322) So You Want to be a Dungeon Master? Lesson 2 — How to Plan in order to Balance the Plot with Characters’ Freedom of Choice
The truth, and beauty, of D&D is that THERE IS NO PLOT. Your characters are not on some prescribed path, like an obstacle course, where they just try to surmount one pre-set challenge after another, and slowly get better at it. D&D is not a video game. It’s not a pre-written script for a TV show. It’s a truly “open world”.
321) So you want to be a Dungeon Master? Lesson 1: World-building and Plot Visioning
Here’s what I’ve learned from 40 years of Dungeon Mastering. May it be of assistance.
124) From Shitty-ness to Well-ness, Part 10: Finding out who you really are: Rational self-analysis
The family of techniques I am calling “rational self-analysis”, work, therefore, by orienting you towards things that are compatible with your “authenticity”. As you decide, discover, and become more aware of “who you really are”, you will therefore pattern your life more effectively around things that are compatible with your authentic self. Instead of running around trying to please other people all the time, or trying to hide or make up for your perceived deficiencies, or trying to “cope” with the stresses of life, you will instead be more capable at exercising your agency effectively. You will become a more powerful actor in the world.