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What makes for an interesting adventure?
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<blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 6980203" data-attributes="member: 20564"><p>Adventures are interesting if the players are interested in the outcome(s) and the path to get there, feel like they make meaningful choices, and there is real risk and real rewards.</p><p></p><p>Let me unpack that:</p><p></p><p><strong>"Players are interested in the outcome(s)..."</strong> This is a core bit, and can vary greatly from table to table and within players at the same table. For one player, it could be advancing their character's goals. Another just wants to see their character advance and succeed. Another is running a paladin and as long as they are fighting justice they are happy. Other players like unraveling the large campaign arcs. Either way, what meta-hooks will keep your players interested in the outcome.</p><p></p><p><strong>"...and the path to get there..."</strong>: I've got a group right now that can spend a session RPing among themselves and love the drama of it. Most enjoy combat in D&D, some what lots of it. Some like puzzles or exploration, others don't care for spending a lot fo wall clock time on them. Some may be happy as long as their characters has some drama or a chance at character growth.</p><p></p><p><strong>"...feel like they make meaningful choices..."</strong> A meaningful choice needs to be informed (but doesn't need to be fully informed), needs to have consequences no matter what you chose, even if it's "just" risk to their characters. They need to feel like the story could have ended up very differently if they had made different yet viable choices. Railroading or an "adventure on rails" is the opposite of this, where it goes tho the same place no matter what. This is not to say that there isn't anything set; if they are investigating a murder and find out clue A from the butcher or clue B from the hidden diary both can lead to the same murderer. But when they find out why he did it do they denounce him, smuggle him out of town, or quietly turn him over to the sheriff before a mob can lynch him are still choices.</p><p></p><p><strong>"...and there is real risk..."</strong> One of my most boring times in D&D is a series of balanced fights. A bunch fo fights that you walk away from each having used up some resources but there was no fear feels like I'm putting in the time. Ones were I narrowly survive, or it feels like it could have been a TPK if we hadn't been both sharp and lucky, those feel like we really succeeded. Now take that and apply it to everything. Trying to convince the Duke to send a relief force to a small town attacked by goblins - sure, it's worthwhile, but the players don't have much skin in the game. Finding out the duke wants to send his forces into a neighboring barony and bracing him in public with their request so he needs to protect his town first because of his obligations, even though they need to keep the duke from knowing that they are thwarting his expansion plans because then they would gain his ire - that's more exciting.</p><p></p><p><strong>"...and real rewards."</strong>: When the PCs overcome risk, celebrate it. Have towns throw feasts for them, have them go into an inn in a new city and hear a mistral singing a song about how they overcame the Black Hound of Hanover. Have then gain both fame and fortune in noticeable and life-altering ways. Give them a reputation and have it used for both good and bad. Let them find cool magic items, gain boons from the stand-offish elves, and in other ways make them feel like they are heroes and want to do it again.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Blue, post: 6980203, member: 20564"] Adventures are interesting if the players are interested in the outcome(s) and the path to get there, feel like they make meaningful choices, and there is real risk and real rewards. Let me unpack that: [B]"Players are interested in the outcome(s)..."[/B] This is a core bit, and can vary greatly from table to table and within players at the same table. For one player, it could be advancing their character's goals. Another just wants to see their character advance and succeed. Another is running a paladin and as long as they are fighting justice they are happy. Other players like unraveling the large campaign arcs. Either way, what meta-hooks will keep your players interested in the outcome. [B]"...and the path to get there..."[/B]: I've got a group right now that can spend a session RPing among themselves and love the drama of it. Most enjoy combat in D&D, some what lots of it. Some like puzzles or exploration, others don't care for spending a lot fo wall clock time on them. Some may be happy as long as their characters has some drama or a chance at character growth. [B]"...feel like they make meaningful choices..."[/B] A meaningful choice needs to be informed (but doesn't need to be fully informed), needs to have consequences no matter what you chose, even if it's "just" risk to their characters. They need to feel like the story could have ended up very differently if they had made different yet viable choices. Railroading or an "adventure on rails" is the opposite of this, where it goes tho the same place no matter what. This is not to say that there isn't anything set; if they are investigating a murder and find out clue A from the butcher or clue B from the hidden diary both can lead to the same murderer. But when they find out why he did it do they denounce him, smuggle him out of town, or quietly turn him over to the sheriff before a mob can lynch him are still choices. [B]"...and there is real risk..."[/B] One of my most boring times in D&D is a series of balanced fights. A bunch fo fights that you walk away from each having used up some resources but there was no fear feels like I'm putting in the time. Ones were I narrowly survive, or it feels like it could have been a TPK if we hadn't been both sharp and lucky, those feel like we really succeeded. Now take that and apply it to everything. Trying to convince the Duke to send a relief force to a small town attacked by goblins - sure, it's worthwhile, but the players don't have much skin in the game. Finding out the duke wants to send his forces into a neighboring barony and bracing him in public with their request so he needs to protect his town first because of his obligations, even though they need to keep the duke from knowing that they are thwarting his expansion plans because then they would gain his ire - that's more exciting. [B]"...and real rewards."[/B]: When the PCs overcome risk, celebrate it. Have towns throw feasts for them, have them go into an inn in a new city and hear a mistral singing a song about how they overcame the Black Hound of Hanover. Have then gain both fame and fortune in noticeable and life-altering ways. Give them a reputation and have it used for both good and bad. Let them find cool magic items, gain boons from the stand-offish elves, and in other ways make them feel like they are heroes and want to do it again. [/QUOTE]
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