How do you design your adventures

[kitsune9]

Okay, this question is for all you GM's out there--how do you design your adventures?

I take two approaches--dungeon centric or story synopsis. If it's dungeon centric with a dungeon as the main location and the BBEG at the end, then I'll draw up the dungeon first, populate it, and then write all the pre-dungeon encounters and then intro. Kind of working backwards. If the adventure is not dungeon centric, then I write a one paragraph story synopsis about what the adventure will be about and then start breaking it out in sentences that describe a scene and then eventually flesh out each sentence into an encounter. Add intro and conclusion and I'm done.

 

[tylerthehobo]

I usually spend a ton of time combing through the campaign setting guide that is appropriate to the adventure - if it's a homebrew adventure, though, I'll still look through a lot of 3rd party plot/campaign stuff to get hooks and things. I'd like to think I'm clever enough to do it all from scratch, but part of what makes shared stories and shared worlds so appealing are the common archetypes that serve as our common lexicon. I make extensive notes in a journal about key deities, locations, events, and I try to create a basic timeline of things that will happen during the campaign - I will be very flexible with the timeline, if necessary (if the party is knee deep in a dungeon, having the viking hordes attack right then might just serve to complicate things rather than add background window dressing or the start to the next adventure). I then create a few dozen canned encounters (now with more complicated steps in 4E than in any previous edition! oh joy!) so that I have things to throw at the party without having to do too much digging.

IMO, good dming and adventures are all about the prep.

And yes, my comment about 4E is a little unfair - for some DMs it's probably hella easier to create encounters on the fly with the background in the 4E books on appropriate encounter size, etc. I just preferred the XP-calculating method of 1E and 2E, and the CR/EL method of 3E. To each their own.

 

[fireinthedust]

I started Dungeoncentric with my current campaign: design the challenge for the day, then figure out a way to get the PCs there. For example, I wanted them to sneak around town stealing things, rather than have only combat the whole session. Then I set up the town, the thieves guild kidnapping NPCs, etc.

I have a Story Arc planned out, for things I'd like them to accomplish; however, I worry that I'll drift away from having something for them to *do* every session rather than just go through endless transition games setting up DM-events.
Example: I've had them involved in moving the campaign world along, with their actions allowing for an invasion of a Town, and the return of the Prince of Winter. Mostly this was off-stage stuff to set up the next phase of the adventure.
I plan on having them fight an army of hobgoblins, who I've set up as the servants of this evil Order of Tieflings.

However, the last session saw them complete a quest, sure, but they also spent a while arguing with one NPC and then me explaining stuff. I know there was some combat, but not the kind of resolution with satisfaction for everyone (the Wizard made the Hag Sleep with one shot, then the Barbarian cut off her head with a vicious Daily).

So, basically, I need to have events happen to set up challenges for the PCs, but to move between "dungeons" I'm worried there will be too many in-between moments of set-up time.

Thing is, most of the group is inexperienced, and not everyone shows up to games on time or at all. It's like herding cats (and sometimes that goes for me also).

But I have notebooks that I fill with ideas. Then outlines of challenges I'd like to use (ie: Today I'll use Riddles from this book, and set it up like *this*; later I'll use Skill Challenges, and set it up like *this*).
Then, when the last session is done, I try to work with what happened last game, to:
1) move them towards the challenges I've designed
2) not waste prep time when the last session didn't end the way I planned (ie: they gave up and ran off rather than fight the dragon/answer a riddle)
3) design each area with an important encounter personally, so I know exactly what each NPC can do and is thinking, so I can have them react properly
4) Base my NPC reactions on PC actions from the last session

If I don't do it all myself, I find, I can't remember everything. That's why I have to make my own material (with healthy doses of pirating pre-made material for monster stats, etc.) from scratch.

 

[Crothian]

Everything starts with why are the PCs doing this? From there I branch out to what is the goal of the adveture and who are the adversaries and allies. Who is interested and watching from a far. What cool things do I want to be featured in the adventure.

 

[roguerouge]

Collect a great deal of published adventures to prevent DM burnout. Figure out what I want to be happening in the world and discover what the players want to do. Then, select the appropriate adventures for both factors.

 

[Ktulu]

I generally start with were the PC's left off. What are the likely decisions they'll make next? There's rarely more than 2-3 options in any given scenario, so I anticipate the most likely decisions and build challenges/combats around those, then I anticipate likely outcomes and directions from there.

Much of my technique is just mapping out the session (somewhat like story-boarding); whether I use an outline, or I just sit back with an iced tea on the porch and ponder, the objective is to get a clear idea of where the story can go.

I also often build a few minor skill challenges and combats(haggling prices, bribery, thugs, assaassins their tracking, etc..) just in case they do something I didn't expect..

 

[kitsune9]

Everything starts with why are the PCs doing this? From there I branch out to what is the goal of the adveture and who are the adversaries and allies. Who is interested and watching from a far. What cool things do I want to be featured in the adventure.

Hey, that's cool Crothian. Never took that approach. How does that work for you?

 

[Allegro]

I try to build player profiles and understand what they want to do. For example one of my characters wants to see a real reoccurring villain and another one wants to sell more flatware (no really this is seriously what she said). The current adventure is setting up the both they will encounter an overwhelming villain and the means to start a flatware business.

The other thing I use is the rule of three. Every major action the PCs take has three effects. Some effects are positive and some are negative. For example killing off the pirates on the coasts allow for increased trade and the town grows, the lizard folks are no longer kept in check by the pirates, and the locals view the PCs more favorably. This leads me to figuring out what increased trade, connections, or what the lizard folks will do to the world.

So my challenge is to figure out what adventure can bring together a couple of PC desires or world effects. I use this as inspiration and create an adventure to fit these together.

 

[Cadfan]

I tend to start with a plot by some bad guys. Then I figure out how the PCs are likely to be involved. Then I guess at what the PCs are likely to do about the plot based on the information they start with. From there, I develop some encounters, generally in a rough form since I don't know how things will work out, and I make note of some monster stat blocks I will need to populate those encounters. I don't set specifics beyond that. Finally, I make note of what the PCs will learn from each encounter.

It works really, really well when I'm not too lazy to do it right.

 

[Crothian]

Hey, that's cool Crothian. Never took that approach. How does that work for you?

It's worked very well for my gaming style for over a decade. It works for every game I've designed adventures for from D&D to Paranoia to Changeling to Og!