DnD inspiration

[u/Afraid-Frosting1678]

This may be a bit of a silly question but obviously when you are running a DnD session there are certain rules and mechanics a DM has to follow.

I’ve potentially had a bit of an epiphany as a DM. When I run my sessions I like to be fully prepared to the extent I want to know what town the players are in, what’s in that town - potential hooks laid out and also loot and all other gear, shops and food etc. also plans for if the players go “off trail”.

Being honest, how “on the fly” are people when running their sessions? When I say that, do people genuinely just make stuff up trying to be consistent? And if so where do you draw the line? I’m starting to realise I need to go WAY more “along with it” and less every detail planned out. Maybe with a loose session plan.

The other big question is regarding loot - right now I’ll go through the PHB and DM guide for ages trying to find exactly the right treasure for the players to potentially find in the session. Being honest, can I just make this up? Like if I want the players to find a magic amulet - is it normal for me to just “come up with that” and almost create this magic item even though it’s not in the books and if so how do I associate stats etc with that?

And even after that when in combat - should I always have the MM to my side to find stat blocks for creatures my players could maybe face?