DM Dilemma - I Need Help, ENWorld! - *UPDATED* - Putting YOUR ideas to work!
- Thread starter Gloomshroud
- Start date
WizarDru
Adventurer
My methods can vary according to my available free time. When I was in college, I produced VOLUMES of material. Material I still have, in fact. I produced hand-outs constantly and wrote detailed material for every session. Now, many years and two children later....not so much.
My process for game prep starts with brain-storming, often to music, many times while in transit. Sometimes even moments before the game. The goal is to figure out the raw kernel of the adventure. I then usually generate a small document with major plot-points or beats that will be things to hook the adventure on...gravity wells, if you will, that I will have the players pulled towards. This allows them their choice of actions, but I will guide things towards these points, if it can be done organically.
I then crib material in a major fashion. A quick perusal of ENWorld, DDI or the intarwebs usually get me the mechanical information I need. Mostly I want some level appropriate challenges and monsters or occasionally some maps. If I'm feeling adventurous, I may craft my own maps using Campaign Cartographer. If I create a map, the key will serve me better than a detailed write-up of the dungeon. If I name something 'Former Prayer Chamber', I'll remember that it now contains the Zombie Gravedigger I grabbed from DDI and why he's there in the fallen temple. I may reskin the monsters, a trivial task....the Orc Dervish Champion can easily become the Corsair Captain with just a little descriptive change.
Under the spoiler tag is an example of what I would use for a session. Attached to this would be details of a challenge I cribbed from somewhere and then edited to meet my needs. Then finally I would attach a monster I either created from the monster editor, copied straight from DDI or grabbed from the one of the forums here.
[sblock]ISLE OF DREAD
First Chapter – 09/04/2009
PLOT OVERVIEW:
The players, on board the HMS Resolute Justice, put in at Northwatch for supplies before heading for the location of the pirate base on the island the locals call Yarthoom, but that everone else calls the “Isle of Dread”. The Iron Quarrel damages the ship, causing the players to have to abandon it and swim for the shore. They meet the people of Grandmother Squirrel, an aspect of Airmed of the Fields (one of the greater Sidhe), who tell them that since the appearance of the Metal Monster that attacked their ship and the recent arrivals at the corsairs lair elsewhere on the island, members of their tribe have been disappearing into the jungle. Worse, the dinosaurs that travel the island have become more dangerous and strange new creatures have appeared, threatening to upset the relative peace of the island.
They also tell the players that the corsairs base is heavily fortified, but they may know a secret way in, but it requires going through dangerous caves and an abandoned temple to get there.
• Stop at Northwatch
Crimson Knight finds that his apprentice, Branca Stone, has been goaded into preceeding him on their mission to the Isle of Dread, nearly loses control of his power when angered.
Threefinger is approached by crewman, given vague warning that when the time comes, he better be sure where his true loyalties lie
Skrag, Owyn and his team are given new orders and they disembark at Northwatch, Shipmaster Tolvin is worried about trip to Yarthoom, but orders are orders
Ship takes on considerable amount of supplies for journey
• Rough Landing
- Upon approach to the Isle of Dread, captain notices the air seems ‘electric’. Waters are calm, when suddenly the feel a chill as the cross the terminus line. Sashvanna and Alador both realize they’ve crossed into the Feywild at the same moment as someone yells ‘Breakers!’ and the calm sea suddenly becomes violent and tosses the ship
- Captain tries to get control of ship, have players thrown about until she does
- Suddenly, the Iron Quarrel surfaces just a bit and runs under the ship, tearing the hull irreparably and cracking the ship in two within sight of the shore
- Initiate challenge to save the crewmen and escape the sinking ship. Worst consequence is the players arrive tired on shore, but all other crewmen are dead Best result is they save a good number of crewmen and the captain.
