Sunday, November 23, 2014

What Makes a Good Adventure?

I have been asking around various places and now I want to bring it home.

What makes a good adventure?

Here is my problem. I want to make a new adventure for complete newbie DMs and Players.  I know there are several out there that do this, but I would like one I can print out and give away along with a set of rules.  Likely OSR, but a good adventure should be easy to adapt.

I want something that also takes on some of the tropes of the game.  I am perfectly happy to have the "you all meet in the tavern/inn" starting IF that is a good thing to do for this adventure.

Personally I like a nice mix of puzzles, combat, mysteries to solve and role-playing opportunity.

Looking at the classics, B2 has a great set up, B1 gives you freedom and B3 covers the mystery and puzzles.

Really we don't need another low-level adventure, so if there is one out there that you really like let me know about it and let me know why you like it.


4 comments:

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

For me, it's about the exploration, the uncovering of the unknown, the recapture of what was once "civilization" but is now wild and chaotic.

West Marches encapsulates that perfectly.

Jens D. said...

I'd have to say for me that would be Gus L.'s Dread Machine. Didn't have the time to run this yet, but it reads like a darn good adventure with lots of ideas, all the tropes (player skill, puzzles, traps opportunities for role-playing ...) and fantastic illustrations. It's a showcase adventure for every DM to get an impression what is possible. And free. I think it's very impressive. Here's a link:

http://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.de/2014/10/the-pretenders-dread-machine.html

Vance A said...

Since you are thinking introductory, I think the adventure should offer a number of opportunities for the players to ask, "can I try x?" Both basic skill sets for the various classes, as well as problem-solving. Getting past a barrier, parlay, etc.

Frog God's Hall of Bones is a pretty good quick start with both criteria that you are thinking about, but has been criticised as being a bit "thin" in both respects. A bit more value (not fluff) content for both sides of the screen could go a long way.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

I have Hall of Bones and that is a good one. I will also check out Dread Machine.

Mike: Yeah, that really is where I am thinking. I have a bunch of notes of various locations I have created over the years. One is a lone tower from the lost Citadel of Sorcerers. A location that was destroyed in a great battle of good vs. evil that still has many strange magics and monsters.