It is, however, still a large book that can be intimidating for people new to the hobby.
Creating a unique adventure mixes the creativity of a writer with the improvisation and social skills of a DM.
Let’s find out.
A Fighter & A Black Dragon by Campbell White
This is doubly true when making original content instead of a prewritten module.
Here are some tips for creating fantastical adventures.
Start With Your Players
A good adventure should respond to the players and their characters.
An Adventuring Party by Viko Menezes
This means you’ll want toget a feel for their wants and needs before you progressbeyond the first draft.
The sheet for tracking types of player motivationsis a good starting point.
It centers on what the players are hoping to gain out of the game and builds excitement.
An Adventuring Party by Viko Menezes
Use this to identify what narrative and mechanical levers you might create to engage with them.
The game expectations trackeris another useful tool to use here.
Be upfront about any potentially upsetting content the game will include.
Holy Days by Martin Mottet
Each enables certain types of stories to be told more easily.
Choose A Conflict
Every adventure has themes that play off the setting and characters.
The conflict tracker is a good way of laying this out.
Consider sprinkling your magic items intoplaces where they will appear in the natural process of exploration.
It’s generally worth makingsome flexibility in your encounter design.
Fixed events are unlikely to change.
An Elven City by Jedd Chevrier
Modular
Three to five.
Modular events can beslotted in at several points of the adventure, but are unlikely to be skipped past.
Optional events don’t add any impetus to the story but can stillimprove the quality of the adventure.
A Time of Sorrow by Alexandre Honoré
A conversation with an NPC can be a memorable scene even if they never meet again.
An optional treasure room doesn’t advance the plot but does make your players happy when they find it.
If the party is moving slowly, these can be cutwithout them noticing the loss.
Dwarves by Mike Pape
Most sessions have time for perhapsone major combat encounter and one or two avoidable scuffles.
Which classes should your party play together?
Art by Bryan Sola
