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Jan. 26th, 2024 09:30 amI'm running a D&D game today for Unlicensed Adventures -- my first of the year. The game has been going pretty well, all things considered, especially since I'm largely flying by the seat of my pants. My hope had been that I'd spend this month filling in the main story and building the world through daily, consistent writing and, well, that hasn't happened.
I have made strides, though. Each of my players have been great with feedback, so I know which parts of the game are hitting for them and which parts I could still work on. Two of my players -- the Leonin and Wolven -- are really taken by their backstory and the cultures they've come from. The other two are also interested in *their* backstory, but on a more personal level. I can dig deep into those, but I want to be sure I come correct before I start pulling those threads. Personally, it feels like the world isn't as grounded as I'd like. It's hard to imagine what a day in the life of an NPC actually looks like in most of the places they visit. It doesn't feel like it's clear what the "commonfolk" understand about the world, its history, and far-off places.
That kind of thing needs a little bit of careful planning to come alive, and I haven't been great about that. So with this session I'd like to do a bit of a "soft reset" with my DM style to favor something a bit more grounded and reasonable, that allows the players to inhabit their characters more fully.
Granted, in many ways that's already happening. :) My players haven't complained about the story or the world, but they have signaled some confusion about the plot and how everything connects together. I'd like to put some time into Fantasy Grounds writing up the group's current quests for reference, and it gives me a way to frame stories for the eventual website or whatever. :)
But that can only happen if I manage my time more efficiently. The advantage of taking a little bit of time every day is that steady progress, building a story, a world, anything brick-by-brick. Learning how to break these huge, anxiety-inducing tasks into small bricks that I can lay, one after the other, feels like the key to success for me.
So that's the dream. Time to wake up and make it real.
I have made strides, though. Each of my players have been great with feedback, so I know which parts of the game are hitting for them and which parts I could still work on. Two of my players -- the Leonin and Wolven -- are really taken by their backstory and the cultures they've come from. The other two are also interested in *their* backstory, but on a more personal level. I can dig deep into those, but I want to be sure I come correct before I start pulling those threads. Personally, it feels like the world isn't as grounded as I'd like. It's hard to imagine what a day in the life of an NPC actually looks like in most of the places they visit. It doesn't feel like it's clear what the "commonfolk" understand about the world, its history, and far-off places.
That kind of thing needs a little bit of careful planning to come alive, and I haven't been great about that. So with this session I'd like to do a bit of a "soft reset" with my DM style to favor something a bit more grounded and reasonable, that allows the players to inhabit their characters more fully.
Granted, in many ways that's already happening. :) My players haven't complained about the story or the world, but they have signaled some confusion about the plot and how everything connects together. I'd like to put some time into Fantasy Grounds writing up the group's current quests for reference, and it gives me a way to frame stories for the eventual website or whatever. :)
But that can only happen if I manage my time more efficiently. The advantage of taking a little bit of time every day is that steady progress, building a story, a world, anything brick-by-brick. Learning how to break these huge, anxiety-inducing tasks into small bricks that I can lay, one after the other, feels like the key to success for me.
So that's the dream. Time to wake up and make it real.
