Tips for a GM going through a learning experience

[Desril]

Me and my group of friends have been playing D&D for about 2 years now, and until recently, never touched the published modules. There are three of us that ever feel like GMing, and whenever any of us is the GM we always tend to create our own entirely custom dungeons, campaigns, plots, etc etc. Two of us typically use Faerun (me because I'm a huge fan of Neverwinter Nights, and the other because of Baldur's Gate, though neither of these two things ever really show up in our campaigns) and the third always creates custom worlds.

Recently, we all agreed that as a learning experience, we should stop doing our homebrewed campaigns and take turns GMing published modules. Now, we were going to go 1-20 using modules and swap off after each one, but the first GM decided that he was tired of GMing for a bit and abandoned us in Sunless Citadel, so I bumped the party to 3rd level and am about to begin The Twilight Tomb.

Now, the reason for this post is that I'm looking for advice on how to properly GM a module. Do I just go by the book and ad-hoc if the party does something totally random? Should I add additional plot beyond what is already there (other than just details)? What advice can the playground offer?

[DeadManSleeping]

Modules? A good module doesn't need much extra effort on the part of the GM. Just make sure you've read it over in advance a couple times.

[BinaryMage]

Do I just go by the book and ad-hoc if the party does something totally random? Should I add additional plot beyond what is already there (other than just details)? What advice can the playground offer?

Well, it depends on what you prefer. Some DMs do literally just read the book, and if your group likes straightforward adventure, that usually works pretty well. But, as with any adventure, published or not, it is far more likely that your PCs will do things or have capabilities that the adventure writer did not anticipate, and in that case, better think fast!
Plot-wise, I think it would depend on the RP to Hack & Slash ratio of your playing. Many adventures are close to pure hack & slash, and a smaller but significant number are more focused on roleplaying. I'm not familiar with the specific adventure you mentioned, but my general suggestion would be to just adapt the plot to your groups preferences/needs the best you can, whether that be no adaption or a major change.

[Bobby Archer]

I'm kind of curious what you and the other two GMs are hoping to learn from this exercise. In my experience, the more common progression is to go from running modules to homebrewed campaigns, instead of the other way around. Are you looking to see how these modules work on a mechanical level, or are you looking to pick up tricks on creating setting or other fluff? Or is this just to challenge yourselves creatively?

Sorry that this is a bit of a divergence from your question, but, as I said, I really want to understand your motivation.

[valadil]

Now, the reason for this post is that I'm looking for advice on how to properly GM a module. Do I just go by the book and ad-hoc if the party does something totally random? Should I add additional plot beyond what is already there (other than just details)? What advice can the playground offer?

I don't think you should write additional plot, but I do think you should edit what you're given. If a player's parents were slain by orcs, but the players are hunting bugbears, swap out the bugbears for some orcs. If the party is working for the church of Aumonator, but you have a cleric or paladin of Torm, swap around deity of the church. This sort of thing is pretty easy to do, but it will make the players feel like the plot was written just for their characters.

The one place where I would consider doing some extra work is if the players try to go off rails. Nothing kills my interest in an RPG like being told my character can't leave the adventure. I don't mean to be disruptive, but if I take interest in an NPC I should be able to chat up the NPC whether or not there's a written conversation. Just be willing to improvise.

[LansXero]

You may want to also re-do some of the combat encounters. Some adventures are a walk in the park, and successions of easily-won encounters can bore players. Or, if the party is low-OP / lacks some roles they may be too unfair (one-hit KO initiative roulette). So keep an eye out for that.

[Lord.Sorasen]

Just realized I don't know what edition you are playing, but for the record, at least one module, red hand of doom, has a whole handbook on this website written for it.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=171284

I imagine it might be helpful for modules in general, really, because it's neat and ideas are ideas are ideas.

[Desril]

I'm kind of curious what you and the other two GMs are hoping to learn from this exercise. In my experience, the more common progression is to go from running modules to homebrewed campaigns, instead of the other way around. Are you looking to see how these modules work on a mechanical level, or are you looking to pick up tricks on creating setting or other fluff? Or is this just to challenge yourselves creatively?

Sorry that this is a bit of a divergence from your question, but, as I said, I really want to understand your motivation.

"are you looking to see how these modules work on a mechanical level, or are you looking to pick up tricks on creating setting or other fluff?"

It'd be that bit. Some of our stuff tends to be a little out there, and we don't tend to be very descriptive, so we were hoping to pick up a few tricks from the published modules and then return. And it's a nice change of pace from having to create every little detail.

[crimson77]

Some of our stuff tends to be a little out there, and we don't tend to be very descriptive, so we were hoping to pick up a few tricks from the published modules and then return. And it's a nice change of pace from having to create every little detail.

As mentioned above read over the module before playing. Have an idea about how the module is aimed at challenging your party and make sure that occurs. If the PCs are too powerful (or weak) then adjust the encounters accordingly.

Watch out for player boredom (especially with immature players). When players get bored there is a higher likelihood that they will start to do counter productive things (e.g., killing NPCs, joining the bad guys, etc.). Also, try to keep things fresh for yourself, add life to some of the NPCs so you are not just reading the module word for word.

[Leon]

Read the Adventure and then DM like you normally do except for the fact that you need to make up less as most of it is present in the module.