How do you prepare a session? Do you have an adventure ready or do you just fly casual?

Notes, premade adventures, homebrewed adventures, NPCs, locations, lists of random names?...

It depends on the session, but mostly I have a page with a brief story overview. This includes major NPCs, key plot points, and resolution. From there, I let my players determine pace and plot details.

I am still new to the GM role and rpg's in general, so I have only run pre-made games (the BG & expansion, debts to pay). I would always read through the adventure cover to cover to fully understand the story, then I would focus more in depth on how many sections that I would run per session.

I would make some notes for a couple NPC's, locations, and maybe some stuff the PC's needed to follow up on from the last session. I recently bought the Empire Legends app on the Android Play store and bought the Persona add-on which auto-creates NPC's with a short background, age, where they are from, and likes/dislikes. So far it has been quite nice to have that available because you don't have to spend as much time trying to deal with small details like that and it allows you to focus on the bigger picture.

I always have my notebook with notes, GM screen, my tablet (Apps:Star Wars soundboard, instant buttons soundboard, Empire Legends), a 1-minute hourglass & a 3-minute hourglass, and my Skill>Characteristics cheat sheet on the back on the BG rulebook.

Every GM's going to do it just a bit differently. Me, I spent (and continue to spend) time immersing myself in the setting. I brainstorm ideas and I track links between players and organizations visually, then I mindmap some potential plots. From there I break the plots into chunks and mesh them with what the PCs are doing, usually related to one of the plots but not always. Since I intend to include Obligation deeply I've taken the suggestion of GM Phil to roll it at the end of a session rather than the beginning, then the next story can be informed from that.

Okay, now I have some plots so it's time to build some settings (usually repurposing something else) and NPCs (usually repurposing something else) to have around. Then I make sure my list of names and races is up to date. I build any stats I need to continue, but I purposefully keep it pretty loose. I put anything I intend to project in my organizational software. I build music playlists. This procedure happens up until we sit down for the game. I try not to focus too much on MY story, so mostly I'm just putting together "what if" information for OUR story as it unfolds.

I always start with a crawl, and I always leave with a cliffhanger. Having a real starting point and ending point minimizes kibitzing. I usually try to read this aloud to see how it matches to the music, which is forever and always the Star Wars opening.

I do a mix of pre-published adventures and our own stories; usually the two meet nicely - we ignore or change that which doesn't work so well.

As soon as I start planning a session, the very first thing I do is make a new document in Google Drive for notes. How this document evolves depends on a few things:

- How much freedom I'm going to give the players to determine what they're going to do.

- If there are key encounters that I absolutely want to make sure happen during that session.

- How much time I have before the session.

- If there are any unusual mechanics that I need documented well so we don't screw it up. (Like Sabacc or a swoop race.)

For the less structured ones, it's really just a pretty basic guideline of some possibilities and key points. I keep a list of random NPC names, locations, and vague plot hooks in my "GM Holocron" document which is always kept nearby.

For more structured adventures, each possible encounter will be listed out with descriptions of who's involved and whatnot. I have a spreadsheet format I whipped up that allows for easy tracking of NPC stats printed out on a single page.

Like themensch said, every GM is going to be different. The more comfortable you become with the game system, Star Wars setting, and improv techniques, the less prep work you'll have to do.

as a new GM i think every is different. I need to do more prep because i am not very good at off the cuff material.

The adventure is usually in a outline form. Each encounter is broken up for skill checks. minor details, NPC names, and skill pools if needed

Sometimes i even pre-write down the monologues needed

Nemesis NPC, vehicles i usually have the stats printed out and ready.

And i always try to have a handout for the players during the adventure

I usually have some stats for major characters ready, and an outline of how the story should go (I know my players well, dangle a righteous cause in front of them and they leap on it) and then I play it out. I don't do much preparation after that, most of it is going in the way my players take it

I sit quietly and cackle to myself as i run devious scenarios through my head....

I make a few notes on a general storyline. Then I try and extract a few diverse encounters from it.

For each encounter I round up a few guidelines regarding situational modifiers and uses for advantage/threat/triumph/despair.

If it's a social or combat encounter, I will then browse Viluppo's Adversary/Spaceship Index and my own GM Holocron for suitable threats.

For those occasions, when I don't have an adventure ready or when players go off the track, I keep a list of standard difficulties for different tasks and a few standard premade NPCs.

