Stone Giant: D&D Frameworks (W1)

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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. An introduction is generally a very brief description of what the adventure contains, and what parameters the adventure was designed under. The introduction lets the reader know information about the length and scope, where the adventure is set, what the tone of the adventure might be, what character levels the adventure supports, and any other relevant information a DM might want to know in a cursory read of the adventure. 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 :)

Whatever you want to call them, these comprise the beating heart of your adventure. Many designers have a tendency, understandably so, to want to fully design here rather than outline. Perhaps, if you don’t have many parameters that you are designing for, you can do that. However, if you do have strictures on your play time and adventure scope, outlining first is important. In the next article, we’ll look at creating plot hooks and opening scenes for adventures. How many plot hooks are too many? What is the best way to start an adventure? How can you leverage parts of D&D to make the best opening possible? What are some common adventure design pitfalls with regards to opening scenes? 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! Have you ever outlined an adventure, or even run an adventure entirely from an outline? Let us know in the comments. 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.Do any of your encounters contain elements better represented in a map rather than strictly described in the text? Most DMs and players appreciate maps, especially in areas with dungeons or other complex encounter areas.

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). 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.) For the adventure I plan to write over the course of this series of articles, this is my working introduction. It can obviously change if my design takes me in a different direction, but I can use it as my guiding star as I start my design: Years later, I’m now older (and still foolish)—but I’m less foolish about the power and utility of outlines and planning. The lesson I’ve learned over the years, slowly and often painfully, is that although I wasn’t actively creating outlines before I started writing, I was passively outlining as I wrote, usually at the expense of many drafts of a project—and far too many wasted words. I thought I was saving time by not planning ahead, by not creating an outline, but I actually was wasting so much time haphazardly and inefficiently doing the work of outlining without even realizing I was doing an outline. Adventure design has changed with time and evolving game rules, but certain bits of content are included in most adventures. Those standard sections of an adventure, regardless of heading’s exact phrasing, are useful as you put together your outline, focusing your design path: Introduction

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