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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 5189027" data-attributes="member: 29398">The play of the adventure is edition (or system) specific, but the adventure as written doesn't have to be.Change the last three words to "such that any edition can make good use of it" and I would wholeheartedly agree.I don't want mechanical support for anything that doesn't need it, but I *do* want fluff support.  Unless the module writer is doing nothing but crunch numbers, every monster with any brains at all is going to have some sort of personality in the writer's mind; some sort of motivation.  I want to see at least a hint of that on the page, even if only as a jumping-off point for me to start making stuff up; so I can portray those monsters at least vaguely like the writer had in mind.This is why I'm looking at more than just the statblock to tell me what makes a monster tick.  Expand that one step further, and I'm looking for more than just combat tactics in an encounter write-up.Let me try one here:"You enter a 30x30' room with stone walls, a straw-covered floor, and dingy smoke-stained ceiling.  In one corner there is a low-burning fire with some sort of small beast roasting on a spit above it; the smoke exits through what looks like a crack in the ceiling.  Against the other wall stands an open barrel.  There are no obvious exits from the room. (If the PCs have approached quietly) Two Orcs are tending the fire and meal, while 6 more lounge on rickety chairs around a large table.  (If the PCs have alerted the Orcs)  Two Orcs with weapons drawn are guarding the fire.  Several others are crouched behind an upturned table, crossbows at the ready and pointed your way."Orcs(8): {statblock statblock statblock}Treasure: each Orc carries 1d6 s.p. and one is wearing a silver bracelet worth 45 g.p.  Their weapons and gear are in poor condition and close to worthless.  The Orcs' hoard is in a secret cavity in the floor beneath the fire, to find this requires removal of the fire and ash followed by a successful search for secret doors.  Within is {list the contents}.General tactics: in any situation, the Orcs will let the PCs make the first move.  If the PCs attempt to open dialogue in either Orcish or Common, the Orcs will gruffly respond but will not approach nor will they allow the PCs past the door.  These Orcs are starving and can easily be bribed with food (the small beast on the fire would make a decent meal for two of them at most); a promise of regular meals might even convince the Orcs to help the PCs, or at least allow them to use their room as a hideoutCombat tactics: if threatened or if any PC is seen to be casting a spell, the Orcs behind the table (flipping it first if needed) will fire their missiles.  Four will then move to block the PCs from getting past the table (two to left, two to right), while two will keep shooting at obvious spellcasters.  The two by the fire will engage only if attacked or if two other Orcs go down.Other notes: if an invisible or very stealthy PC manages to sneak so far as to disturb either the fire or the beast on it, the Orcs' wrath will know no bounds and they will attack anything they see for the next hour or so until they calm down...or somehow get fed.  If any unconscious or dead PCs should end up being left behind they will be efficiently butchered, cooked and eaten by some now-much-happier Orcs.DM notes: the barrel contains about 10 gallons of warm brackish water.  The crack in the ceiling is only about 6 inches wide; it leads to the surface via some sharp turns and can only be climbed (or flown through) by someone either in gaseous form or who has been somehow shrunk to less than 1' tall.Now I'm not a professional writer, and I dreamed that lot up off the top of my head pretty much while I was typing it; but how's that for covering the four-times bases?  In this forum format, it looks like a mighty long write-up, but in module form that's what - half of a half-wide column?  And there's certainly room to edit for brevity... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Lan-"feed the Orcs, tuppence a bag"-efan</blockquote>

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