Where are you getting your adventures?

[drnuncheon]

I've always wondered if some of the hooplah surrounding "Of Sound Mind" wasn't partially generated by our local cult of personality thing, but I've heard such consistently good feedback on that, that I suspect it's a great module. I don't have any firsthand experience with it, though -- what kind of game is it?

In some ways, it reminds me of "Death in Freeport" (and you know how much I like that one!): it's got investigation, dungeon crawl, some excellent creepiness, and good chances for heroics. In fact, it's even better than DiF because there's even more opportunity to interact with the opposition instead of (or perhaps in addition to) fighting it out.

It's also got good DMing hints for the adventure, which are always a plus - it makes it much easier to visualize the adventure and how different things fit in.

If you look up earlier in the thread you'll see my .sig, and in it there's a link to 'Tales of a Dying World', my OSM storyhour. A fair chunk of the setting 'flavor' is mine, but the core of module and the encounters are practically unchanged.

I personally suspect the reason that Pcat is so behind on OSM2 is that he's nervous about living up to everyone's expectations.

 

[scadgrad]

For many years I wrote ALL my own adventures, but then I got into running modules from Dungeon (I have the complete run, but really haven't enjoyed the 3.5 work w/ a few notable exceptions). The next thing I knew, I was finding it far easier to tweak a pre-existing module than write my own. I am a horrible stickler for details & I get easily bogged down mapping, creating NPCs etc. Working 45+ hours a week, plus being a husband & a daddy also limits my time, so I simply find running modules to be easier. To each his own of course.

Additionally, I love the "shared experience" of talking w/ other gamers about their experience in modules of the past. It's just hard to contribute to the "what did your group do w/ Meepo" conversation if you didn't play/run the module.

Add my name to the growing list of Necromancer supporters. I own ALL of their modules & have ran RA1,2 & 3 (though no one has finished it), Wizard's Amulet & Crucible of Freya, Tomb of Absythor, one of the adventures from Demons & Devils and Hall of the Rainbow Mage.

From my experience Hall of the Rainbow Mage is their best. There's enormous play value in that book, even if you don't use any of the free web updates. It worked perfectly into my campaign & we played it for months. For those who want shorter episodes, Demons & Devils is a bargain. I admire Necro's approach to module design, they convert to my highly tweaked homebrew campaign w/ only the slightest amount of work. Rappan Athuk is a great crawl and could fit in just about any homebrew w/ only a little modification.

I have also ran the first 3 Freeport modules & they were a bit brief, but well received by my group. Of the WotC Adventure Path, I think the Sunless Citadel & Forge of Fury are great ways to introduce new players to the game. The Standing Stone was really fun as well. Heart of Nightfang Spire, if ran properly, is as devious as they come. It's very hard not to have a TPK in that one. I do like the way that the WotC modules interelated. The looks on my players face when they realized what their actions in the Sunless Citadel had wrought was simply priceless.

 

[Sholari]

I basically use modules to cover my weak areas. Generally, I'm great with integrating story lines, creating unexpected meta plots, and subplots for individual characters. What I generally don't have time for is all the details given that I have a fairly demanding job and other outside interests. Adventures help to cover a lot of the low level detail and good story components. If the group goes off the between path, I have a library of adventures (200+). I pick and chose what will best fit their new direction and make whatever changes are necessary to fit the change in scenery. I'm always on the prowl for modules that I consider to be of quality.

For me the definition of quality is as follows...

- Good Plot Component: Does the story have interesting plot twists or do you just walk from encounter to encounter killing things? Do players have to think to succeed at the adventure or is it more about having a powerful character to mow through the opposition.

- Flavor: Does the module bring the different settings to life? Can I actually imagine the places described or do they sound fairly stereotypical? Are the details and nuances of the adventure unqiue in some way?

- Adaptability: How easy is the adventure to integrate into many different campaigns? How much flexibility does the adventure allow me to build it into the current campaign? Would the average adventuring group have good motivation to get involved with the setting?

Sources for finding quality modules...

- Dungeon magazine (until recently)
- Carefully picked third edition from a publisher with a good reputation (Green Ronin, Privateer, Malhovic Press, etc.)
- Old first edition adventures bought off of SVgames, Ebay, or Amazon auctions

Most recent campaign series o' modules...
- Thirds of Purloined Vellum (Dungeon)
- The Longest Night (Witchfire)
- Swamp Stomp (Dungeon)
- Integrated bits from GDQ 1-9 Queen of Spiders (Slavelord's Revenge intro), B4 Veiled Society, Masoleum from Swashbuckling Adventures Hideouts and Strongholds
- Shadow of the Exile: Act I (Witchfire)
- C1 Hidden Shrine of Tomoachan
- Shadow of the Exile: Act III (Witchfire)

 

[the Jester]

I appreciate the responses, but I have some question for those who write their own.

How often do you play? Are you married? With children? Do you have a full time job that requires 55-60 hours a week with travel? Do you own a home and have to do the required up keep on it?

...I am certain that you have probably read a Dungeon or two, or come across a well-written adventure that you have used for inspiration. Which ones were those? That is why I am asking, "Where do you get your adventures?"

I read Dungeon infrequently, and occasionally buy a module or two. I recently picked up both If Thoughts Could Kill and Of Sound Mind; both are excellent, if I start a 3.5 gnomish rock band party I'll prolly take 'em through OSM.

 

[pogre]

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?

I have stolen liberally from Life's Bazaar issue #97 and I liked Wings, Spike, and Teeth and Gluttony issue #98.

Necropolis is OK. I like Vault of Larin Karr. I do not have Grey Citadel.

Must go to sleep - driving to Indy tomorrow!

 

[Kastil]

I tried a pre-made adventure once. ONCE. I find the demented things in my head are far more enjoyable to the party as a whole than the ones written down. The only thing that I find tiresome is making a map sometimes. I guess I'm guess too lazy to scan it in for the players (I play online). Although I like the Freeport stuff.

 

[Voadam]

I think everyone would like to write their own adventures for their own campaigns.

Not me, I am good at evoking atmosphere and having things make sense in my game, and I am really good at having a world exist with plots ongoing, but my skill lies more in taking disparate existing elements I like and making them fit reasonably. I use a lot of modules when I DM, and I allow the characters to act as they want (including dropping a module halfway through by fleeing the country).

I do run things off the fly as needed and have developed a few areas and things on my own, but I usually find it fun to fit a module into the world I'm running.

For 3e I have WotC's Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, Kenzer's Harvest of Darkness, a bunch of free electronic adventures, a low level mini adventure that came with some counters, Atlas games' The Ebon Mirror, and some Avalnche Press ones I haven't finished reading yet.

I like mega-adventures and collections of short ones, especially ones that interrelate such as Eden Studios ones.

I also have a ton of older edition modules (I've run about half of all the 2e ravenloft ones that have ever come out) and have picked up a number as cheap or free ESDs.

I never got into Dungeon, mostly because I left it to the other guys in our group so that it would be their thing that they could run that I would not know anything about. Same thing with the Monte cook Malhavok adventures and 3e Adventure path modules.