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<blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5542960" data-attributes="member: 54877">Note that there are many hybrid variants to this approach, and it is part of what I have in mind when playing to your strengths.&nbsp; For example, my usual hybrid approach is to do a brief outline of a string of pearls, or even a pure railroad.&nbsp; I just don't put a lot of work into it, or get too wedded to it.&nbsp; Because I know this is all just background, for me to run mostly sandbox.&nbsp; &nbsp;It's a hybrid over a more pure &quot;fronts&quot; method, because I have a few things that I do want prepared ahead of time.&nbsp; I'm terrible at coming up with good NPC names on the fly--simply awful.&nbsp; And if I do the standard &quot;improv&quot; bit of having a list of names by category, and checking them off, the name doesn't stick in my head.&nbsp; But if in my notes I've got, &quot;Boric, 9th level warrior, leader of the East Hills nomads, suspicious of outsiders, loyal,&quot; then I'm good.&nbsp; If the players show definite interest in going there, I can expand upon that.&nbsp; If they surprise me, I can rapidly expand on it in a way that will be reasonably consistent with what I would have done with warning.&nbsp; I can do this because &quot;Boric&quot; sticks in my mind, and carries a whole lot with it, including some things that aren't in that one line note.&nbsp;Other DMs would take a generic stat block, yank it out when the party went to the East Hills, and rip off a name.&nbsp; Because that is what would make it stick--then they might make a note of the name.&nbsp; Other DMs would have a movie actor in mind for the part.&nbsp; Other DMs wouldn't even know there were nomads in the East Hills until it came up--but might know there was a particular treasure buried there. &nbsp;Take notes for the things you need notes for, and don't for the other stuff.&nbsp; Taking unneeded notes tends to make you less flexible to player changes in direction.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Crazy Jerome, post: 5542960, member: 54877"] Note that there are many hybrid variants to this approach, and it is part of what I have in mind when playing to your strengths. For example, my usual hybrid approach is to do a [B]brief outline[/B] of a string of pearls, or even a pure railroad. I just don't put a lot of work into it, or get too wedded to it. Because I know this is all just background, for me to run mostly sandbox. It's a hybrid over a more pure "fronts" method, because I have a few things that I do want prepared ahead of time. I'm terrible at coming up with good NPC names on the fly--simply awful. And if I do the standard "improv" bit of having a list of names by category, and checking them off, the name doesn't stick in my head. But if in my notes I've got, "Boric, 9th level warrior, leader of the East Hills nomads, suspicious of outsiders, loyal," then I'm good. If the players show definite interest in going there, I can expand upon that. If they surprise me, I can rapidly expand on it in a way that will be [B]reasonably[/B] consistent with what I would have done with warning. I can do this because "Boric" sticks in my mind, and carries a whole lot with it, including some things that aren't in that one line note. Other DMs would take a generic stat block, yank it out when the party went to the East Hills, and rip off a name. Because that is what would make it stick--then they might make a note of the name. Other DMs would have a movie actor in mind for the part. Other DMs wouldn't even know there were nomads in the East Hills until it came up--but might know there was a particular treasure buried there. Take notes for the things you need notes for, and don't for the other stuff. Taking unneeded notes tends to make you less flexible to player changes in direction. [/QUOTE]

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