How to Prep for D&D Sessions When You Have No Time

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Feb 28, 2025

One thing I never want to hear from fellow role-players is, "We had to cancel this week." That makes me sad because I want more role-playing in the world. Though I completely understand—after all, we all have lives and responsibilities—what I absolutely hate hearing is, "We had to cancel because our DM wasn't prepared."

This drives me crazy. I never want D&D to be canceled for that reason. In fact, it's one of the driving forces behind why I create RPG resources. I simply never want a DM or GM to cancel because they feel unprepared.

Frankly, there is no reason to cancel just because you feel unprepared. Players show up unprepared all the time, so you shouldn’t feel guilty or like you're letting anyone down. Plus, there are strategies you can use to drastically cut down the need for prep.

1. Evaluate How You Spend Your Time

You'll probably find that you waste a lot of time on things that don't matter, aren't necessary, or that you don’t even enjoy. I know I certainly waste so much of my time—it's actually insane.

Are you doomscrolling? If so, stop it. Do your nights disappear in a YouTube death spiral? Stop it.

I'm not saying you should stop following the news or watching videos, but those things can take control of your time if you're not careful. Facebook has quick and deadly talons—seriously. If you become intentional with your time, you'll likely find more of it to spend on things you actually enjoy—like prepping for your session.

2. Lean Into Character Backstories & Goals

If your PCs have goals and interesting backstories, use those as instant adventure hooks. Plus, you already know your players will enjoy these hooks because they created them. This naturally cuts down the need for prep since you can react to your players' actions instead of over-preparing. Reacting is always easier.

3. Pull Ideas from Fiction & History

Did you recently watch a movie with a cool scene? Scratch off the serial number and throw it into your game. Read a great book with an interesting premise? Adapt it for your session and see how your players react.

Interested in history? Pull real-world events into your campaign. Historical conflicts, betrayals, and legendary figures make fantastic story elements for D&D.

4. Think About Your Session During Downtime

Whenever you're cutting the grass, washing dishes, or doing other menial tasks, think about your session. Mull over cool ideas, complications, and encounters that would make your players earn their victories.

Consider fun NPCs, quirky accents, or unexpected challenges. You don’t even have to write anything down—just get into the habit of mentally prepping. The more you do this, the less actual prep you’ll need.

5. Use the 15 Minutes Before the Session Wisely

Since D&D is monster-heavy, use the 15 minutes before your session to: