Dungeon master session preparation

To prepare for a roleplaying session, especially something like Dungeon and Dragons it help to prepare to improvise.

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master helps you by creating a checklist which is as follows

1. Review the characters
2. Create a strong start
3. Prepare potential scenes
4. Define secrets and clues
5. develop fantastic locations
6. Outline important NPCs
7. Choose relevant monsters, to run organic combat encounters
8. Select magical item rewards

This checklist is meant to be quick and could be done in as little as 30 minutes.

For a visual representation of the checklist, check out the canvas

Reference

E. Schea, M. (2018). Sly flourish’s return of the lazy dungeon master. Sly flourish shop

Highlights or timestamps

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Highlights

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• Review the characters: What are their names, what do they want, what plays into their backgrounds? What do the players of these characters enjoy at the table?

— Review the characters from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Create a strong start: Setting the stage for the session determines a great deal about how the rest of the game will go.

— Create a strong start from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Outline potential scenes: We can outline a short list of potential scenes that might unfold.

— Outline potential scenes from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Define secrets and clues: Secrets and clues are short sentences that describe a clue, a piece of the story or a piece of the world that characters can discover during the game. You don’t know exactly how the characters will discover these clues. You’ll want to keep these secrets and clues abstract from their place of discovery

— Define secrets and clues from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Develop fantastic locations: Each location can be thought of a single scene in your adventure. Describe each location with a short evocative title, Then write down three fantastic aspects for it.

— Develop fantastic locations from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Outline important NPCs: outline those NPCs that are most critical to the adventure, focusing on a name and a connection to the adventure.

— Outline important NPCs from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Choose relevant monsters: What monsters are the characters most likely to face? What monsters make sense for a specific location and situation?

— Choose relevant monsters from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights

• Select magic item rewards: Magic items are also a great mechanism for delivering secrets and clues.

— Select magic item rewards from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights