How to Run an Awesome Game With No-Prep
No time to prep for your next session? Don't let it stop you from playing. Here's how to run an awesome game session with zero prep.
Some Game Masters love the process of preparing for a session. For these GMs, prepping is part of play and serves to enhance their experience at the table. However, prepping requires a precious resource many of us have in limited supply: time.
When I used to prep for a D&D session, it could mean anywhere from 1-2 hours of prep per hour of actual gameplay. Much of that time was enjoyable. I anticipated the next session, considered potential player choices, and strategized around how to set up a flexible plan to account for the curveballs that would inevitably come my way. But phew…the total investment for a single gaming session with friends could mean 6-8 hours of work. While that’s a reasonable amount of time for many to sink into a hobby, I doesn’t work for me at my stage of life and responsibilities. I have a limited amount of time to play ttrpgs. But I don’t have enough time to both prep and play.
At one point, I thought that might mean I’d have to shelve this hobby until more time opened up. But then I discovered another option: no-prep GMing! Yes, you read that correctly: running a game with zero prep. Crazy? Maybe. Unconventional? Absolutely. Possible? Yes!
Let’s start by establishing what I mean by "no prep." This doesn't necessarily mean that you're coming to the table completely empty-handed (or empty-headed). Rather, “no prep” means you haven’t invested any time creating elaborate storylines, NPC’s, or drawing intricate maps before the session. Instead, “no prep” means you’re showing up to the session ready to leverage improv skills, random tables/oracles, and your players’ input to create an engaging and entertaining experience for everyone.
Here are the features of that no-prep approach:
Use a familiar setting.
If you have a pre-existing setting or world that you and your players are familiar with, use it! The more familiar everyone is with the setting, the easier it will be for everyone—especially you as the GM—to come up with setting-specific details that make sense within the larger unfolding story.
Use a rules-lite system.
Much of the prep involved in GMing is due to using rules-heavy systems. A ton of your prep can be eliminated without sacrificing session quality and enjoyment by simply switching to a rules-lite system. When you apply rules-lite mechanics to a familiar setting, you’ve put yourself in a position to “go with the flow” and make quick decisions on the fly. I recommend Tricube Tales or Tiny D6 line of games as systems that compliment zero-prep GMing really well.
Go “theatre of the mind.”
While physical props definitely add a “pop” to tabletop games, you don’t need them. And you don’t have time to find and set up the requisite minis, battle maps, and other gaming accessories anyways. So let them go and embrace the power of your mind.
Keep your story simple.
GM’s are notorious for creating overly-involved storylines and sophisticated plots. 99% of the time an adventure that hits some basic story beats is all that is needed to deliver big fun at the table. Keep things simple and focus on the basics: a problem that needs solving, a goal to be achieved, or an enemy to be defeated. This will allow you to focus on the action and keep the game moving forward. You can find lots of adventure generators online, and many rules-lite systems come with their own adventure generation tables you can use at the start of your session.
Embrace improv.
When you're running a no-prep game, improvisation is your friend. The idea of needing to lay track down in front of the train that is your session might seem stressful, but once you realize you can ask for help from your players (see #7) a lot of that pressure is released. I’ve even found that the game sessions are more enjoyable to GM because I’m experiencing the story unfold in unanticipated ways along with the players!
Use random generators/oracles.
Because you’ve prepped exactly zero minutes for your adventure, you may need help coming up with monsters, NPCs, encounters, and even entire plot points on the fly. It’s often too much of a burden to attempt to generate these things yourself with everything else happening at the table. That’s where random generators, tables, and oracles come in. Often used in solo play, these generators can be used to provide ideas, prompts, and even answers to player questions (i.e. “Is that door locked?”). There are plenty of online generators that can help you create everything from names to dungeon. Use them to your advantage! Over time you’ll gather a “set” of generators that fit your setting and style of play, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them! My go-to resources for tables, generators and oracles are: Ironsworn, Tricube Tales Solo Rules, and GM’s Apprentice.
Lean on your players.
You’re the GM, but that doesn’t mean you need to be responsible for everything. If there are four other players are your table, that’s four other imaginations you can draw from! It’s not “cheating” to ask your players what they think would be cool as a scenario unfolds. Pausing and asking for player input often leads to the best story developments. And of course it would: 5 imaginations are better than 1!
You can encourage players to contribute to the story through strategic questions like:
“There’s something distinctive about this tavern. What is it?”
“There’s a foul smell in the air as you approach the crypt. How would you describe it?”
“There’s definitely something in the water. What do you think it could be? What does your character hope it isn’t?”
“You find a locked chest. What does your character believe to be inside?”
“Can you think of a good name for this Dwarven paladin?”
“Has your character heard any rumours about this place?”
Providing opportunities for player input in this way removes a huge burden of responsibility from you, while simultaneously empowering your players to shape the story in ways that are more meaningful to them. That’s a win-win.
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If you’re finding your margins for prep are shrinking, no-prep GMing is the way to go. And by using the approach outlined above, it’s absolutely possible to create a fun and engaging TTRPG session with no-prep.