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Is RPGing a *literary* endeavour?
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7606388" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Unfortunately, it isn't what a module looks like...but it certainly could be, because really - at the absolute root of it all, what more does a DM need? (well, perhaps a few things - see below)</p><p></p><p>It doesn't have its own backstory incuded? Great! 95+% of the time included backstory in a module is just wasted space for me: I'm going to ignore it and replace it with my own anyway. Even the one-line "dungeon history" that's given is more than I need.</p><p></p><p>It doesn't have boxed descriptions? Fine - though a case could be made to add them for the benefit of those new to DMing.</p><p></p><p>It doesn't have pre-gen characters? Again fine, and again a case could be made for adding them in either for one-off play or as NPC ideas for the DM to add to an existing party if so desired.</p><p></p><p>It doesn't indicate where the wandering monsters come from, or are based? This is a flaw.</p><p></p><p>The only other big change I'd make is the room numbering sequence. Given where the stairs are, explorers are highly likely to enter room 3 before any other room; so for the DM's convenience that should be room 1, then the current sequence 4-5-1-7-6-2 would become 2-7. In a tiny module like this it doesn't matter much, but in anything with a larger page count any reduction in page-flipping is a plus.</p><p></p><p>In any case, it then falls squarely on the DM to provide the colour and dungeon dressing and so forth when describing what the PCs see/hear/smell as they venture though this place, using the sparse guidelines in the module as a framework. (pleasant side effect here is potential reusability - two different DMs might describe this differently enough that the players may not even realize they're replaying the same module until a fair ways in)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7606388, member: 29398"] Unfortunately, it isn't what a module looks like...but it certainly could be, because really - at the absolute root of it all, what more does a DM need? (well, perhaps a few things - see below) It doesn't have its own backstory incuded? Great! 95+% of the time included backstory in a module is just wasted space for me: I'm going to ignore it and replace it with my own anyway. Even the one-line "dungeon history" that's given is more than I need. It doesn't have boxed descriptions? Fine - though a case could be made to add them for the benefit of those new to DMing. It doesn't have pre-gen characters? Again fine, and again a case could be made for adding them in either for one-off play or as NPC ideas for the DM to add to an existing party if so desired. It doesn't indicate where the wandering monsters come from, or are based? This is a flaw. The only other big change I'd make is the room numbering sequence. Given where the stairs are, explorers are highly likely to enter room 3 before any other room; so for the DM's convenience that should be room 1, then the current sequence 4-5-1-7-6-2 would become 2-7. In a tiny module like this it doesn't matter much, but in anything with a larger page count any reduction in page-flipping is a plus. In any case, it then falls squarely on the DM to provide the colour and dungeon dressing and so forth when describing what the PCs see/hear/smell as they venture though this place, using the sparse guidelines in the module as a framework. (pleasant side effect here is potential reusability - two different DMs might describe this differently enough that the players may not even realize they're replaying the same module until a fair ways in) [/QUOTE]
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