Adventures and Me: Why I suck at design them? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Adventures and Me: Why I suck at design them? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Nobunaga Oda
07-29-06, 01:42 AM THat´s I question that I always make to myself.

On my playgroup there always two DMs. This time is me and my best friend turn to create a campaign. So he decided to play Rokugan...I decided to play Eberron but I changed to a Homebrew campaign Setting because everbody hates Eberron on my playgroup :/.

You see, I am very skilled in creating NPCs. The PCs love to roleplay with then and they past most time in the sessions doing that. I always try to spice up the combat too. I have no issue with that.

But I do got a issue with design adventures.
My problem is: I can´t seen to just sit and write the adventure! Sure, I write the main events and scenes but that´s about it. Whenever someone does something diferent from the script, I must DM on the Fly. I kinda enjoy it but the results aren´t always great.

My playgroup loves to play at my table. But I know they prefer my friend´s...So I am here to ask for some advice: How can I improve my adventures? Thanks a bunch.
Confusion567
07-29-06, 01:58 AM Have your friend write them. In return, write him up some killer NPC's. Oh, and don't tell the players. They don't really need to know ;)
Nobunaga Oda
07-29-06, 02:00 AM That´s a great ideia ;) ! But the main problem is that I am a player at his campaign and he is a player at mine.

But someday we really should work on something together...
Dragonsblood
07-29-06, 02:06 AM Ask your friend for advice. You could also look at free modules for inspiration.

Can you give us an example of how your players deviate from your script?
Nobunaga Oda
07-29-06, 02:36 AM Well...Some of them just love to roleplay to NPCs that aren´t that important...For example, one character already dragged a Elven Girl from his vilage to help him in a mission, I had to create everthing about she.

I am always looking for created modules for inspiration. My adventures truly improved after I stated doing that in fact.
Dragonsblood
07-29-06, 02:43 AM Shouldn't that be right up your alley? You said you're really good at making NPCs, so why is this a problem?

In any case, you should have made her refuse to come along.
Nobunaga Oda
07-29-06, 02:49 AM It´s not a problem :) . But it´s happening all the time now ehehe...

...I think I just made a bad example.

Let me do another: The PCs where investigating a caban at a very cold and dark forest, looking for a Thief. The caban was full of goodies, and hints of "how to defeat the dam Wendigo" but they just ignored that. When they faced the wendigo, I almost TPK´d then because none of the Characters knew his weakness to fire, despite the hints. And on their way back, I had to skip some very important events because they took the path trought the Woods, not the road. Which resulted they encontering another Wendigo, to early.
Nyaz
07-29-06, 11:20 AM Well, the players have to learn that you're not just there to adjust the setting and storyline according to their needs. If there is a wendigo in the forest, and they decide to run into it despite your hints to do otherwise, a TPK might be in order.

On another thing: all NPCs are important to the players. You're very lucky to have players who pay equal attention to all NPCs. It is valuable and helps them flesh out the world you're creating. So always have a few pregenerated names and very brief backgrounds for such instances.
pierow37
07-29-06, 11:22 AM you could both DM the same group.
Have a VERY klarge group of PC's and then have a DM and a partner DM. Each would rule over certain things, and when large desicions need to be made, you can talk about them togeather.
SPEAR9
07-29-06, 12:09 PM Give them something to fight no matter what direction they take.Make the encounters about the same difficulty.Don't anticipate their moves,have a contigency for unexpected actions.
Don't look now,but that Elven girl is really a Doppleganger.Like that,see?
If their actions or decisions clash with your script,create circumstances that make the results unpleasant or difficult.
The Elven girl trips and sprains her ankle.Now the party has to go slower,etc.
NPC's are useful tools when the party is oblivious to hints.I like to use them to prepare my PC(I only have the 1)for upcoming encounters.But I don't give too much.Hope this helps! :P
Milandros
07-29-06, 01:27 PM Players will always do something you didn't think they would. My first piece of advice: Don't create straight linear plots. The players simply won't go A-B-C-D-E. They'll go A-B-D-B-C-B-3-D-4-2-F.

Instead, create your NPCs. Create your locations and maps. Create the motivations for the NPC so you can quickly decide what they would do if the circumstances change. Create the simpler encounters, the ones that won't change much because they are essentially static (the bandit encounter on the road, for example). Finally, create a timeline - what will happen if the PCs don't do anything (i.e. the bad guys win) plus an expected timeline so you estimate how things will go (but don't expect it to).

You can also create plots in several ways. One is to have fixed points - main scenes if you like - and provide different routes between them, for example: if the players win encounter a, they will find evidence that the enemy is opperating out of a warehouse on the docks. If they lose encounter a and escape, they will get a chance to follow the enemy back to the warehouse, or if they lose very badly they'll be captured and taken to the warehouse.
It's a mild form of railroading, though, so you have to be very careful how you handle it - players hate feeling like they have no choice.

Other approaches include branching plot lines, where you draw a tree-chart of possible outcomes, but it can be a lot of work as most of the tree isn't used, or straight linear plots, but you are having problems with those already. I'd suggest going with a combination of the original method which allows you to improvise easily, and the different routes between major enounters or plot scenes method.

A good guide to this is in the small booklet Robin's Guide to Game Mastery. It's well worth a read.
Nobunaga Oda
07-29-06, 02:13 PM Thank you all for the advice!