This needs to get pinned prep is everything and this helps a lot

I use to to Sandbox on my games games but I use to follow the 1-5-10 rule.

I note in the save documents a few appointments about events to remember, and in general therms I only use to think the begining of a campaign, some middle points and the end. Off course always open to variables.

My last main 1-5-10 duration where above 13 years XD After that I continued with the second saga of the story.

Oh and of course, the soundtrack and a good "savegame" on Google docs

I build my campaign based heavily on player obligation. I don't roll it but I've built story ideas from their backgrounds and what I do with it is mostly reacting to how they interpret and respond to the content.

I look for FFG modules that will be a good fit and I modify them, usually changing the names and identities of NPCs without really changing the stats or mechanics. I make notes in my Obsidian Portal for all the things I have planned, which pages I'll reference of FFG modules, and brainstorm the possible outcomes the PCs will choose, coming up with ways to handle each of those expected results.

Then I build wiki pages on Obsidian Portal for all the locations, ships, species, organizations, and NPCs they will encounter for the session, flagging any sensitive materials as GM only. Once the session is done, I un-check GM Only and the pages go live.

I also post little universe building teasers like news reports that hint at upcoming content and also little vignettes to show glimpses into what NPCs they have encountered already are doing in the wake of their experiences with the PCs.

Its all visible through the link in my signature.

now that I have some time. Using my last adventure as an example. This was the most "off-script" and off the cuff i have been since the first couple.

It was going to be a one session adventure before the finale to Beyond the rim. WHile the players waited for their ship to get repaired, and Reom to show up. They were offered a job to do salvage of the junk planet to find the 4 items Norta wanted for Scrapheap point. I also had already planned to bring back the Nemesis of "Debts to pay". (EV,-8D3 and R2-B7) who were building up their Droid revolution.

It was Four encounters, which lead to a final encounter. Each of the first four had to do with one of the parts

Encounter 1, Power splicers. Find a bunch of high capacity wiring, breaker panels. Search or athletics to dig around to find it. Advantages can be used to find more useful stuff. But they really only can easily move/grab the power splicers. A creature shows up (I just grabbed one from Suns of Fortune, worm tentacle creature) which attacks them

Encounter 2. Droid servos. They find the area being worked over by a bunch of droids. Mostly Labor droids, a couple binary load lifters and a power droid. There are 4 armed droids keeping a lookout. The droids are part of the revolution and will attack humans on site

Encounter 3. 2 Meter wide sensor dish. There is a noxious fog in the area, and it is being worked over by a dozen Ugnaughts (i didn't use jawas). They offera gas masks to the players if they approach and offer to trade. They also have the 4th part they need and they would give it, and the sensor dish if they deal with the droid revolutionaries

Encounter 4 Red herring, picked clean already by ugnaughts

Encounter 5 Droid revolution army. basically had a bunch of NPCs, a couple groups patrolling, some more in the interior, and while the Nemsis droids left, an assassin droid would attack them.

bare bones. Not much to it. Just set up encounters, do forshadowing, leave clues, use a friendly NPC to help guide them and have some baddies to battle.

Most good GM guides will have this kind of guides to use. You just have to figure out a goal and how to get there

Generaly I have a 'big' plot. This is the plot which is in the background and runs from session to session. I then break each session down into one of three 'types'.

1. Big Plot - This focuses on the main theme of the campaign. If it's something like 'being on the run from Jabba the Hutt' then the session will feature Jabba or his goons.

2. Stand alone session - This gives the party a break from the main plot and allows them to do something else. Maybe helping the Rebellion or exploring a mysterious world on the borders of Wild space.

3. Obligation session - These focus on a particular players obligation and give their character a chance to be in the spotlight for a session.

Before each session I'll decide which of the three I want to run and I'll come up with a overview of what's going to happen. I then bullet point the important scenes, come up with named characters/locations and decided on what bad guys I'm going to use. Basicaly I go into a session wanting the party to get from A to C via B but I leave a lot of wiggle room for the party so the whole thing doesn't feel too railroaded.

I run very deeply railed campaigns. I give my Players the illusion of control, and they may even believe they have control, but I have plans for most contingencies, and they generally lead back onto the rails unless the Players show an inclination towards a particular side-quest. If you line up the NPCs and events right, the Players will make the right choices to reach the right conclusion/climax/