How Brennan Lee Mulligan Plans His D&D Sessions

Introduction

In this tutorial, you'll learn how Brennan Lee Mulligan, a well-known Dungeon Master (DM), prepares for his Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) sessions. By understanding his methods, you can enhance your own game preparation, creating engaging and immersive experiences for your players.

Step 1: Understand the D&D Pillars

Brennan emphasizes the importance of balancing the three pillars of D&D:

• Exploration: Create intriguing environments and scenarios for players to explore.
• Social Interaction: Develop opportunities for characters to engage with each other and with NPCs (non-player characters).
• Combat: Design challenging and exciting combat encounters.

Practical Advice

• Allocate time to each pillar during your prep sessions.
• Think of ways to weave these elements together to create a cohesive story.

Step 2: Prepare for Improv

Brennan encourages DMs to embrace improvisation by preparing key elements ahead of time.

How to Prepare

• Key Themes: Identify overarching themes for your campaign that can guide improvisation.
• Character Motivations: Understand the characters’ backstories and motivations to react naturally to players’ actions.
• Flexible Story Arcs: Outline potential story arcs but remain open to changes based on player choices.

Tip

Keep notes on player decisions and character development for future sessions to build continuity.

Step 3: Balance Preparation and Flexibility

Finding the right balance between preparation and flexibility is crucial.

Steps to Achieve This Balance

• Outline Major Plot Points: Have a clear path for the main storyline but allow space for side quests and player-driven narratives.
• Prep NPCs: Create detailed NPCs with their own goals, personalities, and connections to the world.

Common Pitfall

Avoid over-preparing. Too much detail can lead to rigidity, making it hard to adapt to player choices.

Step 4: Create Believable Worlds

Brennan's worlds are rich and immersive, making them feel real to the players.

Tips for World-Building

• Cultural Depth: Develop cultures, languages, and histories that give your world a sense of depth.
• Geography: Design maps that include various terrains and locations relevant to your story.
• Consistent Rules: Establish and stick to the rules of your world to maintain immersion.

Step 5: Develop NPCs and Player Characters

Creating compelling NPCs and player characters enhances player engagement.

Steps to Create Engaging Characters

• Backstories: Give NPCs detailed backgrounds and motivations that tie into the main storyline.
• Unique Traits: Assign distinctive traits or quirks that make each character memorable.
• Interactivity: Make NPCs interact with players in meaningful ways, influencing the story's progression.

Example

If you have a merchant NPC, consider their past experiences, relationships with players, and how they react to player decisions.

Conclusion

By applying these insights from Brennan Lee Mulligan's preparation techniques, you can improve your D&D sessions significantly. Focus on balancing the pillars of gameplay, embrace improvisation, and create a rich world filled with dynamic characters. With these strategies, you'll be well-equipped to deliver unforgettable gaming experiences. Happy DMing!