Wolfgang Baur Re: Copper Bits and Gleaming Hoards

[Hussar]

See, now I read these articles and see them as being presented in a very matter-of-fact voice. He's not trying to pretty things up. He's putting forth his ideas in as straight forward manner as possible. Granted, he's only putting up one point of view, but, from a gamers standpoint, either as a newbie just coming to the game or as an experienced gamer, there is still a lot to be taken from what he's saying.

Plot coupons are neither a great nor bad idea. However, plot coupons AS TREASURE is a bad idea. This is the point that I took from things. And I agree. If you want to give treasure, give treasure. If you want to give plot hooks, do that. Don't mix the two or at least, don't mix the two too often.

Dropping a map is a good idea if you're doing a giant dungeon crawl like the WOrld's Largest Dungeon or Rappan Athuk. It makes sense in the context of the adventure. Dropping random treasure maps in hoards doesn't make much sense. After all, assuming the hoard owner is intelligent, why hasn't he looted the treasure on the map and added it to his own hoard?

I think that Mr Baur presents a very honest opinion of the process for creating modules - adventures for general consumption. As a starting point for creating adventures in your homebrew, it's not a bad place. But, I wouldn't consider a 5 page article to be the be all and end all of adventure design.

 

[Ranger REG]

I will agree with you about Baur's attitude. I can't stand the way he writes in these articles. He comes off like he's god's gift to adventure design.

Because he is.

 

[mhensley]

His bibliography-

http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=501

I would say he is somewhat of an authority and I've enjoyed his articles so far.

 

[Conaill]

From the player's perspective, there are just two reasons to risk character's life and limb: experience points and fat loot.

YUCK!

 

[bento]

Plot Coupons

I'm reading through OA2 - Night of the Seven Swords and now I know what plot coupons are!

Goal: kill seven monsters, take their treasure to make a device to kill the BBEG.

So far it reads like a video game! :\

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm reading through OA2 - Night of the Seven Swords and now I know what plot coupons are!

Goal: kill seven monsters, take their treasure to make a device to kill the BBEG.

So far it reads like a video game! :\

Nope, but it's a PnP element that inspired future videogames.

 

[Felon]

His bibliography-

http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showcreator&creatorid=501

I would say he is somewhat of an authority and I've enjoyed his articles so far.

Your point? Sorry, laurels aren't a shortcut to being right. A guy either has a compelling point of view or he doesn't.

 

[Hussar]

You don't think his point is compelling? That the majority of gamers out there want fat loot for their characters?

 

[Enkhidu]

You don't think his point is compelling?

I think his article steps over the "my way of gaming is better than yours" line the moment he calls plot coupons "lame."

 

[Hussar]

Fair enough I suppose. OTOH, railroading is generally considered a bad thing and plot coupons are railroading writ large. Stating something that many people consider to be true isn't exactly out of line. If you look at examples of modules that are nearly universally condemned as railroads, the majority contain plot coupons. Modules which are generally considered to be great adventures by and large don't. So, it's not out of line, IMO, to consider plot coupons to be lame.

Or at the very least, to consider plot coupons as treasure to be lame. This is the point he's making. Don't shortchange the party on the treasure they've earned simply to give the party the key to the next adventure. If the adventure uses plot coupons, then they should be kept entirely separate from treasure considerations, particularly if the plot coupons are elements the party doesn't get to keep.

"Woot, I got this really nifty cool magic sword."
"Oh, you mean I have to put the sword in that glowy pool to move things along?"
"Hey, my magic sword is gone."