im a fairly new dm, my group has played maybe 5 or 6 sessions and things have gone well. my main focus has always been making sure my players are having fun, but every week i see to have issues coming up with different story points. i have a general idea of the story line but leave it wide open and try to improvise as much as i can so my players can make the game theirs. but ive found i have trouble somtimes coming up with things on the spot and i feel like it hurts the game. is there a way to kind of work on that so i can keep going with it and not bog the game down because my mind draws a blank?
Make your own random encounter tables, including a good mix of creature types and potential resolutions--not every encounter leads to combat. Some percentage of your random table can be related to your main storyline. If the party veers off course, maybe something gives a clue to get them back on track.
You can use tables like this whenever you draw a blank, or the party decides to go somewhere unexpected.
The big trick is to have the players make their major decisions at the end of the session. Will they follow the road through the forest or the mountains or just stay in town? They pick at the end of the session, and then you have time to prep based on that choice instead of having to prep all possible choices.
You can plan ahead while still giving the players space to make choices. I do this by generating multiple plot hooks in each location they go to, making sure there's always multiple somethings going on. I'll generate the hook and maybe plan out the first one or two encounters of each so I'm ready to go at game time (but I won't plan out the entirety of all of them, since some won't get chosen and that's wasted effort). That way, I can see which plot interests the players most, get them started on it, and then I can prepare the rest of the adventure in the week between sessions. That way you can still plan ahead without relying entirely on improv.
Gonna echo the rest of the comments here - plan ahead. A good DM will have an entire session prepared out with some contingencies, and then still give the spotlight to the players as they navigate the plot you've written.
By 5 or 6 sessions you should (most likely, but not always) have a plan for a larger story arc and be pushing characters towards it. If you're running a homebrew game for your first ever, I highly recommend checking out some published adventures to give you a sense of what should be prepared and given to the players.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
I have this note on my DM screen in case I ever need to come up with a quest or activity on the spot. Basically, all quests in all games or adventures I've ever encountered in my 37 years boil down to one of these few archetypes. The details and characters of course vary, but filling in the blanks with Names from a random table, or a treasure item from the DMG, monster from the MM, or basically something entirely improvised will do the job. I personally love creature cards: Dungeons & Dragons Spellbook Cards: Monsters 0-5 (D&d Accessory) : Wizards RPG Team: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games Having these to hand literally allows me to draw one at random and boom, I have an encounter or quest. You can also get magic item cards like these and have the deck sitting behind your DM screen, again boom...you've got a quest reward. Finally, a list of 10 or so NPC names that you can cross off as you use and again you've filled in a blank and have a quest on the spot. No muss, no fuss. It works for me, maybe it'll work for you?
Oh, and don't think it's required to have multiple levels of plans. Everyone works differently and if your system works for you don't worry about people who say 'a good DM should'. Do what works for you.
between work and family stuff i put prob 7-8 hours of work into it throughout the week, my concern is my improve skills arent great, i hoping to find a way to kind practice and stretch those muscles between sessions
I think the suggestion of having a handful of premade 'random encounters' is a good place to start. Have some kind of game plan in mind how the event or combat might play out. Sometimes they are just going to talk their way through a situation you were sure they would fight through, and vice versa. Don't be afraid to occasionally have a larger plot point that they will end up reaching eventually. If its only a single session out of many that you might be accused of 'railroading' that's not bad they may enjoy having a new goal to direct their efforts to..
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
between work and family stuff i put prob 7-8 hours of work into it throughout the week, my concern is my improve skills arent great, i hoping to find a way to kind practice and stretch those muscles between sessions
I would find an actual play show on YouTube or a podcast or something that you can keep an ear to throughout your day. If you can passively spend some time getting into the fantasy roleplay headspace by listening to others, you might learn a little by osmosis, or find some inspiration.
Other than that, find a regular fantasy show, novel, or movie series to give a read/watch. Pay attention to how people tend to act, what tends to motivate them, and what situations they get put in. Building kind of a baseline for such scenarios will give you a foundation to build up from.
