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You're the GM, but haven't prep anything for tonight. How do you make tonight game a succes ? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 months ago by Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

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Pretty sure it happened to everyone, you lacked time to prep tonight session, and now the first player just arrived

Bonus point if you explain how to do it when tired.

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[–] Susaga@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So, like usual then?

If it's a new game, I start off with a basic adventure I always have tucked away. A good starter adventure is a lifesaver sometimes.

If it's an ongoing game, then we probably have stuff we were still doing? Just recycle the prep from last time wherever possible and play for time. "Oh, yes, you have the treasure from the depths of the dungeon, but now your rivals have seized the place and you need to fight your way back out! Totally not just doing this to reuse the dungeon map."

If it's an ongoing game and we just had a good cutoff point? Thank god that player just arrived. Ask them what they're expecting will happen this session, nod sagely at their guesses and work from that. "Oh, you're hoping you'll fight that cult sometime soon? You never know, it might come up sooner than you think!"

Everything else is just good prep advice. Keep generic NPC templates and tokens you can use for anything. Use a whiteboard for any maps you need. Give your players control of the plot so you don't have to come up with it.

[–] Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

ive your players control of the plot so you don’t have to come up with it.

Indeed, this is an under-stated GM tip, player can come up with the plot. It eases the GM life

[–] Susaga@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

It's part of the reason I love running heists: the players are the ones doing most of the planning.