Where are you getting your adventures?

[kaiscomet]

Hey BG@W,
I really enjoyed the Atonement adventure from Direkobold. But honsetly, they are all great. Especially because you can adjust them so easily.

And I'll pick up a copy of your module Ed. If anything, how can I turn down the way the cover looks. Brings back the memories!

 

[johnsemlak]

Making my own adventures saves me tons of time at the end of the day. To run a module right, you need to read it cover to cover a coupla times, and then you need to go over parts of it in gruesome detail to be prepared. If you do more than just running back to back modules, like you want to actually have (gasp!) a campaign or something, then you're staring at several monstrously huge books that you have to be very familiar with to run. I've never understood the claim that homebrewing takes too much time. That's the most counter-intuitive argument I've ever heard.

I'm sure this is true for many people but I'm not sure about everyone.

I think a lot of people do save themselves a lot of time using pre-prepared (redundant?) modules. Perhaps such people are less creative, less experienced, or less well-read than others. Perhaps they're not good at or don't enjoy improvising. Perhaps they just don't enjoy homebrewing. Perhaps they're fans of a particular setting, author, or module series. Certainly I appreciate having prepared maps, statted NPCs with backgrounds, a written plot, etc, even if I modify all of the above. I also like ones with cool and useful illustrations to show players but those are few and far between.

Reading adventures doesn't seem like it takes time to me because I enjoy reading (good) adventures. And when I read one I have an urge to use it.

On the other hand I understand DMs who enjoy homebrewing.

 

[Emiricol]

I'm sure this is true for many people but I'm not sure about everyone.

I think a lot of people do save themselves a lot of time using pre-prepared (redundant?) modules. Perhaps such people are less creative, less experienced, or less well-read than others. Perhaps they're not good at or don't enjoy Perhaps they just don't enjoy homebrewing. Perhaps their fans of a particular setting, author, or module series. Certainly I appreciate having prepared maps, statted NPCs with backgrounds, a written plot, etc, even if I modify all of the above. I also like ones with cool and useful illustrations to show players but those are few and far between.

Reading adventures doesn't seem like it takes time to me because I enjoy reading (good) adventures. And when I read one I have an urge to use it.

On the other hand I understand DMs who enjoy homebrewing.

None of those (mostly negative) reasons apply to me. Maybe I just disagree with Joshua. I'm certainly not alone in that.

 

[Mark]

I think a lot of DMs wind up writing their own because they are told that a module "is easily dropped into any campaign world" only to find that it isn't always true. Most modules need some sort of setting and even the oldest ones were at one time someone else's homebrew. This almost always leads to some type of change from what the typical DM is running in their own home.

Myself, I have always made my own adventure (barring some DMing for the RPGA) but I've stuck with the core rules. I used the original white boxed set, then the first batch of hard-covers. I followed up with strictly the core rules in 2E (avoiding the money pit that became the add-ons/arms race of that edition). With 3E I've done the same thing and will do so with 3.5, as well.

All that said, I am also producing some materials, along side of some useful DM utilities. I think what will eventually set me apart from a lot of other product lines is that there's no "one big hook" mentality. Just good, solid creation of in-depth materials with a focus on personalities and plots. I've coupled that with thirty years of gaming experience in the form of useful advice within the materials for how to make the most of it all. I think my past work has shown that well and with 3.5 now out in the open, they'll be a lot more to come.

You might want to change a few names of people or places in my products, to give something your own personal flavor, but you're not going to have to make major adjustments to how you run your own game to get quick and easy use of it.

Good luck with your homebrewing! If you find you need some help, take a peek at my generators and other very reasonably-priced products on RPGNow.com and I think you will see what I mean...

 

[Arnwyn]

I'm sure this is true for many people but I'm not sure about everyone.

It is certainly not true for everyone. In fact, JD is the only person who I have ever seen make such a claim (though I'm sure there are a couple of other such people at ENWorld).

