I'm running a spooky haunted house oneshot this Sunday for some friends. It's going to be great.
Except I'm running it on FoundryVTT. Which is fine.
Except I've never used Foundry before. Which is scary.
Needless to say, I've been spending a solid chunk of my spare time learning the ins and outs of the program, reading and watching tutorials, and setting up maps and walls and tokens and whatnot.
It's been a big learning curve, but it brought to mind a concept of big prep/little prep I swiped from The Angry GM (he talks about prepping and maintaining a campaign in this article.)
It'd be super easy to dive down the VTT rabbit hole and get automated effects and animations and all sorts of things like that.
But I also promised some pregens would be available for folks who want one. And I have an encounter I need to finish building (mirror of life stealing is an awesome addition to a haunted house ... just saying).
Because it's a spooky Halloween oneshot, the sounds at the table will definitely add a lot to the experience. But do I really need to spend half an hour getting the outside thunderstorm sound locations placed just right?
Not if I still have an encounter to stat up.
As you prep for your next game, it might be helpful to prioritize your to-do list, to focus first on the prep that matters most at the table.
The special effects? Those are just gravy. Spooky gravy, but gravy nonetheless.
Tomorrow is another Open Thread! I’m curious what y’all think about the ONE D&D playtest stuff and would love to hear from you about it!
Monster Mash: Combine These Monsters to Horrify Your Players! - DnDBeyond
A Player's Guide to the Deck of Many Things - Dump Stat Adventures (Yes, I know it’s a “player’s guide,” but Chris Curran gives a run-down of each card, which is great for DMs too.)
Marpenoth Hall – Upstairs - Dyson’s Dodecahedron
Puzzles, Predicaments, and Perplexities [Bundle] - DMsGuild - $12.95
The Combat Medic Fighter - DMsGuild - $0.50 (Neat concept. I don’t think I’d use it as-written, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you like making subclasses.)
Now get out there and tell a story!
Peace,
Maximilian