Your D&D Prep SUCKS. This is why.

The other half of good prep: • Faking It: Improv Tips...
Y'all asked for it, so here's my thoughts on how to best prepare TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. This isn't a quick fix for your session that's coming up in a few hours, but more of a mindset as you learn and grow as a Dungeon Master.
Credit Where Credit is Due:
"Anxiety" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Black Vortex" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Chase Pulse Faster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Fluffing a Duck" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Hall of the Mountain King" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Long Note Two" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Run Amok" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Unanswered Questions" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Local Forecast - Elevator" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Mysterioso March" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Sneaky Snitch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
"Winner Winner" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Music: Chicken Picking Country Guitar by Redafs.com, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Music: Funny Quirky Comedy by Redafs.com, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

[@Hewhowantstoknow]

Rowling's time on Twitter proves she isn't really a planner, she might've had character notes but she didn't have "Everything planned out" that would be Tolkien

[@DeficientMaster]

But Dumbledore was gay the whole time!

[@enderfire3379]

@@DeficientMaster"All according to plan"

[@Grimmlocked]

soooo sounds like a trick you should steal for your dming. don't let your players know you didn't have it all planned out until years after they've enjoyed it.

[@Water64Rabbit]

I would have contrasted Tolkien vs Anne Rice as better examples. In Rice's novels there is barely any plot, it is really all about character development.

[@purplelibraryguy8729]

Tolkien wasn't really like that either. Sure, he had the WORLD meticulously detailed, but what the CHARACTERS did was significantly less so. Take the appearance of Faramir--in a letter to Christopher he said something like "This man just walked out of the woods and I don't know who he is but he won't stop talking."

[@tsc6912]

This is the best prep video I have seen, and it’s so simple. “I start the session with the hook already in their mouth”. I, stupidly, have always started with no hook or bait. I am a new DM so don’t be too harsh

[@Regene2383]

me too!!

[@nohtopia]

also a new dm; good luck to us!!

[@anthonydeperino2046]

Sorry but i am too harsh, nice to meet you!

[@ArthurKhazbs]

@@anthonydeperino2046 What a miracle to meet you, Mr. Too Harsh! I'm Don't, and I came here to be too harsh, just as requested

[@anthonydeperino2046]

@@ArthurKhazbs Please call me Mr. Harsh, only my friends call me Too.

[@Thunderous333]

No acronyms, no list of rules to follow, just straight advice. Love it.

[@JeffandBCProductions]

Speaking of confidence, I appreciate that you came of out the gate swinging like you have 700k subscribers instead of 7k. You have hit the platform full force, and for that, you’ve earned my subscription on the second video :)

[@theonetrueanthonylong1843]

Exactly this^

[@journeymanic9605]

Plan like Sanderson, play like King.

[@BraveryBeyond]

This channel is easily becoming my go-to stop to brush up on techniques to run my game. I think this distinction between "railroading" and "expecting buy-in" is a good one to lay out. GMs are players too and they want things out of the game. They don't exist solely to please the PCs' fantasies and have creative wants that they wish to be expressed at the table. Your techniques to strike that balance so both GM and PCs get a little bit of what they want is such a refreshing take and amazing advice I plan to use in my games going forwards.

[@MyName-tb9oz]

This is a great point that ought to be brought up more often: DMs/GMs are playing the game, too. And doing a lot of work.

[@3nertia]

@@MyName-tb9oz All of the actual work really

[@robingomez2628]

It's not just your world, it belongs to your players too. I loved "The Law of Narrative Influence". Its a fresh idea I've never heard before and I've watched A LOT of D&D and DMing videos. I will definitely be implementing this in my sessions! Thanks Deficient for another great video!

[@MyName-tb9oz]

Nope. He never said the world belongs to the players at all. The _world_ belongs to the DM. The world is the _responsibility_ of the DM. If the DM doesn't create an internally consistent, responsive, and reasonably predictable world the players will go elsewhere or (maybe worse) be disruptive. The players do _not_ belong to the DM. They make their own choices within the world created by the DM. If those choices have no meaning or effect in that world the game isn't going to last very long at all.

[@johnsmith3085]

Babe, wake up. Deficient Master just posted.

[@borjadetorres7747]

Hahahahahahah Comedize!!!!

[@Enfors]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: This channel is destined for great things, and great numbers of subscribers. This video is SO well done, and watching it I feel like a hipster discovering the next big thing before it's cool.

