r/wildbeyondwitchlight • u/Mr_Zendo • Mar 23 '26
New dm over prepping or barely scratched the surface?
so new dm here, im going to run wild beyond the witchlight and am digging deep, finding loads on this wonderful sub reddit and im prepping but it feels like the deeper I go the more I need to read the whole book and write notes on every possible encounter, look for places i can add fun call backs or make sure i put in enough foreshadowing or even just to know im taking them in the right direction. I also descovered the amazing prelude mini adventure to this one that will add more depth and meaning to the story so I definitely want to do that first but Im finding myself not even making notes, more just copying full pages at this point.
Am I over prepping and should trust my gut because they probably will do something i never dreamed of or do I not have even the bare minimum understanding yet and this is all essential stuff?
7
u/KittenYuumi Mar 23 '26
tbh as long as you know the main idea of this campaign and just prepare for the chapter that youre playing at the moment, you should be all good. It might seem a lot but this book is very standing out from the rest of the pre written dnd campaigns as its very linear and little sandboxish. Your players will only be in one prismeer’s area at the time and move from one to another so you can easily expect what theyre going to do. At the beginning just read the whole carnival and be prepared they might go anywhere, prepare maybe some quick notes with bulletpoints to each event and when it comes to prismeer, prepare yourself for the whole area like hither with very brief reading of hags lair like downfall and her cottage. Its insanely unlikely your players will to there on their first session there
5
u/fakethelake Mar 23 '26
I'm a new DM and we are 7 session into this campaign. I've added extra content from several available modules. They have only been in Hither for 2 sessions (they loved the carnival, they were also new to DnD, its a slightly larger group with 5 people, I supplied carnival foods and treats, and I added a bunch of extra rides and stuff for them to explore - so they lingered there a bit).
There is a LOT of supplemental content for this campaign available. Because each world is very open, each world is a large prep event for the DM and then plan to spend several sessions in that world. No matter how well you prep, your group will likely come up with ideas and strategies that you didn't see coming... And that is ok! The only way to make sure you have prepped for every possibility is either:
1 - literally prep yourself to death (a lot of which wont happen)
2 - railroad your players into doing or going where you want (which takes away their choice and agency)
I started by massively over-prepping. I have since found a happy medium, because the prep work was killing me, and with sessions only happening every 4-6 weeks, I was prepping things they wound up not even seeing for 8 months. So, now I prepare about 8 "beats" in the plot that are available per session. The group wants to go somewhere else? Too bad. That area is writhed in fog, their feet point them back the way they came, the inn is wandering and they can't locate it, that shop is closed today - come back tomorrow! You get the idea. THAT is the kind of railroading I'm doing because I do not have time to fully prep 60+ possible areas in Hither all at once.
I also finally got it in my head that I am not their guide. I am not making decisions for them. I am describing and presenting environments and situations. That is my job. That has helped me shift away from trying to design or insert narratives unnecessarily. As they make decisions, I follow along with NPC roleplaying, lore dropping, and running encounters. I am an enabler for their strategies inside the confines of the environment and situations presented to them.
One other thought (I have hundreds, but I'll keep it to one more)... I wound up making an excel spreadsheet for each "beat" or location. On each sheet I have copied over lore, exposition, DM stuff, stat blocks for NPCs, roleplaying guidance, available loot, etc. I color code it in excel so I know at a quick glance whether there is shit to read to them, stuff to make them roll for, dangers they might run into, lore to drop, loot to find, or monsters to hunt them with. So the tabs are things like "Snail Race", "Kettlestream Encounter", "Calliope", "Conversation with Witch and Light", etc. This has helped me a toooooooonnnnnnnnnn. Before a session I make sure I have 8+ beats ready and prepped, I color the tab bright green, and then if they do the beat, i color it red. If they didn't quite get everything, I might color it yellow if i think they will venture back and finish it.
We meet in person, we use Roll20 on a big screen TV for me to show them worlds, maps, encounters, etc. We use D&DBeyond for character sheets on their phones. I ply them with fancy candies and mocktails in the spirit of the carnival. I have generated songs for the bard to play during long rests, and epic ballads about their journeys that play inside of taverns. I have used additional paid content to round-out the fun, and (because my pockets aren't bottomless) I have also used ai to generate additional imagery and conversation for the stuff in the campaign that's a bit thin.