While I'm sure it works for him, his group, and their play style, I'm pretty skeptical that it applies to many others...

 

[Desdichado]

It is certainly not true for everyone. In fact, JD is the only person who I have ever seen make such a claim (though I'm sure there are a couple of other such people at ENWorld).

While I'm sure it works for him, his group, and their play style, I'm pretty skeptical that it applies to many others...

Someone else in the same thread replied that they do the same thing! I shouldn't be the only one you know of, at least.

I don't deny, I may be unusual in that respect, but I'm certainly not unique. It's also the strategy espoused by Ray Winninger in his Dungeoncraft series of articles, so presumably it's somewhat widespread. And, most non-D&D RPG's don't even have published modules (White Wolf, GURPS) so everyone who ever plays any of them can't be using them either.

 

[pogre]

First, running a module is less time consuming for me than writing my own. I do run mostly my own stuff, but I do fall back on published stuff. Some's good - much is not. Obviously, I do not do the fast and free DMing style. I improvise a lot, but that's different than the style of Dyal and others. For me to suggest one style is better than the other is silly - it's what you and your players prefer of course.

I subscribe to Dungeon but I agree with the comments posted here. Having said that - keep an eye on them - they really have had some quality adventures in the recent past.

I subscribe to Dire Kobold. Much of their stuff is good - I particularly like the Wil Upchurch adventures.

I picked up The Gryphon's Legacy by Wolfgang Baur the other day - have not run it yet, but it looks like a lot of fun.

Necromancer games have not disappointed me yet. Rappan Athuk is silly, but a lot of fun.

The Atlas modules were OK - the bigger ones "Penumbra" system style.

Take a look at the free adventures and cliff hangers at WOTC - I have stolen a few lairs from those sources.

I think the Troll Lords guy have some fun adventures - not real deep, but a lot of fun. I'm going to run the Lost City of Gaxmoor - it's highly goofy, but looks like a ton of fun.

I have modules from many, many other companies and frankly I must use my Mom's rule here - "If you can't say something nice..."

edit: clarification

 

[kaiscomet]

Hey pogre, thanks for your suggestions.
I wanted to ask which recent Dungeon adventure you have liked the most recently.

Also, what do you think about arnwyn's suggestions for the top Necromancer modules with Vault of Larin Karr, Necropolis, and the Grey CItadel?

 

[Desdichado]

If I buy Dungeon, I typically buy it for Polyhedron, so I don't have tons and tons of them obvious. I did, however, like the Porphyry House Mystery, or whatever the exact title is; the tie-in adventure to the Book of Vile Darkness.

I guess maybe it would help if we knew what you're tastes were. It's hard to recommend stuff not knowing if the things I love about it are things that you will even like at all. Freeport for example, I think is great, because it's got Cthulhu madness, lots of investigating, twisted, convoluted "who can you trust" plots and the like, but some DMs may hate that kind of stuff.

 

[Ed Cha]

Hey BG@W,
I really enjoyed the Atonement adventure from Direkobold. But honsetly, they are all great. Especially because you can adjust them so easily.

And I'll pick up a copy of your module Ed. If anything, how can I turn down the way the cover looks. Brings back the memories!

Thanks! I appreciate your looking at "1A The Hamlet of Thumble". Storn Cook has done a beautiful job with the cover and you'll see an even better one next month when I announce "1B The Village of Oester".

Anyhow, you may also want to check out adventures from Mystic Eye Games and Troll Lord Games, too. They have some very interesting ideas. I've also liked stuff from Atlas Games and Paradigm Concepts.

"The Witchfire Trilogy" by Privateer Press has BEAUTIFUL artwork and a pretty neat plotline, too. My only nitpick is that it's very linear and the DM has to force the PCs down a specific path or else it doesn't work. Personally, I tend to enjoy more open-ended adventures. But it is a very good adventure series, regardless. Also, they're only about $10 each so a good value to boot.

There are a quite a few good d20 adventures out there and I think now more are coming out. Don't give up on adventures yet!