"But Frylock, What are Standards and Practices" *hands out shoulder shrug*
We've talked about how I do this several times but it doesn't hurt to document it here, for anybody else that might be looking.
I find conforming to the style of WotC's published adventures is helpful on several levels. First of all published adventures are written to be run by anyone. I think one of the standards for good campaign design is: Could you hand it to one of your players and they could run it as well as you with a few hours prep time? Admittedly I often fall short of that goal, but I think its still something to aim for and the WotC published adventures are written towards that end. I find them to be logically organized and easy to follow. I try to include a background and a synopsis and notes for starting the adventure (usually I try to include a sidebar of different possible hooks), then lay out the course of the adventure in numerical order with each number coresponding to either a location or an event. The notes in this section can include read alouds, and general discriptions, this section doesn't contain the specifics of any combats or skill chalenges that might happen hear but instead contain reference to the tactical encounter that occurs at that point (tactical encounters are written up in a different section with a full one or two page spread each)
Here are a few examples of area write-ups taken from recent dungeon magazines:
[sblock]5. Marked Trail [/sblock][sblock][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]The roof of the passage drops here. A sign reads: DANGER! LOW CEILING! [/FONT][/FONT]
A DC[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]16 [/FONT][/FONT]P[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]erception check notes that the "[/FONT][/FONT]C[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]" on the sign has been marked with a subtle underline scratch. This marks the route [/FONT][/FONT]E[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]ibon and his cultists used to get to the ossuary. The [/FONT][/FONT]PC[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]s arrive here at the moment when the miners in area 6 accidentally trigger the alchemical explosives set by the cult spy. [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Even as you look around, a sudden blast of sound echoes through the floor and walls. Loose stone spills from the ceiling as a heavy cloud of dust shoots out from mineshaft B. [/FONT][/FONT]
9. Stirge Nest
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]In the years since Tessount’s Folly was abandoned, a colony of stirges has established itself in the depths. Asign above the tunnel entrance reads "D[/FONT][/FONT]A[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]NG[/FONT][/FONT]E[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]R." [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Tactical [/FONT][/FONT]E[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]ncounter: [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]"Stirge Nest" (page 70).[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]10. The Sole Survivor [/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Hiding in the darkness here is Daigelus, a human miner who was the sole survivor of a ghastly massacre. [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]The tunnels here have fallen into dire disrepair, but tracks in the dust and rubble show where more than one person has recently passed this way. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Perception Check [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]DC 21: [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]A shaking figure cowers in a shadowy corner, eyes wide with fear. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]As soon as anyone spots Daigelus, he screams in fear and attempts to flee. If restrained, the terrified miner struggles desperately to free himself, bursting into pitiful threats and pleas for a merciful death. Daigelus can be calmed with a D[/FONT][/FONT]C[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]20 Diplomacy check (D[/FONT][/FONT]C[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]15 if a [/FONT][/FONT]PC[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]also offers him a drink for his nerves). If the [/FONT][/FONT]PC[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]s can calm him, the miner tells them he was a member of the rescue crew and recounts his harrowing tale: [/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]"I was on crew with bossman Gairg when we was sent by Valmour to find lost miners. There was big chasm in the lower chambers, deep ones where the crawlies live. In the bottom, we found another passage with runes and skulls, bossman said it weren’t on map. Then we came to room filled with bones. I started shaking. In the middle was huge gold demon, 20 feet tall at least and breathing smoke like dragon. Then something rose out of bones. There was screaming everywhere but I didn’t look back. Ain’t nobody got out but me."[/FONT][/FONT]
Daigelus was a less than inspiring conversationalist even before the horror he witnessed. Fortunately, his desire to escape the mine means that he answers any questions he can if it means getting an escort out.
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]What brought [/FONT][/FONT]G[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]airg down here? [/FONT][/FONT]"Bossman was following a path he knew, like maybe he’d been there before. At least till we got to the chasms."
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Where are these chasms? [/FONT][/FONT]"Chasms is down the shaft lifts on the lower level, but they off limits [FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]’[/FONT][/FONT]cause of them crawlers."
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]What are the crawlers? [/FONT][/FONT]"Crawlers is big worm things that sneak up and eat folks. They smart, hide all over lower mine."
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]What was the gold demon? [/FONT][/FONT]"Weren’t no real demon, but a great big gold statue. Bossman ran toward it, but there was the smoke."
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]What about the smoke? [/FONT][/FONT]"Smoke had a funny smell. Everyone else sounded like they was choking but I didn’t look. Just kept on running."
In addition, Daigelus can describe the location of the lift in area 12, though he will not accompany the PCs there. He tells the PCs, "We switched signs on them lifts so nobody follow us. One say it broken, but it ain’t."
If Daigelus is escorted back to area 5, he makes his own way safely to the surface.[/FONT][/FONT][/sblock]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std][FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]The italicized text is read aloud the rest is refernce notes for the DM, the bold sections are references to other parts of the adventure write up, or important information.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]Tactical encounters are written up with the standard sections of Read Aloud, Encounter Setup, Tactics, Features of the Area, monster stats. In that order.[/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]I find that using this type of write up is helpful in several ways, its well orgainized and easy to use, its a format that anyone who's familiar with published adventures will recognize and be able to follow, and as someone who would like to get into freelance adventure design working in the style of published adventures gets me used to working in the WotC dictated formats.[/FONT]
[FONT=Mentor Std,Mentor Std]I do like the landscape three column format (was I the one to recommend it to you?) if for no other reason than it conforms to the recognizable standards of Dungeon Magaznie and increases recognition and familiarity in the reader.[/FONT]
