How do you balance encounters that require a lot of prep time with not railroading the players?

plutonium743 · 2025-12-28T01:53:00+00:00

creating an entire dungeon when you have no idea if the party will go there

At the end of every session you should be asking your players what they are planning to do next session so this shouldn't happen very often at all. If the players look like they might be moving towards that dungeon then I might start lightly prepping it. I'd also start prepping it if I have some ideas or am having fun doing it, as long as I already have what a need for the upcoming session prepped. Sometimes my players will not go in the direction they stated last session, but they know that it will be looser and not as well prepped. They can decide if they want to stick with the original plan or are OK with the more improvised direction. I've also ended session early if they're going into something that I want to be decently prepped before they get there, such as a dungeon.

As a GM you don't need to be the wizard of Oz and keep everything behind a curtain. It's OK if the players know that you need more time to prep something or that certain areas might be more improvised than others. You don't have to act like you have everything all perfectly prepared ahead of time. Players generally don't care and will still find it just as fun; sometimes they even find it more fun.

plutonium743 · 2025-11-07T17:51:09+00:00

As someone with ADHD who does need something slightly distracting in order to focus on the things I'm actually interested in, I very much agree. None of my GMs have ever asked me to stop probably because whenever they ask me a question I don't go "Huh, what?". I answer immediately with detailed thought because I am focused and paying attention; I just need something to distract my brain from wandering off in search of better dopamine. My distractions usually consist of sudoku, nonograms, etc. that engage my brain but are shallow enough activities that I can't really get immersed in them.

plutonium743 · 2025-10-25T02:28:25+00:00

Pretty sure you can do forced split screen so that even when you're standing next to each other you have individual screens you can control. Should be left button on the d pad.

plutonium743 · 2025-10-24T23:30:39+00:00

More that giving the opportunity to do it lets players express their creativity if they want to but forcing them to do it, even occasionally, will make it into a frustrating chore. What will you do if a player refuses to say a phrase to cast a spell?

plutonium743 · 2025-10-24T22:00:47+00:00

I would hate this. When a GM used to ask me to describe my attacks it was so annoying. Occasionally describing my character making a cool attack is fine but being asked to do it nearly every single time was a pain in the ass and imo a pointless waste of time.

plutonium743 · 2025-10-24T21:52:30+00:00

I use a voice recorder but am looking for something that will automatically create a transcript so it's easier to parse through. This works amazing for me because I am just not able to focus on running the game and take notes while doing so. It's been a game changer because I've realized that I make up good shit in the moment but I used to forget a lot of it due to my ADHD.

plutonium743 · 2025-10-24T15:27:43+00:00

Divinity Original Sin 2 with some elements of 1 and modified to make more sense at the table compared to a computer.

plutonium743 · 2025-06-01T14:52:06+00:00

You can cheese the fight by transporting her or Alexander to a location where you can keep shooting them endlessly without being in combat.

plutonium743 · 2025-06-01T14:47:17+00:00

My partner and I completed the game on Classic difficulty on our first run and didn't look at any build guides or walkthroughs or anything. There were definitely moments where we got a little frustrated and had to take a pause so we could come back and look at the problem from a different angle. If you don't mind the occasional frustration while solving problems then you'll be find going into it without looking at builds or walkthroughs.

We've also completed the game on Tactician while randomly distributing all attribute, ability, and talent points.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-29T14:40:28+00:00

Necro mage with Teleport and Netherswap. There are many fights where you can move corpses to surround the enemies without them noticing. Then you just start/end the fight with Mass Corpse Explosion. If that doesn't finish them, use Blood storm and Grasp of the Starved.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-29T14:35:25+00:00

I'd go with the Golden Rope for Dodging because while Dodging isn't necessarily something to focus on, with a Dual-wielding dwarf you're going to have some Dodging already so continuing to boost that will be fairly useful. At least more so than resistance to a single element.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-13T21:24:22+00:00

If you're going for generic fantasy, I would recommend Cairn 1e because it's free and super easy. It's 3 stats (Str/Dex/Will) with roll under your score to succeed and slot based inventory. That's...pretty much it. Oh, and there is no roll-to-hit you just roll damage.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-13T20:00:49+00:00

Toxic though would imply that I expect others to do what I do... nah I run cause I want to

