How to create pre-written adventures
How to create pre-written adventures
Hi, everyone, thank you for your time.
There is a ton of info on how to run modules or steal ideas and encounters from them. However, I am looking for advice on the exact opposite and haven't had any luck.
The question in short:
How do I go about writing published adventures for other people to pick up and run? What info is necessary, what info is unnecessary, and what is just distracting?
Tangential background:
In my decade of GMing I have used a published adventure exactly once - it was an awful experience, nothing went to plan, and I felt much more prepared than I actually was. I have never done it since.
However, I am currently writing my own ttrpg system. It's going along great but before I even think about promoting an alpha release, I want to create a "Pick up and play" set - including basic, pre-created character archetypes and an adventure/mission, so you could jump in and try it out whenever.
I usually throw my players into a sandbox and plan every session individually to avoid burnout and to play my own little strategy game, if you will. That type of preparation just does not work when I'm trying to give someone else a prerendered package.
So I'm turning to the hive mind:
- What's the info you would be looking for when running published adventures(, module campaigns, what have you)?
- Which parts are often given but you almost always ignore anyways?
- Which parts are just distracting and make you feel like nothing is going to plan, or even cause your players to often go "off rails"?
I'm not looking to write a whole campaign - I'm aiming for a mission of around two sessions, just in case that's important to someone's advice.
As always, any nudge is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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The modules I like have:
- A DM map with a bunch of numbers on it, and text sections corresponding to the numbers detailing an encounter in a certain area. I personally skim these ahead of time, to know which parts to read out to the players when/if they get there. These should be traps (with exposition hints), puzzles, and combats.
- A hook, escalation with two options, and resolution, all encompassing a possible plot. TBH, this should be something that a DM can discard and replace with their own plot, if they have the inspiration and energy to do so. But if they don't, then your prewritten plot is there for their use. This is required reading either way, to know what's important (or what to replace).
- Some NPCs that have basic goals and motivations, for the DM to RP if the players find them (or need a push.} You don't want more than a paragraph or two for each, because all the extra details should be ad-libbed anyway. Motivation is key tho--why are they there, what do they want, and where their lines lie. Two one-liners from a Background table along with an alignment can usually cover most of that, TBH. Limit the required reading to 3-ish named NPCs per session, or less, with fewer introduced in subsequent areas of the module.