Arashi Ravenblade said:
Are you saying it's a sign of a bad DM to wing it or not being able to wing it, cause if you can't wing it then that in my opinion is the sign of a bad DM.
"winging it" campaigns are usually full of plotholes, too convenient twists, ridiculous npc's and generic goals. basically it turns into a sitcom, and if i wanted to watch "dharma and greg vs. monsters" id flip back and forth between nbc and the scifi channel. there are two types of winging it. one with a framework and one with out. its the kind that goes without that particularly bores and sickens me. you can tell when someone has put some forethought into what they are doing and when someone has no clue what they are doing and is sending you through a poorly plotted dungeon or yet another tavern.
if you differ in opinion thats fine, but my group has been getting together for seven years almost every saturday, and im the only one who is allowed to DM...i think my recipe is working. i just needed a few new spices.
as far as not being able to wing it, any trained chimp can do that....let's see...
"youre in the tavern (gasp). you see all the other future party members who im going to describe vaguely or allow the players to do it. either or.
or (one of my recent hooks for a new group of level one characters)
"youre out in the field tilling with your father. some small green and red creatures attack you as youre spreading manure on the lower field which you were planning on using for sweet potatoes. youre father is a frail old man, and no warrior, though he fights as feircely as his aged muscles will allow. these creatures manage to overpower you, but not before you strike a few down with your pitchfork. they laugh evilly and tie you to the scarecrow with tough twine that cuts your skin, and loot your dead fathers corpse of everything, even his meager clothing. these creatures than laugh at you as you watch with feirce eyes the desecration of your fathers corpse. the insult is punctuated by them tying his decapitated head around your neck. the giggle evilly and drop a strange amulet at your feet, urinate on you, and begin heading east and dissappear over the horizon. What do you do?"
details make it memorable.