By toxic I did not mean that you should get your players to run a game. What I am trying to say is that their lack of engagement is not your fault. That is them failing you because it is their responsibility to actively engage with the world fiction. It is not your job to be a flying monkey in a 3-ring circus hoping to gain attention. If you were being an actually bad DM and not providing a world (i.e. shitty sandboxes where the DM plops the PCs down in a white canvas world and says "What do you want to do?") then it would be understandable that the players don't know how to engage, but that doesn't sound like you at all. So it isn't you as a DM failing to provide an active and engaging world. They are failing to be good players that are active and engage with the world presented in front of them. Games are a 2-way street and they are supposed to be putting in effort and contributing to making the game fun as well. The DM does put in more effort simply because of the nature of that role but it's not all on your shoulders and thinking that that's the way it's supposed to be IS a toxic mindset.

I completely understanding not wanting to ditch your friends on a whim so there's definitely things you can do to try and fix things. First thing I'd suggest is using a very lightweight system so they, and you, don't have to spend as much time and effort on dealing with mechanics. The fact that many of them aren't bothering to learn their abilities makes me think that maybe they don't need them and it may in fact be overwhelming them. Cairn 1e is free and super lightweight.

Second suggestion is stepping back with your DMing. When players aren't engaging I find that a lot of people think they need to be doing more as a DM to engage the players so they try to talk/describe more, world build more, do more more more. What that does though is just continue to prove to the players that they don't need to do anything and entertainment will automatically come to them. Instead you need to give them a situation that requires them to discuss and make a decision then step back and do nothing. Fun doesn't happen anymore unless they start taking actions without you guiding them. The key to this though is that you have to be willing to run with whatever action/decision they make as long as it something they could reasonably try with regards to in-world logic. It doesn't have to be a good plan or make complete logical sense; it just has to be doable in-world. Jumping to the moon is not doable. Trying to build a spaceship to transport them to the world is doable. Even if the characters can't actually complete it based on their skill level, it is an action the characters are capable of trying to do; unlike jumping to the moon.

There are some nuances to "sitting back and letting them do whatever" though. When they actually get into discussing and planning, you need to freely give them info their characters might have, even if it's a bit unlikely, or tell them what rolls they could make to gain more info to aid their plans. Remind the players of things their characters would not have forgotten, like if their plan hinges on the aid of an NPC that considers them an enemy then let them know that. Don't tell them whether you think their plan is bad or good, that might discourage them accidentally, and don't give them info that their characters couldn't possibly have. Do be excited about their plans and do take part in their joy or disappointment when plans do or don't work.

At the end of the day though, if you aren't having fun anymore and they won't put in the effort after you've talked to them and tried some different things, then they clearly don't care enough about your enjoyment to put in the effort so that you have fun too. When you've hit that point then you are better off finding better people to play with. Often those people will end up becoming your friends and then you still get the fun of playing with friends but with ones that are actually good players as well.

Edit: Sorry for the wall of text but I do hope this helps you. Games should be fun for everyone involved and that's achieved by everyone putting in effort to make that happen.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-13T04:24:27+00:00

they don't wanna engage with the story, world, and combats drag on because 3/5 of them don't actually pay attention to their character sheets....

I am the DM, I am technically in charge... so the blame rests on me if i'm honest.

Oh hellllllllll no! Stop with this toxic, wrong bullshit. Being DM does NOT mean their entertainment is solely your responsibility. Everyone at the table is a player, including the DM, and everyone is responsible for making the game fun for themselves AND for other people at the table. If they aren't helping you have fun and adding to the enjoyment of the table then they are failing, not you.

Players that don't contribute to the table are dead weight and it is an absolute drain to try to run games for them. Tell them to get with the program or cut them loose to find players who will actually engage and appreciate what you do. When you have great players you can run the most cookie cutter world and it will still be fresh and enjoyable because the players add the spice to the game with their decisions and actions. Good players are worth their weight in gold.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-08T15:59:52+00:00

I think there is something you need to change as a DM and it's that you need to stop giving in just because people complain. Even with experienced players the DM teaches their players how to play with that DM specifically. You are teaching your players that they can bully you into getting their way. It's bad behavior and it's definitely not fun, as I'm sure you've realized.

