The best adventure...

[Vascant]

For me personally, I love history (think others have referred to this as background). This is probably why I have always enjoyed reading FR and Greyhawk stuff. However if I were to state my opinion of best adventure I think key to this is the group I am running in an adventure. Something about how the group tackles situations and the results of them, there are still some moments my group talks about 2 decades later. S4 Lost Caverns is one of those, just the pure slaughter at the end and how it unfolded we recall to this day.

The best adventure can have any of the components but in truth you need a good group of players to find it.

 

[MoxieFu]

The Village of Hommlett.

It's got everything, even a lead-in to an even larger adventure. In addition to a dungeon area to explore, a home base. You can use it to discover the dungeon, rest and recover from excursions to the dungeon, role playing opportunities with the characters there, good NPC's to interact with that can completely change the outcome of events. There's a strong history of the place, an undercurrent of things going on that the players discover just the tip of the iceberg.

I could keep going on. To me it's just perfect.

 

[Desdichado]

What do you want out of an adventure?

Heavy combat?
Role play?
Puzzles?
All of these?

I would just like to hear your thoughts on the "perfect" adventure.

1) Any session without at least some combat, is a session I consider a failed session at my table.

2) Any session where we end up in a "dungeon" is a failed session, at least at my table.

3) I dislike puzzles. I think traps are silly. They constantly remind me that I'm in a game. I approach RPGs from an "author-like" perspective, where my share of the writing responsibility is limited to what my characters do, or as GM, how the world reacts to the characters and what they do.

That said, how many fantasy books have you read that featured slogs through trap and monster filled "dungeons?"

4) All that said, some of my favorite sessions ever had little to no combat. They were all about roleplaying. The GM can help set up a scenario that facilitates that, but really, it's the characters, the players, and the chemistry that they have between them that makes that all happen. It can't be forced, only facilitated. And even then, it's sometimes a bit tricky. It takes a little bit of luck to really shine to its full potential.

5) I'm not really a fan of monsters, believe it or not. Monsters should be... well, monstrous, and therefore rare. Don't underestimate the amount of tension that some human(oid) "bad guys" can engender. Or heck, even just animals, if they're hunting to the best of their ability.

6) I like some dice-related challenges that are not combat-related in each session. A chance to do some unusual or intriguing things.

7) My favorite sessions tend to feature a strong element of mood... and its only occasionally the one that I as GM was shooting for.

 

[kitsune9]

I like modules that have surprises and plot twists. Something that will occur in the mod that you wouldn't think happen. I do need combat though so that's the minimum for any module that I would want to play.

 

[howandwhy99]

100% puzzle, 0% story.

For me, puzzles are interactive and require groups of people acting together. Stories on the other hand can be told to one's self and make others an audience, not participants.

 

[Ringlerun]

I want enjoyment out of a game. It doesnt matter what quantities of combat or puzzle solving is in the adventure as long as it is engaging and keeps me entertained. I dont think there is any magic formula but if everyone gets some enjoyment out of the game i would call it a success.

 

[KJSEvans]

I try to write adventures that are sandboxes, but a sandbox has to have a lot of stuff to play with.

There are epic ambushes, great combat opportunities, but also a lot of intrigue and mystery in the adventure I'm writing/running right now. I had a really great moment in my last session - which was 95% roleplay, 5% combat - in which my players had a unanimous "oh sh--, we f---ed up" moment when they realized they just might be backing the wrong side of two factions in the adventure. Even now, they aren't sure if they've been working for the "good guys" - and they might NEVER know.

However what they DO know now is that, thanks to their decisions, they are soon to become outlaws in an entire LG country...

 

[SkredlitheOgre]

Personally, I would go with about 40% combat, 40% roleplay, and 20% 'miscellaneous,' whether that's traps and NPCs or the group just screwing around for a few minutes. As long as the group is having fun, I have fun.

 

[Jhaelen]

100% puzzle, 0% story.

For me, puzzles are interactive and require groups of people acting together. Stories on the other hand can be told to one's self and make others an audience, not participants.

0% puzzle, 100% story.

For me, good adventures are all about a good story. Without a storyline an adventure module is just a string of encounters. Working as a group to discover the (true) story behind things is where all the fun is and what makes one adventure different from another.

Puzzles are something that rarely if ever works well for a particular group. They're usually either too easy or too hard.
In my experience in a given group there are usually only one or two people who enjoy solving puzzles. While these individuals are thus engaged the rest of the group is bored to death and would love nothing more than get on with the action.

 

[FinalSonicX]

I'm not terribly picky, but here's a few things I noticed about some of the awesome adventures I've run or played in.

1. one or two great puzzles, riddles, complex traps, or mind-benders.

2. a handful of meaningful combat, usually in an interesting way and not just in an empty room in a dungeon.

3. Lots of NPC interaction, opportunities for players to affect outcomes, and all kinds of interesting and conflicting motives for the individuals and groups involved in the plot.

4. A cool location that the adventures functions in and around.

5. Interesting NPCs who are unique and are fun and interesting to talk to.

If I had to give percentages, I'd structure the ideal adventure as follows:

30% Role-Playing
25% Exploration
25% Combat
15% puzzles
5% secrets/mysteries/something optional and cool about the adventure