When you write an adventure...

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

I write as much stuff as a published module, but it's mostly backstory and information for me so that I can keep everything in my head. That way I can easily answer questions about an area, alter the mood of NPCs, etc without all the information conflicting. Most of the things I actually say to my players are generated on the fly because I HATE reading flavor text.

Matt

 

[barsoomcore]

I do a fair bit of writing, but I don't know that I ever quite do as much as a published module. Depends on the module, I guess.

I try to format it like a Dungeon adventure, but that's just because I treat my campaign materials like "practice" for professional stuff. It means that if I decide a given adventure was cool enough to send out for publication, I don't have to do too much work to get it ready.

 

[Maerdwyn]

I start with some general notes like those in this thread, then make up a map, then statblocks, then treasure.

 

[megamania]

I make up a series of encounter "cheat sheets" in a spreadsheet format that I use to track combats. I also have maps and flavor text/descriptions for key areas. Beyond that, and maybe a few notes about how I want to play a given NPC, I pretty much try to roll with what the PCs decide to do.

EDIT: BTW, I voted "extensive notes."

You basically said it exactly I do it. Keeps it short and simple with room to adjust for those crazy PC decisions. I used to write it out as thourghly as a store bought module until the PCs would regularly skip areas that I spects hours doing.

 

[Patrick-S&S]

I do it like this with full maps and all...

 

[EricNoah]

I do them as fully as possible, with computer generated maps etc. I used to do this more, and then post them online, but I haven't done that for the current campaign as the adventures haven't been as, shall we say, universally useful (in my opinion). I really should go through and convert my older AD&D adventures to 3E, though, those might be useful to someone...

 

[dpdx]

I voted "as full as an adventure" because that's actually my goal - to publish an adventure (for the SW RPG).

But in the interests of full disclosure: my next homebrew campaign will be my first. When I've DMed, I've done it with published adventures, so the same thing still applies, I guess.

 

[der_kluge]

I voted on the top-end, (fully published) since I have several modules that I have ran in the past that I could have sold as published modules. I guess the intent was to maybe make them available to others, though I never did. Mostly never completed them, is why. One module that I can think of, I had 13 full pages of text, descriptions, boxed-text, the whole nine-yards. I just never did complete it, even though I ran the adventure to completion.

Then I sometimes go for the other extreme. "PCs wander through the forest, and encounter a Satyr", and I'll jot a few other notes down on a piece of paper. Usually, those games suck, though.

I like having a methodical plan of events that I can go through. I'm currently working on a campaign for my group that I'll run *someday*, but I decided to start early so that I'd be ready for it when it happened. I have a page and a half of bullet-point "events" and then I've broken those up into sections that I think might consists of a nights' worth of game.

I'll take that, and develop a detailed map, and list out treasure, and monsters, complete with stat blocks (swiped from the SRD), and possibly make props of puzzles, and languages for them to decipher. (the campaign I'm planning will feature puzzles and riddles heavily).

 

[Reprisal]

Sparse set of notes, andI refer to them during play, but...

... I find that I create the minor and major NPCs fairly extensively. I try to avoid the 3E stat block because I don't like it all that much.

Basically, I try to hang any and all adventures of my creation on characters and their motivations. So, I basically create the characters first, then see what they could and would do in order ot get what they want the way they can "best" do it. ("Best" meaning either the most optimal way, or the most interesting...)

I don't usually have much in the way of adventure notes with the exception of some setting description, maybe one or two typed pages (single-spaced). I do, however, usually have a fair amount of NPCs character sheets and what I call "Goon Templates" handy whenever I have to call out "Roll Initiative" or "Roll Diplomacy/Bluff/Sense Motive."

- Rep.

 

[Paul_Klein]

A *bump*, and a question:

To those of you who voted "A write my adventures just like a published module", I wonder: how long does it take you? Why do you put forth the effort and time to write an adventure in such a manner? Does it help you to have everything you need right there? Are you not good at running thing "on the fly", or even from a listed of bulleted notes?

I'm not bashing you here, mind you. In truth, I'm jealous
I'm just curious.