Jan 9, 2020 4:57 pm
Okay one of the things I find about running modules is that some GMs get to tied to the module and running it as prescribed that they cannot properly handle what the players do. Since they will never do what is expected of them.
Next I find that many modules do not outline the more obvious things like what happens when you start a fight in a room how does that effect things.
For instance you walk into a police station and start shooting everyone in the main room, do you think everyone else is just going to wait casually in the rooms of designation until you come to encounter them or do you think they might come and join in the fire fight making it more difficult.
Basically the world should not wait on the players -- it should instead react normally to whatever the players do and just as significantly do not do. In-action can be as dangerous as action.
Also look the module over, I have found in some I was not comfortable with how things were arranged due to either -- they just did not make good sense to me -- or it would be very difficult to run -- or some other aspect that I felt just did not feel right. SO - do not be afraid to make adjustments -- in fact it is good to make adjustments to make it your own.
This leads to another issue -- if its a published module or something you did not create yourself -- there is a chance that the players have seen it or played in it before -- so take that into account and make some purposeful changes that do not change the flow of the module but will cause things to remain unexpected where they are meant to be unexpected.
Next look at the module in light of the characters that are going to be encountering it -- one does not have to make every encounter something they can handle but they ought not be something they can just easily roll over as well. Further only fanatics or the crazed will fight to the death make sure the creatures respond accordingly. Figure out when you need to make morale checks for the bad guys.
Next if the players hit something and then retreat to recoup what happens while they are gone? I have had players encounter something and then not return for a few days -- if the world is not waiting on them then things ought to have changed some -- were reinforcements brought in -- were the defenses beefed up -- are they on alert status -- all these things and perhaps more ought to be considered.
Next roll treasure up ahead of time (or look the treasure list over) is there anything in there that the monsters might use and if yes let them use it provided they might -- I mean if you do not know what a potion is -- then you would not use it but then again why do they have it if they do not know what it is?
This leads us to primary question that should always be running through your mind -- Why is this the way it is? If you cannot answer it then you need to create an answer for it and apply that to the situation -- maybe make a couple answers and then randomly roll what the actual answer will be.
If I have more thoughts on this I will post -- if you have any thoughts on this please feel free to add them.
Next I find that many modules do not outline the more obvious things like what happens when you start a fight in a room how does that effect things.
For instance you walk into a police station and start shooting everyone in the main room, do you think everyone else is just going to wait casually in the rooms of designation until you come to encounter them or do you think they might come and join in the fire fight making it more difficult.
Basically the world should not wait on the players -- it should instead react normally to whatever the players do and just as significantly do not do. In-action can be as dangerous as action.
Also look the module over, I have found in some I was not comfortable with how things were arranged due to either -- they just did not make good sense to me -- or it would be very difficult to run -- or some other aspect that I felt just did not feel right. SO - do not be afraid to make adjustments -- in fact it is good to make adjustments to make it your own.
This leads to another issue -- if its a published module or something you did not create yourself -- there is a chance that the players have seen it or played in it before -- so take that into account and make some purposeful changes that do not change the flow of the module but will cause things to remain unexpected where they are meant to be unexpected.
Next look at the module in light of the characters that are going to be encountering it -- one does not have to make every encounter something they can handle but they ought not be something they can just easily roll over as well. Further only fanatics or the crazed will fight to the death make sure the creatures respond accordingly. Figure out when you need to make morale checks for the bad guys.
Next if the players hit something and then retreat to recoup what happens while they are gone? I have had players encounter something and then not return for a few days -- if the world is not waiting on them then things ought to have changed some -- were reinforcements brought in -- were the defenses beefed up -- are they on alert status -- all these things and perhaps more ought to be considered.
Next roll treasure up ahead of time (or look the treasure list over) is there anything in there that the monsters might use and if yes let them use it provided they might -- I mean if you do not know what a potion is -- then you would not use it but then again why do they have it if they do not know what it is?
This leads us to primary question that should always be running through your mind -- Why is this the way it is? If you cannot answer it then you need to create an answer for it and apply that to the situation -- maybe make a couple answers and then randomly roll what the actual answer will be.
If I have more thoughts on this I will post -- if you have any thoughts on this please feel free to add them.