• Welcome Wagon
- Branca greets the players at the shore, somewhat defensively with illusionary spirit dinosaur; has it roar challenge
- Is accompanied by Shaman Three-leg (with crutch) and Chieftain Treeneck, plus four young warriors. If players save Crimson Knight, he greets Branca. If they fail, he pulls nearly drowned CK from surf.
- Unfortunately, the spirit dinosuar’s challenge roar has been heard by a thunderwalker who comes looking for a territorial challenge and sees lunch – the PCs and villagers; initiate combat
- Jungle Palm Squirrel wanders into combat (sidhe in disguise)
• War Council
- Tribe shares details of the local terrain and describes their current predicament
- Asks for help of guardsmen and offers what they can in return (location of corsair base, knowledge of terrain, intel on the corsair operations)
- Three-Leg offers to teach shaman skills to Alador
- Warriors disappear in jungle
- wilder creatures in the interior
- recent arrival of stranger non-pirates among the corsairs
- exploration by cruel wizards into the interior
- hidden temple to vergan
[/sblock]
My process for game prep starts with brain-storming, often to music, many times while in transit. Sometimes even moments before the game. The goal is to figure out the raw kernel of the adventure. I then usually generate a small document with major plot-points or beats that will be things to hook the adventure on...gravity wells, if you will, that I will have the players pulled towards. This allows them their choice of actions, but I will guide things towards these points, if it can be done organically.
I then crib material in a major fashion. A quick perusal of ENWorld, DDI or the intarwebs usually get me the mechanical information I need. Mostly I want some level appropriate challenges and monsters or occasionally some maps. If I'm feeling adventurous, I may craft my own maps using Campaign Cartographer. If I create a map, the key will serve me better than a detailed write-up of the dungeon. If I name something 'Former Prayer Chamber', I'll remember that it now contains the Zombie Gravedigger I grabbed from DDI and why he's there in the fallen temple. I may reskin the monsters, a trivial task....the Orc Dervish Champion can easily become the Corsair Captain with just a little descriptive change.
Under the spoiler tag is an example of what I would use for a session. Attached to this would be details of a challenge I cribbed from somewhere and then edited to meet my needs. Then finally I would attach a monster I either created from the monster editor, copied straight from DDI or grabbed from the one of the forums here.
[sblock]ISLE OF DREAD
First Chapter – 09/04/2009
PLOT OVERVIEW:
The players, on board the HMS Resolute Justice, put in at Northwatch for supplies before heading for the location of the pirate base on the island the locals call Yarthoom, but that everone else calls the “Isle of Dread”. The Iron Quarrel damages the ship, causing the players to have to abandon it and swim for the shore. They meet the people of Grandmother Squirrel, an aspect of Airmed of the Fields (one of the greater Sidhe), who tell them that since the appearance of the Metal Monster that attacked their ship and the recent arrivals at the corsairs lair elsewhere on the island, members of their tribe have been disappearing into the jungle. Worse, the dinosaurs that travel the island have become more dangerous and strange new creatures have appeared, threatening to upset the relative peace of the island.
They also tell the players that the corsairs base is heavily fortified, but they may know a secret way in, but it requires going through dangerous caves and an abandoned temple to get there.
• Stop at Northwatch
Crimson Knight finds that his apprentice, Branca Stone, has been goaded into preceeding him on their mission to the Isle of Dread, nearly loses control of his power when angered.
Threefinger is approached by crewman, given vague warning that when the time comes, he better be sure where his true loyalties lie
Skrag, Owyn and his team are given new orders and they disembark at Northwatch, Shipmaster Tolvin is worried about trip to Yarthoom, but orders are orders
Ship takes on considerable amount of supplies for journey
• Rough Landing
- Upon approach to the Isle of Dread, captain notices the air seems ‘electric’. Waters are calm, when suddenly the feel a chill as the cross the terminus line. Sashvanna and Alador both realize they’ve crossed into the Feywild at the same moment as someone yells ‘Breakers!’ and the calm sea suddenly becomes violent and tosses the ship
- Captain tries to get control of ship, have players thrown about until she does
- Suddenly, the Iron Quarrel surfaces just a bit and runs under the ship, tearing the hull irreparably and cracking the ship in two within sight of the shore
- Initiate challenge to save the crewmen and escape the sinking ship. Worst consequence is the players arrive tired on shore, but all other crewmen are dead Best result is they save a good number of crewmen and the captain.