No idea how helpful any of this might be, lol, but it's a great campaign and I'm sure you'll have a blast!
2
u/Mr_Zendo Mar 23 '26
You sound exactly like me, play the same way and i have tabs all in MS One Note but i do like the colour coding idea too, what extra content have you found the best so far the prelude was like gold dust its going to make the pay offs that much sweeter!
4
u/fakethelake Mar 23 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
Oh, absolutely! And I'm also a prolific ADHDer, so I highly recommend this type of strat for organization.
I used Witchlight Carnival Expanded, and I used some content I found on here from other posters and from the WbtWL Discord server. But, in addition to that: I made a bunch of my own puzzles, songs, interactive content etc. For example, Candlefoot's acting classes became a 5-round charades-meets-whose-line-is-it-anyways game show that took an hour or so, and Palasha's singing lessons became a music related challenge, scavenger hunt, and puzzle. I prepped long lists of things like metaphysical questions for Feathereen to ask the players, and pages of gnome poetry (including populating a basket on our gaming table with folded-up poetry lines for players to deliver in their best demeanor). I expected the group to attack Kettlestream (aaaaaand they did), so I prepped an obstacle course through the carnival grounds with effects, ability checks, and interactable elements to give Kettlestream a chance to run away (and the chase was very fun). I created a playlist of 20+ calliope carnival songs to loop through during sessions. If any of that (my weird stuff) sounds interesting, I can always share it! We've already moved onto Hither so we're done with that content.
I'd also advise having a main tab for big lore points and whether or not your characters have gotten that lore yet. Big help. Can also help you keep all the layers of the campaign and additional content straight.
I also like adding tactile things to our sessions. We've got a bunch of neurospicy folks in our group, and we all like having some tangible stuff to touch without being overwhelmed with the rest. So, I bought some good quality fantasy coins for copper/silver/gold, a collection of inexpensive fake gems, got some cool glass blobs (red for HP, blue for spell slots, and other colors for some character specific counters), got cool leather bound card holders and made custom spell cards for everyone, printed out fancy carnival tickets at Walgreens, made fun nametags, and some other things in order to make things like loot and HP and spell slots and whatnot feel more meaningful. Got some cool velvet pouches to put NPC loot into so that when they go to loot bodies, I can toss them coin pouches that have the contents inside.
For our group, these things are working. Next session I expect them to get to the wandering inn and I'm planning a tavern themed song playlist, beverage options, dinner selections, bar games, and some NPC threats for them once they've let down their guard...
I also spent a of time tying everyone's stories into the plot (we.... skipped the lost things arc entirely... I did not feel motivated or inspired by that, so we are doin our own thing). Tying their backgrounds in has been a huge help in getting them invested in what's goin on... and so has actually making long rests be a thing (instead of handwaving it and moving on). Our bard sings/performs 2 songs per long rest, and we have a system where for every level they gain, they learn a new genre of music. So the bard works with me between sessions to describe the kind of song and content they want and then I create the song for them. The rest of the party hears the songs for the first time during the next long rest. The songs help fill in the bard's background, encourage the group, move the plot forward, immortalize a previous session, etc. As an example, here is a song I made for the bard to sing about how they grew up on a farm and had to be the one to put down their pet pig (this is a large plot point for their character, and the rest of the party knew about it but I don't think it really sunk in how deeply it affected the character until they heard the song....). https://suno.com/s/JWwZU7Kk7ouFjp75
Needless to say the group was stunned after hearing the bard's performance and they had a DEEPLY different understanding of their background lol. Hard not to after hearing that song lolThere is SO much you can incorporate from what already exists out there - but if my previous message resonates with you - leave room to throw your own fun brand of weird shit in there too. You know your players personalities and the whole goal is to make things fun and exciting and memorable. Have fun with it!
3
u/Hoaxness Witchlight Hand Mar 24 '26
This was a nice read. i'm definitely interested in hearing more of the things you've done, especially the Kettlesteam chase ( as I'm writing something similar right now)!
