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The challenges of high level adventure design.
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<blockquote data-quote="bloodtide" data-source="post: 8930135" data-attributes="member: 6684958"><p>This is a good example of a problem with high level adventure modules. Many DMs just want a by the numbers linear adventure: they want to be told what to do and how to do it. The DM is unwilling, or unable, to do things on their own. A lot of high level adventures, even more so the older 2E ones, often don't give a solution: the DM and Players must figure one out. And many DMs say they like figuring out a new unique way to solve a problem...at least until they have to solve it.</p><p></p><p>Are you really saying a game of D&D must only be in a dungeon with a dragon?</p><p></p><p>The trick here is adventure and encounter design...something that D&D fizzles a bit on. An easy encounter can be made much harder with a tweak or two. A group of orcs standing in a clearing is easy, but what if the orcs were all climbing and jumping between trees and shooting arrows. If the characters just stay put, it will be a difficult encounter. But when the players decide to have their characters climb the trees to fight, now things get hard. Next come demons in demon tainted trees. Next comes a fight deep under water. The next one is in the air. The next in space. Three dimensions is a great way to balance an encounter. </p><p></p><p>There is also the two part encounter. The monsters lair is in the base of the long ago destroyed Arch of Healing...but as the monster has eaten some of the arch rubble, it gets amazing healing. The characters can't kill it, unless the break it's connection to the broken arch. So they is not just a d20 spam combat, the players will need to figure out what is going on and how to block or spot it. This also works with any foe that can possess: the characters can kill the host body, but that does not stop the possessor.</p><p></p><p>One Big Problem is that quite often when someone is given solutions to high level play adventure problems they flat out say that they "don't want those solutions" and that they are talking about "other unspecified problems" only. And this is a problem with publishers and companies too: they will reject your "wrong kind" of adventure.</p><p></p><p>Another Big Problem, a huge one in 5E, is you must allow Homebrew. High level options just don't exist in 5E core, and barley any even if you count all 'offical' stuff.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="bloodtide, post: 8930135, member: 6684958"] This is a good example of a problem with high level adventure modules. Many DMs just want a by the numbers linear adventure: they want to be told what to do and how to do it. The DM is unwilling, or unable, to do things on their own. A lot of high level adventures, even more so the older 2E ones, often don't give a solution: the DM and Players must figure one out. And many DMs say they like figuring out a new unique way to solve a problem...at least until they have to solve it. Are you really saying a game of D&D must only be in a dungeon with a dragon? The trick here is adventure and encounter design...something that D&D fizzles a bit on. An easy encounter can be made much harder with a tweak or two. A group of orcs standing in a clearing is easy, but what if the orcs were all climbing and jumping between trees and shooting arrows. If the characters just stay put, it will be a difficult encounter. But when the players decide to have their characters climb the trees to fight, now things get hard. Next come demons in demon tainted trees. Next comes a fight deep under water. The next one is in the air. The next in space. Three dimensions is a great way to balance an encounter. There is also the two part encounter. The monsters lair is in the base of the long ago destroyed Arch of Healing...but as the monster has eaten some of the arch rubble, it gets amazing healing. The characters can't kill it, unless the break it's connection to the broken arch. So they is not just a d20 spam combat, the players will need to figure out what is going on and how to block or spot it. This also works with any foe that can possess: the characters can kill the host body, but that does not stop the possessor. One Big Problem is that quite often when someone is given solutions to high level play adventure problems they flat out say that they "don't want those solutions" and that they are talking about "other unspecified problems" only. And this is a problem with publishers and companies too: they will reject your "wrong kind" of adventure. Another Big Problem, a huge one in 5E, is you must allow Homebrew. High level options just don't exist in 5E core, and barley any even if you count all 'offical' stuff. [/QUOTE]
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