Prepping Plots, Part One: Why Prep Plots?
"Don't prep plots" is a fairly common saying in RPG circles. I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure the precise phrase was originated by Justin Alexander in 2009, although discussion about the changing face of what a Dungeons and Dragons adventure is goes back even further , and it's easy to see why. More open adventures take greater advantage of the strengths of the medium, allowing for more interaction and choice on behalf of the participants. Lots of modern Dungeons and Dragons players come in via the official Wizards of the Coast modules, which are, frankly, bad. Coupled with 5E's culture where DM burnout is treated as a joke, and prep often seems like a herculean task where you need to invest a bajillion hours in order to be Matthew Mercer for a few hours. Here at Magnolia Keep, however, we believe that prepping a linear plot can be easy and fun, so we're going to do a series on how to do just that! So let's start with a single question: ...