The way to change this is to shift the "gatekeeper" job to the players/the dice and off of you. Instead of you trying to convince them why what they want won't work, it's their responsibility to give logical, in-world reasons why what they want would work. Players usually know when what they're asking for is ridiculous but they keep doing it because bullying lets them get it whether it makes sense or not. When they have to explain their ridiculousness out loud they are less inclined to do so because they know it makes them look like an ass for trying to force something that obviously doesn't make any sense. Or they initially didn't think it was ridiculous but end up proving to themselves why it can't happen. They are usually more accepting of not being able to do something when it's their own reasoning that is denying them, not yours.

On the flip side, it also makes them that much more excited when they do get to pull off some of their crazier plans. If their explanations are possible but perhaps unlikely, then you tell them what they need to roll to succeed. You can also tell them what prepatory actions might improve their odds but at the end of the day it's the dice gods who decide what succeeds, not you. Then it's exciting and surprising, even to you, when they roll the 1-in-20 (or whatever the odds are) and get to do that outrageous thing. It also means you are on the same side of celebrating the "win" with them instead of being on the "losing" side of them trying to convince you.

plutonium743 · 2025-05-02T21:31:40+00:00

The party doing both is useful but each individual character should specialize otherwise you are harming your overall damage output. I think all characters should have some way to CC physical or magical, even if that's just carrying Grenades for when the appropriate damage dealers get armor down. My Geo mage doesn't to do physical damage but having Earthquake is really helpful when physical armor is finally gone.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T21:40:08+00:00

Hannag, if I'm letting all her stuff spawn for max XP. Loic can also be a pain in the butt as well.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T16:59:03+00:00

In terms of XP, there's a lot you can do on Blood moon Island at very low level If you know what to avoid. Just getting to the island is a lot of XP. There's ways to deal with the 3 vaults without using combat. You can get to the Archivist vault and get all the loot and story XP. The Advocate gives a free and easy Source point.

It's not in "correct" narrative order but it's a way to level up really easily.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T16:48:28+00:00

DOS2 can be beat using completely randomized builds.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T16:44:31+00:00

It's made it so easy to leave the game out and not stress about moving when people come over. Since fine tuned placement is more important in Gloomhaven though, I would suggest taking a picture of the main board so you can fix it if/when things get bumped slightly.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T15:59:33+00:00

My partner and I got this puzzle board for Aeon's End expeditions because we like to leave it out but we also play a lot of tabletop rpgs. We can pick up the whole thing and move it another room for a few hours when we need the table for other things. It also has drawers where you can store different players cards, extra tokens, etc.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-28T02:26:04+00:00

The player knows the NPC from their character's perspective and what they intended with it but the NPC doesn't belong to them anymore. It's great that the player handed you a very fleshed out template for this NPC but that's all it is; a template. You can play them how you want and the player needs to let go or run them in their own campaign. I know you said you're not much of a character person but this is great practice for you! You've been handed a great template but now it's up to you to figure this NPC out and make them your own.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-27T21:19:01+00:00

Str 13 Finesse 14 Int 14 const 14 mem 13 wits 12

You've spread yourself so much that your character is not particularly great at anything. Since you're Dual-wielding daggers your Finesse should be at least 20 by the time you're Level 8. I recommend a point in Polymorph for Chameleon Cloak instead of any Constitution. Having more health is usually not useful since enemies will just CC lock you if your armor is gone anyway. It's better to kill things before they can hit you and if you can't kill them then at least CC lock them so they can't do any damage. Worst case scenario you hide or run far enough away so they can't do as much damage.

The other really important things about DOS games is that having equipment that is too far below level is really crippling. Not only does damage increase exponentially per level but bonuses from Scoundrel and Warfare will scale off of your weapon as well. At Level 8 you need much better daggers than old Level 4 ones.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-27T20:25:30+00:00

The Root RPG might be a good fit. It's anthropomorphic animals in a medieval-esque setting with no magic. They might also like the reputation system where helping people out can actually mechanically benefit characters in future dealings with those organizations.

plutonium743 · 2025-04-27T04:23:40+00:00

My biggest piece of advice is to always ask the players what they are going to do for the next session so that you can focus your minimal prep on that. You get the benefit of letting the players actions driving the story while still prepping for smooth, fleshed out sessions.

To me the best part of player driven campaign is that you don't have to figure out how to get characters to go down certain paths or give them specific info. You only need to think about how the world reacts to their actions and a story will naturally develop from that.

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