[@Outlawsabinu]

Well said, this channel hit the ground running hard.

[@ruolbu]

absolutely, this channel has amongst the best presentation I've seen on youtube, not just in the D&D bubble. No idea whether the algorithm will acknowledge the quality of this content soon or in the far future or never, but everyon who sees it acknowledges this right away.

[@RuiSaltao]

It's already cool

[@NineteenNinety]

​@@ruolbuPeople give too much power "the algorithm." There are many strategies to help get your content noticed, and uploading good content consistently casts a broader net. Think about any of the other KZbin channels you watch. How often do they upload and how quality is their content? Sure some people hit the algorithm jackpot, but most don't, they work really hard to get where they are.

[@BarlowKeep]

This is how I prepared my first campaign basically by accident ...later I went into a habit of too much prep and had to rediscover these techniques and what made my first sessions great. Good advice and I'm sure "The Law of Narrative Influence" is one for the books. Now I have a somewhat specific way of prepping and I am making a mini-series about it. Your "law" is a good way of describing one of the underlying principles and I might reference it if you are cool with it :)

[@jonahgreene4526]

Once more combining your mastery of props and full utilization of the visual medium with your knowledgeability and experience makes for a unique and extremely insightful video! Man I love deficient master

[@DeficientMaster]

And I love you, @jonahgreene4526

[@potatoplunderer]

I say this every video, but the advice I get from the channel is ALWAYS relevant to me as a DM, and your style of editing and teaching is perfect! I am so grateful for this video, and I look forward to the next one!

[@shiftystylin]

I love this. These are words to my actions that I couldn't do myself. My latest campaign starts mid quest - they got a job, they never got the papers, and bandits flash the papers to say the job was there's. Away we go! Amazing video.

[@kaijohnson7599]

My prep sucks because I don’t prep

[@tuomasronnberg5244]

Excellent advice! I've ran my games in the similar manner for a good while now, and I'm happy with the results. Starting in media res is a very powerful technique to get the game started when used in moderation. I prep situations, not plots, and then just react to player actions where the characters are, and keep the wheels moving where they are not.

[@swordplaysorcery]

This is a fantastic, informative, and well edited video! Keep up the great work!

[@benmerk4086]

Shout out to you creator. Been a minute since I've found D&D/TTRPG insight and advice this concise. Also, very entertaining in the process, with good cadence and delivery. Keep up the great work.

[@stanisawankowski8243]

Thank you for this! Too many times have I had the problem of my players just fooling around while a whole session passes without any of them getting the hook

[@RedWaver]

The quality of your content is excellent and very helpful. Thank you for making these.

[@Write_0ff]

After all the DM tips videos I've watched, this one definitely stands out, which honestly can be said for most of your content. Such great stuff and such unique style, I'm in love

[@sho76und3wd]

Just found your channel and watched everything. I love it and recommended it to all of my DND pals!

[@laughingpanda4395]

Awesome video as usual. My favorite new channel. Keep up the great work!

[@goadfang]

I have given that advice so many times. At the very start of your game you have absolute unchecked authority and power to place the PCs wherever you want in any situation you want, you can do ANYTHING, yet so many DMs choose to do nothing with it. They start off in some idyllic tranquil neutral, and BORING, scene where there is nothing to do, and then expect the players to stumble into an exciting adventure. It is a sure way to kill enthusiasm, and it takes a game that is about exciting things and it too often turns the first session into a shopping extravaganza that should hqve taken place offscreen before the game ever began.

[@casem8723]

My favorite thing to do is to start a campaign off by throwing the characters into the hook of the plot. Instead of meeting up at a tavern to get a quest, throw the players into the thick of the start of the conflict. For example, the PF2e campaign I've been running for about a year now started with the gods falling from the sky dead, with an unknown corrupting force leaking from their corpses. I also love to do one-on-one solo sessions for character origins with my players (who I work with to plan out what they want out of their origin), that way they have a better feel for their backstory. All around makes it feel less like "ummm what do we do..." and then awkward silence for 10 minutes, and more like players frantically trying to figure out what the hell is happening and, most importantly, why.

[@GeneralChaos776]

Great advice and a very cool and entertaining format, well done.

