How do you read published aventures?

[punkorange]

I was just wondering how various people read through printed modules. Straight through word for word, skip rooms and just read story, skip crunch, etc?

 

[Crothian]

I read them like a book. But I'm always flipping between the room descriptions and the maps. And for those adventures that place the encounters in an appendix instead of with the room descriptions (which is a practice I dislike) I have to flip between the rooms, the encounters, and the maps.

 

[JustinA]

I was just wondering how various people read through printed modules. Straight through word for word, skip rooms and just read story, skip crunch, etc?

When first reading a module I'll read from beginning to end (referring to the map as necessary). I'll generally skim the crunch, looking for any notable abilities that will affect the play dynamics.

With WotC's new adventure organization I need to flip back-and-forth to the encounter descriptions and the primary flow of the adventure text. This is because WotC's new organization is ridiculously inefficient and not useful in the slightest. (The format of the actual material is better, IMO, but splitting up information that should be found in the same place is just never going to be a good idea.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I peek at the new monsters, spells and magic items first, look at the illustrations, flip through and look for anything cool that catches my eye.

Then I go back and read it cover to cover.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I read it straight through and miss every single retarded or missing aspect of the map, plot, or whatever. Until I'm reading it for real, when I'm running the module. And then I sit there for a few seconds wondering how I missed that when I "read" the module.

 

[jgbrowning]

Usually in English.

I read straight through.

joe b.

 

[T. Foster]

First I'll skim/read the intro and look at the maps to decide if I even want to bother reading the whole thing. If so, I'll skim through it, glossing over statblocks and "filler" rooms/encounters, to decide if I want to run it or not (if I make it to the end that usually means I've decided I want to run it, if not I'll usually give up reading midway through). If so I'll read through it again more carefully, paying attention to the details and trying to imagine how things will work out in actual play -- this is where I'll start making notes and changes. I don't usually read through modules as if they were books, and in fact any module that reads too much like a book (lots of predefined story and dialogue) I'll probably decide pretty early on that I don't want to play it and stop reading.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

I was just wondering how various people read through printed modules. Straight through word for word, skip rooms and just read story, skip crunch, etc?

Read for the story structure first. At this point I'm concenred about the why and the where and the who?

Then I look for the connections. How are the PC's going to get from point A to point B. does it make sense. What do I know about my players characters that will get them involved in this story?

Then I start reading the encounter areas and looking at the specifics. It's at this point that I start making my notes in the margins of the module / adventure. Then I go back and start re-reading with the intention of making notes / changes for play.

It's one of the reasons that I only buy PDF adventures now. I can print out and mark up encounter areas on the maps without having to flip back and forth through the book. Once I've marked up the encounters on the map, all I need for last minute prep just before the game is to look at the map / encounter areas for a few minutes to refamiliarize myself with it.

 

[Festivus]

I read the summary, then photocopy the map out and read the room descriptions, skipping most of the crunch except creatures/traps and then the conclusion. Then I go through again, this time at my computer and I enter all the creatures and treasure from each room into my excel spreadsheet, reading each of the crunch but skipping the descriptions. Then I say Roll for init.

 

[Nightfall]

Generally I try to read it all, but it depends on the format, the places used, the writing style.

Mostly I find if something is very cool, it makes the adventure flow that much easier.

THANK YOU!!!!!