How do you prepare bought adventures?

For those of you who buy adventures and use them as-is, how do you prep one for a game? In particular, what do you do with social encounter-heavy sections and encounters that are skill intensive?
-blarg

Hm. Mostly, I've been using pre-pubs for statblocks, and little else.

I am, however, planning on running a Goodman Games module, and for that, I plan on running it as is.

Mostly, I like to have a page for each encounter (like how they did Hell's Heart, in the online Dungeon), so that i have all the relevant stat blocks in front of me.

For RP encounters, and otherwise, I mostly just read (and re-read) the listed encounters, highlight skill DCs, and improv it when I get to the scene. Many of our favourite moments from Savage Tide arose from just this. Although there have been many times when I forget some crucial piece of information, and then it involves a lot of backtracking on my part.

Yeah, the backtracking part is what I'm hoping to learn how to avoid.

Highlighting skill DCs is a great idea. I'll have to start doing that.

(Walks in with a Surgeon mask, in scrubs): Scalpel.

I try to harvest adventures into TRAPs. That way I can put them into my game dynamically, combine multiple adventures into one, keep the heat on high.

I would have done more of this (showing examples and whatnot) but I haven't had access to enough OGC. Stupid paizo and malhavoc... such perfect adventures... but I can't use their situations as source material.

blargney the second said:

For those of you who buy adventures and use them as-is, how do you prep one for a game?

Click to expand...

I see some respondents miss the "as-is" qualifier.

My main prep is to decide if I like the premise and scenario as-is. If not, then it's time to whip out the scalpel (butcher knife, cleaver)...

If I like the premise, my next step is to change the facts/names to fit my setting and backstory.

In particular, what do you do with social encounter-heavy sections and encounters that are skill intensive?

Click to expand...

Other than perhaps tweaking it to ensure that one failed roll is not going to throw the campaign off track, I can't think of anything special I do other than familiarize myself with the characters and situation if it's complicated.

I think highlighting helps me the most. I use different colors for different parts. Orange for names, green for DC's, Etc. Like the other posters have said, read and re-read the adventure. I do this, but I still always miss parts. Bad memory and no improv skills doesn't help. I could really use more ideas also, so keep them coming.

Blarg- Thanks for posting this topic!

Beldar

* Read the entire adventure once (or write it) long before you’ll run it. Reading it in advance is necessary because you’re going to want to read it again just a day or two before you run it. Familiarity with the adventure, where the important parts are, and the storyline is vital to running a smooth game. As you read the story, have in mind some of the reactions your players will have based on who their characters are. Change things to customize the adventure to their interest level.

* Pull out a 3x5 index card. Have it with you as you do your second reading of the adventure. As names of important people, places and things come up, write them down, possibly grouping them together. When you’re done, a good card should be easily read at a quick glance, possibly with page numbers on where to reference that name in the adventure.

* Do Combat Stat Sheets! I’m no doubt mental with this, but I scan in stat blocks and have been printing them out “delve style” years before WotC was. Then I can scribble next to each feat or spell or psionic power or whatever page references, and during combat I can adjust the creature right on the page and not worry about wrecking a book or having separate note paper.

* Get the miniature figures and /or props ready or know right where to get them. If you don’t use either, know the scene so well that it’s in your minds’ eye to describe. Having the setting and miniature props ready keeps the action fast and furious.

* Make notes on handouts that will be needed in the adventure and have them ready for the players as the game progresses. They’re fun, and even more so if they’re ready!

-DM Jeff

Read it.
Re-read it.

Check for "game stopper" rules.
If it has a grapple happy monster, reread the grapple rules and have that page booked marked in the phb because you WILL need to reference it.
The same with spiders, net rules, or anything with an entangle.

Check for Druid NPCs.
Did the game designer have a clue about how druids actually work?
Do you need to change it to an Adept or nature cleric?
or is it ok to run it AS A DRUID WOULD ACTUALLY ACT and kill/maim/disable/trap for hours/ the pcs with entangle/spike stones/SNA XX(elementals)/stone shape ?

Check for probable pc responses.
"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy."
Few modules survive contact with pcs.
How will your group (probably/possibly) react? How will the npcs need to react in kind?
Is the game designer giving your group too much credit?
Are your players dufusses or overroleplaying their dwarves? Will you need to bring a clue bat or install something to help them though/past a particular section? Do you need to make the instructions of the plot hook/patron more explicit?

Is the game designer not giving your party enough credit?
Will your group of experienced casters bypass all of the neat death traps and locks with stoneshapes and knocks before the rogue can even get his tools out?
Will "Attack of the Zombie Master" last one hour of game time against Sir Mace of Disruption and his band The Radiant CheezeWheels of Praylor; featuring Sister Master of Radiance? Is it a wilderness module and your party has an entangle spamming druid?
Do you need to change anything to make the adventure worth it?

Go ahead and put the monsters on YOUR map. If the pcs make noise, and most parties are like an all year traveling intermittent Forth of July display, from where will the re-enforcement monsters be coming from?

Psion said:

I see some respondents miss the "as-is" qualifier.

Click to expand...

Oops.

In my defence I've never thought of blargney as a "modules as-is" kind of DM. I mean, anybody who's willing to make players roll all the dice... (best rule ever).

blargney the second said:

For those of you who buy adventures and use them as-is, how do you prep one for a game? In particular, what do you do with social encounter-heavy sections and encounters that are skill intensive?
-blarg

Click to expand...

I figure out what the NPCs want based on their backgrounds. I might tweak it a little bit so I can work the PCs into it.

Then I draw up a relationship map for the NPCs. How they relate to the other NPCs and the PCs - if they like them, hate them, whatever.

Then I try and think up cool scenes.

Example: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Some spoilers.

One PC makes a gnome. I see that I have a gnome NPC in the dungeon, driven evil and insane by a minor artifact.

Goals: He's a typical psychopath, with no other desires but to cause pain and despair. The "real" person just wants to be free of the evil that's corrupting him.

Relationships: I decide to make the NPC the PC's uncle, who went lost many years ago. The NPC also knows where another PC's missing daughter is.

Scene: The NPC hears about the PCs (that is, his nephew) as word of them spreads, so he goes to town to see them.

The goal I have in mind for this scene is to see how the players deal with an evil, deranged guy who may be posssessed, and who holds important information. How are they going to deal with him? Kill him? Work with him? Torture him? We play that out.

edit: I guess the key to skill-intensive encounters would be to make sure that I consider what failure means. Make it interesting, fun, and hard on the PCs.