[@kevwox]

Having done my fair share of screenwriting in the past, I love how you explained the Rowling vs King spectrum for writing. Sometimes having cool shit planned in advance is the move but sometimes going with the flow makes for unexpectedly great outcomes Edit: also just wanted to say your editing has gotten really fucking good since the first vid dropped

[@DeficientMaster]

The editor that worked two days straight thanks you ❤️

[@peterbillings3276]

The writing style scale/continuum really is great. Such a helpful way to think of it.

[@TheOnlySheet]

I recently discovered your channel, and I am blown away on how interesting your videos are!! As a long time player - and a Game Master myself, many of your statements ring true with my campaign...! I am going to share your channel with my Discord community - hopefully sending some MORE subscribers your way! WELL DONE!!

[@l979corvette]

as a DM your channel has been one of the most helpful for prep, and I like the notes you do with pre made campaign books, going to start doing that so my players no longer get bored while i flip back and forth through the pages to find whatever

[@stelarfoil71]

Such great advice that i will certainly be following from here on out! I'm so glad the algorithm gods have shown me your channel! I've been binge watching all of your videos and I'm looking forward to what you upload next!

[@HmmBearGrr]

I’m working on translating the spelljammer LoX adventure into the thing you talked about in another video and it is. So good. You’re amazing

[@editdebreceni3186]

This was very helpful! Thank you for the video 😊❤

[@kdhoward83]

This is such an incredible, well produced video

[@tmd107]

You are such an under-rated creator. I absolutely ADORE the editing and style of your videos.

[@MrSaosauce]

Hey! Been trying to start up my own D&D campaign for years now, watching TONS of youtubers for advice, but always backing out in the end due to sheer stress. This channel (I've just watched all of your videos,) is the only one that speaks to my personality and how I hope to run a game. I'm finally going to get over the hump running "The Wild Beyond the Witchlight" next month using your note taking tactics, and may finally get to my own oc campaign after that if all goes well. I really appreciate the content, please keep up the good work! It helps more than you know.

[@justiceiro47]

i LOVE how your advice can be applied to basically any rpg in the UNIVERSE. dnd, pathfinder, gurps, cypher system. its universally helpful. its amazing.

[@Loweves2]

Well done. Just found the channel and I'm really enjoying these info packed vids

[@zde1997]

Absolutely killer video! I will for sure keep this in mind. Cheers!

[@patrick.s3356]

This is such good advice. It’s all about the impact of how the session starts right at the beginning, to propel the players forward with some sort of exciting motivation and then let them handle it how they wish. I also like to give each new PC a personal goal that intertwines with their backstory. Like a lost trinket or seeking revenge. And those personal goals usually intertwine with other PCs backstories, with surrounding NPCs, or relative to the initial starting hook, with their personal goals always juuust further out of reach than the immediate quest.

[@nddragoon]

Did you know world-renowned writer Stephen King was once hit by a car? just something to consider

[@JoelHines]

Great video and nice module recommendation with Black Wyrm

[@nacpe2848]

Impressive like the rest of the videos, delighted to discover good material with a good sense of humor

[@ashermacdonald6823]

That plot hook made me so jealous, not only cause I wish I could do that as a dm, but for the first time in years my player instincts to rp and really get into character showed up without me even having to ask it to. That would be a seriously good intro to a campaign, sadly I have too much pride to steal it lol

[@timothylamont845]

I just stumbled across your channel -- and Im glad I did! Excellent video. One thing I rarely, if ever, see mentioned is this --> No prep is ever wasted. What do I mean by that? I mean, if you get carried away one evening and happen to create an entire dungeon and place it at the base of a nearby mountain only to find your players head off in the opposite direction despite the bones youve wagged under their noses....dont fret. Either that entire dungeon can simply be relocated OR bits and pieces of it can be used in 2, 3, 15 places in the world as needed. Nothing ever goes to waste. And now its time to go watch your other videos! LOL Great content and thank you!

[@eduardonascimento568]

Dude, your channel is ameazing!

[@BillAllanWorld]

Yet another entertaining and informative video.

[@gulius112]

great stuff as always! thanks brother

[@occasional-dabbler]

I *love* the principle "make your players feel important"! One of my primary rules of thumb for a long time now has been: "the GM's jobn is to give the players the opportunity to do cool stuff"

[@kekekekekeked]

With the increasing saturation in "how to DM"- content, it is a rare delight to find something this fresh, insightful and something that actually adds new value to general knowledge of the hobby. This is the first new channel I've subscribed in years and await updates with enthusiasm.

