Episodic DMing with Masterplan
After first downloading Masterplan and realizing how integral it started becoming to my gaming experience, I started finding new ways to use it and improve game fluidity. Managing combat, lore and story in one place became easy. Seamlessly adapting gameplay and storyline in response to player actions became my new, though now much easier task. Being a DM became less of a chore and more of a chance to stretch my imagination once again.
However, with the dwindling amount of free time I’ve had available, it has become more and more difficult to actually concoct compelling adventures in a short period of time. After two sessions that felt more like stumbles rather than steps towards, I discovered that the best option is basically setting up each session like an episode of an overarching plot that is mostly developed by the players. Sure, this is hardly the first time that an episodical format that has been used in D&D (I recall an issue of Dragon magazine mocking this with Lidda the Vampire Slayer and Krusk’s Creek), but it gives each session a very specific feel that players will remember, without hours of work. The best part of all? It works perfectly within Masterplan. Continue reading