As any roleplaying game, it’s all about your players. To get the maximum out of your preparation you should review the characters beforehand.
For Dungeons and dragons specifically, the following properties should be taken into consideration
- The names of the characters
- Their background, where do they come from, who is important and what bonds do they have?
- The motivation and desires of the character (and player!)
When you remember the names of your characters, you usually will remember the motivations and other important properties of said character. This could help you when you’re review the characters before preparation.
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It will help you tremendously if you take short notes of the players / characters during your session.
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
- You’re priming yourself to build the rest of the elements of your prep around those characters (players)
— Priming yourself from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights
- Write down the names, backgrounds motivation and desires of the character
— What to note from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master highlights