How To Make An Adventure For One Night In 4 Steps
Step #1: Generate A Random Adventure Idea.
There's
this for barebones, or
this for more detail than you probably need (though you can always throw away the extra stuff).
Step #2: Generate Some Encounters (maybe 3-6)
There's
Asmor's sterling generator, and the
Demonweb version.
Step #3: Generate A Random Map
Demonweb generator;
Wizard's version. Add the following to taste (perhaps using the random room descriptions as guidelines):
Difficult Terrain: Rubble, grass, uneven floors, etc. These just cost more to go through.
Damaging Terrain: Pits, caltrops, burning coals, etc. Should deal about 1d8+1/2 level damage, and maybe a skill check (DC 10 + 1/2 level) can avoid it.
Cover/Concealment: Furniture, walls, fences, shrubbery, These give whoever's in them AC bonuses. Though make sure you know 4e's cover and concealment rules here, they can be quite fiddly.
Step #4: Stick your encounters in rooms in the map, and give your characters some motive to explore the map in order to get them to explore the rooms.
Motive A: There is a MacGuffin of some sort that the party must find. Perhaps it is a magic item. Perhaps it is a person. Perhaps it comes in bits and pieces.
Motive B: There is a Big Bad of some sort that the party must kill. Perhaps it is a dragon. Perhaps it is a necromancer. Perhaps it is everything in the dungeon.
Motive C: There is treasure here, and the party must have gold or else.
This is the simple, easy, no-muss-no-fuss way to get your paws on some good D&D action.
I <3 random generators, since it's something I can instantly refresh and come up with new ideas about.
