How will published adventure modules look?

[ren1999]

With the modular approach to D&DNext, I was just curious:

How will published adventure modules look?

All modules should use "Crypt of the Everflame" as a standard template. The module explains most things in detail or at least gives page numbers in other books where to find the details. It was written very clearly where as (all) others are just "try to do your best to guess how to conduct this particular skill challenge or encounter.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Perhaps the books would have a base adventure in half the book and additional encounters and info in the end. All in chapters.

Act 1

1. Entering the City
2. Surprise attack by goblins
3. Talking to City NPCs

Act 2

1. Traveling through forest
2. The insane Dryad and the captured Ranger
3. The Dragon Ruin and the wild animals

Act 3

1. Dungeon Exploration
2. Dungeon Social Interactions
3. Dungeon Combats

Additional Combat Encounters

1. City Severs
2. Another goblin raid
3. Wild animals in the forests
4. More dungeon fights
5. Condensed fights for Single combats (for novaing PCs)

Additional Exploration Encounters

1. More Background Effects
2. More info on the town
3. More Wilderness checks
4. More Traps

Additional Social Encounters

1. More Trait Effect
2. Deeper into the Mayor and the Lords
3. More City NPCs
4. The Dryad
5. The Ranger
6. The long dead Wizard
7. The BBEG

This is the last thing I want: the module writer telling me what is combat, what is interaction, etc. Present the setting, the inhabitants and their schemes, and an outline of events and likely consequences of PC success or failure. Let the players decide how they will interact with the setting and NPCs .

 

[Minigiant]

This is the last thing I want: the module writer telling me what is combat, what is interaction, etc. Present the setting, the inhabitants and their schemes, and an outline of events and likely consequences of PC success or failure. Let the players decide how they will interact with the setting and NPCs .

No, I want the game to be presented naturally and in a decent outline of the order they would appear. But everything would not have to be put up front when you encounter them. You don't print the Mayor's combat stats in the front of the chapter when you first encounter him. You only need the Mayor's combat block if your party decides to attack him or if the DM decides to make him the REAL BBEG.

The Mayor of Silvertown, Alexi Silvercourt

LN human sorceror

Str 11
Dex 7
Con 9
Int 16
Wis 12
Cha 17


Background: Noble
Skills- Bluff, Sense Motive, Thievery

+2 to checks involving nobles and dragons

Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven (from Noble)

Alexi Silvercourt is a man...​

For Silvercourt's Combat Statistics, see page 124

For Silvercourt's Contacts, Reputation, and Possessions, see page 150

For Silvercourt's Sanity and Taint level, see page 187

 

[pauljathome]

If WotC does not publish much in the way of adventures in the next edition, does that necessarily mean that there will have to be some fairly robust 3PP in that department? Or that everyone is going to be expected to just homebrew?

The existence of decent published adventures is one of the main reasons that I play D&D as opposed to other games. While they generally get substantially modified having a preexisting framework is very valuable.

At some level I don't really care who those adventures come from. But, like a lot of people, I find the quality of Pathfinder adventures far higher in general than WOTC adventures.

And that brings us to the whole licensing issue. Without some form of decent 3rd party license major publishers are almost certainly not going to publish adventures for DndNext.

This combination of factors is one of the main reasons that I feel it reasonably likely that DndNext will NOT be the game for me.

 

[Stormonu]

Eh, I'd like a tad more info when introduced

Alexi Silvercourt, The Mayor of Silvertown
LN human sorceror 5 (Noble)
S11 (+0); D 7 (-2); Co (-1); I 16 (+3); W 12 (+1); Ch 17 (+3)
Skills: Bluff, Sense Motive, Thievery
+2 to checks vs. nobles and dragons
Att: Spell (fire) +5 vs. R; 1d6+3; R60'
Def: AC 8; F 11; R 10; W 15
Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven (from Noble)

Alexi Silvercourt is a man...​

Expanded Combat p124
Contacts, Reputation, and Possessions, p150
Sanity and Taint level, p187

 

[Stormonu]

As I understand it, they already have. I believe eDungeon adopted a new format almost a year ago.

Would this have been after Monster Vault? That was the last adventure (Cairn of the Winter King) that I looked at, but though it had a great opening scene, it went downhill pretty quick once it hit the dungeon area - and I seem to recall it used the delve format still.

 

[delericho]

Would this have been after Monster Vault? That was the last adventure (Cairn of the Winter King) that I looked at, but though it had a great opening scene, it went downhill pretty quick once it hit the dungeon area - and I seem to recall it used the delve format still.

I'm afraid I can't remember - all I remember is a Design & Development column by Bruce Cordell discussing the new format. As I'm neither a DDI subscriber nor a 4e DM, I haven't actually seen the new format in action, although it sounds like an improvement.