Your D&D Prep SUCKS. This is why.

Rowling's time on Twitter proves she isn't really a planner, she might've had character notes but she didn't have "Everything planned out" that would be Tolkien

This is the best prep video I have seen, and it’s so simple. “I start the session with the hook already in their mouth”. I, stupidly, have always started with no hook or bait. I am a new DM so don’t be too harsh

No acronyms, no list of rules to follow, just straight advice. Love it.

Speaking of confidence, I appreciate that you came of out the gate swinging like you have 700k subscribers instead of 7k. You have hit the platform full force, and for that, you’ve earned my subscription on the second video :)

Plan like Sanderson, play like King.

This channel is easily becoming my go-to stop to brush up on techniques to run my game. I think this distinction between "railroading" and "expecting buy-in" is a good one to lay out. GMs are players too and they want things out of the game. They don't exist solely to please the PCs' fantasies and have creative wants that they wish to be expressed at the table. Your techniques to strike that balance so both GM and PCs get a little bit of what they want is such a refreshing take and amazing advice I plan to use in my games going forwards.

It's not just your world, it belongs to your players too. I loved "The Law of Narrative Influence". Its a fresh idea I've never heard before and I've watched A LOT of D&D and DMing videos. I will definitely be implementing this in my sessions! Thanks Deficient for another great video!

My prep sucks because I don’t prep

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: This channel is destined for great things, and great numbers of subscribers. This video is SO well done, and watching it I feel like a hipster discovering the next big thing before it's cool.

This is how I prepared my first campaign basically by accident ...later I went into a habit of too much prep and had to rediscover these techniques and what made my first sessions great. Good advice and I'm sure "The Law of Narrative Influence" is one for the books. Now I have a somewhat specific way of prepping and I am making a mini-series about it. Your "law" is a good way of describing one of the underlying principles and I might reference it if you are cool with it :)

I love this. These are words to my actions that I couldn't do myself. My latest campaign starts mid quest - they got a job, they never got the papers, and bandits flash the papers to say the job was there's. Away we go! Amazing video.

Once more combining your mastery of props and full utilization of the visual medium with your knowledgeability and experience makes for a unique and extremely insightful video! Man I love deficient master

Babe, wake up. Deficient Master just posted.

I say this every video, but the advice I get from the channel is ALWAYS relevant to me as a DM, and your style of editing and teaching is perfect! I am so grateful for this video, and I look forward to the next one!

After all the DM tips videos I've watched, this one definitely stands out, which honestly can be said for most of your content. Such great stuff and such unique style, I'm in love

Excellent advice! I've ran my games in the similar manner for a good while now, and I'm happy with the results. Starting in media res is a very powerful technique to get the game started when used in moderation. I prep situations, not plots, and then just react to player actions where the characters are, and keep the wheels moving where they are not.

Shout out to you creator. Been a minute since I've found D&D/TTRPG insight and advice this concise. Also, very entertaining in the process, with good cadence and delivery. Keep up the great work.

i LOVE how your advice can be applied to basically any rpg in the UNIVERSE. dnd, pathfinder, gurps, cypher system. its universally helpful. its amazing.

I have given that advice so many times. At the very start of your game you have absolute unchecked authority and power to place the PCs wherever you want in any situation you want, you can do ANYTHING, yet so many DMs choose to do nothing with it. They start off in some idyllic tranquil neutral, and BORING, scene where there is nothing to do, and then expect the players to stumble into an exciting adventure. It is a sure way to kill enthusiasm, and it takes a game that is about exciting things and it too often turns the first session into a shopping extravaganza that should hqve taken place offscreen before the game ever began.

Having done my fair share of screenwriting in the past, I love how you explained the Rowling vs King spectrum for writing. Sometimes having cool shit planned in advance is the move but sometimes going with the flow makes for unexpectedly great outcomes Edit: also just wanted to say your editing has gotten really fucking good since the first vid dropped