BookTenTiger
He / Him
EXPERIMENT COMPLETED! For my final reflections, check out the Spoiler Space below:
Experiment: Fractal Adventure Design
I'm trying an experiment in which I base every aspect of an adventure on the facets of the characters. This is an extreme version of a technique I already use in my campaigns. I'll usually start with a basic premise, then add to the campaign world based on the characters. For example, in my last campaign one of the characters was a tortle, so I decided one of the most common races in the campaign setting would be tortles. Another character had the gladiator background, so I made it so that fighting competitions were part of the culture of the setting. And so on.
In this experiment, I have created the structure of an adventure, without filling in any details. I then created an adventuring party with four characters. I filled in each detail with an aspect from one of the characters.
The Adventure
I based the adventure off of one of my favorites: the Sunless Citadel. The basic premise of this adventure is:
A small town, split by two rival fractions, is threatened by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
The basic components of this adventure are:
The Town: the main hub where the characters will spend most of their social time.
The Wilderness: a stretch of wild between the town and the dungeon.
The Dungeon: a series of chambers with monsters, NPCs, traps, and treasures.
The Camp: a second, smaller settlement near the dungeon.
For each component I will create a basic outline in which all the details are blank. I will then fill in those details with ideas based on the skills, tool proficiencies, languages, class features, and traits of the characters. Let's see what happens!
The Characters
Using Dndbeyond, I created four basic first-level characters:
Arkmenos, a Dragonborn Warlock of the Great Old One (Background: Sage)
Bug, a Halfling Fighter focusing on Archery (Background: Urchin)
Croto Croweye, a Goliath Cleric of the Nature Domain (Background: Folk Hero)
Danara of Dorandel, a Barbarian (Background: Knight)
I created a spreadsheet in which I listed all of the characters' races, classes, backgrounds, ideals, bonds, flaws, skill proficiencies, tool proficiencies, language proficiencies, and features and abilities.
Structure for the Town
To start off, I created a structure for the town. I thought it would be interesting to have two rival fractions, one being harmed by the nearby dungeon, and one being helped by the denizens of that dungeon. I left a ton of gaps in the description to be filled in by aspects from the characters.
The Town:
We begin in a community of (race and race) run by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool) who share the belief (ideal). This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
They are rivaled by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool) who shares a flaw (flaw), and who are experts at (skill / trait, feature, ability). This organization is secretly working with the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
The central hub of the town is a location where one can purchase supplies for (tool). An influential NPC (race and class / background / user of a tool) spends time there and is an expert in (skill). They will attempt to hinder the characters in their quest.
Another important location is a place where (background) gather. A second NPC (race and class / background / user of a tool) spends time there, and is an expert in (trait, feature, ability). They may assist the characters in their quest.
In town is also a shop that sells (tools) and a training ground for (skill / ability).
A final location is a place where (race / class) gather. This place is in disrepair. If the characters invest time and gold, they will be rewarded with something that empowers (skill / trait, feature, ability).
Filling In the Gaps
I then started to fill in the gaps with the races, classes, backgrounds, etc pulled from the characters. I made sure to divide the aspects evenly between the characters, but I used dice to make it as random as possible.
For example, here's how I added notes to the first paragraph of the Town structure:
The Town
We begin in a community of (race Arkmenos and race Danara) run by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool Bug) who share the belief (ideal Croto). This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
...
I then either chose or rolled randomly on my spreadsheet for aspects from each character, and wound up with:
The Town
We begin in a community of Dragonborn and Humans run by an organization of Archers who share the belief in freedom, that tyrants shall never again rule over this land. This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
...
Cool! I love the idea of a band of Robin Hoods going around, kicking the butts of tyrant wannabes!
I continued to fill in the gaps, against using dice to make the process as random as possible, then figuring out fiction that could justify the results. And here's what I came up with...
The Town, finalized:
I'm noting the name of each character I pulled an aspect from. Again, even the order of the characters was randomized, though I tried to be equitable.
The adventure begins in Greenmount, a village at the foot of the mountains. Its population is made up mostly of Dragonborn (Arkmenos) and humans (Danara).
The village is run by the Greenfolk Council, a group of scouts and rangers who patrol the mountainside and are famed for their skill in archery (Bug). The Greenfolk Council was first formed during an uprising against a tyrant in a bygone era. Since then they have made sure no tyrant will ever rule the land again (Croto).
