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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Old One" data-source="post: 2015771" data-attributes="member: 83">Probably about 30% planned, 70% "on the fly"...I run a pretty dynamic campaign with tons of plot threads and lots of PC choice, so meticulously preparing lots of linear encounters just doesn't work.Planned Portion: (1) Encounter notes/stat blocks (I have a stable of stock encounters that I prepare in batches based on where the PCs are in the campaign, modified on the fly as needed)(2) 2-3 pages of what I call "Adventure Flow" - Essentially, it is a summary of the PCs current situation and an if/then matrix of what I anticipate the likely PC course of action to be (supported by number tags to the appropriate encounter(s) for each likely course of action(s)).  I also try to spend about 30 minutes before a session "visualizing" NPCs, location, possible action and encounters.  I use this time to imbed lots of action words and descriptive phrases into my mellon so they flow better when the time for narrative comes.  This is probably the single most useful part of my entire prep process.On The Fly Portion:(1) Many of the rooms and encounter locations come completely on the fly.  If the PCs head off in a direction that is unexpected and I don't have a physical location mapped out, I will often put that together on the fly, jotting down notes as I go so I can re-create if needed.  I also have a map catalog of generic location maps that I can pull on if needed.(2) NPC action/interaction/reaction to PCs.  I learned, long ago in my DMing career, that you can't prepare for every PC course of action, so I have stopped trying!  Beyond the if/then matrix, I adjudicate on the fly.  Also, PC actions often open the door for taking play in a different, interesting direction; being able to react quickly to that is important.I have found that the more diligent I am in preparing a tight script, the more likely I am to try to "force" the PCs into "checking all the boxes" so all of my hard work doesn't go to waste.  Of course, it took me nearly a decade in the DM's chair to get comfortable with this approach...but it definitely works for me now!~ Old One</blockquote>

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