Prepping

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May 14, 2024

Prep. To some, this word inspires dread. Some while away the hours with it, for campaigns never to be. Some people that don't play games have no idea the division I'm talking about, and for that they are ignorant, and thus blessed.

I'm growing tired of prep. Deciding on stats, generating an idea for what happens next, and doing this everyweek. Luckily, I am very happy to brainstorm a concept for an encounter and completely improvise the rest at the table. 

I am currently running a science-fantasy biological megadungeon using Vaults of Vaarn. Surprisingly, the megadungeon has been great for improv. Most megadungeon prep I have heard about seems very tedious: roll over and over for stocking rooms. Many variations on this method speed it up... but I find it ultimately uninspiring. It is tried and true prep, but it seems the reverse direction for creative design.

Instead, I have some backup rooms, but brainstorm cool ideas for the actual rooms and encounters. In the week before the session, I just brainstorm. Think up cool premises for rooms and their contents. Then I just roll with it, put it in a nearby room (or maybe a far away room with a clue) and use the system's basic rules for resolution. At each session, I never reference any detailed notes, just the rules of the system, and extrapolate from my cool idea.

Now that I'm deep into this soliloquy, I should take a minute to say I'm not espousing this as perfect, or even better for anyone other than me. I just have found a good creative process for me, and want to share some ideas about it.

Anyway, back to prep. I think I got on this kick through Graham Walmsley's book Play Unsafe, about improv GM'ing. I didn't take any specific tips from the book to the table (though they are good), but instead it reminded me that I have done this before, and have always enjoyed it. So I'm dnd,' just playing whenever with whoever, and not really worrying about the formalism of it.

Anyway, all to say, if you wanna play something with me, literally anything, I would love to improv more.

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Thinking Small Adventures

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