Advice to a GM writing high-level adventures

[Quickleaf]

I've been working on a long high-level adventure, and recently find my creativity struggling to fit into the confines of the rules. Statting up a character takes more time away from the juicy parts than I want to spend. I find myself having to include sidebars for everything, whether it's a new use of an old skill or advice on how to tailor the game/mechanics to fit a unique group or situation.

Do other GMs who write their own adventures feel held back by the rules?
(Note: this is an adventure I intend to publish, not just for my own group)

That said, here are some good things I've learned from my efforts:

1. Keep It Tight
You should be able to sum up the whole concept of the adventure in a sentence or two. If it takes more than that, either you need to clarify and refine your idea more, or it's too complicated or too much of a mish-mash. Like with descriptive text, a short and sweet concept presented in an intersting way is better than lots of well-written prose that the players won't remember. Here's an example "mission statement" from my adventure:
The players protect a foreign ruler's throne in his absence and are mistaken for divine saviors by the public. What do they do?

2. Prepare for the Unexpected
While great adventures can be had off-the-cuff, if you're taking the time to write out a complete adventure, you'll need to prepare for the unexpected. A lot of writing done in the Introduction section which helps a GM tweak the adventure to their group is key.
1. Include any playtest notes that are important.
2. Provide a couple different character hooks.
3. Provide a few ideas for how the adventure can be woven into an ongoing campaign.
4. Provide a GM with a couple different "themes" - sort of adventure templates which give suggestions about how to emphasize a theme like redemption, leaving a legacy, mistaken identity, etc.
5. A sidebar about low, middle, and high magic variants to the adventure.
6. A sidebar about how the adventure fits into various pre-published campaign worlds is always a good idea; this is absolutely a must if the adventure is set in a specific cultural or game setting.
7. Many GMs mine adventures for ideas, and providing a section which provides ideas of what can be mined (without running the whole adventure) and where to look for it are helpful.
8. Include a sidebar for a GM who is rushed; what are the most important sections to read if you can't read the whole adventure?
9. What supplementary material could help this adventure? For example, if it incorporates lots of horseback chases, you might recommend Hot Pursuits as a good source.
10. Keep notes on important plot twists/ monkey wrenches the PCs could throw into the adventure - these will be your sidebars. For example: What if they use divination? What if a PC dies? What if someone is ressurected? What if they decide to split up? What if they are captured? How do they get all this treasure out of here? What if they refuse to cede the throne to the Shah? What if they try to switch clothes with the guards?

3. Organize Your Scenes
Make a flowchart. This is much easier for a linear adventure, but it is possible (albeit with much sweating ) for a matrix adventure. Once you know what scenes can occur, write up a Scene Block for each major scene. A scene block includes information on:

1. One-liner - What is this scene about (in one or two sentences)?
2. Triggers - What gets the scene rolling? What must happen first in order for the scene to occur? This may be a certain result in another scene. For an adventure which incorporates pacing, this could be a certain number of scenes (e.g. after 10 scenes the Shah returns home). It may be coming to a certain place at a certain time.
3. Motives - What various motives propel the PCs into this scene? Why do they get involved?
4. Complications - What plot twists would be interesting? What could go wrong?
5. Connections - What scenes might come before? Which ones might come after?

Sample Scene Block: The Royal Hunt
Invited on a hunt for the Dragon-Boar with Prince Sanjar, the PCs find their prey is ferocious, but the men they travel with may be the greater danger.
Motives: (1) Hunting the Dragon-Boar. (2) Tracking the White Deer. (3) Learning Sanjar's motives. (4) Impressing Sanjar to ensure his aid.
Triggers: (1) Invited by Sanjar. (2) Come seeking the White Deer.
Complications: (1) The hunting party is split up when the White Deer lures a group of hunters away from the main party. (2) Horse thieves strike the party while they sleep. (3) Sanjar's men and the PCs get into a fight.
Connections: The PCs might join the quest soon after Reception at the Apadana or they might perform a side quest in which they learn of the White Deer. During the adventure, they might be called upon to perform a side quest such as Dragon Blocks Flow of Creek. If the PCs reveal to Sanjar their true purpose, it might hasten Sanjar's Coup.

4. Create a resource list
Write down all those things that help you in designing an adventure, and have them nearby for those moments when you suffer brain freeze. For example, other adventures which you've taken inspiration from. Movies/books that've inspired you to write the adventure. Phone numbers of friends who like to hear your ideas and provide feeback. A list of new uses for old skills (something I'm working on). A brainstorm chart of one-line ideas that you came up with during the brainstorming phase of the adventure. Pictures of period architecture/ clothing. Your own sketches & maps.

 

[S'mon]

Well, these look like useful guidelines for authors wishing to publish a scenario. After looking at "Bastion of Broken Souls" I know how _not_ to do it, anyway...
My recent more successful high level 3e gaming has focussed on high-level politics, and only occasionally bothering to run combats - only when the foe is very powerful, otherwise it's just background scenery. Interesting NPCS and world-shaking events that the PCs can influence & even direct (via more than just dungeon-hacking) seem to be the key. I haven't seen any 3e product even attempt this kind of thing, though Mongoose's The Drow War may offer this.

 

[Piratecat]

A lot of people used to write high level adventures by immediately nerfing the cool abilities that make high level games the most fun. I think that's an understandable knee jerk instinct, but things are a lot more fun for everyone when that doesn't happen.

High level dungeons are the most difficult to write, because the PCs have so many powers that completely negate traditional traps and channeling methods. I found this out the hard way when my group was faced with a dastardly underground complex willed with evil abominations.

Druid: "I cast commune with nature. It'll tell me how big the complex is, because I won't be able to see the area it's built in. The spell will also tell me where the greatest concentration of evil is."

