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Adventures that are NOT dungeon crawls.
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<blockquote data-quote="Mustrum_Ridcully" data-source="post: 4819214" data-attributes="member: 710"><p>I just wanted to create my own thread regarding a similar (or the same) topic.</p><p></p><p>I'd like to call it a kind of "signal to noise" ratio. </p><p></p><p>Basically, the "signal" of an adventure is what it is about and its plot elements, stuff like: </p><p>- What is the conflict? </p><p>- What are the major players? </p><p>- What kind of twists and turns does the plot offer. (Maybe some NPC turns against his party, another major player arrives, a false leads the party astray, whatever).</p><p></p><p>The "noise" are the individual encounters (more specifically probably: <em>combat</em> encounters). I say noise, without meaning to say they are useless or not fun. </p><p></p><p>I think a dungeon crawl is such an example - there is a simple "signal" - there is some guy in the dungeon that does evil. The "noise" is all the fights against his guards and other monsters in his dungeon until you get to the final encounter.</p><p></p><p>Generally, "filtering the noise" means combat, getting the "signal" is getting a new plot element that advances the story. </p><p></p><p>Even here, it's not all that simple. For example, in <em>Thunderspire Labyrinth</em>, the party needs to find some items - each item is guarded by some monsters. These are "signal", but they are still weak compared to, say, figuring out that the prisoner you freed from the Drow is actually a werewolf and you just set him lose in a small village, or that Darth Vader is your father. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>I am just in the process of creating a few new things to do for the party in my online campaign, and I find myself "troubled" with this, true.</p><p></p><p>One plot element is hunting down the kobolds in the area and figure out if they are still a thread. I decided to add a conflict within the Kobold tribe in the area to improve the "signal to noise" ratio - just clearing out the dungeon doesn't cut it.</p><p>Another element is a Fell Taint incursion in a small mixed Halfling/Human community. I notice that just having one or two encounter seems too make it forgettable, but I need some twists to improve the "signal".</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mustrum_Ridcully, post: 4819214, member: 710"] I just wanted to create my own thread regarding a similar (or the same) topic. I'd like to call it a kind of "signal to noise" ratio. Basically, the "signal" of an adventure is what it is about and its plot elements, stuff like: - What is the conflict? - What are the major players? - What kind of twists and turns does the plot offer. (Maybe some NPC turns against his party, another major player arrives, a false leads the party astray, whatever). The "noise" are the individual encounters (more specifically probably: [I]combat[/I] encounters). I say noise, without meaning to say they are useless or not fun. I think a dungeon crawl is such an example - there is a simple "signal" - there is some guy in the dungeon that does evil. The "noise" is all the fights against his guards and other monsters in his dungeon until you get to the final encounter. Generally, "filtering the noise" means combat, getting the "signal" is getting a new plot element that advances the story. Even here, it's not all that simple. For example, in [I]Thunderspire Labyrinth[/I], the party needs to find some items - each item is guarded by some monsters. These are "signal", but they are still weak compared to, say, figuring out that the prisoner you freed from the Drow is actually a werewolf and you just set him lose in a small village, or that Darth Vader is your father. ;) I am just in the process of creating a few new things to do for the party in my online campaign, and I find myself "troubled" with this, true. One plot element is hunting down the kobolds in the area and figure out if they are still a thread. I decided to add a conflict within the Kobold tribe in the area to improve the "signal to noise" ratio - just clearing out the dungeon doesn't cut it. Another element is a Fell Taint incursion in a small mixed Halfling/Human community. I notice that just having one or two encounter seems too make it forgettable, but I need some twists to improve the "signal". [/QUOTE]
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