[@FablesD20]

Love bringing the plotter and panzer approach. Gonna keep that vocabulary in mind for GMing

[@RanetaCroak]

I've been doing something like this for my campaigns. I wasn't sure what I was doing though. With this video, I feel like I got to finally understand what I should've been doing. Your explanation was brilliant, and the humour on the video made it more comfortable to watch.

[@frey4600]

Thank you for this amazing video!

[@user-kb1eo5dp7z]

Amazing advice, thanks

[@xyanatos]

I've been following this kind of approach for a long time. Always worked.

[@TreGrisby]

Good job! You are right about starting with the hooks in players.

[@KingstonMyles]

Brilliant video, thanks!

[@jaytyler6203]

this is the best info/advice I have heard !! works for me personally

[@davidbrotherton789]

This has rapidly become my favorite DM channel.

[@magicmike540]

Great advice!

[@rkeikiokalanim]

Ive been wanting to build a world for a while (' its not finished yet') your sandbox vid and this vid has been the modt encourging and inspiring things ive seen/heard in a while. Thanks

[@illyrio]

I love this advice. It kind of bounces along my own. But at the same time, this is a more entertaining package to ship that advice out in. 😅

[@WolfKingAka]

This was great, thanks!

[@jewabeus]

I really appreciate this video. I'm about to DM Curse of Strahd for my group next month. I was really glad to see what you said about start hooks. With the options the game gives, I just asked my group which one they wanted. Figured it was easier than casting them out & see what happens. They thought I was being kind. I just wanted to see where I could lay traps 1st. LOL I mean, see where it starts & how to go ahead & plan for their entrance into the game. Seriously, your on top of my weakness here. It's always either too much or not enough planning for me.

[@matthewbarker4109]

Highly underrated channel. Keep it up

[@crystaltefari7946]

I plan: any major stops along the way, the backstories of major NPCs, and how I incorporate PC backstories. If I can improv my way from point A to point C and manage to incorporate point B (backstory), I’ve done well. This is what works best for me, for my campaign and for my players. Also, one of the players just betrayed the rest of the party and I’ve had that moment planned for half a year.

[@thewanderingguru4097]

I played DnD long ago in 2nd edition. I started playing 5th edition about a year ago. A good friend of mine convinced me I can/should DM for a group group of guys he knows. All these guys have much more experience than me but we’ve “met” (online) and they seem cool. Slowly getting ready and your videos are helpful and entertaining. Keep making content!

[@Alaris101]

God these videos are such a joy to watch :D On topic - I love this approach and am using it currently and works like a charm. I prep 1-2 NPCs between sessions so after a few weeks I have quite a bit of material. Also I think you could include the BBEG and his plan as someone whose steps you can explore as they happen. I know who he is and what he's doing but from the first session he'll have to adapt his plan to the appearance of the PCs, so I've no idea what he'll do, but I explore it every week during prep.

[@joshratcliff5383]

You are basically describing the "Strong Start" guideline from Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master here. So kinda has a name already.

[@jonsnorriveigarsson3182]

Really helpful, subbed

[@snoovian7951]

this was really helpful!

[@unknownnumber8886]

This is very helpful, thank you

[@jorahkai]

Solid gold advice 🎉

[@dadtier564]

Second comment from my… my goodness you put a TON of work into these videos! Really love them, lifelong sub here!

[@carlwei]

I love the Peeples and the Lego hats!

[@WhizzarD44]

You give by far the best DM advise, and you only just started.

[@qbradq]

Just wanted to say this is one of the best GM videos I've seen. Others just cover the basics that you kind of pick up naturally through a few years of GMing, but you really brought new ideas to the space with concrete examples of the theory. I love the bit about starting the players with a hook in their mouth. I am just starting to write an adventure setting. This video has really influenced how I am going to approach it. I normally have the Tolkien approach but I love the idea of starting small and detailing what the players are actually interested in. Instant sub.

[@vesanus5600]

Greeeat Video man. I for myself prep as less as possible. I ask my players about 6 questions to their background-story in Session-Zero & whenever I need a town or NPC for my story the first thing I do is looking up if they already invented something fitting. That way you have less prep to do AND your players become invested in your story and the stories of the other players. It's always a nice moment to have the father of player_A sitting in the hometown of player_B, having problems with the assassins that also killed player_Cs family ;)

[@steveraprice]

Great video. Keep it up.