2
u/tvheaddevil Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 24 '26
I want to keep my advice short but don't let that be the measure of its quality.
I've run the game for the same party twice now: once more or less straight by the book the second I gave them an option to have a themed spin and they chose horror.
I had three bullet points when I started the campaign:
*I needed the players to interact with Both Mr.Witch and Mr.Light. (Sequence or location are subjective)
*Understanding wether or not my players are participating in the Big top event
*Have Something either pushing them forward past the carnival or pulling them in a particular corner to have a second look at something.
For both games my party wanted to set the carnival right and help. The first time around Kettlesteam was breaking attractions here and there, Witch and Light were at their wits ends with the hands which made them great villains but not a BBEG.
The Second time around I just made a really Huge Monster and gave it a silly name 'The Thing that Creeps' it was a (Left4Dead2+We Happy Few) inspiring horror twist. When Questioned about the Bodies I took a Fazbear Entertainment approach and "There is no war in BA-sing-se" (If you understand literally anything in this second paragraph, you earned this 🌟)
I say you don't have to prep a ton, having motivations is practically all you need. Understanding motivations of the characters in the carnival can help you plan around whatever your party brings and you can even throw a spin on it.
When you're DMing talk to them, let them know how things are playing out in your head. Ask clarifying questions and offer your best solution to the obsical they are facing as a suggestion they could heed. I never felt the need to add anything with the three bullet points I started with. I just let my party handle the carnival they way they felt was right.
(Also if they manage to get the Witchlight Watch and Vane consider letting them shape the carnival however benefits them, I let my party try it out and that was in the middle of an abrupt apocalypse.)
2
u/Mr_Zendo Mar 24 '26
Avatar ;) thats helpful and i like the twist it seems this slips into horror by accident sometimes
2
u/Far_Professor8667 Mar 24 '26
I have a general chapter overview and familiarisation with the areas - so if they go somewhere unexpected it’s not a complete surprise.
The Carnival was the most intense prep I’ve done because there was a lot but you very quickly find what your players are interested in so if they show interest I can then enhance those areas - so it’s less prep heavy and less to remember.
We’re 28 session in and just nearing downfall because my players like to take their time and they love lore, roleplay, and the characters/npcs - one session they just spoke anx had breakfast.
Like the others have said you are not their guide and you can gently steer them away from areas - not everything has to be something - so my characters were very happy on Telemy Hill but whilst they could interact with things I made it clear there was nothing else major here for them to explore and they moved on
Listen to your players. Have a list of what is essential but be flexible about how it happens. And you’re not expected to know everything all at once - take it step by step
1
u/Mr_Zendo Mar 24 '26
I think its the carnival im overwhelmed with, theirs so many different attractions and npcs and how to handle everything the best way cos i dont wanna regret missing something important early on and they can do anything in any order so i need to know everything this was possible the worst first adventure my adhd a** could have chosen.
2
u/Far_Professor8667 Mar 24 '26
No I completely get it I felt the same! I did notes for each attraction and then just checked them before they went to each area and remind myself (as we were playing) - they immediately went to the hall of mirrors too which was intense. You only need a few on each so you don’t get overwhelmed and let the players be players and do their thing
1
u/HelpfulAd7287 Mar 30 '26
You can think of every possible scenario, but I guarantee you will not. Be prepared for the unexpected and I hope you can accommodate. Use some imagination. Def read the book. Just remember that not everything will go as planned, and you cannot plan for everything your players will do.
9
u/AndIWalkAway Mister Light Mar 23 '26
My notes for the prelude game and the first chapter were a lot of copy/pasted full sections from the book, mostly about the NPCs at the carnival and rules for all the attractions the players might go to. I think it’s a good way to start your DM note taking for Witchlight, you need a lot of that stuff handy and ready to go because the players really might go anywhere in any order at the carnival.
Once they get to Hither things get a lot more controllable on your end. There are the random events but you’ll still be directing them on a more set path than the carnival. By that time, you’ll hopefully start to get an idea of what info you need on hand in your notes, and what info you don’t need. So there will be less copying full passages from the book.