What Do You Expect of Published Adventures?

[payn]

I have heard Christopher Perkins speak at length on Dragon Talk about how his go to one shot is Chapter 2 of Rise of Tiamat, "The Sea of Moving Ice." The other Dungeon-y episodes are also great as modules unconnected to the "plot" as such.

I dont think all AP/campaign style adventures can be cut up as modules easily, but some do it naturally.

 

[gamerprinter]

I dont think all AP/campaign style adventures can be cut up as modules easily, but some do it naturally.

I think of it as chapters, and I try to have a beginning and end to each, so there is separation.

 

[Parmandur]

I dont think all AP/campaign style adventures can be cut up as modules easily, but some do it naturally.

Not all, but the WotC 5E line has had that as an intention the whole way through, at least per Chris Perkins.

 

[Smackpixi]

Not all, but the WotC 5E line has had that as an intention the whole way through, at least per Chris Perkins.

This is just my impression, but having listened to a bunch of old Dragon Talks while painting my house over the summer, I came to the belief that Chris often retroactively ascribes intent. “It was purposely left [incomplete/ambiguous/unfinished/open-ended] to allow for more DM freedom” being one of his favorites. Not broken, designed that way.

 

[Retreater]

This is just my impression, but having listened to a bunch of old Dragon Talks while painting my house over the summer, I came to the belief that Chris often retroactively ascribes intent. “It was purposely left [incomplete/ambiguous/unfinished/open-ended] to allow for more DM freedom” being one of his favorites. Not broken, designed that way.

That's kind of like catching an error and saying a year later "I meant to do it that way."
Leaving something open-ended is fine, but a good writer should acknowledge that in the text, provide some suggestions, call the DM's attention to areas that should be developed. Otherwise, it's just more plot holes and issues that a DM has to juggle along with table dynamics, rules, linking together 300 pages of plot, etc.
More likely, it's been written by committee and someone didn't catch it. It's not a feature, it's not even a bug, it's an ankheg.

 

[Parmandur]

This is just my impression, but having listened to a bunch of old Dragon Talks while painting my house over the summer, I came to the belief that Chris often retroactively ascribes intent. “It was purposely left [incomplete/ambiguous/unfinished/open-ended] to allow for more DM freedom” being one of his favorites. Not broken, designed that way.

I mean, I got that ot was designed to be modular reading the books in 2014.

 

[Parmandur]

That's kind of like catching an error and saying a year later "I meant to do it that way."
Leaving something open-ended is fine, but a good writer should acknowledge that in the text, provide some suggestions, call the DM's attention to areas that should be developed. Otherwise, it's just more plot holes and issues that a DM has to juggle along with table dynamics, rules, linking together 300 pages of plot, etc.
More likely, it's been written by committee and someone didn't catch it. It's not a feature, it's not even a bug, it's an ankheg.

That assumes that it is an error and not an intentional design strategy. They've been laying it down for 8 years, and I for one have been picking it up.

 

[Retreater]

That assumes that it is an error and not an intentional design strategy. They've been laying it down for 8 years, and I for one have been picking it up.

Well, the Twilight books were bestsellers for years too. I've purchased (and DMed) most of the WotC adventure books. This is just my take on it, and I think that for me (and probably others) these adventures could be improved with tighter, more deliberate writing, with purposeful design, and quality of life improvements that can make them easier to run and more enjoyable for players.