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What do you want in a published adventure? / Adventure design best practices?
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7185974" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>OK, I've revised my original post with an update of the various conversations we had over the past months. Here are what folks on ENWorld want in a published adventure...</p><p></p><p>-----------------------------</p><p></p><p><strong>OVERLAP</strong></p><p></p><p>Boxed text, direction-neutral & concise – (8) Lanefan, transtemporal, LordEntrails, Charles Rampant, Schmoe, happy hermit, ArwensDaughter, ad_hoc</p><p></p><p>Good useful comprehensive maps (before area descriptions) – (6) LordEntrails, ExploderWizard, vincegetorix, Eltab, Jester David, Charles Rampant</p><p></p><p>What ifs (player actions) & Monster plans/reactions – (6) Lanefan, transtemporal, ExploderWizard, Ibranteloth, ArwensDaughter, Li Shenron</p><p></p><p>Monsters/NPCs with motivations…and relationships! – (6) robus, ExploderWizard, hastur_nz, Charles Rampant, Ibranteloth, ArwensDaughter</p><p></p><p>3.5e/4e style full page encounters (segragated monsters, treasure, traps, etc) – (5) shoak1, aco175, Ibranteloth, LordEntrails, ArwensDaughter</p><p></p><p>Layout that's clear, useful at table, and condenses info while keeping it readable (e.g. 9 pt font, leading 11 pts, diminishing horizontal scale) – (4) Lanefan, steeldragons, hawkeyefan, ratskinner</p><p></p><p>Clearly connected encounters/plot progression for groups preferring linear narrative – (4) shoak1, LordEntrails, Eltab, LostSoul</p><p></p><p>1e style abbreviated monster stats in room descriptions – (5) Lanefan, steeldragons, Schmoe, JohnnyP71, LordEntrails</p><p></p><p>Monster stat appendix in the back (4) – Eltab, Schmoe, happyhermit, LordEntrails</p><p></p><p>Something different/new (magic item, monster, NPC, trap, spell, etc) (3) – Lanefan, Schmoe, Charles Rampant</p><p></p><p>Limited Backstory, relevant to players/they can find out – (3) Lanefan, shoak1, Yavathol</p><p></p><p>Modular bits – (3) Eltab, Jester David, happy hermit</p><p></p><p>Compiled index of all monsters used in the adventure for DM token/minis prep – (3) css, JohnnyP71, happy hermit</p><p></p><p>Limited scope, self-contained (3) – LordEntrails, css, Lanefan</p><p></p><p>Maps (separate/pull-out for DMs & players) – (3) robus, JohnnyP71, Lanefan</p><p></p><p>Subsystems or rules variants appropriate to adventure – (3) Charles Rampant, Tony Vargas, Lanefan</p><p></p><p>Event/story development track or flowchart, dynamic story, “if the players do nothing…” – (3) Lanefan, hastur_nz, Tobold</p><p></p><p>Inventive design & good/imaginative ideas – (2) hastur_nz, Jester David</p><p></p><p>Ways to limit rests – (2) shoak1, JohnnyP71</p><p></p><p>Index if needed – (2) LordEntrails, happy hermit</p><p></p><p>Fun-to-read, flowing writing, non-formulaic – (2) happy hermit, Charles Rampant</p><p></p><p>Chapters/section playable on their own – (2) Carmen Sbordone, Ibranteloth</p><p></p><p>Run with no prep – (2) Libramarian, Li Shenron</p><p></p><p>Printer-friendly / detachable map – (2) ArwensDaughter, Li Shenron</p><p></p><p>*Readable* in-line monster stats – (2) pogre, LordEntrails</p><p></p><p><strong>OTHER COMMENTS</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p>Dungeon with multiple ingress/egress points, loops, multiple methods between levels (some which skip levels), secret areas, intentional “holes”, length of stairs noted – Lanefan </p><p></p><p>No boxed text (esp. not wordy) – robus</p><p></p><p>Sensible wandering monsters or none – Lanefan</p><p></p><p>No random monsters – robus</p><p></p><p>Innovative use of environment – Ath-kethin</p><p></p><p>Include stuff that breaks rules without explanation, i.e. “the Weird Stuff” – Ath-kethin</p><p></p><p>Chapter synopses & conclusions – transtemporal</p><p></p><p>Natural, organic language/description – Luz</p><p></p><p>Level appropriate encounters & treasure – shoak1</p><p></p><p>Relationship maps if needed – LordEntrails</p><p></p><p>“Dungeon dressing” – ExploderWizard</p><p></p><p>More complex “skill challenges” like UA traps – vincegetorix</p><p></p><p>PDF reference sheet of rooms – fjw70</p><p></p><p>Catchy title – ccs</p><p></p><p>Evocative cover art – css</p><p></p><p>Use rarely used monsters – css</p><p></p><p>Printable PDF of maps 1 sq = 1 in – css</p><p></p><p>Real danger – css</p><p></p><p>Well-organized room descriptions – Schmoe</p><p></p><p>Multiple adventure threads, esp. in “setting”-type adventures – Schmoe</p><p></p><p>Hyperlinking (for PDF/digital adventures) – hawkeyefan</p><p></p><p>Teach new DMs how to run/design advanced games – Jester David</p><p></p><p>Introduction providing breakdown of story beats & where to find stuff – Jester David</p><p></p><p>Town/region for the DM’s further use (e.g. Hommlet or Phandalin) – Charles Rampant</p><p></p><p>Using PC Backgrounds as hooks – Yavathol</p><p></p><p>Sandbox with an overarching plot – Inchoroi</p><p></p><p>Level/level range on cover – Ath-kethin</p><p></p><p>Plot twists – Yatzromo</p><p></p><p>Chance of failure, PCs have to earn success – Yatzromo</p><p></p><p>Intelligent monster strategies – Ibranteloth</p><p></p><p>Bonus materials online (e.g. printable