#adventuredesign — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #adventuredesign, aggregated by home.social.
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Thus far, most of my delving into the post-holocaust military-SF designs of 1980s #TTRPG has been pleasant, partly because of the occasional streaks of HTT design, but also my delight at how these genres sheltered several openly-progressive designers writing with humanistic sympathies.
Not gonna lie: I expected the opposite to be the norm, given all the gun-shooty.
It's not! But ... I did finally slam face-first into an example of it tonight. YIKES. 🤮
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Thus far, most of my delving into the post-holocaust military-SF designs of 1980s #TTRPG has been pleasant, partly because of the occasional streaks of HTT design, but also my delight at how these genres sheltered several openly-progressive designers writing with humanistic sympathies.
Not gonna lie: I expected the opposite to be the norm, given all the gun-shooty.
It's not! But ... I did finally slam face-first into an example of it tonight. YIKES. 🤮
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Thus far, most of my delving into the post-holocaust military-SF designs of 1980s #TTRPG has been pleasant, partly because of the occasional streaks of HTT design, but also my delight at how these genres sheltered several openly-progressive designers writing with humanistic sympathies.
Not gonna lie: I expected the opposite to be the norm, given all the gun-shooty.
It's not! But ... I did finally slam face-first into an example of it tonight. YIKES. 🤮
-
Thus far, most of my delving into the post-holocaust military-SF designs of 1980s #TTRPG has been pleasant, partly because of the occasional streaks of HTT design, but also my delight at how these genres sheltered several openly-progressive designers writing with humanistic sympathies.
Not gonna lie: I expected the opposite to be the norm, given all the gun-shooty.
It's not! But ... I did finally slam face-first into an example of it tonight. YIKES. 🤮
-
Thus far, most of my delving into the post-holocaust military-SF designs of 1980s #TTRPG has been pleasant, partly because of the occasional streaks of HTT design, but also my delight at how these genres sheltered several openly-progressive designers writing with humanistic sympathies.
Not gonna lie: I expected the opposite to be the norm, given all the gun-shooty.
It's not! But ... I did finally slam face-first into an example of it tonight. YIKES. 🤮
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For a while I've maintained that I wasn't going to bother with an HTT #AdventureDesign article for the home GM, at least not as part of the first five "Trusty GM" PDFs.
But as I put together the "Museum" PDF (distinct from the "Design" PDF, which will be for sale to professional designers), I find there's actually plenty of room to toss a couple of pages on adventure design that don't break the flow. The Museum PDF (title still uknown) will be a freebie.
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Tonight I'm designing an extended example of a non-heroic HTT campaign structure.
There's nothing intrinsically heroic, nonviolent, or kindhearted about HTT. I _personally_ like designing adventures about helping others because that's what I dig.
But it's come up several times in the workshop that this is a deal-killer for some participants, which: wow, but okay =)
It's just about problem-solving, and gangsters, pirates, mercs and politicians have problems, too. 😅
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A sadder reflection is this: I played through a couple of these. Back in the day. I played a fair bit of T2K when I lived in North Carolina.
And the GM added prescription that isn't in the text. The GM thought it needed more prescription, so he added it.
That's sad to me. Especially since I know of at least one GM who's written online about seeing Toast of the Town that way.
Ah well. Horses, water and drinking, same old song.
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As I work through the process of assembling the timeline of #HTTRPG #adventuredesign from ye olden tymes, it strikes me how few of them I would have personal interest in, since most are military-themed. 🤮
It does make forthcoming conversations feel potentially odd.
"Here's the design form I want you to remember and reconsider! Not that I _recommend_ most of this stuff." 😅
But that'll probably be helpful in the long run, because it helps carve through common modern misconceptions.
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"If you’ve got goblins living peacefully as servants of a sentient, hyper-intelligent gelatinous cube and its manticore concubine, find a plausible explanation for that bizarre arrangement."
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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"If you’ve got goblins living peacefully as servants of a sentient, hyper-intelligent gelatinous cube and its manticore concubine, find a plausible explanation for that bizarre arrangement."
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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"If you’ve got goblins living peacefully as servants of a sentient, hyper-intelligent gelatinous cube and its manticore concubine, find a plausible explanation for that bizarre arrangement."
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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"If you’ve got goblins living peacefully as servants of a sentient, hyper-intelligent gelatinous cube and its manticore concubine, find a plausible explanation for that bizarre arrangement."
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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NEW: "What Makes a D&D Adventure Feel Real (Even When It's Fantasy)"
This video and article explains why plausibility is the secret ingredient that makes even the most fantastical adventures feel real.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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NEW: "What Makes a D&D Adventure Feel Real (Even When It's Fantasy)"
This video and article explains why plausibility is the secret ingredient that makes even the most fantastical adventures feel real.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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NEW: "What Makes a D&D Adventure Feel Real (Even When It's Fantasy)"
This video and article explains why plausibility is the secret ingredient that makes even the most fantastical adventures feel real.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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NEW: "What Makes a D&D Adventure Feel Real (Even When It's Fantasy)"
This video and article explains why plausibility is the secret ingredient that makes even the most fantastical adventures feel real.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO73oY5WzgM
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/04/what-makes-a-dnd-adventure-feel-real/#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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Video and article coming out tomorrow THU April 2:
The difference between a game that pulls you in and one that loses you can come down to one thing: does it make sense?
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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Video and article coming out tomorrow THU April 2:
The difference between a game that pulls you in and one that loses you can come down to one thing: does it make sense?
