Stone Giant: D&D Frameworks (W1)

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I have noticed a distinct shift in the modules coming from WOTC. Descent into Avernus is a wonderful example. [Warning some spoilers] Being an adventure designed to progress PC's from level 1 to level 11, and transitioning across five major chapters (particularly chapter 3: Avernus, which could of used some sub-division), you have a choice as a module author/DM. Do I try to continuously branch out the major possibilities a party might go within the frame of the story, perhaps expecting the DM running things to ad hoc the elements I didn't write about; vs. railroading the story and removing player agency (which is one of my disappointments with Descent into Avernus). Second, I think the cultural context of where you and your players are from is important. I had a discussion with other DM's from Denmark, and very few Danes would plan an adventure like this, because in Denmark, it's ok to develop things as you go, involve your players more, and let the adventure develop based upon their actions and reactions. I think some DM's, that are not american perhaps, struggle with this culture of having to have the answer for everything, having everything planned in advance, and not making errors as a DM. I think this is an important point to make, because some DM's might just give up before getting started creating fancy prep that they are never gonna use due to their cultural context with their friends as players :) First, it would be useful to see the end product of these principles and ideas, like a couple of examples. High-falutin’ ideas aside, common sense dictates that adventures written for yourself to DM for only your home group in 6 hours will be different than one to be played in two hours at a convention and run by DMs you know, which will itself be designed differently than a 12-hour adventure that you are writing for publication in a hardcover book. Ponder the function, then you are ready to start outlining the form.

As you ponder function, though, think not only about the length, but about the scope of the adventure as well. Does the adventure take place in one general location, a couple, or several? If more than one, what is the distance between the encounter locations? Will travel be involved? Will characters need to provide their own means of travel, and will that travel be dangerous? Or if the whole adventure takes place in just one location, like a dungeon, is this going to be a simple tale of breaking down the door and defeating the evil warlord, or is there going to be a more involved storyline? The scope of the adventure likely influences the length of the adventure, or vice versa. Prepare to adjust the length to be manageable within the scope, or prepare to change the scope to match the length. Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) may take longer to reach you.WizKids is releasing some new miniatures this March called Dungeons & Dragons Frameworks. These are a departure from what WizKids has produced in the past, and D&D is diving into the world of customizable sprue kits. D&D Frameworks offers a different miniature experience for those who like to paint minis but want more customization. When I was young and foolish, I’d brag about not needing outlines for my writing projects. Outlines were something that other people needed. My “brilliance” could carry me forward without any need for pesky planning!

In the case of the adventure we’re going to create together, let’s set some guidelines. We need it to be playable in 4 hours, because we’re going to design it for a standard convention slot. (Designing adventures for organized play campaigns also brings this limitation to your design.) This means I need to be very deliberate in the number of encounters, where they take place, and how much time each should take to resolve at the table. (If you are writing an adventure for a home group with no time limit, you might not need to do this, but it is good practice to set some limits anyway to focus your design. You can always remove the limits if necessary.)

As you envision DMs running your adventure, consider what might be helpful or fun if it was represented visually in a handout for the players. Puzzles that have moving pieces or that are highly detailed can benefit from a handout. More importantly, providing handouts of letters or journals or other things the characters find can deepen the player’s experience, and also take some of the workload off the DM. Have you ever outlined an adventure, or even run an adventure entirely from an outline? Let us know in the comments.