Me: "Huh. (reads spell) Okay." I sketch out the rough outlines. "See this area here? It's where the most evil is, although there are also concentrations here and here. You going to enter now?"

Players: "No. We cast earthquake to collapse the complex, then we'll dig down to the section we want. Hey, why are your eyes bulging?"

That's not to say that it can't be done, but it is tricky. Spells like wind walk mean that a patient group can float through many deadly traps, although they won't have much fun in the process.

I have better luck with high level political or city adventures. I imagine the situation and the positions of the interested parties, decide what would happen if the PCs didn't get involved, then watch the fun as the PCs make waves. It's like tossing a rock into a pond and watching the ripples, only with more mayhem.

The concept of a flow chart is a great one. I use this myself. I think the most important thing to consider is consequences; in a high level game, most actions have consequences, and the PCs can accidentally change the world just by killing a relatively important person or monster.

 

[der_kluge]

WRT to high level combat, don't assume a few high level dudes are gonna challenge a party. High level combat should include overwhelming numbers, and some low level mooks as well as high level guys. When a high level party gangs up on a single person, they're not going to last more than a round.

 

[Vascant]

I agree with Pirate Cat completely, from my current high level campaign most events seem to draw around politics (most). One of the things my players enjoy is the fact I will kill them, without a second thought behind it. They know at that level, I expect them to be smart, more experienced and therefore I hold no punches.

And don't be afraid to use the same tricks the PC's use.. against them. When my group was gearing off to investigate the details dealing with some information, they didn't really how right they were in their guessing and assumptions.. Unfortunately the bad guys did not like a nosy party closing in so as the party were getting on their horses and breaking camp.. the ambush was sprung. The players were basicly stunned because epic players will get an epic ambush. Results are the same for any good ambush.. TPK

 

[Quickleaf]

Great advice guys!

Interesting NPCS and world-shaking events that the PCs can influence & even direct (via more than just dungeon-hacking) seem to be the key.

That's exactly what I'm going for. An adventure with big stakes, without being over the top, big personalities, and major consequences. I think this would be a good influence on 3e, which I so often hear gets bogged down in high-level tactical combat. Instead of writing adventures to a lowest common denominator, they should be written to inspire and encourage!

A lot of people used to write high level adventures by immediately nerfing the cool abilities that make high level games the most fun. I think that's an understandable knee jerk instinct, but things are a lot more fun for everyone when that doesn't happen.

Totally! Right on! Taking away a PC's abilities totally negates their hard work to get them. I'm hoping to craft this adventure where its precisely the PCs unique and powerful abilities that get them into the situation and make them stand out. Someone once pointed out to me that high-level 3e play is a lot more like comic book superheroes, whose vast magical powers can overcome any mystery. They should be encouraged to use their power. To quote spiderman's uncle: "With great power, comes great responsibility."

High level combat should include overwhelming numbers, and some low level mooks as well as high level guys.

Good advice, thanks! In the adventure, attacking any single NPC causes the battle to quickly escalate, with followers entering the fray, monsters being summoned, betrayal, the authorities coming to bear, personal challenges issued, etc. Combat at this level should shake an entire city!

And don't be afraid to use the same tricks the PC's use.. against them.

This brings up a great point, Vascant. Powerful NPCs don't just respond; they have agendas and timelines of their own. And they'll attempt to remove any opposition in their way through a variety of tactics.

Any other advice or thoughts?

 

[Alensande]

My partner runs a game much like that; we are a relatively powerful party (13-15th level) in a city of intrigue. He keeps it tense by keeping us on our toes - anything we can do, the NPCs can do too, and every action has a consequence. When we speak, we can't always know who will hear, and if we injure or kill someone, they may have friends...or we may just have new enemies. Even the most minor seeming NPC can haunt us, plotwise, the good guys are few and don't always believe they can trust us, and we are playing against a ticking clock, knowing that the plots we are so carefully unravelling have been centuries in the making and may come to their end before we figure out how to stop them.

It's been a LOT of fun .

On another note, PirateCat's comment about flowcharts is also good. I use MindManager (http://www.mindjet.com/us/), which has a great visual set up for writing, and exports to a lot of standard programs.

 

[pogre]

Well, these look like useful guidelines for authors wishing to publish a scenario. After looking at "Bastion of Broken Souls" I know how _not_ to do it, anyway...

I don't completely agree with this - I did like the buffed up stats that were presented with the monster entries and tactical advice. I find with high level opponents one of the toughest things is to use them to the fullest of their abilities.

 

[jmucchiello]

I don't have a problem with dungeon traps being a cakewalk for high level characters. They are supposed to be. They should still be there to keep out the low level threats. When they confront the BBEG, if no one looks like they suffered in the acid trap, the BBEG should know this group of adventurers are not to be trifled with.

Der_kludge is also correct. My group of 6 18th level characters defeated a 20th level cleric, 12 15th level fighter archers, a CR18 demon, and a 20th level shadow weave sorcerer in a dead magic zone. The archers dropped 3 of the characters (including the tank), but they still managed to put the archers and demon down and force the sorcerer and cleric to retreat. (And they thought the archers were a TPK when the first character was hit by 10 out of 12 shots. Having an Initiate of Mystra also helped balance the spellcasting part.)

 

[Quickleaf]

It's been a LOT of fun .

Sounds like it!

I use MindManager (http://www.mindjet.com/us/), which has a great visual set up for writing, and exports to a lot of standard programs.

Unfortunately the $350 pricetag for one user is pretty steep. Though I do this by hand quite a bit! It is such a help for organizing a complex game/story!

I also like listing out the NPC's tactics without player intervention, and the results of any inter-NPC conflict assuming the PCs don't get involved. This gives me a good baseline.