Adventure Utilization Poll
Jan van Leyden
Adventurer
Other, anywhere between "as written'" and "what adventure?"
I use published adventures as the base for my games, usually reading them well before using them.
The first step is exchanging and adapting the obvious stuff. For using Madness at Garmore Abbey in my Ptolus campaign I changed the abbey into a series of caverns near Dwarvenhearth and made it a clerical Dwarven affair. The party's patron Sir Oakly became the dwarven paladin Sir Marbleheart.
Play usually starts pretty much as written (with the exception of hook used). I striver to be flexible during play, so the reaction of any given NPC may be (very) different from the one given in the module. This gives the players the option to stray from the plot.
So depending on actual play and player decision there may be nothing more than a map or two or some statblocks remaining intact, or - on the other hand - story development and result may be as the author envisioned.
I use published adventures as the base for my games, usually reading them well before using them.
The first step is exchanging and adapting the obvious stuff. For using Madness at Garmore Abbey in my Ptolus campaign I changed the abbey into a series of caverns near Dwarvenhearth and made it a clerical Dwarven affair. The party's patron Sir Oakly became the dwarven paladin Sir Marbleheart.
Play usually starts pretty much as written (with the exception of hook used). I striver to be flexible during play, so the reaction of any given NPC may be (very) different from the one given in the module. This gives the players the option to stray from the plot.
So depending on actual play and player decision there may be nothing more than a map or two or some statblocks remaining intact, or - on the other hand - story development and result may be as the author envisioned.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
Adventures need to be 100% game content, not narratives. They are designs perhaps only a few pages in length, but like any game rigorously tested and retested to ensure balanced and challenging play at the level they are listed for.
Of course, every DM is going to need to adopt these materials, rewrite the game rules to fit the rules they personally are using hidden behind the screen, but that's one of the core activities every RPG referee does.
Of course, every DM is going to need to adopt these materials, rewrite the game rules to fit the rules they personally are using hidden behind the screen, but that's one of the core activities every RPG referee does.
ShinHakkaider
Adventurer
Other:
I use prewritten adventures almost exclusively these days. I tend to run them for the most part as is then make changes for group composition, levels and number of players.
Sometimes I’ll swap out a monster or group of monsters for a different monster. The most tinkering I do is to changing classes or even adding class levels on to monsters and NPC enemies.
Right now I’m prepping the last encounter from A History of Ashes (Curse of the Crimson Throne Chapter 4). The force that’s supposed to be attacking the PC’s and their allies is a little flimsy. Knowing my players as I do I know if I left the encounter as is they’d cakewalk it. So I added a few more foes, added some class levels to one or two of them and deviated from the tactics they’d use in the book.
To be fair, when this adventure came out it didn’t take into account the classes from the APG or any of the books that have come out since. Also it’s a 3.5 adventure that I’m converting into PFRPG as I go. I find that for classed characters that most time I have to add a level to bring them up to par to where they needed to be.
I use prewritten adventures almost exclusively these days. I tend to run them for the most part as is then make changes for group composition, levels and number of players.
Sometimes I’ll swap out a monster or group of monsters for a different monster. The most tinkering I do is to changing classes or even adding class levels on to monsters and NPC enemies.
Right now I’m prepping the last encounter from A History of Ashes (Curse of the Crimson Throne Chapter 4). The force that’s supposed to be attacking the PC’s and their allies is a little flimsy. Knowing my players as I do I know if I left the encounter as is they’d cakewalk it. So I added a few more foes, added some class levels to one or two of them and deviated from the tactics they’d use in the book.
To be fair, when this adventure came out it didn’t take into account the classes from the APG or any of the books that have come out since. Also it’s a 3.5 adventure that I’m converting into PFRPG as I go. I find that for classed characters that most time I have to add a level to bring them up to par to where they needed to be.
Yora
Legend
I believe a good adventure should consist just of a villain, his organization, and his plan. Maybe even dungeon maps, but those are usually not necessary.
Because I never have just the right party that the adventure is made for, I have to write all the stats for NPCs myself, and select what monsters the party will encounter.
Also, the adventures are never written for my setting, so I need to change the races of NPCs and the species of most monsters.
Treasure is also something that is very easy to do yourself, and any pregenerated treasure is never really going to be matching every GMs campaigns style for how much wealth and magic gear the party should get.
What I really need from an adventure, and what I always only take, is the general outline of the events in which the party gets involved, and who their opposition is and how they are working.
Because I never have just the right party that the adventure is made for, I have to write all the stats for NPCs myself, and select what monsters the party will encounter.
Also, the adventures are never written for my setting, so I need to change the races of NPCs and the species of most monsters.
Treasure is also something that is very easy to do yourself, and any pregenerated treasure is never really going to be matching every GMs campaigns style for how much wealth and magic gear the party should get.
What I really need from an adventure, and what I always only take, is the general outline of the events in which the party gets involved, and who their opposition is and how they are working.
Baron Greystone
Explorer
If I pick up an adventure module, I'm looking for ways to save time. Sometimes to get a better idea of what the game system or setting will support.
Once I've read it, if I like it, I am most likely to customize it to suit my own tastes. However I will use what I can as a time-saver. Obviously, if there's stuff I don't like, I will change or excise those bits.
The days of dreaming up my own adventures from scratch are few and far between. Adults have less free time, and I'd rather spend it gaming.
Once I've read it, if I like it, I am most likely to customize it to suit my own tastes. However I will use what I can as a time-saver. Obviously, if there's stuff I don't like, I will change or excise those bits.
The days of dreaming up my own adventures from scratch are few and far between. Adults have less free time, and I'd rather spend it gaming.
Agamon
Adventurer
I don't so much read adventures as skim them for info. I find adventures a drag to read...but then if they were interesting, and read more like a novel, it would be a bad adventure. But I don't very often use them whole cloth anyway. Scanning the synopsis for ideas, and stealing maps and cool adversaries are what I use them for.
Lindeloef
First Post
I only use them for Inspiration these days and stealing some Stat-Blocks for Monsters. I am far too lazy to read through an adventure in a way, that I could remember it afterwards in a Session. So for me (and my DMing style), running a published Adventure is more work than just come up with the stuff myself.