• Welcome Wagon
- Branca greets the players at the shore, somewhat defensively with illusionary spirit dinosaur; has it roar challenge
- Is accompanied by Shaman Three-leg (with crutch) and Chieftain Treeneck, plus four young warriors. If players save Crimson Knight, he greets Branca. If they fail, he pulls nearly drowned CK from surf.
- Unfortunately, the spirit dinosuar’s challenge roar has been heard by a thunderwalker who comes looking for a territorial challenge and sees lunch – the PCs and villagers; initiate combat
- Jungle Palm Squirrel wanders into combat (sidhe in disguise)
• War Council
- Tribe shares details of the local terrain and describes their current predicament
- Asks for help of guardsmen and offers what they can in return (location of corsair base, knowledge of terrain, intel on the corsair operations)
- Three-Leg offers to teach shaman skills to Alador
- Warriors disappear in jungle
- wilder creatures in the interior
- recent arrival of stranger non-pirates among the corsairs
- exploration by cruel wizards into the interior
- hidden temple to vergan
[/sblock]
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Gloomshroud
First Post
That's a great example of situational preparation, to my mind. You've detailed things enough to give a solid direction without nailing it down too fast and hard that it can't be pliable or mutable. Nicely done, I'll be adapting some of your ideas for sure.
Gloomshroud
First Post
This tactic has served me well before, but I need something to allow for a more free-form style. I don't know that I'm ready to call it - or shoot for - a SANDBOX at this point, but definitely more modular (i.e. I can mix and match as needed)
WizarDru
Adventurer
To follow on to the previous post: sometimes I just make a map and that can BE the adventure. Or rather, it's the reference for it. In the bit above, I started the adventure. Two episodes later, they've penetrated the jungle and find the fallen temple. I created the map first and the detailed it afterwards, but the details were just fleshing out the ideas from the map, as seen here:
[sblock]
Gloomshroud
First Post
To follow on to the previous post: sometimes I just make a map and that can BE the adventure. Or rather, it's the reference for it. In the bit above, I started the adventure. Two episodes later, they've penetrated the jungle and find the fallen temple. I created the map first and the detailed it afterwards, but the details were just fleshing out the ideas from the map, as seen here:
[sblock][/sblock]
OoohhOOohhh! Pretty map! Did you make it???
LostSoul
Adventurer
Here are the DM's notes for a hex in my game.
[sblock]
04.07 RESOURCE - PLAINS - LEVEL 2
This has the hex number, the randomly-generated contents, the terrain, and the level
Settlement of 79 people based around a Farm, Demon/devil trapped beneath
Links to Other Areas: none
Contents: Monster; Trap; Trick; Something Strange
More randomly generated stuff
This is me making sense of the random rolls
The village of Fairstocks. A chain devil lives in a dungeon beneath this town. It carries out executions and such, controlled by a mystic amulet that one of the town's elders has.
The current leader of this town is a two-fisted warrior woman named Shirley Peltier, a refugee from another time. She is a human javelin dancer (who also has a revolver). She deposed the old ruler because he was abusing his power; she isn't too keen on the laws, though the three "lawmen" (human guards) who follow Erathis are always very strict.
The town has an oppressive, brooding feel; people don't talk much and scurry about their business. The laws are strict and strictly enforced.
There is only one tavern, the Grey Den, run by a woman named Aubra.
The devil lives in a place called Iblis Grotto, a small cave marked with runes of Justice.
Monster: A nest of 2 ankhegs with 4 ankheg broodlings has moved into the valley and is eating the sheep and cows.
