Since you are a new DM, I highly suggest that you do not write/create your own adventures to start with. You should purchase a couple of
DUNGEON magazines and run one or two of those adventures first.
DUNGEON is the INDUSTRY STANDARD for quality scenario formatting, style, and content. If you want to "Write" a scenario for your players, COPY the style in DUNGEON. There are lots of other great adventures out there, but they are all hit and miss unless you get a specific reference to one from somebody. A copy of DUNGEON magazine should be the first thing you go out and purchase.
Writing adventures is easy if you simply create an underground complex (called a dungeon) that a mad wizard created a long time ago that is inhabited by monsters. Get yourself some graph paper and scribble up some rooms and corridors. Stick some randomn monsters in some numbered rooms and then write up the contents of each room (room description; Monster; Treasure).
Writing is hard if you spend too much time on dumb things like detailing treasure, writing up long descriptions of rooms with no purpose, and writing up stat blocks (NEVER WRITE UP STAT BLOCKS..JUST REFER TO THE DMG-NPC'S OR THE MONSTER MANUAL). Stat blocks for NPC's should NOT be written up UNLESS the PC's are going to fight them..even in that case just use the NPC's from the DMG.
A note on formatting:
Adventures are set up like this:
Section 1) Adventure Background
Section 2) Adventure Summary
Section 3) Encounters
3a)
Read-Aloud Text (this text paints the background for the PC's to interact with. This is written 3rd person..i.e. you almost NEVER use the word YOU in the read aloud text..you're not telling the PC"s what they're doing..you're telling them what's in the room).
GOOD EXAMPLE: The 20x20 room contains an old table with a book on top of it and a red tapestry on the far wall. DO __NOT__ SAY THESE BAD EXAMPLES: As YOU walk into the room YOU see a red book. As YOU open the book, demons jump out. As YOU walk over to the tapestry YOU spring a trap. As YOU look at the tapestry, YOU estimate that it was created in the netherese period and is pretty valuable to YOU. Just describe the room and trust the DM to interact with the players.
3b)
DM's Information text (this is where you note what 'should' happen to the PC's
3c) Monsters, traps, etc. It's best to just list a monster manual page here. There's no reason to do more work than you have to. Example: 14 medium zombies (see monster manual)
3d) Development (this is where you note how the PC's should get to the next encounter and also how this encounter plays out affects the scenario; if necessary). Example: The next day, the evil cleric will be back to this room. If the zombies have been defeated, he will be angry and will send out 2 ghouls to track down the PC's.
Section 4) Conclusion/wrap-up: Example: THE END
Section 5) Treasure and x.p. summary. You can list anything unusual here, otherwise it's just as easy to list this in the encounter.
Section 6) Appendices: Maps, player handouts, stat-blocks, etc.
Three last notes:
1) Download the DUNGEON writer's guidelines:
http://paizopublishing.com/writersguidelines/dungeon_writer_guidelines.pdf
2) Download the LG Writer's Guidelines at:
www.yahoogroups.com/group/lgwriters
3) READ your DMG section on adventures.
Lastly: join the only adventure writing discussion group in the world:
WWW.YAHOOGROUPS.COM/GROUP/LGWRITERS
Jay Hafner, DC
Denver, CO
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