[@CoreFlux]

This narrative influence at the beginning of the session I just learned by seeing Jason Carl do it in his (New York) By Night series. Just put your players at the moment you want them to arrive at and have them do the aftermath instead of the leadup. You're sure you got your narrative moment in, and they'll feel a lot freeer in trying to get out of a situation than actively being forced into one. Good stuff!

[@zizzyglizzy3684]

So far I've watched a few videos and I'm pretty on par with most things said so that's nice at least! Good stuff

[@MinecraftLovesSteve]

Trust is definitely a big thing in groups. For example, my players trust me as their DM to grant them agency to adjust the outcome of preplanned scenes. This way, I've been able to create epic scenes for them that let them interact and feel epic as well

[@conactionsirjohn1197]

Not me watching this the morning of a session lol Honestly I already do a decent amount of what's covered here, but it's nice to be told what I've been doing is a good thing. If I had to add on to anything here it's this; Don't be afraid to let your players take the reins and just improvise a bit. They will show you the paths they want to travel down. Improvise what you need, then when you have time flesh out the remainder. Some of my players' favorite moments stemmed from them going somewhere I *did not* have anything substantial planned, leaving me to fly by the seat of my pants making decisions on a whim, then letting me plan the finale of that choice for the next session. This made them feel like they chose something interesting, rather than stumbling into the void and putting me on the spot.

[@kitsunin4690]

This is fantastic advice. Interestingly, it's not new, but this is the first time I've seen the reasoning behind it expressed so well. To really make it sing while allowing the players their autonomy, treat the downtime stuff like flashbacks. Start the session trekking up the snowy mountain, not in town preparing for the trek, for exactly the reasons you say. But let the players jump back in time to roleplay the stuff that they did in town *once it becomes relevant*. This allows you to let the player pull off awesome schemes in quests that require a bit of extra finesse, but without having them bumble around getting way off track. It also lets the players not feel like incompetent dweebs because they forgot to narrate going and shopping for essentials (and makes the players not feel like they have to force the table to slow down and make the most of the downtime you give them, given you keep the pacing fast).

[@karinbauer2541]

I do it almost the same way. Start with what I think the players will interact with most likely and work from there. I toss in some religious people here and there, write some songs that make it FEEL like the world is alive when in reality I am still planning the history/pantheon/culture. For the storylines (intertwining) I make shure to bait them multiple times hoping they will bite. For example: My campaign starts when everybody got a coupon for a vacation. I send everyone that invitation via mail one week prior. On it is a beautiful view of the town and you can see a lighthouse and a temple in the distance. In the town I have multiple NPC's in important locations (shop, bar, inn and places that I know they will visit because of their character's individual goals) talking about these locations and other NPC's giving straight up quests that lead my players near them. And If THAT doesn't work I convenienty placed my town between the ocean and huge cliffs and the only way to leave it would be if you go to - the lighthouse and the temple xD and If THAT doesn't work I have ADHD so my brain will naturally come up with a new story as we go.

[@pumplesdorskiner]

Law of Narrative Influence is great. Focused and easily applicable. It rhymes with other advice for DMs about fostering player investment by not talking as much, being silent, and listening. Issues with players going off the rails can also be resolved with a session zero, talking over the game's premise, theme, and genre. As long as everyone at the table consents, you can do whatever you want as a DM or player.

[@joshl4751]

I'd also add that it's helpful to have a pitch to the players prior to them making characters. Most players will build their own hooks into your story for you with a little bit of direction. "The game will start in a sleepy town that has been recently having problems with Gnoll incursions." Suddenly instead of a generic party of adventurers you'll have the ranger who's family was killed by gnolls, the wizard who failed out of wizarding school and has been schlubing it as a tavern worker, the local cleric who's just trying to help people in fear, and the evil paladin who views the gnolls as a threat to his dark god's dealings in the region. A lot of extra bang for your buck in that opening scene where the gnoll warlord throws the drink in the wizards face.

[@Tysto]

Great advice. Rowling rhymes with "bowling".

[@ethanotto5760]

MYG I love this so much! Prep for the start and let them take it further! Another example is what me and my friends call, "The Silent Hill Fog." In Silent Hill 2, I think, they couldn't make an open world because the console's processing power wasn't good enough. So there was fog everywhere, hiding the game as it rendered around the player. You don't build a world. You don't build a city. You let them do their thing, and as they go on, the world renders around them. Don't be afraid to make something up because you can always expand on it later.

