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What Does An Adventure With Vanilla Elements Need To Sell?
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<blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 5958002" data-attributes="member: 52734"><p>A compelling or otherwise interesting villain can turn a mediocre adventure into a great adventure. Count Strahd von Zoravich, Lord Soth the Death Knight, Lord Verminaard, Acerek the Demilich, Lolth, Lareth the Beautiful. A cool villain is one whose danger is matched with motive and personality. A weak villain with a deep background will be forgotten. But a villain whose background drives him into deadly opposition with the party of adventurers - who dogs their every step, plans for the party's defeat and has the power to carry that defeat out if not stopped - he or she will be remembered for some time to come.</p><p></p><p>Also, unusual settings can help raise an otherwise straight-forward adventure into an interesting foray. The trap-tomb of Acerek, the puzzling corridors of White Plume Mountain, the haunted castle of Ravenloft.</p><p></p><p>Start your adventure with a sentence - what is it about? Think up four encounters (puzzles, traps, monsters, bosses, whatever) to go with your adventure and then build from there. Link and expand it as needed.</p><p></p><p>For example: "A fiendish kobold has driven local miners out just shortly after a silver vein was struck.</p><p></p><p>Encounter 1 - The Trapped Entrance: The kobold has rigged the main entrance to deter intruders. Concealed bear traps, deadfalls and pits litter the entryway with a kobold guard nearby to finish off anyone caught in the traps. Characters can take one of two passages that lead to encounter 2 or encounter 3.</p><p></p><p>Encounter 2 - Warrens: kobold warriors relax in here, believing themselves to be safe from outside attack. If the party uses stealth, they can off the guards in the absconded miner's barracks one or two at a time. If they raise the alarm, the party faces a massed assault by kobolds who use their environment to their advantage to impede the party's progress. Navigating the gauntlet leads to Encounter 4.</p><p></p><p>Encounter 3 - The Silverlode: most of the silver has been mined with the aid of an enslaved Xorn. If the characters can kill its kobold captors and free it, it will in turn lead the characters through side passages to avoid the kobold king's bodyguards and take them directly to the kobold king himself. If the xorn flees, the party will have to backtrack to Encounter 2. If they befriend the xorn, they are led to Encounter 4.</p><p></p><p>Encounter 4 - The Horned King: Waiting here is a spellcasting psuedodragon who has taken on the mantle of the kobold king. Thoroughly corrupted by greed, the horned king uses illusions to disguise himself as a kobold to lead the others. If the party can catch him unaware, they have a chance to convince the kobold king to abandon the mine and search for greener pastures. If the kobold king is allowed to prepare, he can give the characters a hard fight.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Stormonu, post: 5958002, member: 52734"] A compelling or otherwise interesting villain can turn a mediocre adventure into a great adventure. Count Strahd von Zoravich, Lord Soth the Death Knight, Lord Verminaard, Acerek the Demilich, Lolth, Lareth the Beautiful. A cool villain is one whose danger is matched with motive and personality. A weak villain with a deep background will be forgotten. But a villain whose background drives him into deadly opposition with the party of adventurers - who dogs their every step, plans for the party's defeat and has the power to carry that defeat out if not stopped - he or she will be remembered for some time to come. Also, unusual settings can help raise an otherwise straight-forward adventure into an interesting foray. The trap-tomb of Acerek, the puzzling corridors of White Plume Mountain, the haunted castle of Ravenloft. Start your adventure with a sentence - what is it about? Think up four encounters (puzzles, traps, monsters, bosses, whatever) to go with your adventure and then build from there. Link and expand it as needed. For example: "A fiendish kobold has driven local miners out just shortly after a silver vein was struck. Encounter 1 - The Trapped Entrance: The kobold has rigged the main entrance to deter intruders. Concealed bear traps, deadfalls and pits litter the entryway with a kobold guard nearby to finish off anyone caught in the traps. Characters can take one of two passages that lead to encounter 2 or encounter 3. Encounter 2 - Warrens: kobold warriors relax in here, believing themselves to be safe from outside attack. If the party uses stealth, they can off the guards in the absconded miner's barracks one or two at a time. If they raise the alarm, the party faces a massed assault by kobolds who use their environment to their advantage to impede the party's progress. Navigating the gauntlet leads to Encounter 4. Encounter 3 - The Silverlode: most of the silver has been mined with the aid of an enslaved Xorn. If the characters can kill its kobold captors and free it, it will in turn lead the characters through side passages to avoid the kobold king's bodyguards and take them directly to the kobold king himself. If the xorn flees, the party will have to backtrack to Encounter 2. If they befriend the xorn, they are led to Encounter 4. Encounter 4 - The Horned King: Waiting here is a spellcasting psuedodragon who has taken on the mantle of the kobold king. Thoroughly corrupted by greed, the horned king uses illusions to disguise himself as a kobold to lead the others. If the party can catch him unaware, they have a chance to convince the kobold king to abandon the mine and search for greener pastures. If the kobold king is allowed to prepare, he can give the characters a hard fight. [/QUOTE]
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