Hoping Pirate Cat Don't Mind

[mythusmage]

The Mighty Mythusmage's Philosophy of Adventure Design

1. It has to occur somewhere. Establish the location; not only as a place, but within a larger world.

Not really required. Its often the last thing that needs doing if it needs doing at all most published adventures are deliberately dislocated from the larger world so you can put them in anywhere. You can do the same with your own, and only add links where they tie it into the current location of the PC's. Wasn't one of the first rules of Dungeoncraft not to do anymore work than needed?

Still, it is happening some place. People like to know where they are. They like to have a sense of place. This holds true for characters in a story, or an adventure. We like to know where they are. The better realized a place is, the more comfortable we are with it.

2. You need people. Not only the heroes and villains, but common folk as well. Somebody's got to be the barkeep after all.

Yeah if you always meet in a tavern... Its nice to have developed common folk, but to be honest most players would rather be fighting knee deep in kobolds than listening to the inn keeper complain about his bad back.

Places have people, you interact with people. some will be interesting, some won't. How interesting somebody is in an adventure depends on how well he is presented by the DM. Any interaction can be as engaging as day old dish water in the hands of a hack. In the hands of a master any interaction can be fascinating. It all depends on how, and how well, the encounter is played.

3 Establish what the villains are doing, and why they're are doing what they're doing.

4. Establish what the villains and their henchmen would most likely do if things don't go as planned

Some good bits of advice.

Thank you.

5. With your players do the same for the PCs regarding #3 and #4.

Shouldn't the players do that?

And leave the DM in the dark? :\

Seriously, in my experience such things work out better when they are done in cooperation with the DM and fellow players. Cuts down on nasty, out of character surprises

6. Establish who of the supporting cast and extras is the most likely to support the villains, or the players. Be ready to promote an extra or member of the supporting cast if events warrent

In some cases that's hard to establish a head of time as it depends on the players actions.

True, but you can establish general tendencies

7. Be flexible. It's a rare adventure where things work out as laid out in the text.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't plan as much as possible. It's easier to be flexible when you have a safety net to fall back on.

Again, true. On the other hand there is the tendency to over plan. And to stick to the plan in the face of events that upset the scheme. You can get too detailed, only to see the whole thing get irretrieveably derailed by the player's actions. Plot it out carefully, but not so carefully it turns into a story.

You have given me things to think about, presented concerns that I should address. For that my thanks.

 

[mythusmage]

After re-reading and editing, and re-reading, and re-editing etc. the above a few things occurred to me.

1. How are the various NPC groups related, and how do they interact?

2. How are those not involved in the plot likely to react? Hiring the adventurers to handle the problem is one answer, but there could be, likely will be, other answers.

3. How are those involved with the plot likely to react to the actions of those NPCs not involved in the plot, in reaction to the actions of those NPCs involved in the plot? (Yes, the sentence does make sense, you just need to read it through a couple of times. Worked for me.)

BTW, if you think this is bad, reality gets downright involved.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

3. How are those involved with the plot likely to react to the actions of those NPCs not involved in the plot, in reaction to the actions of those NPCs involved in the plot? (Yes, the sentence does make sense, you just need to read it through a couple of times. Worked for me.)

BTW, if you think this is bad, reality gets downright involved.

Ouch, my brain hurts, but I think I get it. I applaud you if you can manage to implement all these things into your adventures. The points are all well made and I pretty much agree with all of them, I just cannot usually manage to handle all of them and actually accomplish anything, I just get so bogged down thinking about it all.

 

[mythusmage]

Establishing a basic personality goes a long way towards answering many of the questions. How does he view himself? How does he view other people? How does he react to, and interact with, other people? Conservative or liberal? Proactive or reactive? Does seeming correspond with nature? Stuff like that.

At the same time, elves and orcs do tend to act the same when they lose their temper. It just takes more to get an elf to lose his temper.

 

[Felonious Ntent]

[Moderator]Do not do that.[/Moderator]

-Hyp.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Ouch, my brain hurts, but I think I get it. I applaud you if you can manage to implement all these things into your adventures.

I think that if you try to give the NPC's in an adventure understandable motivations, a lot of that kind of thing comes naturally.

Taking your points one by one:

1. The note about "location" is a big one - but are you talking more about home brewed adventures for a campaign, or fully detailed-out adventures for publication? For the first, clearly yes, placing them in context improves things massively.

2. Common NPC's are a great way to foreshadow events later in a game. The bartender can mention something that refers to a plot thread you intend to develop down the line; a friend NPC might get sent off to war that presages a conflict that will involve the PC's 5 levels further on.

3. Villains with motivation are important. They can make the difference between a game where the players do something because they think the DM wants them to do it, and one where they do something because they understand the ramifications of inaction.

4. I always give villains an escape plan. IF things go bad, how will they high tail it out of there? Hardly anyone would fight to the death. And if they get out, recurring villains are a good thing, too. Its all the more fulfilling when you DO stop them for good.

To these excellent suggestions I will add one more:

Don't be afraid to let the players kill your pretties.

I mean, you create cool NPC's. So do I. ALWAYS keep in mind that the reason you are creating them, is so the players will get the maximum amount of fun out of "killing the #$@* out of them", as Heydricus would say.

 

[mythusmage]

[Moderator]Do not do that.[/Moderator]

-Hyp.

Darn, I was so looking forward to applying some gentle correction.

 

[mythusmage]

KC, thanks for contributing.

I think that if you try to give the NPC's in an adventure understandable motivations, a lot of that kind of thing comes naturally.

Taking your points one by one:

1. The note about "location" is a big one - but are you talking more about home brewed adventures for a campaign, or fully detailed-out adventures for publication? For the first, clearly yes, placing them in context improves things massively.

Yes.

2. Common NPC's are a great way to foreshadow events later in a game. The bartender can mention something that refers to a plot thread you intend to develop down the line; a friend NPC might get sent off to war that presages a conflict that will involve the PC's 5 levels further on.

And they make great back-up PCs.

3. Villains with motivation are important. They can make the difference between a game where the players do something because they think the DM wants them to do it, and one where they do something because they understand the ramifications of inaction.

Much agreement. In addition, pathological personalities (psychopaths and sociopaths) are very manipulative, and arrogant. What the villain does depends in large part on who he sees opposition or potential opposition. A band of rank beginners may have a better chance of bollixing a lich's schemes than an epic level bunch, because the lich doesn't expect the rookies to be able to do anything.

4. I always give villains an escape plan. IF things go bad, how will they high tail it out of there? Hardly anyone would fight to the death. And if they get out, recurring villains are a good thing, too. Its all the more fulfilling when you DO stop them for good.

By the same token, sometimes the heroes walk in the front door, which the villain expected to use as the heroes crawled up through the sewer.

To these excellent suggestions I will add one more:

No false modesty for this lad.

Don't be afraid to let the players kill your pretties.

I mean, you create cool NPC's. So do I. ALWAYS keep in mind that the reason you are creating them, is so the players will get the maximum amount of fun out of "killing the #$@* out of them", as Heydricus would say.

Besides, nobody's indespensible. In any organization there will always be somebody ready, willing, and able to take over. He may even do a better job than the old boss.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Darn, I was so looking forward to applying some gentle correction.

That goes for everyone, mythusmage. Let it be.

-Hyp.
(Moderator)