[@MilieuGames]

Lost Mine of Phandelver is great with the opening. (SPOILER)You have already accepted the job and are halfway through it when you are ambushed. I made the mistake of starting my campaign with them in a tavern discussing the job with Gundren. The players had agreed that the PCs had accepted the job already and were merely getting information on it and getting to know each other. The intent was for the players to get to meet Gundren so they have a picture in their head of who they're trying to rescue. This lasted about 5 minutes until one of the players began to try to renegotiate the terms. I flat said to the player that they already had agreed to the job. They replied that I'm railroading by insisting they don't have the option to renegotiate. Later, when Gundren and Sildar said they're going ahead, the whole group said no, you are staying with us. Long story short, meeting Gundren didn't seem to help as the only player that really cared was the one playing a Dwarf that is Gundren's cousin. The lesson I learned is, it's easier to get players to care about an NPC by having them as part of the PCs backstory because the player gets to imagine what that relationship would have been rather than trying to make that happen in a few minutes a role play.

[@kindly_blue]

You know, I started this video for the title, started absolutely despising your voice, but the content was good, but I DONT KNOW HOW HIGH YOUR CHA SCORE IS, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE VID, I NOW LOVE YOUR VOICE?! AND WANT TO WATCH MORE?! what sort of sorcery is this?

[@DeficientMaster]

Mmmm yes. The spell is working...

[@sambuckley3613]

Thanks for the video!

[@BonusAction]

Fantastic!

[@Trekiros]

Great advice, here's a positive comment the algorithm will hopefully pick up because you deserve it!

[@DeficientMaster]

Thanks! Looking forward to your upcoming mass combat video!

[@enderfire3379]

this is what i love. starting with the plot in your face, and unignorable. i hate it when i have no idea what the fuck i am supposed to do. that just gives you a block from all the possibilities. players (i, at least) are the most creative when there is a clear problem, with many approachable ways

[@b0therme]

When I finally learned to respect my players agency I started using rumors. As the current adventure came to a close I would create 3 to 5 rumors plus 1 or 2 encounters per rumor to lead them in. I used the 6 questions of journalism; who, what, when, where, why, and how. A rumor is incomplete and untrustworthy so roll d3+2 to get 3 to 5 elements. Randomly select which elements or don't the Perfect is the enemy of the Good. As players go about shopping, training with mentors, healing, or carousing drop in these rumors. As your players discuss them they'll shoot you sidelong glances to see which of these has the stink of your emotional involvement, but none of them do. As they speculate, they'll come up with some great ideas! Mix and match! Eventually they'll pick one to start investigating, that's when the planned encounters come in. Finish up that session, then you have a week to plan an adventure based in part on your players speculations. Everyone likes to say, "I knew it! I was right!!". Hope that helps someone.

[@Gingrman-mx4sp]

This reminds me of Matt Colville's "hot start"

[@bastiancole3565]

I create my campaign in a linear fashion but write it out like it's modular. Essentially I follow down a word sheet where if my players are playing the way that I designed it I will just be going down the sheet. But when they make a change or latch onto something that isn't linear like one of the side quests and move into another section of the story because of it. Then I just move into that section of the word sheet and go from there. So I find it best to write your campaign as if it's all pieces but they flow together. If your players make a decision that changes where they are in that linear story, you just moved to that module and then continue on from there giving hints and hooks that might lead them to modules they may have missed.

[@samsampier7147]

Great video. I love your combining both narrative focused versus player focused. So many advocate the latter. But my group just fart around in a tavern; Avoiding adventure and danger while they eat mutton in safety. I have tried adventure comes to the players. But it turned out like your 30 gnoll example. But they survived and went the potion shop later. I also watched a scriptwriting video on themes as Dramatic Questions. I like the dramatic questions since it has setting and tone implied. I would probably rephrase those in Matt Colville verbs, “Will the the heroes…?” Perfect for the Law of Narrative Influence.

[@Thaseus69]

This entire video is Return of the Lazy DM summed up

[@baileysmooth]

I haven't played DND in 20 years but the moment you opened the books I could smell them.

[@JackoDaGreat]

This advice helped this new DM be able to improvise when she forgot the sorcerer had access to the Detect Thoughts spell which they used it on a random Orc.

[@dakotastrout1733]

This is very good advice