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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shoak1" data-source="post: 7167809" data-attributes="member: 54380">So now let's compare our styles:All the same so far.So here our paths deviate.  In my way of thinking the DM deciding something this important on the spot, after seeing the health of the party, what they have done so far, etc, taints the purity of the players' cause-effect dynamic.  In effect I see it as Big DM shaping things rather than the player's actions doing so.We both seem to make sure to have placed rest restrictions - I used a ticking clock instead which I felt let them manage their own resource though.  My method also served to limit their ability to rest-fight-rest which throws off the delicate balance I create (since Big Challenge is our focus not Big Story).Did you decide ahead of time to put the hag there or was it on-the-fly?  And if you didn't pre-decide to put her there was there a reason?Again, did you decide ahead of time to put bones sub-plot there or was it on-the-fly?  And if you didn't pre-decide to put it there was there a reason?I assume while in town your group played it traditionally in the sense of, "I walk up to the innkeeper and say hi."  This as opposed to my method (admittedly unusual) to abstract the town interaction into a series of skill challenges and encounters.The two house scenes were rather easy to detail and construct so I gave them the option of either fighting with the Watcher or the Baron or both, but pre-manufactured a reason (I forget what) why they really should take one of the three options - so while they did have the option to just leave, it would have cost them something.In my method, I spend an extra 15 mins prep time working out contingencies - the probability of the town guard intervening when they hear the alarm sounding at the Baron's residence, and the strength of the intervening force, etc.  While this doesn't preclude my need to decide things on the fly, it greatly reduces the frequency of Big DM intervention between player cause and effect.  Call me DM Light <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I like this back and forth comparison of prep and play using a specific example.  Maybe we can take it further.  What would you say the percentage of playing time is that you spend in combat, as opposed to dialog, physical challenges, exploration, and roleplaying?  How important is combat (%wise) to the overall results of a campaign, as opposed to strategic choices, skill use, exploration, and roleplaying?  How careful are you in structuring and balancing encounters and rest to PC level?  Let's both answer these questions and give examples from our Strahd campaign.  I'll do mine in a bit after breakfast <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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