These lands are dangerous, and when a family of mountain folk suffer a tragic loss, the Greenfolk Council will take in their children as wards, training them in archery and survival skills. They house these children in an orphanage called Arrow’s Flight. (Bug)
The Greenfolk Council is currently being harmed by the denizens of a local dungeon.
The Greenfolk Council is rivaled by a militia of Eldritch Knights (Danara) called Hands of Fire, experts at both martial combat and harmful spells (Arkmenos). They secretly wish to replace the Council and take over the town, and eventually all the communities of the mountain range (Croto). It will be revealed that the Hans of Fire are working with the denizens of a local dungeon.
Most townsfolk gather in the Mystic Market, an open-air plaza that’s known for its shops selling wands, staves, and other spell foci created by mysterious mountain spellbinders (Arkmenos). A famous human thief named Vyra Foxfoot spends a lot of time here, telling stories of her famed robberies in the larger cities near Greenmount (Bug). She will prove to be a thorn in the characters’ sides.
Another important location is a great hall where the Hands of Fire and other knights (Danara) gather to plan, train, and drink. A goliath (Croto) cleric (Croto) named Stormheart spends time here, preferring to gamble with the knights rather than train. He is an expert in the magic and practice of luck (Bug), and can bless the characters with runes that provide divine luck.
In Greenmount, the characters will find the Stone Hollow, a hidden shop that sells thieves’ tools (Bug) and other forbidden supplies, and a small but well-stocked library where they can train in History (Arkmenos).
The characters will also find a stone altar to the god of the mountains. The few goliaths (Crotos) in town gather here to worship and sing praises to the mountains, but the altar is in disrepair. If the characters spend time and money to repair it, the goliaths will reward them with a magic stone that speaks the language of the mountains, and grants the wielder advantage on History checks (Danara).
Reflection
This was a lot of fun! I wasn't sure it would work out, but I really like this town. One of the most successful aspects was pulling from the ideals and flaws of the characters in order to flesh out organizations. Coincidentally, the ideal of the Greenfolk Council and the flaw of the Hands of Fire were pulled from the same character, but that worked out great!
It would be a lot of fun to watch the players and their characters interact with this town, finding so much in common. I liked how goliaths were introduced through random rolls, but become a really interesting part of the town with their altar.
Okay, the next step is the Wilderness, then the Dungeon, the real meat of the adventure!
Here's my FINAL REFLECTION. I'm also going to post this in Spoiler Tags in the first post for those who want a TLDR version.
So, overall, I'd say this was a real success! If I were to go over this adventure again, sand down some rough edges, make a few more connections between NPC's, settlements, and the dungeon, I think this would be a solid, fun adventure for these characters. There's nothing here that doesn't make sense in a D&D world, and nothing feels too repetitive or too "bespoke" for the characters. The problems can be solved in multiple ways, the villain is engaging, and the treasure could benefit multiple characters.
Some of my favorite parts of this adventure:
1) The Gargoyle Doors
I am definitely using these gargoyle doors in an adventure some day. I really enjoyed the puzzle aspect, and the option to just ignore it and break through. I think rolling two options for how problems can be solved really helped me create obstacles that would engage player creativity.
2) The BBEG
Valhaxron, stone giant illithid, is my new favorite BBEG. I love this guy. He's creepy, would be fun to roleplay, and fits into the world so well. I want to know more about him!
3) Connecting to Backgrounds
I loved it whenever I rolled a player's Background or Background Feature into the game. In the Camp, I rolled Danara's Background Feature of Retainers as a reward. It was fun to come up with an NPC who could supply new retainers to the group. This really made me think of how often I don't consider my PC's Background Features when creating adventures!
Some Thing I Would Do Differently
1) Backward Design
I started this process with developing the town, then the wilderness, then the entrance to the dungeon, the next level, the boss level, etc. The next time I try this, I want to go in reverse! What if we start with the BBEG and work backwards? I think this would provide more connections to the NPC's in town, challenges in the wilderness, etc.
2) "Class Features"
I had a category I rolled in called Class Features that was really just a mish-mash of spells, Background Features, and things characters could do because of their class. I had to reroll this a couple times when the results just didn't make sense. I think I would take this feature and write it out differently... maybe come up with categories for spells ("Conjuration spells" instead of Unseen Servant, for example) or describe things differently. I'm not sure.
3) Player Input
Somehow I would want to include player input in this process. Now obviously for this experiment, my players were imaginary. But it might be worthwhile for players to come up with treasure, NPC's, or enemies they want to encounter, and feed that into the lists.
