When Dungeon Masters are preparing for their next, or first, session of Dungeons & Dragons, balancing how to get ready for the session and what’s likely to go down can be difficult. However, offering the advice of “don’t overprepare,” which DMs, particularly new ones, hear all the time, isn’t helpful. What most people giving this advice are trying to say is don’t plan so much that it feels like railroading. For new DMs, understanding what this means and how to actually prepare for a game can be a challenge.
What’s more, there is so much that goes into session prep that a piece of advice like “don’t overprepare” feels far too generalized. Getting ready for an upcoming game can include things like map-making, worldbuilding, and encounter building, of course, but it can also mean looking over previous notes, getting NPCs ready, and picking loot to give out. When someone says to cut back on preparation, which part of that are they suggesting be cut? Overpreparing can actually be a great tool for DMs who are naturally prone to thinking in lots of detail. Detailed thinking can do some real good when directed toward the right areas of D&D preparation.
DMing is a huge responsibility to take on and each person has their own style. So, when it comes to the idea of overpreparing, this advice is functionally meaningless when not paired with the supposed correct amount of time or detail a DM should spend on prep. Everyone has different needs, and some DMs are better at improvisation than others. By assuming that all DMs are the same and can easily come up with something on the fly, the advice undermines a tool that less improvisational DMs use to feel comfortable during the game. The fact is, the definition of what is enough prep versus isn’t is not the same for one DM as another.
It can hard to know how much of the game should just be improvised. If the table likes a wacky, no-idea-where-this-is-going type of game, then, by all means, cut back on game prep and let the dice take the wheel. However, if players at the table want a bit more role-play and dynamic stories that tie together and create what feels like destiny for the characters, DMs are going to have to prepare more. Newer players are enjoying this style of play in record numbers, likely thanks to incredible shows like Critical Role, High Rollers, Dimension 20, and The Adventure Zone (which may have started as just a laugh but quickly got deep). Delivering this type of overarching story takes a lot of planning.
For new DMs, prep is going to take even longer, and that’s okay. Balancing combat and boss fights and understanding spells takes practice and experience. Until DMs have that time under their belt, getting ready for the game can be a bit time-consuming, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
What DMs can take from the mentality of not overpreparing is likely what it was trying to say all along: don’t railroad players and don’t become too attached to the order of events. Railroading refers to pushing players down a predetermined path, and in a game where choice is everything, it can feel wrong. However, thorough preparation does not equal railroading. Having every shop in a town laid out or knowing all the potential NPCs players might encounter seems like a lot, but if it makes a DM feel more ready, then it doesn’t hurt anyone. Important quest information does need to get to the players somehow. This prep can mean that there are several places to get that info.
When it comes to not getting too attached to the campaign story, it comes down to this: Don’t be afraid to reskin a monster, town, or encounter if players don’t interact with it. Every DM has planned out several encounters, locations, and people only to have players go somewhere entirely different. While this might seem like wasted prep, it isn’t, as DMs can use it again by moving things around and tweaking them to match the new environment or situation.
If anything, this type of overpreparing gives a DM some extra goodies in their bag that they can whip out when the time comes. Writers often hear the phrase “kill your darlings,” but DMs don’t need to kill them; they just need to move them over to a new home and pretend as if they were meant to be there the whole time. Preparation can look different for every DM, and finding the right process is a part of becoming an experienced DM.
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