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GMing: A D4 of Design-Run-Discuss-Reshape to Kick Off a Campaign
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8101737" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>If we are talking about techniques that are different from, say, those that are advocated or presupposed by the 1980s Dragonlance modules, or the 2000s Expedition to the Demonweb Pit module, then I think it is probably not helpful to use the overarching term "adventure" as if this was a self-evident category of thing to prepare.</p><p></p><p>Those modules I've mentioned absolutely do involve a set sequence of events in which the action is to take place, and they contain advice to the GM on how to bring this about. So do many other modules. Generally that advice amounts to various ways of manipulating or establishing unrevealed backstory so as to ensure that actions taken by the players (via their PCs) don't change the underlying fiction in any fundamental ways.</p><p></p><p>That is anathema to "playing to find out".</p><p></p><p>A variant of the set sequence of events is the "node based design" where the events are set but the sequence is determined by player choices. Mystery-type adventures often feature this sort of thing. It likewise does not involve any serious "playing to find out".</p><p></p><p>If what the "adventure" consists in is just an opening situation, plus a list of possible consequences, then I agree it can support "playing to find out" but at that point we're talking about something quite different from a D&D module. I don't know the Alien scenarios you mention (other than by reputation) but Robin Laws has some examples of this in his Narrator's Book for Hero Wars. I've adapted one to 4e D&D - The Demon of the Red Grove. And many Prince Valiant episodes are like this also.</p><p></p><p>As I posted just above, the skills needed to establish and then adjudicate this sort of thing are very different from those needed to run Dragonlance or a traditional CoC scenario or Against the Giants. And working on your prep isn't the place that I would advise a new GM to focus on, if s/he wants to run this sort of game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 8101737, member: 42582"] If we are talking about techniques that are different from, say, those that are advocated or presupposed by the 1980s Dragonlance modules, or the 2000s Expedition to the Demonweb Pit module, then I think it is probably not helpful to use the overarching term "adventure" as if this was a self-evident category of thing to prepare. Those modules I've mentioned absolutely do involve a set sequence of events in which the action is to take place, and they contain advice to the GM on how to bring this about. So do many other modules. Generally that advice amounts to various ways of manipulating or establishing unrevealed backstory so as to ensure that actions taken by the players (via their PCs) don't change the underlying fiction in any fundamental ways. That is anathema to "playing to find out". A variant of the set sequence of events is the "node based design" where the events are set but the sequence is determined by player choices. Mystery-type adventures often feature this sort of thing. It likewise does not involve any serious "playing to find out". If what the "adventure" consists in is just an opening situation, plus a list of possible consequences, then I agree it can support "playing to find out" but at that point we're talking about something quite different from a D&D module. I don't know the Alien scenarios you mention (other than by reputation) but Robin Laws has some examples of this in his Narrator's Book for Hero Wars. I've adapted one to 4e D&D - The Demon of the Red Grove. And many Prince Valiant episodes are like this also. As I posted just above, the skills needed to establish and then adjudicate this sort of thing are very different from those needed to run Dragonlance or a traditional CoC scenario or Against the Giants. And working on your prep isn't the place that I would advise a new GM to focus on, if s/he wants to run this sort of game. [/QUOTE]
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