A DM In Need of Motivation, HALP!

[Fappy]

So, I just finished up my last semester in college (and have money now, thanks graduation notices!) and have a week to plan out a Mass Effect campaign before I go back to finish a few classes for the summer. Problem is, I have been super busy this past semester and really had no time to plan stuff out and after getting through 13 papers and 5 finals I am just feeling super fucking lazy. Anyway, I have the main plot pretty much figured out but need to get some of the session-by-session details down... which... means I have to think. Someone give me a reason to do this! (Besides upsetting my players who are super excited about it DX).

Note: This is my third time running a Mass Effect campaign, so I know what's up. I'm just lazy XP

 

[FalloutJack]

Your players will kill you. That usually gets the creative juices flowing.

 

[Elamdri]

Your players will kill you. That usually gets the creative juices flowing.

The DM kills the players, not the other way around.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Eh, if you've DMed before, you know how it works:

1. Develop plot
2. Figure out general idea of how players will deal with it
3. Present players with problem.
4. Ball up all of your notes and throw them away, as players invariably do something stupid/crazy that you never planned for.

 

[FalloutJack]

Your players will kill you. That usually gets the creative juices flowing.

The DM kills the players, not the other way around.

Clearly, you have not seen the last time anybody from my college attempted to play Shadowrun and the DM pulls a shit that nobody wants to take. Trust me, that's a dead DM. And there was a reason we called him Gimpy when he was a player.

 

[Fappy]

Eh, if you've DMed before, you know how it works:

1. Develop plot
2. Figure out general idea of how players will deal with it
3. Present players with problem.
4. Ball up all of your notes and throw them away, as players invariably do something stupid/crazy that you never planned for.

Point number 4 is something I invite with open arms with Mass Effect (it gets a bit more complicated with D&D and Star Wars... fucking destinies). Most of our stories come from one of our players' crazy antics

 

[Aris Khandr]

Then why worry about planning out session-by-session details? Just get your general idea down, and let the wind blow as it will.

 

[Coldman42]

I currently run a D&D 4E campaign and play in a Pathfinder campaign and i usually just wing it when something happens that i don't expect.

For instance, in the last session we had the guards at the town gate asked the cleric if she would go with them to the keep to speak to a baron about a job he has for "one trained in the Divine arts" and she goes with him. i planed on her talking to him and getting a job to clear out a haunted house, but the rogue tagged along secretly to keep an eye out for her, got caught, and got thrown in the dungeon. one look at him and the 30 daggers, 15 shurikens, and two short swords among other things i can't remember and everyone yelled out "ASSASSIN!" then she got locked up for guilt by association. then i changed it so they now had to go clear out the haunted house, or be executed... It actually worked out well, even though they didn't get any reward for it.

So i guess what i mean is, just let the idea hit you and wing it. works for me.