Adventure Builder - new column

[Land Outcast]

I should pay more attention, shouldn't I?

 

[Hussar]

I believe that might get chalked up to a bit of mispeak, rather than an endorsement that every encounter should be a combat one. Particularly in light of the fact that he outlines 17 encounters and several are not combat oriented. I don't think he means that only the combat ones should grant xp.

I too am wondering how this will sit with those who have been advocating very open style adventure concepts where the adventure is in no way tailored to the group.

Oh, and, I would just like to say that that is a bloody fantastic article. Kudos on WOTC for that.

 

[EricNoah]

I like the "checklist" for the different types of encounters. I'm good at putting together the combat ones and especially the climactic BBEG battle with interesting minions and terrain. I'm not great at tricks/traps. I often forget about skill challenges.

That said, I do find that a bit of time on the backstory does in fact pay off in making the actual adventure more interesting and flavorful, at least for me.

And I am even more glad after reading this that I don't use XP -- I just have the guys level up whenever I'm ready. I can totally ignore the "number of encounters per adventure" thing.

 

[shilsen]

I like the "checklist" for the different types of encounters. I'm good at putting together the combat ones and especially the climactic BBEG battle with interesting minions and terrain. I'm not great at tricks/traps. I often forget about skill challenges.

One good way to deal with the skill challenges issue is to encourage your players to make suggestions for skill use in any given situation, and also to let players use skills in situations beyond those covered for that skill.

For example, I had a bunch of PCs in a casino keeping an eye on a particular target. Since they knew he would be communicating secretly with someone but not how, I had the wizard make a Decipher Script check (he'd put a few ranks in it but got little use out of the skill thus far). He rolled high and I told him that his experience with deciphering meaning from limited clues allowed him to realize that the target was stacking his chips in a particular code to communicate with someone. Since they were watching the chips from then on, the rogue got to see him palm one off to someone too. It was just a little thing, but it gave the wizard's player a little benefit out of one of his more abstruse skill choices.

And I am even more glad after reading this that I don't use XP -- I just have the guys level up whenever I'm ready. I can totally ignore the "number of encounters per adventure" thing.

Same here.

 

[Eridanis]

Just finished the article. I'm looking forward to the rest in the series.

I don't have the time I had when I was in school to really think about the nuts-and-bolts of adventure design when thinking up a scenario for the next game. I'll print out that checklist to have on hand when I sit down to cogitate up the next one, and see if it helps me at all; I suspect it will.

 

[Sammael]

I liked the article, even if I do not agree 100% with it. However, the article's main point - that the DM should strive to cater to the players' and PCs' strengths - is spot on.

 

[Land Outcast]

I'm looking forward to the rest in the series.

Same here