A tiny guide to improving rpg adventures - a thread

Adventure modules are gm tools. They take a series of interaction points: npc’s, monsters, items, factions. They combine them with some amount of direction, and put them in a combination that the party hopefully engages with.

Despite this many adventures are written in a style more similar to textbooks or short stories. Long paragraphs with art interspersed. But adventure modules aren’t meant to just be read, they’re meant to be run. They need to be quickly referenced at a table by a gm. So today I’m

going to go over some quick guidelines that, even if you can’t afford an editor or layout, will still improve the ability to run your adventure.

1) Don’t assume player actions

I have heard a million million stories about pcs fixating on a minor npc. Turning throwaway lines

into the focus of their efforts. They find their own fun and do not care about gm intentions. So you shouldn’t either. Don’t write plots. Timelines? Go for it. What happens if the pcs do nothing? Great! But if you write a scene rather than an option expect disappointment. It is

impossible to predict what pcs will latch on to. So dont waste the words.

2) Keep NPCs dynamic

What I want out of an npc is a motivation, an affect, and a desire. This should be presented in bullet points. I dont need their backstory. It doesn’t matter most of the time. I just

need them to feel real and be memorable and separate from other npcs. If I know they come off as slimy, they have a drawl, theyre wearing a shabby coat, and they want the pcs not to snoop into the mine? I can do a lot with that. I dont need backstory unless it matters to the

party. And if all that info is in a paragraph? I cant reference it at a glance! I have to read, and that slows down a game. Glanceable information is key.

3) Inline stats

If I have to flip pages to see monster stats then something has gone wrong. You might want a full page for

a monster in a bestiary, but thats because you need to provide context. In an adventure? The module is the context! All you need for most dnd versions is hp, attack modifier, damage, ac. Immunities if it has one, ditto special abilities. And all that? Takes between a single line

and 5. Put it on the page where the monster shows up. Dont make a gm flip pages.

5) Content blocks

Speaking of page flipping. When running and adventure, flipping a page slows down the gm. This is true of scene framing too! You wouldnt make someone flip a page to look at a map.

you either have it on a 2 page spread, or across from an extended map key. When presenting information consider a page break a scene break too. A room description shouldnt go between pages any more than that map should. A page should contain the idea. Fwiw this is also true for

rule books.

6) A Hook

You may not be able to figure out what pcs will do once they get involved, but you do need to give them a reason at the start to care. It doesnt have to be complex. Money. Danger. Vengeance. Fear. Love. Take your pick. 5e even gives a built in tool for

this with backgrounds if thats your system of choice(or failed careers with electric bastionland etc). Just ask: why should the pcs care, and then give a short answer at the opening. It will do wonders.

Bringing it all together:

Offer problems, not outcomes.
Only provide what pcs can learn.
Minimize page flipping.
Maximize glanceable information.
Write a toolbox, not an outline.

There you have it! Some ways you can improve any adventure without much work. Happy Monday all!