[3.5] So my campaign/homebrewed cosmology is on hiatus again. Much free time noticed.

**Pika...** · 2010-01-30, 12:55 AM (ISO 8601)

Amazing how much time being a DM takes up.

Considering I might be a donor/uncle soon what happened is probably for the best.

So, how much of your time does DMing take up vs. being a player?

**Quietus** · 2010-01-30, 12:57 AM (ISO 8601)

I obsess, so I spend a LOT of time mulling things over in my head as a DM. But that's time I'd be wasting no matter what I did, so it's not really that bad.

**Egiam** · 2010-01-30, 12:58 AM (ISO 8601)

As a player, I usually just show up at games, and email with the DM about issues specific to my character.

When I DM, it takes a massive amount of my time. I was on a 6 hour plan ride a few days ago, and spent half of it planning my game.

**Pika...** · 2010-01-30, 01:00 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Quietus

I obsess, so I spend a LOT of time mulling things over in my head as a DM. But that's time I'd be wasting no matter what I did, so it's not really that bad.

Tell me about it.

Originally Posted by Egiam

As a player, I usually just show up at games, and email with the DM about issues specific to my character.

When I DM, it takes a massive amount of my time. I was on a 6 hour plan ride a few days ago, and spent half of it planning my game.

That's it, three hours? Light-weight.

ps. You might want to check your avatar.

**Drakevarg** · 2010-01-30, 01:00 AM (ISO 8601)

With those two as the only variables? Lesse, given I probably spend a good three hours a night doing something DM-related... probably about a 20:1 ratio.

**Defiant** · 2010-01-30, 01:32 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Quietus

I obsess, so I spend a LOT of time mulling things over in my head as a DM. But that's time I'd be wasting no matter what I did, so it's not really that bad.

Same. Most of the DMing happens in my head. I plan out various contingencies, the world my players are in, and so on. Actual preparation time is much less, ranging from 2 to 3 hours per weekly session... but I don't actually measure it myself (yet), so I may be missing things that I'm doing but don't realize/remember.

**DabblerWizard** · 2010-01-30, 02:15 PM (ISO 8601)

When I'm DMing, my preparation for the next session and onward, can take probably 10+ hours a week, since we usually play about once a week, and then I have about 6 days to further the story.

This extra preparation isn't wasted, because I'll prepare enough material to last 10 hours of game play (let's say). When we inevitably fail to use up all of it, I end up with maybe 4 hours of game play notes already prepared for the next session.

**dragonfan6490** · 2010-01-30, 04:22 PM (ISO 8601)

Gods, if I kept track of how much time I use on preparation for my campaigns and creation of the setting, I'd probably be embarrassed over how much time I could be using to do homework, watch movies, etc.

**Tyndmyr** · 2010-01-30, 04:41 PM (ISO 8601)

Between one and two hours of actual work, tops. This is inevitably right before game time, since I procrastinate. I tend to make up stuff as I go.

That said, I frequently roll ideas around in my head while doing other stuff, so I have a pretty good idea of possible directions it could go.

**drengnikrafe** · 2010-01-30, 04:48 PM (ISO 8601)

When I have nothing else to do, I start to look up what types of monsters will be appropriate for my PCs, and various things about the villains, or where my PCs might go. The problem is, my people are too chaotic to try to plan things for, they'll just do something else.
As such, any plans are loose. I take no more than a hour a day on it, and only spend days that I'm not busy doing so. Which, I must admit, is a lot of them.

**Mushroom Ninja** · 2010-01-30, 04:49 PM (ISO 8601)

I used to do tons of planning for each session, but now, I just make some vague plans, stat up a couple NPCs, maybe sketch some maps, and wing the rest. To a large extent this is because my PCs are what might be called "unpredictable" or "bat-**** insane", so I like to keep things loose and flexible.

Mind, this is only between sessions of a campaign that's already started. Before I start a campaign, I spend a great deal of time planning the setting. I try to plan out enough of the setting that I can pretty much wing/sandbox the rest.

**Beelzebub1111** · 2010-01-30, 05:14 PM (ISO 8601)

I plan things out weeks, even months in advance. What the NPCs will say and do, I write out round-by-round tactics for every major villain. I carefully consider how new players will enter the game and for plots to revolve around each of them. I care for the PCs just as much as I want to defeat them. I try to anticipate their actions, try to trip them up and make them think on their toes. I try to get them to try new tactics so that they don't get bored with the same old things.

Thread: [3.5] So my campaign/homebrewed cosmology is on hiatus again. Much free time noticed.

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