buzz
Adventurer
From today's news page:
http://www.dndorks.com/ArticleID/38/PageID/1/default.aspx
I found this whole concept very intriguing. I think it would help impose some thoroughness on the adventures I write, as well as get me out of the habit of writing an adventure as if it were a story. I think I tend to assume a natural beginning, middle, and end that players will naturally follow. Which, of course, is totally stupid. Plot is something the players create; I'm just there to give them "objects" (goals, locations, people, moods) with which to create it. The "index cards ready to be shuffled" aspect of this technique seems like a good idea to me.
Anyone else like the sound of this?
http://www.dndorks.com/ArticleID/38/PageID/1/default.aspx
The title of this article, Object Oriented Adventure, refers to a style of computer programming in which the code is very modular. Elements of the program are 'instances' of 'types' or 'classes' of things. These ideas can be ported over to adventure design as well. For example, the 'class' of NPC can have several instances. Fred the Bartender, the Beggar, the Street Urchin and the Weaponsmith, are all NPCs. As a 'class' they all have things in common. They have names, stats, and a description. They may also have a mood, and attitude, motivations and more. The same can be said of Locations, Scenes, Challenges and so forth. All of these integrate with the other elements to create your adventure. Now, for the purposes of adventure design, I've laid out a handfull of classes that will be used.
I found this whole concept very intriguing. I think it would help impose some thoroughness on the adventures I write, as well as get me out of the habit of writing an adventure as if it were a story. I think I tend to assume a natural beginning, middle, and end that players will naturally follow. Which, of course, is totally stupid. Plot is something the players create; I'm just there to give them "objects" (goals, locations, people, moods) with which to create it. The "index cards ready to be shuffled" aspect of this technique seems like a good idea to me.
Anyone else like the sound of this?