maps, design/playtest notes) – Ibranteloth</p><p></p><p>3D dungeons, ideally isometric maps – Ibranteloth</p><p></p><p>Strong hook, get me interested in first page or two – Zardnaar</p><p></p><p>Monster/NPC cards – ArwensDaughter</p><p></p><p>Tips on adjusting adventure for party size/level – ArwensDaughter</p><p></p><p>No “fill this room with something” blanks – Li Shenron</p><p></p><p>No new monsters – Li Shenron</p><p></p><p>“Good” random encounters – ad_hoc</p><p></p><p>*Compressed* in-line monster stats – Lanefan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 7185974, member: 20323"] OK, I've revised my original post with an update of the various conversations we had over the past months. Here are what folks on ENWorld want in a published adventure... ----------------------------- [B]OVERLAP[/B] Boxed text, direction-neutral & concise – (8) Lanefan, transtemporal, LordEntrails, Charles Rampant, Schmoe, happy hermit, ArwensDaughter, ad_hoc Good useful comprehensive maps (before area descriptions) – (6) LordEntrails, ExploderWizard, vincegetorix, Eltab, Jester David, Charles Rampant What ifs (player actions) & Monster plans/reactions – (6) Lanefan, transtemporal, ExploderWizard, Ibranteloth, ArwensDaughter, Li Shenron Monsters/NPCs with motivations…and relationships! – (6) robus, ExploderWizard, hastur_nz, Charles Rampant, Ibranteloth, ArwensDaughter 3.5e/4e style full page encounters (segragated monsters, treasure, traps, etc) – (5) shoak1, aco175, Ibranteloth, LordEntrails, ArwensDaughter Layout that's clear, useful at table, and condenses info while keeping it readable (e.g. 9 pt font, leading 11 pts, diminishing horizontal scale) – (4) Lanefan, steeldragons, hawkeyefan, ratskinner Clearly connected encounters/plot progression for groups preferring linear narrative – (4) shoak1, LordEntrails, Eltab, LostSoul 1e style abbreviated monster stats in room descriptions – (5) Lanefan, steeldragons, Schmoe, JohnnyP71, LordEntrails Monster stat appendix in the back (4) – Eltab, Schmoe, happyhermit, LordEntrails Something different/new (magic item, monster, NPC, trap, spell, etc) (3) – Lanefan, Schmoe, Charles Rampant Limited Backstory, relevant to players/they can find out – (3) Lanefan, shoak1, Yavathol Modular bits – (3) Eltab, Jester David, happy hermit Compiled index of all monsters used in the adventure for DM token/minis prep – (3) css, JohnnyP71, happy hermit Limited scope, self-contained (3) – LordEntrails, css, Lanefan Maps (separate/pull-out for DMs & players) – (3) robus, JohnnyP71, Lanefan Subsystems or rules variants appropriate to adventure – (3) Charles Rampant, Tony Vargas, Lanefan Event/story development track or flowchart, dynamic story, “if the players do nothing…” – (3) Lanefan, hastur_nz, Tobold Inventive design & good/imaginative ideas – (2) hastur_nz, Jester David Ways to limit rests – (2) shoak1, JohnnyP71 Index if needed – (2) LordEntrails, happy hermit Fun-to-read, flowing writing, non-formulaic – (2) happy hermit, Charles Rampant Chapters/section playable on their own – (2) Carmen Sbordone, Ibranteloth Run with no prep – (2) Libramarian, Li Shenron Printer-friendly / detachable map – (2) ArwensDaughter, Li Shenron *Readable* in-line monster stats – (2) pogre, LordEntrails [B]OTHER COMMENTS [/B] Dungeon with multiple ingress/egress points, loops, multiple methods between levels (some which skip levels), secret areas, intentional “holes”, length of stairs noted – Lanefan No boxed text (esp. not wordy) – robus Sensible wandering monsters or none – Lanefan No random monsters – robus Innovative use of environment – Ath-kethin Include stuff that breaks rules without explanation, i.e. “the Weird Stuff” – Ath-kethin Chapter synopses & conclusions – transtemporal Natural, organic language/description – Luz Level appropriate encounters & treasure – shoak1 Relationship maps if needed – LordEntrails “Dungeon dressing” – ExploderWizard More complex “skill challenges” like UA traps – vincegetorix PDF reference sheet of rooms – fjw70 Catchy title – ccs Evocative cover art – css Use rarely used monsters – css Printable PDF of maps 1 sq = 1 in – css Real danger – css Well-organized room descriptions – Schmoe Multiple adventure threads, esp. in “setting”-type adventures – Schmoe Hyperlinking (for PDF/digital adventures) – hawkeyefan Teach new DMs how to run/design advanced games – Jester David Introduction providing breakdown of story beats & where to find stuff – Jester David Town/region for the DM’s further use (e.g. Hommlet or Phandalin) – Charles Rampant Using PC Backgrounds as hooks – Yavathol Sandbox with an overarching plot – Inchoroi Level/level range on cover – Ath-kethin Plot twists – Yatzromo Chance of failure, PCs have to earn success – Yatzromo Intelligent monster strategies – Ibranteloth Bonus materials online (e.g. printable maps, design/playtest notes) – Ibranteloth 3D dungeons, ideally isometric maps – Ibranteloth Strong hook, get me interested in first page or two – Zardnaar Monster/NPC cards – ArwensDaughter Tips on adjusting adventure for party size/level – ArwensDaughter No “fill this room with something” blanks – Li Shenron No new monsters – Li Shenron “Good” random encounters – ad_hoc *Compressed* in-line monster stats – Lanefan [/QUOTE]
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