Checklists The Lazy Dungeon Master

Review the character Create a strong start Outline potential scenes Define secrets and clues Develop fantastic locations Outline important NPCs Choose relevant monsters Select magic item rewards
Write down the names, What's happening? What Write down ten secrets and You're likely to prepare Players love magic items.
Write down a short list of Choose monsters that make
backgrounds, and event will frame the start of clues that the characters Write down an evocative some NPCs ahead of time It's worth your time to
scenes that might occur in sense for the story,
motivations of all the this section of the might discovers in the next name for the location and improvise others during consider magic items during
your game situation, and location
characters adventure? game session the game prep
Secrets and clues are the At the beginning of a
Review these character What's the point? What Remember that the goal of connective tissue of a NPCs you prepare will Read monster books to campaign and every six
notes to prime your mind seed or hook will lead the writing down scenes is campaign. After the start of Write down three fantastic pimarily be those that drive prime your brain with new sessions thereafter, ask the
before the rest of your characters further into the primarily to help you feel the adventure, they're the aspects of the location the game session and the ideas and information for player what sorts of items
preparation adventure? prepared second most important adventures improvisation they'd like for their
thing to prepare characters
Keep your NPC outline brief Write down their answers,
Each secret or clue reveals a : a name, a connection to then review those answers
Use this character review to Where's the action? Start as Keep a loose gauge of
Scenes can occur in or out piece of the story or the Plan on using one or two the adventure, and a when you're reviewing the
help you tie the characters close to the action as you monster difficulty and
of sequence history of the world and its locations per hour of play character archetype from characters during step one
to the rest of your game can character levels in mind
inhabitants popular fiction is often on the Lazy Dungeon
enough Master's checklist
As with all the other parts
Keep secrets and clues
of your preparation, you When it fits the story, select
Test yourself to see if you Write only as much as you abstract from how they Improvise encounters based
When in doubt, start with Make a locations fantastic need to be ready to throw an interesting item for one
can remember the names of need to remind yourself of might be revealed. on the story and situation
combat using age and size your NPCs away if the story of the characters and plan
the characters what might happen Improvise the discovery of levels in mind
moves in an unexpected to drop it into the game
secrets during the game
direction
Spend time building boss
fights that account for
Throw away secrets that
Don't fall in love with your Tie some locations to the Switch genders and avoid character capabilities You might also randomly
aren't revealed during a
scenes. Be prepared to backgrounds of the stereotypes to make your without negating those select magic items to drop
session. Write a fresh list
throw them away characters NPCs unique and interesting capabilities - or instead, let into the game
each time
boss fights play out like
other encounters
You might be able to skip
Tie magic items to the story,
this step if NPCs have
Draw stick-figure dungeon either by using them as the
already been covered in
maps with names focus of a quest, or as a
your strong start, the
connected by lines connection to a secret or
outline of potential scenes,
clue
or your secrets and clues