Conclusion
As I worked on this adventure, I realized it was just a massive expansion of the philosophy of "Shoot your monks." That is, the monk has an ability to deflect missiles, so you should attack them with ranged attacks so they can do cool things.
This whole adventure is full of stuff that would allow these four adventurers to do cool things with their abilities. I think that's honestly the highest level of success I could have hoped for.
Now this experiment was an extreme version of the process. I don't think every adventure needs every single NPC, challenge, and reward to be 100% based on the characters' features. Every once in a while you want to throw in an Alchemy Jug as a reward just because it's fun.
But... the next time I'm designing an adventure, I'm definitely leaving in gaps and pulling ideas from the characters!
So, overall, I'd say this was a real success! If I were to go over this adventure again, sand down some rough edges, make a few more connections between NPC's, settlements, and the dungeon, I think this would be a solid, fun adventure for these characters. There's nothing here that doesn't make sense in a D&D world, and nothing feels too repetitive or too "bespoke" for the characters. The problems can be solved in multiple ways, the villain is engaging, and the treasure could benefit multiple characters.
Some of my favorite parts of this adventure:
1) The Gargoyle Doors
I am definitely using these gargoyle doors in an adventure some day. I really enjoyed the puzzle aspect, and the option to just ignore it and break through. I think rolling two options for how problems can be solved really helped me create obstacles that would engage player creativity.
2) The BBEG
Valhaxron, stone giant illithid, is my new favorite BBEG. I love this guy. He's creepy, would be fun to roleplay, and fits into the world so well. I want to know more about him!
3) Connecting to Backgrounds
I loved it whenever I rolled a player's Background or Background Feature into the game. In the Camp, I rolled Danara's Background Feature of Retainers as a reward. It was fun to come up with an NPC who could supply new retainers to the group. This really made me think of how often I don't consider my PC's Background Features when creating adventures!
Some Thing I Would Do Differently
1) Backward Design
I started this process with developing the town, then the wilderness, then the entrance to the dungeon, the next level, the boss level, etc. The next time I try this, I want to go in reverse! What if we start with the BBEG and work backwards? I think this would provide more connections to the NPC's in town, challenges in the wilderness, etc.
2) "Class Features"
I had a category I rolled in called Class Features that was really just a mish-mash of spells, Background Features, and things characters could do because of their class. I had to reroll this a couple times when the results just didn't make sense. I think I would take this feature and write it out differently... maybe come up with categories for spells ("Conjuration spells" instead of Unseen Servant, for example) or describe things differently. I'm not sure.
3) Player Input
Somehow I would want to include player input in this process. Now obviously for this experiment, my players were imaginary. But it might be worthwhile for players to come up with treasure, NPC's, or enemies they want to encounter, and feed that into the lists.
Conclusion
As I worked on this adventure, I realized it was just a massive expansion of the philosophy of "Shoot your monks." That is, the monk has an ability to deflect missiles, so you should attack them with ranged attacks so they can do cool things.
This whole adventure is full of stuff that would allow these four adventurers to do cool things with their abilities. I think that's honestly the highest level of success I could have hoped for.
Now this experiment was an extreme version of the process. I don't think every adventure needs every single NPC, challenge, and reward to be 100% based on the characters' features. Every once in a while you want to throw in an Alchemy Jug as a reward just because it's fun.
But... the next time I'm designing an adventure, I'm definitely leaving in gaps and pulling ideas from the characters!
Experiment: Fractal Adventure Design
I'm trying an experiment in which I base every aspect of an adventure on the facets of the characters. This is an extreme version of a technique I already use in my campaigns. I'll usually start with a basic premise, then add to the campaign world based on the characters. For example, in my last campaign one of the characters was a tortle, so I decided one of the most common races in the campaign setting would be tortles. Another character had the gladiator background, so I made it so that fighting competitions were part of the culture of the setting. And so on.
In this experiment, I have created the structure of an adventure, without filling in any details. I then created an adventuring party with four characters. I filled in each detail with an aspect from one of the characters.
The Adventure
I based the adventure off of one of my favorites: the Sunless Citadel. The basic premise of this adventure is:
A small town, split by two rival fractions, is threatened by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
The basic components of this adventure are:
The Town: the main hub where the characters will spend most of their social time.
The Wilderness: a stretch of wild between the town and the dungeon.
The Dungeon: a series of chambers with monsters, NPCs, traps, and treasures.
The Camp: a second, smaller settlement near the dungeon.
