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CHAPTER 21: IMPROVISING NPCS

“Your character was born the moment the curtain goes up and your character dies as soon as it’s over.” — Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing

Most GMs improvise at least half of their NPCs. To do so quickly and effectively, use a two-step process:

1. Choose a Name: Use your curated random name list. Write the name down immediately so it becomes a permanent part of the world.
2. Put Yourself into the Mind of the NPC: Instead of detailed traits, let motivations and mannerisms come out organically as you roleplay. Trust your instincts and let the NPC’s responses surprise you.

• Apply a Stat Block: Reskin an existing NPC or monster stat block if combat occurs; players rarely notice the difference.
• Use Archetypes: Quickly apply a character archetype from fiction, switch the gender, and avoid stereotypes.

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CHAPTER 22: IMPROVISING SCENES AND SITUATIONS

“Plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible.” — Stephen King, On Writing

Your job is to set the stage and let the world react naturally to the characters.

• Imagine a Living World: NPCs and monsters have their own problems and routines. They don’t just wait for characters to show up.
• Let the World React: Foes may send assassins, reinforce defenses, or flee based on character actions.
• Think in Situations: Instead of planning a sequence of events, understand the “setup” (e.g., how many guards are awake at Grayspire) and let the players decide how to approach it.

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CHAPTER 23: USING MULTIPLE COMBAT STYLES

Lazy Dungeon Masters use whichever style fits the specific situation best.

THEATER-OF-THE-MIND

Fully descriptive and narrative. Best for simple environments, quick skirmishes, or massive battles with hundreds of foes. It requires deep trust between players and the GM.

TACTICAL GRIDDED COMBAT

Uses maps and miniatures. Best for boss fights, complex environments, or battles where precise movement and range are critical.

THE ABSTRACT MAP

A hybrid approach where sketches show relative positions but are not drawn to scale. Best for complex areas where exact 5-foot squares aren’t necessary but visibility is important.

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CHAPTER 24: MAINTAINING THE PACE

“Good pacing is probably the most important trait a GM can have.” — Monte Cook, creator of Numenera

• Ask “What do you do?”: The more often you say this, the closer you are to the action. Avoid long narrations that turn players into mere observers.
• Clarify Choices: If the game flags, reiterate quests, remind players of forgotten villains, or restate the current goal.
• Rotate Beats: Move between exploration, social interaction, and combat to balance action and relaxation.
• Hope and Fear Beats: Modulation between upward beats (success, items, allies) and downward beats (traps, powerful foes, grim facts) keeps players engaged.

UPWARD AND DOWNWARD BEATS

Upward Beats (Hope):

1. The characters stumble through a secret wall into a forgotten treasure chamber.
2. An adversary mistakes the characters for allies, spilling her secrets before she realizes her mistake.
3. An enemy of the characters’ enemies unexpectedly joins their attack.
4. The environment has a negative impact on the monsters, but not the characters.
5. The villain’s lackeys all flee.
6. The monster’s weapon shatters.
7. An evil cultist is accidentally immolated by a miscast spell.
8. A raiding party rides out from the keep, giving the characters a chance to creep in.
9. The characters find a font of healing energy that restores their vitality.
10. A character finds a powerful forgotten weapon on the ancient corpse of a fallen explorer.

Downward Beats (Fear):

1. The villain shows up—and is revealed as the advisor to the lord who hired the characters.
2. A lone guard runs into the characters while unexpectedly returning to the barracks.
3. The worst storm the city has ever seen hits on the very night of the characters’ planned heist.
4. The sewers overflow.
5. The inn catches fire.
6. The paladin’s intelligent sword decides that now is the perfect time to force its will upon its wielder.
7. The masked assassin pulls away her cowl to reveal that she is the sister of one of the characters.
8. The warlord wakes up because he has to pee, just as the characters are quietly rifling his bedchamber.
9. An important key falls down into a sewer grate.
10. A burgled merchant happens to be the cousin to the master of the local thieves guild.

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PART 3: THINKING ABOUT YOUR GAME

CHAPTER 25: PRIMING THE GM’S BRAIN

Priming your mind with great fiction makes it easier to improvise.

• Absorb Content: Digest high fantasy books, movies, TV shows, and video games.
• Read Sourcebooks: Study monster manuals and adventures from systems you don’t even play to borrow ideas.
• Disconnect: Take a thirty-minute walk every day without your phone to engage in deep thought about your game.

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CHAPTER 26: CONDUCTING GM BRAIN EXERCISES

When your brain is “idle” (walking, showering), focus on high-value questions:

• Character Review: Can you remember all the character names and backgrounds?
• Villain Perspective: What are the villains doing right now in response to the characters?
• Front Movement: Which of your campaign fronts are progressing?

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CHAPTER 27: EMBRACING THE GM’S TRUTHS

1. Everyone’s here to have fun: Players are your friends, not your critics.
2. Players don’t care as much as you think: This is a gift; you can let details slip without the game crashing down.
3. Be a fan of the characters: You are not the enemy; you want to see them do awesome things.
4. Let them break the game: Revel in epic, unexpected moments. If a strategy becomes “too good,” let the world evolve to counter it rather than nerfing the players.

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CHAPTER 28: LAZY DUNGEON MASTER TRICKS

• Milestone Leveling: Award levels at story beats instead of tracking XP.
• Improvise DCs: Choose difficulty classes on the fly based on the situation.
• Static Damage: Use average monster damage to save time during combat.
• Delegate Tasks: Let a player track initiative or look up rules.
• Run Low-Level Campaigns: Games are often easier to manage and more focused at lower tiers of play.

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CHAPTER 29: FINAL THOUGHTS

“Prepare what benefits your game.”

There is no “one true way” to be a GM. Developing a large world can be “lonely fun,” and that is okay as long as it doesn’t detract from the table experience. Choose the tools that fit your style.

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APPENDICES SUMMARY

The book concludes with results from the 2016 survey of 6,600 DMs:

• Average Prep Time: Roughly 24% spend two hours; 23% spend one hour; only 16% spend less than an hour.
• Favorite Pillar: 59% of players enjoy NPC interaction and roleplaying the most.
• Combat Style: 63% use gridded maps; 18% use theater of the mind.