So I need to have a couple pregenerated encounters, towns, names and backgrounds and a couple main scenes for the adventure. Hm I never tought of that...I will try on my next session for sure!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nobunaga Oda 07-29-06, 01:42 AM	THat´s I question that I always make to myself. On my playgroup there always two DMs. This time is me and my best friend turn to create a campaign. So he decided to play Rokugan...I decided to play Eberron but I changed to a Homebrew campaign Setting because everbody hates Eberron on my playgroup :/. You see, I am very skilled in creating NPCs. The PCs love to roleplay with then and they past most time in the sessions doing that. I always try to spice up the combat too. I have no issue with that. But I do got a issue with design adventures. My problem is: I can´t seen to just sit and write the adventure! Sure, I write the main events and scenes but that´s about it. Whenever someone does something diferent from the script, I must DM on the Fly. I kinda enjoy it but the results aren´t always great. My playgroup loves to play at my table. But I know they prefer my friend´s...So I am here to ask for some advice: How can I improve my adventures? Thanks a bunch.
Confusion567 07-29-06, 01:58 AM	Have your friend write them. In return, write him up some killer NPC's. Oh, and don't tell the players. They don't really need to know ;)
Nobunaga Oda 07-29-06, 02:00 AM	That´s a great ideia ;) ! But the main problem is that I am a player at his campaign and he is a player at mine. But someday we really should work on something together...
Dragonsblood 07-29-06, 02:06 AM	Ask your friend for advice. You could also look at free modules for inspiration. Can you give us an example of how your players deviate from your script?
Nobunaga Oda 07-29-06, 02:36 AM	Well...Some of them just love to roleplay to NPCs that aren´t that important...For example, one character already dragged a Elven Girl from his vilage to help him in a mission, I had to create everthing about she. I am always looking for created modules for inspiration. My adventures truly improved after I stated doing that in fact.
Dragonsblood 07-29-06, 02:43 AM	Shouldn't that be right up your alley? You said you're really good at making NPCs, so why is this a problem? In any case, you should have made her refuse to come along.
Nobunaga Oda 07-29-06, 02:49 AM	It´s not a problem :) . But it´s happening all the time now ehehe... ...I think I just made a bad example. Let me do another: The PCs where investigating a caban at a very cold and dark forest, looking for a Thief. The caban was full of goodies, and hints of "how to defeat the dam Wendigo" but they just ignored that. When they faced the wendigo, I almost TPK´d then because none of the Characters knew his weakness to fire, despite the hints. And on their way back, I had to skip some very important events because they took the path trought the Woods, not the road. Which resulted they encontering another Wendigo, to early.
Nyaz 07-29-06, 11:20 AM	Well, the players have to learn that you're not just there to adjust the setting and storyline according to their needs. If there is a wendigo in the forest, and they decide to run into it despite your hints to do otherwise, a TPK might be in order. On another thing: all NPCs are important to the players. You're very lucky to have players who pay equal attention to all NPCs. It is valuable and helps them flesh out the world you're creating. So always have a few pregenerated names and very brief backgrounds for such instances.
pierow37 07-29-06, 11:22 AM	you could both DM the same group. Have a VERY klarge group of PC's and then have a DM and a partner DM. Each would rule over certain things, and when large desicions need to be made, you can talk about them togeather.
SPEAR9 07-29-06, 12:09 PM	Give them something to fight no matter what direction they take.Make the encounters about the same difficulty.Don't anticipate their moves,have a contigency for unexpected actions. Don't look now,but that Elven girl is really a Doppleganger.Like that,see? If their actions or decisions clash with your script,create circumstances that make the results unpleasant or difficult. The Elven girl trips and sprains her ankle.Now the party has to go slower,etc. NPC's are useful tools when the party is oblivious to hints.I like to use them to prepare my PC(I only have the 1)for upcoming encounters.But I don't give too much.Hope this helps! :P
Milandros 07-29-06, 01:27 PM	Players will always do something you didn't think they would. My first piece of advice: Don't create straight linear plots. The players simply won't go A-B-C-D-E. They'll go A-B-D-B-C-B-3-D-4-2-F. Instead, create your NPCs. Create your locations and maps. Create the motivations for the NPC so you can quickly decide what they would do if the circumstances change. Create the simpler encounters, the ones that won't change much because they are essentially static (the bandit encounter on the road, for example). Finally, create a timeline - what will happen if the PCs don't do anything (i.e. the bad guys win) plus an expected timeline so you estimate how things will go (but don't expect it to). You can also create plots in several ways. One is to have fixed points - main scenes if you like - and provide different routes between them, for example: if the players win encounter a, they will find evidence that the enemy is opperating out of a warehouse on the docks. If they lose encounter a and escape, they will get a chance to follow the enemy back to the warehouse, or if they lose very badly they'll be captured and taken to the warehouse. It's a mild form of railroading, though, so you have to be very careful how you handle it - players hate feeling like they have no choice. Other approaches include branching plot lines, where you draw a tree-chart of possible outcomes, but it can be a lot of work as most of the tree isn't used, or straight linear plots, but you are having problems with those already. I'd suggest going with a combination of the original method which allows you to improvise easily, and the different routes between major enounters or plot scenes method. A good guide to this is in the small booklet Robin's Guide to Game Mastery. It's well worth a read.
Nobunaga Oda 07-29-06, 02:13 PM	Thank you all for the advice! So I need to have a couple pregenerated encounters, towns, names and backgrounds and a couple main scenes for the adventure. Hm I never tought of that...I will try on my next session for sure!