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From:	SCROSE <scrose@****.COM>
Subject:	New GM Needs Help Part III
Date:	Fri, 27 Feb 1998 12:25:04 -0600

Message no. 1 Robert Watkins wrote:
>
> Adam J writes:
> >10 lines, and it will take several sessions to play out, and it's so
> >generic that I can adapt it on the fly to anything at all. I'll probably
> >end up going into the session with a couple pages of brief notes, but
> >that's it.
> >
> >In short, I've found that the less you plan, the easier the game is. YMMV.
>
> Ditto, in my experience... Spending five days writing down an adventure in
> excruciating detail really seems pointless when your players, at the very
> first opportunity, choose option D: None of the above when they can make a
> choice.

I don't plan the adventures as such but do a great deal of planning in
other areas. Where I do the big planning is the area of house rules. For
my current campaign I have tons of notes and what not some are for my
private use and some stuff the players get... Everyone got (gets) a
handout to start with explaining the assorted changes I've made. I'm
pretty sure I posted my changes to north america which take about 3
pages in and of themselves. Some general rules as to what is and is not
used edges/flaws etc. The restrictions, changes and interceptions to the
magic system. The restrictions and options that apply to metahuman
races. Cyberware/bioware issuers. It's about 10 or 12 pages for that
players and binder full of stuff on my end.

> I tend to give myself a broad outline, flesh out (in my mind... rarely on
> paper) the salient points of the plot, get an image of what the major and
> minor players are like, and take it from there. Mind you, I tend to have a
> lot of "props"... generic characters, such as Lone Star cops and yakuza
> hitmen, and layouts for bars, etc. But this, in my opinion, goes under
> background. The more background you have, I find, the less foreground you
> need. :)

This I agree with 100% a good solid background is your best tool. I let
the actual adventure flow in whatever direction it's going to head.

From:	Robert Cozens <RobCozens@**********.COM>
Subject:	New GM Needs Help Part III
Date:	Mon, 2 Mar 1998 03:02:17 -0500

Message no. 2 Robert Watkins wrote:
>
> Adam J writes:
> >10 lines, and it will take several sessions to play out, and it's so
> >generic that I can adapt it on the fly to anything at all. I'll
probably
> >end up going into the session with a couple pages of brief notes, but
> >that's it.
> >
> >In short, I've found that the less you plan, the easier the game is. =

YMMV.
>
>From: SCROSE <scrose@****.COM>
> Ditto, in my experience... Spending five days writing down an adventure=

in
> excruciating detail really seems pointless when your players, at the ve=
ry
> first opportunity, choose option D: None of the above when they can mak=
e
a
> choice.
<
The flip side of this, spending five minutes deciding what the adventure =
is
going to be, has problems too. If the DM just turns up and says 'you are
hired to steal X from Y.', the chances are that he/she hasn't thought
through the Y's defenses. When the players start picking into the detail=
s
of the run they find huge loopholes in the defences. Even worse they don'=
t
and the entire game consists of the Bad guys seeming to know more about t=
he
players movements, strengths and weaknesses than they should. =

The best way to run things seems to be using plot cards. The DM sets up t=
he
set-pieces (ambushes, data exchanges etc.) with maps, characters and
objectives. The rest of the adventure can be written on A5/A6 carda with =
a
location / character name with their associated information. In this way
the DM has reminders how far to go in each encounter. =

If any of the set pieces are not used, don't worry just recycle them in a=

nother adventure.

Rob...

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