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Organized fun is a beat we can all dance to.

Here's a good metaphor to consider: Good DnD is like sex. If you're not prepared you might have to run out to a liquor store in the middle of the night, and if you get too drunk you'll puke and kill the mood. I do at least one hour of prep per one hour of intended play time. For me, preparation means lots of maps and notes, partial scripts for dialogue, a few random events to mix things up, an outline suggesting possible paths of the session, lists of random Non-Player Character (NPC) and location names, and a few entries on major NPCs, detailing their backgrounds and motivations.

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It sounds like overkill, but If my players walk into a street I haven't really thought of, I can toss one of my random events there and continue the illusion of an immersive world. If they meet an NPC I haven't fleshed out, she can further the plot or be involved in another random event. If they explore a room or open a closet I haven't fully described, I can improvise a descriptive element -- a detail of an NPC's motivation or background. All of these things work together to create a deeper world. Preparation is the absolute best way to KEEP THE GAME MOVING.

But It's Easy To Overcorrect ...

I've been punished for over-preparing a lot, but never more than on Harmontown. I would plan the next leg of the adventure based on what they said they wanted to do, and then they would immediately change their minds and go in the complete opposite direction. I was doing a ton of work and throwing it out every time. I had to change how I was preparing for DnD sessions. If you don't adjust to the desires of the players, you may be guilty of RAILROADING.

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Railroading is a four letter word* in DnD that means the DM is jerking himself off and trying to be the center of attention, instead of letting the players be the heroes of the adventure. It's forcing the players to do what you want to do rather than what they want to do. Railroading occurs because DMs don't want their preparations to go to waste, or because they under-prepare, failing to consider all the possible options a player group might take instead of being flexible enough to roll with the new direction. "You want to climb up the side of the tower? Uuuuummmm ... the tower is coated in ... oil? Yes, someone oiled the tower."