For each component I will create a basic outline in which all the details are blank. I will then fill in those details with ideas based on the skills, tool proficiencies, languages, class features, and traits of the characters. Let's see what happens!
The Characters
Using Dndbeyond, I created four basic first-level characters:
Arkmenos, a Dragonborn Warlock of the Great Old One (Background: Sage)
Bug, a Halfling Fighter focusing on Archery (Background: Urchin)
Croto Croweye, a Goliath Cleric of the Nature Domain (Background: Folk Hero)
Danara of Dorandel, a Barbarian (Background: Knight)
I created a spreadsheet in which I listed all of the characters' races, classes, backgrounds, ideals, bonds, flaws, skill proficiencies, tool proficiencies, language proficiencies, and features and abilities.
Character | Race | Class (Subclass) | Background | Ideal | Bond | Flaw | Skill Proficiencies | Tool Proficiencies / Imporant Equipment | Languages | Traits, Features, Abilities |
Arkmenos | Dragonborn | Warlock (Great Old One) | Sage | No Limits. Nothing should fetter the infinite possibility inherent in all existence. (Chaotic) | My life’s work is a series of tomes related to a specific field of lore. | I am easily distracted by the promise of information. | Arcana | Spell Focus (Orb) | Draconic | Otherworldy Patron: Great Old One |
History | Dwarvish | Eldritch Blast (Cantrip) | ||||||||
Intimidation | Undercommon | Minor Illusion (Cantrip) | ||||||||
Investigation | Dissonant Whispers (1st Level Spell) | |||||||||
Unseen Servant (1st Level Spell( | ||||||||||
Awakened Mind (telepathy 30 ft) | ||||||||||
Green Dragon Ancestry Breath Weapon (Poison) | ||||||||||
Green Dragon Ancestry Poison Resistance | ||||||||||
Researcher: know where to find information and lore | ||||||||||
Bug | Halfling | Fighter | Urchin | Community. We have to take care of each other, because no one else is going to do it. (Lawful) | I sponsor an orphanage to keep others from enduring what I was forced to endure. | Gold seems like a lot of money to me, and I’ll do just about anything for more of it. | Acrobatics | Disguise Kit | Halfling | Archery |
Perception | Thieves' Tools | Second Wind | ||||||||
Sleight of Hand | Longbow | Lucky | ||||||||
Stealth | Brave (adv vs frightened) | |||||||||
Halfling Nimbleness | ||||||||||
Naturally Stealthy | ||||||||||
City Secrets (can travel fast through cities) | ||||||||||
Croto Croweye | Goliath | Cleric (Nature) | Folk Hero | Freedom. Tyrants must not be allowed to oppress the people. (Chaotic) | I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny. | Secretly, I believe that things would be better if I were a tyrant lording over the land. | Animal Handling | Brewer's Supplies | Giant | Acolyte of Nature: Druidcraft |
Athletics | Vehicles (Land) | Light | ||||||||
Insight | Holy Symbol (Amulet) | Toll the Dead | ||||||||
Medicine | Greatclub | Word of Radiance | ||||||||
Performance | Chain Mail | Animal Friendship | ||||||||
Survival | Bless | |||||||||
Healing Word | ||||||||||
Sanctuary | ||||||||||
Speak with Animals | ||||||||||
Acolyte of Nature: Animal Handling | ||||||||||
Bonus Proficiency: Heavy Armor | ||||||||||
Natural Athlete (Athletics) | ||||||||||
Stone's Endurance | ||||||||||
Powerful Build | ||||||||||
Mountain Born | ||||||||||
Rustic Hospitality (common folk will protect you) | ||||||||||
Danara of Dorandel | Human | Barbarian | Knight | Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good) | My house’s alliance with another noble family must be sustained at all costs. | I have an insatiable desire for carnal pleasures. | Athletics | Dragonchess Set | Dwarvish | Rage |
History | Greatsword | Elvish | Unarmored Defense | |||||||
Perception | Feat: Tavern Brawler | |||||||||
Persuasion | Retainers (three loyal NPCs) | |||||||||
Religion |
Structure for the Town
To start off, I created a structure for the town. I thought it would be interesting to have two rival fractions, one being harmed by the nearby dungeon, and one being helped by the denizens of that dungeon. I left a ton of gaps in the description to be filled in by aspects from the characters.
