Gilladian
Adventurer
Sounds like a lot of fun.
One thing to keep in mind; write situations, not story. Don't think to yourself "when the PCs do x, I will do y". They never do X. Or if they do, they do X+1, or X and Y at the same time.
Also, sometimes when writing up a dungeon, I will make notes such as this: rooms 5-9: living quarters. 25 orcs live in these 4 rooms. About 15 will be present at any given time; others are out hunting or gathering food, etc... If daytime, half may be sleeping (delay 3-5 rounds joining combat).
This means I don't need to worry about EXACTLY what the rooms are like til the players get there. If I've given myself these key bits of info, I can have as few as 10 orcs present if the PCs are down a party member, or maybe there's a "holiday" and ALL of them are present. Also by not cementing which are in what rooms, I can shift them about just a bit for maximum or minimum impact, as needed on the day of the adventure. Also, never bother to describe rooms in full sentences and layered detail.
Instead, give keywords and phrases; moldy walls, irritating smell for the room where food is stored. Smoky air and old funk for the main hall, and rancid body odor for sleeping rooms. Let the situation that develops dictate the exact details. That's where the fun is!
One thing to keep in mind; write situations, not story. Don't think to yourself "when the PCs do x, I will do y". They never do X. Or if they do, they do X+1, or X and Y at the same time.
Also, sometimes when writing up a dungeon, I will make notes such as this: rooms 5-9: living quarters. 25 orcs live in these 4 rooms. About 15 will be present at any given time; others are out hunting or gathering food, etc... If daytime, half may be sleeping (delay 3-5 rounds joining combat).
This means I don't need to worry about EXACTLY what the rooms are like til the players get there. If I've given myself these key bits of info, I can have as few as 10 orcs present if the PCs are down a party member, or maybe there's a "holiday" and ALL of them are present. Also by not cementing which are in what rooms, I can shift them about just a bit for maximum or minimum impact, as needed on the day of the adventure. Also, never bother to describe rooms in full sentences and layered detail.
Instead, give keywords and phrases; moldy walls, irritating smell for the room where food is stored. Smoky air and old funk for the main hall, and rancid body odor for sleeping rooms. Let the situation that develops dictate the exact details. That's where the fun is!