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im a fairly new dm, my group has played maybe 5 or 6 sessions and things have gone well. my main focus has always been making sure my players are having fun, but every week i see to have issues coming up with different story points. i have a general idea of the story line but leave it wide open and try to improvise as much as i can so my players can make the game theirs. but ive found i have trouble somtimes coming up with things on the spot and i feel like it hurts the game. is there a way to kind of work on that so i can keep going with it and not bog the game down because my mind draws a blank?
How much time do you invest in session prep and how do you convey plotpoints to your players?
Make your own random encounter tables, including a good mix of creature types and potential resolutions--not every encounter leads to combat. Some percentage of your random table can be related to your main storyline. If the party veers off course, maybe something gives a clue to get them back on track.
You can use tables like this whenever you draw a blank, or the party decides to go somewhere unexpected.
The big trick is to have the players make their major decisions at the end of the session. Will they follow the road through the forest or the mountains or just stay in town? They pick at the end of the session, and then you have time to prep based on that choice instead of having to prep all possible choices.
You can plan ahead while still giving the players space to make choices. I do this by generating multiple plot hooks in each location they go to, making sure there's always multiple somethings going on. I'll generate the hook and maybe plan out the first one or two encounters of each so I'm ready to go at game time (but I won't plan out the entirety of all of them, since some won't get chosen and that's wasted effort). That way, I can see which plot interests the players most, get them started on it, and then I can prepare the rest of the adventure in the week between sessions. That way you can still plan ahead without relying entirely on improv.
Gonna echo the rest of the comments here - plan ahead. A good DM will have an entire session prepared out with some contingencies, and then still give the spotlight to the players as they navigate the plot you've written.
By 5 or 6 sessions you should (most likely, but not always) have a plan for a larger story arc and be pushing characters towards it. If you're running a homebrew game for your first ever, I highly recommend checking out some published adventures to give you a sense of what should be prepared and given to the players.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Suggestion - Take a note, and add it to your DM screen. When you need a new quest simply fill in the blank...improvise from there:
Find my/our/the ________
Protect me/my/our/the ________
Kill my/our/their/the __________
Investigate __________
Explore _______
Gather [number] of __________
Deliver this/the _________
Capture/Pursue ___________
I have this note on my DM screen in case I ever need to come up with a quest or activity on the spot. Basically, all quests in all games or adventures I've ever encountered in my 37 years boil down to one of these few archetypes. The details and characters of course vary, but filling in the blanks with Names from a random table, or a treasure item from the DMG, monster from the MM, or basically something entirely improvised will do the job. I personally love creature cards: Dungeons & Dragons Spellbook Cards: Monsters 0-5 (D&d Accessory) : Wizards RPG Team: Amazon.co.uk: Toys & Games Having these to hand literally allows me to draw one at random and boom, I have an encounter or quest. You can also get magic item cards like these and have the deck sitting behind your DM screen, again boom...you've got a quest reward. Finally, a list of 10 or so NPC names that you can cross off as you use and again you've filled in a blank and have a quest on the spot. No muss, no fuss. It works for me, maybe it'll work for you?
Oh, and don't think it's required to have multiple levels of plans. Everyone works differently and if your system works for you don't worry about people who say 'a good DM should'. Do what works for you.
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.
between work and family stuff i put prob 7-8 hours of work into it throughout the week, my concern is my improve skills arent great, i hoping to find a way to kind practice and stretch those muscles between sessions
I think the suggestion of having a handful of premade 'random encounters' is a good place to start. Have some kind of game plan in mind how the event or combat might play out. Sometimes they are just going to talk their way through a situation you were sure they would fight through, and vice versa. Don't be afraid to occasionally have a larger plot point that they will end up reaching eventually. If its only a single session out of many that you might be accused of 'railroading' that's not bad they may enjoy having a new goal to direct their efforts to..
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I would find an actual play show on YouTube or a podcast or something that you can keep an ear to throughout your day. If you can passively spend some time getting into the fantasy roleplay headspace by listening to others, you might learn a little by osmosis, or find some inspiration.
Other than that, find a regular fantasy show, novel, or movie series to give a read/watch. Pay attention to how people tend to act, what tends to motivate them, and what situations they get put in. Building kind of a baseline for such scenarios will give you a foundation to build up from.