The Town:
We begin in a community of (race and race) run by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool) who share the belief (ideal). This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
They are rivaled by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool) who shares a flaw (flaw), and who are experts at (skill / trait, feature, ability). This organization is secretly working with the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
The central hub of the town is a location where one can purchase supplies for (tool). An influential NPC (race and class / background / user of a tool) spends time there and is an expert in (skill). They will attempt to hinder the characters in their quest.
Another important location is a place where (background) gather. A second NPC (race and class / background / user of a tool) spends time there, and is an expert in (trait, feature, ability). They may assist the characters in their quest.
In town is also a shop that sells (tools) and a training ground for (skill / ability).
A final location is a place where (race / class) gather. This place is in disrepair. If the characters invest time and gold, they will be rewarded with something that empowers (skill / trait, feature, ability).
Filling In the Gaps
I then started to fill in the gaps with the races, classes, backgrounds, etc pulled from the characters. I made sure to divide the aspects evenly between the characters, but I used dice to make it as random as possible.
For example, here's how I added notes to the first paragraph of the Town structure:
The Town
We begin in a community of (race Arkmenos and race Danara) run by an organization of (class / background / users of a tool Bug) who share the belief (ideal Croto). This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
...
I then either chose or rolled randomly on my spreadsheet for aspects from each character, and wound up with:
The Town
We begin in a community of Dragonborn and Humans run by an organization of Archers who share the belief in freedom, that tyrants shall never again rule over this land. This organization is being harmed by the denizens of a nearby dungeon.
...
Cool! I love the idea of a band of Robin Hoods going around, kicking the butts of tyrant wannabes!
I continued to fill in the gaps, against using dice to make the process as random as possible, then figuring out fiction that could justify the results. And here's what I came up with...
The Town, finalized:
I'm noting the name of each character I pulled an aspect from. Again, even the order of the characters was randomized, though I tried to be equitable.
The adventure begins in Greenmount, a village at the foot of the mountains. Its population is made up mostly of Dragonborn (Arkmenos) and humans (Danara).
The village is run by the Greenfolk Council, a group of scouts and rangers who patrol the mountainside and are famed for their skill in archery (Bug). The Greenfolk Council was first formed during an uprising against a tyrant in a bygone era. Since then they have made sure no tyrant will ever rule the land again (Croto).
These lands are dangerous, and when a family of mountain folk suffer a tragic loss, the Greenfolk Council will take in their children as wards, training them in archery and survival skills. They house these children in an orphanage called Arrow’s Flight. (Bug)
The Greenfolk Council is currently being harmed by the denizens of a local dungeon.
The Greenfolk Council is rivaled by a militia of Eldritch Knights (Danara) called Hands of Fire, experts at both martial combat and harmful spells (Arkmenos). They secretly wish to replace the Council and take over the town, and eventually all the communities of the mountain range (Croto). It will be revealed that the Hans of Fire are working with the denizens of a local dungeon.
Most townsfolk gather in the Mystic Market, an open-air plaza that’s known for its shops selling wands, staves, and other spell foci created by mysterious mountain spellbinders (Arkmenos). A famous human thief named Vyra Foxfoot spends a lot of time here, telling stories of her famed robberies in the larger cities near Greenmount (Bug). She will prove to be a thorn in the characters’ sides.
Another important location is a great hall where the Hands of Fire and other knights (Danara) gather to plan, train, and drink. A goliath (Croto) cleric (Croto) named Stormheart spends time here, preferring to gamble with the knights rather than train. He is an expert in the magic and practice of luck (Bug), and can bless the characters with runes that provide divine luck.
In Greenmount, the characters will find the Stone Hollow, a hidden shop that sells thieves’ tools (Bug) and other forbidden supplies, and a small but well-stocked library where they can train in History (Arkmenos).
The characters will also find a stone altar to the god of the mountains. The few goliaths (Crotos) in town gather here to worship and sing praises to the mountains, but the altar is in disrepair. If the characters spend time and money to repair it, the goliaths will reward them with a magic stone that speaks the language of the mountains, and grants the wielder advantage on History checks (Danara).
Reflection
This was a lot of fun! I wasn't sure it would work out, but I really like this town. One of the most successful aspects was pulling from the ideals and flaws of the characters in order to flesh out organizations. Coincidentally, the ideal of the Greenfolk Council and the flaw of the Hands of Fire were pulled from the same character, but that worked out great!
It would be a lot of fun to watch the players and their characters interact with this town, finding so much in common. I liked how goliaths were introduced through random rolls, but become a really interesting part of the town with their altar.
Okay, the next step is the Wilderness, then the Dungeon, the real meat of the adventure!
Last edited: