Adventures [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Adventures [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Darkness_Incarnate
06-02-04, 06:14 PM I have never really created a succsessful adventure for my PC's, and I was wondering how are adventures suppose to look after you are done? What should be found in the written down information?

P.S I would like your thoughts on this, not something like 'check out the Free online D&D adventures, because I have but I would like to know how you DM's create adventures.

Darkness_Incarnate
Rhistel
06-02-04, 06:35 PM It all depends on the DM. Every type of adventure is different in the way it is made and presented. Myself, I like to make things up as I go and therefore have very little written down about my adventures. Then, I also know DMs that plan every adventure out as precisely as possible. If you're looking for some great examples from a number of different styles, check out the DMs club contest topic on the main DMG board. There is an amalgam of different adventure writing styles there and you could PM any of the entrants that made something you like for specific advice on that style. There is no way an adventure is "supposed" to look when you are done, it just depends on you and your groups way of gaming.
Trydan
06-02-04, 06:45 PM This is difficult to answer, as adventures vary so much. Some may be simple one-off, single-session affairs. Others may be part of a long-running campaign, and thus tie in with something more involved.

Assuming that you are going for something a little more self-contained, let me suggest the following method. (Not very comprehensive, but a start, nonetheless).

Start with a concept
It sounds simple, but I really mean this. If you start drawing maps and looking up monsters without an overall aim, the whole adventure will lack consistency. The idea here is to define the essence of the adventure. Examples include: "Raid a tomb to recover treasure", "Rescue a prince/princess from a monster", "Escort a merchant with a valuable cargo through dangerous country", and so on.

Adopt the 5-room model
There is one line of thought that says that all adventures can be broken down into five rooms:[list=1]
The entrance -- What presents the initial challenge and prevents just anybody embarking on the quest?
The first encounter -- this could be a trap or monster, but it serves to sap some of the parties resources in some way (be it hit-points, spells, equipment, or whatever)
The red-herring -- Some sort of false lead (an empty corridor, an unsolved riddle, a false prophecy, or something else that doesn't assist the plot)
The climax -- this is the main battle, the deadly trap or the key negotiation. It is the toughest part of the adventure.
The twist -- this could be a plot-twist (leading into the next adventure) or simply the recovery of treasure or the rescue of the victim.
[/list=1]

Create a map
This is just a simple sketch, but do it, so that you can describe the scale. Annotate it with where the traps and monsters are. Figure out the difficulty classes and write them on. Note a key feature of each room (to make it memorable.) Even writing the page number of where to find the relevant entry in the Monster Manual will help.

Create a description
Take the time to write some an introduction to the adventure, to get the players into the mood of it. It doesn't have to be long, but by preparing it in advance, it helps you too, so that you can carry on ad lib..

Well... that's sufficient, as far as I'm concerned, but then again, I do have a bit more experience that someone just starting out. In the past, I've created adventures with 40+ pages of typed notes, handouts, maps, props, and so on, but in truth, this is not necessary.

Try the above and, of course, get the advice of others. Experiment, and see what suits you. Good luck with it!
nevets555
06-05-04, 06:32 AM hey i am creating a new world now by hand on paper and you just have to remember to put all species water forest rocks and dirt. don't ever forget the caves but evrything else is up to you.
Darkness_Incarnate
06-05-04, 07:37 PM hey i am creating a new world now by hand on paper and you just have to remember to put all species water forest rocks and dirt. don't ever forget the caves but evrything else is up to you.

Yeah. Um...Nevets555 you might wanna reread the thread introuduction. I'm pretty sure that you posted in the wrong place.
Autosponge
06-05-04, 10:22 PM I'm always adding to them (even while I'm running them) so they're never quite done unless someone wants to publish it.
Raine
06-07-04, 10:18 PM I use a list of current events. If the world you're running in is defined, regardless of whether it's yours or someone else's, I always find it's easier to keep track and deal with an adventure if you have a general version of what's happening in the area. This tends to give the adventure and the times in between one adventure and the next (in a long running campaign) some consistency and doesn't feel quite as choppy. It also helps when creating an adventure. The flow itself will generate hooks and ideas, and instead of having to railroad your players into the adventure you've created it allows you to sort of lay the world out before them. Then when they pick a direction you do a little more fleshing out of that scenario. I've had some really long term adventures run that way off of something that just gets thrown in as a random rumor the PCs hear in a tavern, or about an object they happen to find in a dungeon crawl. You sort of need to be able to run on the fly though...One of the other threads is about how to cope when your PC's do something unexpected. Murphy's Law, the more work you put into planning something, the easier the players will find it to surprise you. So I suppose my response isn't so much about creating a single adventure...but more about keeping it going smoothly. Last comment, I also do two sets of current events, one general one about goings-on in the area, and a specific one about what the PCs themselves are doing and dealing with.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Darkness_Incarnate 06-02-04, 06:14 PM	I have never really created a succsessful adventure for my PC's, and I was wondering how are adventures suppose to look after you are done? What should be found in the written down information? P.S I would like your thoughts on this, not something like 'check out the Free online D&D adventures, because I have but I would like to know how you DM's create adventures. Darkness_Incarnate
Rhistel 06-02-04, 06:35 PM	It all depends on the DM. Every type of adventure is different in the way it is made and presented. Myself, I like to make things up as I go and therefore have very little written down about my adventures. Then, I also know DMs that plan every adventure out as precisely as possible. If you're looking for some great examples from a number of different styles, check out the DMs club contest topic on the main DMG board. There is an amalgam of different adventure writing styles there and you could PM any of the entrants that made something you like for specific advice on that style. There is no way an adventure is "supposed" to look when you are done, it just depends on you and your groups way of gaming.
Trydan 06-02-04, 06:45 PM	This is difficult to answer, as adventures vary so much. Some may be simple one-off, single-session affairs. Others may be part of a long-running campaign, and thus tie in with something more involved. Assuming that you are going for something a little more self-contained, let me suggest the following method. (Not very comprehensive, but a start, nonetheless). Start with a concept It sounds simple, but I really mean this. If you start drawing maps and looking up monsters without an overall aim, the whole adventure will lack consistency. The idea here is to define the essence of the adventure. Examples include: "Raid a tomb to recover treasure", "Rescue a prince/princess from a monster", "Escort a merchant with a valuable cargo through dangerous country", and so on. Adopt the 5-room model There is one line of thought that says that all adventures can be broken down into five rooms:[list=1] The entrance -- What presents the initial challenge and prevents just anybody embarking on the quest? The first encounter -- this could be a trap or monster, but it serves to sap some of the parties resources in some way (be it hit-points, spells, equipment, or whatever) The red-herring -- Some sort of false lead (an empty corridor, an unsolved riddle, a false prophecy, or something else that doesn't assist the plot) The climax -- this is the main battle, the deadly trap or the key negotiation. It is the toughest part of the adventure. The twist -- this could be a plot-twist (leading into the next adventure) or simply the recovery of treasure or the rescue of the victim. [/list=1] Create a map This is just a simple sketch, but do it, so that you can describe the scale. Annotate it with where the traps and monsters are. Figure out the difficulty classes and write them on. Note a key feature of each room (to make it memorable.) Even writing the page number of where to find the relevant entry in the Monster Manual will help. Create a description Take the time to write some an introduction to the adventure, to get the players into the mood of it. It doesn't have to be long, but by preparing it in advance, it helps you too, so that you can carry on ad lib.. Well... that's sufficient, as far as I'm concerned, but then again, I do have a bit more experience that someone just starting out. In the past, I've created adventures with 40+ pages of typed notes, handouts, maps, props, and so on, but in truth, this is not necessary. Try the above and, of course, get the advice of others. Experiment, and see what suits you. Good luck with it!
nevets555 06-05-04, 06:32 AM	hey i am creating a new world now by hand on paper and you just have to remember to put all species water forest rocks and dirt. don't ever forget the caves but evrything else is up to you.
Darkness_Incarnate 06-05-04, 07:37 PM	hey i am creating a new world now by hand on paper and you just have to remember to put all species water forest rocks and dirt. don't ever forget the caves but evrything else is up to you. Yeah. Um...Nevets555 you might wanna reread the thread introuduction. I'm pretty sure that you posted in the wrong place.
Autosponge 06-05-04, 10:22 PM	I'm always adding to them (even while I'm running them) so they're never quite done unless someone wants to publish it.
Raine 06-07-04, 10:18 PM	I use a list of current events. If the world you're running in is defined, regardless of whether it's yours or someone else's, I always find it's easier to keep track and deal with an adventure if you have a general version of what's happening in the area. This tends to give the adventure and the times in between one adventure and the next (in a long running campaign) some consistency and doesn't feel quite as choppy. It also helps when creating an adventure. The flow itself will generate hooks and ideas, and instead of having to railroad your players into the adventure you've created it allows you to sort of lay the world out before them. Then when they pick a direction you do a little more fleshing out of that scenario. I've had some really long term adventures run that way off of something that just gets thrown in as a random rumor the PCs hear in a tavern, or about an object they happen to find in a dungeon crawl. You sort of need to be able to run on the fly though...One of the other threads is about how to cope when your PC's do something unexpected. Murphy's Law, the more work you put into planning something, the easier the players will find it to surprise you. So I suppose my response isn't so much about creating a single adventure...but more about keeping it going smoothly. Last comment, I also do two sets of current events, one general one about goings-on in the area, and a specific one about what the PCs themselves are doing and dealing with.