Trap: The dungeon is trapped; anyone who enters must recite some legal jargon or take 3d6+3 damage and be pushed out of the cave.
Trick: The amulet that supposedly controls the kyton has no actual power. The kyton's pact is to serve the legitimate ruler of the town in exchange for prisoners to torture. Usually what happens is the ruler gets power-hungry and loses legitimacy, and the kyton devours this person. The kyton believes it is teaching the people the curse of power.
[/sblock]
It's important to note that there are lots of these in the game world; the players select one area to focus on and get a Quest based on it.
Here are the posts detailing the actual play:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-2.html#post5238769 (1st session)
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-2.html#post5247289 (2nd session)
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-3.html#post5271744 (3rd session)
[sblock]
04.07 RESOURCE - PLAINS - LEVEL 2
This has the hex number, the randomly-generated contents, the terrain, and the level
Settlement of 79 people based around a Farm, Demon/devil trapped beneath
Links to Other Areas: none
Contents: Monster; Trap; Trick; Something Strange
More randomly generated stuff
This is me making sense of the random rolls
The village of Fairstocks. A chain devil lives in a dungeon beneath this town. It carries out executions and such, controlled by a mystic amulet that one of the town's elders has.
The current leader of this town is a two-fisted warrior woman named Shirley Peltier, a refugee from another time. She is a human javelin dancer (who also has a revolver). She deposed the old ruler because he was abusing his power; she isn't too keen on the laws, though the three "lawmen" (human guards) who follow Erathis are always very strict.
The town has an oppressive, brooding feel; people don't talk much and scurry about their business. The laws are strict and strictly enforced.
There is only one tavern, the Grey Den, run by a woman named Aubra.
The devil lives in a place called Iblis Grotto, a small cave marked with runes of Justice.
Monster: A nest of 2 ankhegs with 4 ankheg broodlings has moved into the valley and is eating the sheep and cows.
Trap: The dungeon is trapped; anyone who enters must recite some legal jargon or take 3d6+3 damage and be pushed out of the cave.
Trick: The amulet that supposedly controls the kyton has no actual power. The kyton's pact is to serve the legitimate ruler of the town in exchange for prisoners to torture. Usually what happens is the ruler gets power-hungry and loses legitimacy, and the kyton devours this person. The kyton believes it is teaching the people the curse of power.
[/sblock]
It's important to note that there are lots of these in the game world; the players select one area to focus on and get a Quest based on it.
Here are the posts detailing the actual play:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-2.html#post5238769 (1st session)
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-2.html#post5247289 (2nd session)
http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-dis...ack-fiction-first-playtest-3.html#post5271744 (3rd session)
Gloomshroud
First Post
Oh wow! I *REALLY* like this! How'd you randomly generate these guys??? Can you tell me more?
EDIT: Reading through the sessions now. you put a LOT of work into this! VERY cool. Now, the question IMMEDIATELY begs itself to be asked (at least, in MY mind). This is VERY sandbox-y. Which is great. But, how can I put in a PLOT to such a game? Mind you, haven't finished reading yet. Treating this edit like a streaming consciousness. So, say I wanted the wild borderlands, but....with a definite PLOT behind it? Possible?
EDIT: Reading the rules now. This is amazing....how time consuming is this? It seems easier to inject this straight into a published setting, which is right up my alley.
Last edited:
pawsplay
Hero
I write about one page of notes per hour of expected play. Then I stat some useful NPCs, although I use premade stats whenever it's convenient to do so. Forget about flowcharts. I try to think of one to three really perfect situations and ask, "What are some likely, or less likely outcomes, of this scenario once the PCs get involved?" The key, in my experience, to making an adventure work, is to let the PCs do the exploration. Let them decide what matters, how the riddlle will be solved, who must live or die, who is right or wrong.
Gloomshroud
First Post
Very true. A clean cut approach. I like!
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