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Don't Prep Plots

Overview

"Don't prep plots" reframes prep from prewritten outcomes to playable situations. Instead of deciding what must happen, the referee defines starting conditions, factions, and constraints, then lets play outcomes emerge from player action.

Core Principle

  • Plot prep: pre-commits to event sequences and creates brittle failure points.
  • Situation prep: preps locations, actors, goals, and timelines that remain usable under many player choices.

Practical Technique Stack

  • Prepare robust clues to avoid chokepoints.
  • Define opponent goals and tools, not rigid contingency trees.
  • Track dynamic resources (personnel, locations, leverage, information) that can be recombined during play.
  • Re-center preparation on what happens if PCs do nothing, then adjudicate responses at the table.

Why It Matters

This approach lowers wasted prep effort, increases player agency, and supports higher-variance outcomes without collapsing scenario coherence.

See Also