpected, but it is rewarding; if you find yourself wondering, "I wonder how my players are going to respond to this?" then you are on the right track.
Second, the talespinning process in RPGs is completely different than the novelistic or poetic approach. Storytelling, in an RPG, means put together interesting situations and choices, then experiencing something novel and perhaps a little unsettling, but within a shared understanding of the characters involved and the story elements. The upshot is that in general, I think the best RPG scenario is a simple one. When well-played, with honesty, courage, and creativity, even the most basic scenario is more than complex enough. If the players respond really immersively to an NPC prisoner, or something unsettling, or the death of an NPC, not only could it easily take half a session to play out, but the experience will be far more complex and interesting than plot tinker toys.
Basic advice:
- Put down the plot tinker toys. Try instead to come up with one or two really interesting situations that do not require contrivance to put into play.
- Trust the players. It may well be that you have a rotten session. But it's better for players to take responsibility for boring (or TPKking) themselves than for you to do all the heavy lifting and it's still not fun for anyone. The upshot is that players are full of wonderful surprises.
- Try not to use more the number of elements you can count on your fingers. 3-5 main plot points. 3-5 set pieces or encounters. 3-5 NPCs interacting significantly. 3-5 main types of adversary per fight. This will maximize your cognitive capacity, freeing up the creative side of your mind.
- Neither prepare too little, nor plan that which does not need to be planned.
- Never decide how it's all going to end. Definitely think about how you would prefer it to end, but let go of the insistence it has to go that way. I call this the Anakin-Luke principle: when it comes time to wrap up the campaign, the players should have a legitimately free hand to "join the Dark Side" or be heroes or whatever other plausible choice they want. Become kings, ride off into the sunset, disband the group acrimoniously, get married, whatever. It's better if the players write their own endings; emotionally, they have enough simply accepting and responding to what you have offered them. Resist the urge to manipulate, even in the service of some "lesson."
Second, the talespinning process in RPGs is completely different than the novelistic or poetic approach. Storytelling, in an RPG, means put together interesting situations and choices, then experiencing something novel and perhaps a little unsettling, but within a shared understanding of the characters involved and the story elements. The upshot is that in general, I think the best RPG scenario is a simple one. When well-played, with honesty, courage, and creativity, even the most basic scenario is more than complex enough. If the players respond really immersively to an NPC prisoner, or something unsettling, or the death of an NPC, not only could it easily take half a session to play out, but the experience will be far more complex and interesting than plot tinker toys.
Basic advice:
- Put down the plot tinker toys. Try instead to come up with one or two really interesting situations that do not require contrivance to put into play.
- Trust the players. It may well be that you have a rotten session. But it's better for players to take responsibility for boring (or TPKking) themselves than for you to do all the heavy lifting and it's still not fun for anyone. The upshot is that players are full of wonderful surprises.
- Try not to use more the number of elements you can count on your fingers. 3-5 main plot points. 3-5 set pieces or encounters. 3-5 NPCs interacting significantly. 3-5 main types of adversary per fight. This will maximize your cognitive capacity, freeing up the creative side of your mind.
- Neither prepare too little, nor plan that which does not need to be planned.
- Never decide how it's all going to end. Definitely think about how you would prefer it to end, but let go of the insistence it has to go that way. I call this the Anakin-Luke principle: when it comes time to wrap up the campaign, the players should have a legitimately free hand to "join the Dark Side" or be heroes or whatever other plausible choice they want. Become kings, ride off into the sunset, disband the group acrimoniously, get married, whatever. It's better if the players write their own endings; emotionally, they have enough simply accepting and responding to what you have offered them. Resist the urge to manipulate, even in the service of some "lesson."
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