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CHAPTER 2: THE LAZY DUNGEON MASTER’S CHECKLIST

What are the steps we can take to prepare our games in as little time as possible and still run a great RPG? For a typical game session, the Lazy Dungeon Master’s checklist looks like this:

• Review the characters
• Create a strong start
• Outline potential scenes
• Define secrets and clues
• Develop fantastic locations
• Outline important NPCs
• Choose relevant monsters
• Select magic item rewards

That’s it. A number of variables will make some of these steps grow or shrink, including the length of our session, where a session falls within the campaign, and whether we’re running a published adventure or not. We might even skip a few of these steps if we know we don’t need them. Using this checklist typically takes about fifteen to thirty minutes for a four-hour game.

THE LAZY DUNGEON MASTER’S PUBLISHED ADVENTURES CHECKLIST

Our Lazy Dungeon Master’s checklist works whether we’re running a published adventure or our own home-brewed adventures. When running a published adventure and going over the checklist, you might find that some of the steps are done for you. You might not need to put as much energy into steps like building fantastic locations, identifying NPCs, choosing monsters, or selecting magic items. Still, because you always want to customize the adventure, it’s worth reviewing the checklist to help you sort through and focus the material.

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CHAPTER 3: REVIEW THE CHARACTERS

“Nothing’s more important to a campaign than the stories of the player characters.” — Chris Perkins, story designer and editor for Dungeons & Dragons

The other players care most about their characters. The story of our campaign will interest players only as much as they embrace how their characters fit within it. For the most part, players want to watch their characters do awesome things.

When you review the characters as the first stage in your game preparation, you’re priming yourself to build the rest of the elements of your prep around them. All other steps in the checklist can tie to one or more characters if you wire their backgrounds and desires into your mind.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE CHARACTERS

In order to review the characters, it helps to actually keep track of them on paper. Some GMs keep a list in the same notebook used for prep, with a few words on background and motivations. Others use 3x5 index cards for each character.

THE NAME TEST

There’s a simple test to see if you are keeping characters firmly in mind: Can you remember each of their names? Usually, a name is enough to remind you about the rest of the character when you call it up.

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CHAPTER 4: CREATE A STRONG START

“Getting over that first hump, going from just a bunch of people sitting around a table to playing D&D, is, for me, the hardest thing to do.” — Matthew Colville, writer, designer, and video blogger

With the characters in mind, how will the session begin? This is the only point in the game where a Gamemaster has nearly complete control. To understand where your game starts, you need only write down a single sentence that clarifies how your session will begin.

THREE QUESTIONS FOR A STRONG START

To aim in the right direction, use these three questions:

1. What’s happening? Frame the start with an event, even if it doesn’t connect directly to the characters’ actions.
2. What’s the point? The start should be the kick that sends the characters off to do something; it is the main hook.
3. Where’s the action? Use the technique “in medias res”—Latin for “into the middle of things.” Jump in as close as possible to dramatic action.

WHEN IN DOUBT, START WITH COMBAT

Starting an adventure session with combat gets players rolling dice right away and brings everyone’s attention to the table. A battle almost always comes with its own built-in story hooks. While this trick won’t work every time, it’s a reliable pattern used by action movies like James Bond for decades.

TEN EXAMPLES OF EVENTS FOR A STRONG START

1. Local townsfolk are celebrating the annual running of the pigs.
2. It’s the day of a wedding between two members of rival hostile families.
3. The local lending house has just been robbed.
4. A rough mercenary army unexpectedly rolls into town.
5. A clearly unnatural storm of swirling violet clouds tears across the local landscape.
6. Everyone is preparing for the annual “feeding of the roc.”
7. It’s Boxing Day, and the lords of the area are all serving drinks to the local farmers.
8. The city magistrate has just outlawed alcohol.
9. The king is dead.
10. It’s been raining for a solid month, and the bad weather has no end in sight.