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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 9160006" data-attributes="member: 2629">As a first: When I take over a game that someone else started, my goal immediately is to find a way to bring it to a great conclusion that satisfies the players.&nbsp; That usually means trying to emulate the style of the prior DM and looking for a way to wrap the campaign up quickly so that we can start something new.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; As a DM, I don't enjoy trying to run a game like another DM, but I appreciate how continuity and consistency enhance a campaign.&nbsp; To that end, I make a sacrifice and try to give the players more of what they've liked - but I balance that by moving it towards a completion ASAP so that I am not burdened forever.&nbsp; I recommend this approach to other DMs when they take over a game.As a second: In my experience, the ideal time to create is not during the session.&nbsp; When things are going well, I don't have to make anything off the cuff.&nbsp; I either have something very specific prepared, or I have a bunch of 'just in case' materials I can call upon to use during the session.Once I create something in my game, it is part of the Living Game.&nbsp; I have a DM calendar and I know (from a high level) where and when every NPC is going to do something meaningful if the PCs do not get in the way of it.&nbsp; The world lives around them when they are not there.&nbsp; So I am careful about where and what I introduce.&nbsp; Once introduced however, I aim for continuity, even when it comes to things the PCs do not know.&nbsp; Once I write down that a sorcerer is arachnophobic, that sorcerer is scared of spiders - I won't change it to a fear of snakes just because the PC druid turns into a snake.&nbsp; If I put down that a gaint has a potion of gaseous form, it will have that potion unless it uses it.&nbsp; Most of this creation takes place between games when I have time to build.&nbsp; However, sometimes your PCs go someplace you did not expect and interact in unexpected ways.&nbsp; Every DM needs to improvise.&nbsp; The key, for me, is to improvise as little as possible.&nbsp; I have hundreds of encounters set up and ready to go.&nbsp; I used random generators to aid in building them.&nbsp; They each feature: Foes, a goal for the enemies, personalities for leaders (either an emotion, a famous character to badly pretend to apply to the foe as a personality, or a habit), elements of the location (slippery, climbing surfaces, water, etc...) and treasure.&nbsp; I can quickly thumb through these encounters, pull one that makes sense and adapt it to create a combat scenario.&nbsp; Then I take a picture once I have assembled the battlemap and boom - it is now a permanent feature of my setting.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 9160006, member: 2629"] As a first: When I take over a game that someone else started, my goal immediately is to find a way to bring it to a great conclusion that satisfies the players. That usually means trying to emulate the style of the prior DM and looking for a way to wrap the campaign up quickly so that we can start something new. Why? As a DM, I don't enjoy trying to run a game like another DM, but I appreciate how continuity and consistency enhance a campaign. To that end, I make a sacrifice and try to give the players more of what they've liked - but I balance that by moving it towards a completion ASAP so that I am not burdened forever. I recommend this approach to other DMs when they take over a game. As a second: In my experience, the ideal time to create is not during the session. When things are going well, I don't have to make anything off the cuff. I either have something very specific prepared, or I have a bunch of 'just in case' materials I can call upon to use during the session. Once I create something in my game, it is part of the Living Game. I have a DM calendar and I know (from a high level) where and when [I]every[/I] NPC is going to do something meaningful if the PCs do not get in the way of it. The world lives around them when they are not there. So I am careful about where and what I introduce. Once introduced however, I aim for continuity, even when it comes to things the PCs do not know. Once I write down that a sorcerer is arachnophobic, that sorcerer is scared of spiders - I won't change it to a fear of snakes just because the PC druid turns into a snake. If I put down that a gaint has a potion of gaseous form, it will have that potion unless it uses it. Most of this creation takes place between games when I have time to build. However, sometimes your PCs go someplace you did not expect and interact in unexpected ways. Every DM needs to improvise. The key, for me, is to improvise as little as possible. I have hundreds of encounters set up and ready to go. I used random generators to aid in building them. They each feature: Foes, a goal for the enemies, personalities for leaders (either an emotion, a famous character to badly pretend to apply to the foe as a personality, or a habit), elements of the location (slippery, climbing surfaces, water, etc...) and treasure. I can quickly thumb through these encounters, pull one that makes sense and adapt it to create a combat scenario. Then I take a picture once I have assembled the battlemap and boom - it is now a permanent feature of my setting. [/QUOTE]

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