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<blockquote data-quote="AlViking" data-source="post: 9674993" data-attributes="member: 6906980">I don't prepare responses.&nbsp; I don't plan out the path the players will take or what the ultimate outcome will be.&nbsp; I make a few educated guesses here and there for responses, paths and outcomes just to help me think about how I might handle things and to give me an idea of what I should prepare. If the goal is going to be rescue the prince from the clutches of the evil sorcerer, I have to think about likely options of how they'll know where to go and what defenses the sorcerer is going to have.&nbsp; If this is an area I don't have any notes on I may want to add some high level descriptive info.Then I prepare elements that the characters are likely to <s>encounter</s> experience.&nbsp; I prepare NPCs and give them descriptive text, motivations and goals.&nbsp; I have some idea of the physical location even if I don't typically do detailed maps.&nbsp; If I think combat is possible I have monsters written down along with what drives them and perhaps some other general notes.&nbsp; I usually have a combat encounter or two of just monsters that could be encountered in the area based on what is there, the same way I have a list of randomly generated names and NPC descriptions I don't expect to use.&nbsp; I do that because it will help me keep the game flowing if I need to start 100% improvising which happens on a fairly regular basis. I need to know the stats of the sorcerer and his bodyguards even if the characters end up negotiating the release of the prince because I didn't know if they could avoid combat.I signal something if I think it makes sense from the character's perspective, if they're in pirate town and go into a shady bar it should be fairly obvious that a fight is possible even if I don't expect one.&nbsp; But if the characters have no reason to expect an ambush then the characters have no reason to expect an ambush.&nbsp; Obviously D&amp;D and similar games need some prep for most GMs because it doesn't use more generic resolution procedures that can be adapted to different types of obstacles or challenges.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="AlViking, post: 9674993, member: 6906980"] I don't prepare responses. I don't plan out the path the players will take or what the ultimate outcome will be. I make a few educated guesses here and there for responses, paths and outcomes just to help me think about how I might handle things and to give me an idea of what I should prepare. If the goal is going to be rescue the prince from the clutches of the evil sorcerer, I have to think about likely options of how they'll know where to go and what defenses the sorcerer is going to have. If this is an area I don't have any notes on I may want to add some high level descriptive info. Then I prepare elements that the characters are likely to [S]encounter[/S] experience. I prepare NPCs and give them descriptive text, motivations and goals. I have some idea of the physical location even if I don't typically do detailed maps. If I think combat is possible I have monsters written down along with what drives them and perhaps some other general notes. I usually have a combat encounter or two of just monsters that could be encountered in the area based on what is there, the same way I have a list of randomly generated names and NPC descriptions I don't expect to use. I do that because it will help me keep the game flowing if I need to start 100% improvising which happens on a fairly regular basis. I need to know the stats of the sorcerer and his bodyguards even if the characters end up negotiating the release of the prince because I didn't know if they could avoid combat. I signal something if I think it makes sense from the character's perspective, if they're in pirate town and go into a shady bar it should be fairly obvious that a fight is possible even if I don't expect one. But if the characters have no reason to expect an ambush then the characters have no reason to expect an ambush. Obviously D&D and similar games need some prep for most GMs because it doesn't use more generic resolution procedures that can be adapted to different types of obstacles or challenges. [/QUOTE]

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