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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cor_Malek" data-source="post: 5344507" data-attributes="member: 91608">First and foremost - I think about the adventure, how I'd play (not lead) it. GM and player expectations can often differ on how you "should" act in given situation. I think of things players can screw up/ make a breakthrough in/ just play out differently. It's more of a mental exercise than preparation - I don't bother writing this down, it's not like players will give me much time during session. They face a situation, and have to come up with answers. I can hardly plan out 2-3 steps in chess, I'd consider position that I can think of all alleys players would think of as a bit arrogant. This might be my rationalization mechanism though, as I'm quite lazy ;-)It's also why I'm not a fan of pre-published adventures - they really do little to shorten my preparations, or even make them easier. Players kill half of the NPC's that are supposed to be surprising allies, befriend half-baked one-shot villains, steal and sell silly McGuffins, and accumulate trinkets.I try to replenish my resources though. I hate finding out that I don't have given spice mid-way through preparing a meal, I hate being without props mid-game even more. Name List. Several colums, for each race. Gnomish is the shortest yet widest ;-P You never know who the PC's will try to befriend or incorporate to their plan. I've heard of people crossing out once-used name, but I prefer to just add adjectives or last names. I cross them out only for important yet rarely occuring NPC's, so the group doesn't get confused.Maybe not so important if you can think of names on the spot, but I find it... paralysing. Up-to-date character sheets. Arguably more important than the Name List. I keep them close-by, try to remember the main twist of character build, and keep an eye on skill-list at all times. I tried many ways to avoid <a href="http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html" target="_blank">The Rolling Trope</a>, and this works best for me. You can't take dices away from group, because rolling them is part of the fun. People have a lot of prejudices and little habits regarding their dices and rolls.So instead, I ask them to give me a roll every now and then. If you ask them to give you a perception roll, they'll know there's something to look for here. If they botch it, they'll either meta-game and find a reason to look in the area, which will make some of them feel bad. Or they'll RP, and move on realizing that they might be missing out on something - and will feel bad. Asking them to roll will saves to notice someone is screwing with them? Dumbest thing ever.After a while it doesn't disrupt anything, as instead of talking - I just make a rolling gesture and the players know what I mean. I actually make them roll more than is needed to keep them off scent (though not everyone notices this, and they tend to be happy and relaxed after high, and on their toes after low rolls. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":P" title="Stick out tongue    :P"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":P" /> )It also makes it easier when players are improvising a lot. taking the sheets from them during game is somewhat of a hassle.  Appropriate encounters. I don't like random fights, but sometimes the players will roast a boar in the middle of forest, and then all go to sleep. Be prepared ;-) This is the most redundant prop I have, and unlike the Name List - it often has to be replaced when the PC's move. Maps. You can't go wrong with too many maps. Small  situational, like river crossing; bigger ones like of whole area,  whatever you have time for. I keep them as templates, and often have to  copy them on the fly, and in such instances I use tracing paper. If it's  supposed to be a handout - I try my best to make it on paper,  preferably aged in some way. But often PC's will have their characters  or NPC's sketch something, and then I use this technique, as I'm used to  it from my work.I, um... *coughs* I talk to myself. Well, not to myself - to the cat on bottle of Gato Negro, owl sculpture on shelf, whatever is close. Otherwise I have trouble pulling-off original mannerisms for NPC's, and get lost with <a href="http://www.nlp-practitioners.com/interactive/nlp-eye-access-cues-game.php" target="_blank">eye cues</a> - and I love incorporating those into games. It's rare that players catch those, but rewarding to them and me when it happens.Pro-tip: Don't do this with headphones on. Not in public. Extend choke-points. Unless you're a pro-DM with decades of experience, and a lot of it at freeform RP in particular - you need some hooks for the story, or else it quickly becomes chaotic. There will appear some points, where - to move forward - PC's are expected to do/find/see/encounter something. I try to find those points and add additional alleys.As a sub-type of this - add cues. I endorse <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/three-clue-rule.html" target="_blank">the three-clue rule</a>. Most of the time the players will be actively seeking leads, and I have to scrap those I've readied and think of others anyway. But sometimes the group is just at loss. People are tired, or just don't feel like thinking all that hard, and instead - just "look" around and roll perception. I like to be prepared.I generally don't bother with Red Herrings, as from my experience the players seek them out on their own anyway. But if I noticed that a group reads me too well, I'd probably add this to prep.</blockquote>

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