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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Video and article coming out tomorrow THU April 2:
The difference between a game that pulls you in and one that loses you can come down to one thing: does it make sense?
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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Video and article coming out tomorrow THU April 2:
The difference between a game that pulls you in and one that loses you can come down to one thing: does it make sense?
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#DnD #DungeonMaster #WorldBuilding #AdventureDesign #RPGTips #Storytelling #GameDesign #FantasyRPG #ttrpg
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Check out Tom, David, Shawn, and Teos talk about writing great adventures on d20Play Live. They mention a lot about brief writing styles and refer to my recent blog post. #dnd #writing #adventuredesign
https://www.youtube.com/live/vHwAQE1t9uQ?si=K186unQp-2DjAgbq
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DID YOU KNOW: Running one-shots can be one of the easiest ways to build a long-running D&D campaign?
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0KA64sKizo [6 min]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/build-dnd-campaign-using-one-shots/#dnd #dungeonmaster #oneshot #dndcampaign #ttrpgadvice #dmtips #adventuredesign #tabletopgaming
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DID YOU KNOW: Running one-shots can be one of the easiest ways to build a long-running D&D campaign?
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0KA64sKizo [6 min]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/build-dnd-campaign-using-one-shots/#dnd #dungeonmaster #oneshot #dndcampaign #ttrpgadvice #dmtips #adventuredesign #tabletopgaming
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DID YOU KNOW: Running one-shots can be one of the easiest ways to build a long-running D&D campaign?
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0KA64sKizo [6 min]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/build-dnd-campaign-using-one-shots/#dnd #dungeonmaster #oneshot #dndcampaign #ttrpgadvice #dmtips #adventuredesign #tabletopgaming
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NEW: "How to Find D&D Adventure Ideas in the Real World"
In this video, I take a short field trip around my local area to show how ordinary places can become the foundation for memorable D&D adventures.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/t4aQkQ5JVhM [Total length: 4 minutes 7 seconds]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-real-world/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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NEW: "How to Find D&D Adventure Ideas in the Real World"
In this video, I take a short field trip around my local area to show how ordinary places can become the foundation for memorable D&D adventures.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/t4aQkQ5JVhM [Total length: 4 minutes 7 seconds]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-real-world/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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NEW: "How to Find D&D Adventure Ideas in the Real World"
In this video, I take a short field trip around my local area to show how ordinary places can become the foundation for memorable D&D adventures.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/t4aQkQ5JVhM [Total length: 4 minutes 7 seconds]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-real-world/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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NEW: "How to Find D&D Adventure Ideas in the Real World"
In this video, I take a short field trip around my local area to show how ordinary places can become the foundation for memorable D&D adventures.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/t4aQkQ5JVhM [Total length: 4 minutes 7 seconds]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-real-world/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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NEW: "How to Find D&D Adventure Ideas in the Real World"
In this video, I take a short field trip around my local area to show how ordinary places can become the foundation for memorable D&D adventures.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/t4aQkQ5JVhM [Total length: 4 minutes 7 seconds]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-real-world/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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In tomorrow's video, I take a field trip to show how you can find D&D adventure ideas in the real world.
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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In tomorrow's video, I take a field trip to show how you can find D&D adventure ideas in the real world.
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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In tomorrow's video, I take a field trip to show how you can find D&D adventure ideas in the real world.
Stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #worldbuilding #gamemaster
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I am a project manager by trade, so I describe an approach to creating D&D campaigns in this video/article that uses some project management metholodogies that can really help you get over creative humps.
"Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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I am a project manager by trade, so I describe an approach to creating D&D campaigns in this video/article that uses some project management metholodogies that can really help you get over creative humps.
"Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
-
I am a project manager by trade, so I describe an approach to creating D&D campaigns in this video/article that uses some project management metholodogies that can really help you get over creative humps.
"Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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NEW: "Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
In this video, I break down four foundational adventure themes: maps, monsters, magic, and people. I show how you can use them individually or weave them together into a coherent, flexible adventure or campaign.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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NEW: "Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
In this video, I break down four foundational adventure themes: maps, monsters, magic, and people. I show how you can use them individually or weave them together into a coherent, flexible adventure or campaign.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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NEW: "Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
In this video, I break down four foundational adventure themes: maps, monsters, magic, and people. I show how you can use them individually or weave them together into a coherent, flexible adventure or campaign.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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NEW: "Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
In this video, I break down four foundational adventure themes: maps, monsters, magic, and people. I show how you can use them individually or weave them together into a coherent, flexible adventure or campaign.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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NEW: "Stuck for Adventure Ideas? Try These 4 D&D Foundations"
In this video, I break down four foundational adventure themes: maps, monsters, magic, and people. I show how you can use them individually or weave them together into a coherent, flexible adventure or campaign.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t6NFh2PuOA
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/01/dnd-adventure-ideas-framework/#dnd #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #adventuredesign #rpginspiration #dndprep #tabletoprpg #gamemaster
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Stuck for D&D adventure ideas? If you've ever sat down to prep and felt like your creativity has stalled out, my new video coming out tomorrow will help you see adventure design more clearly.
Stay tuned!
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Some ways of trying to describe #HTTRPG to strangers. It's mostly about #AdventureDesign, in a style that existed commercially (on the fringes) from the early 80s until sometime in the mid-to-late 90s, before disappearing from game retail.
I run Discord workshops that teach the basics of designing in this style. Even if you don't have an interest in HTT itself, there's plenty to pilfer for other styles. Just ask! Workshops are free, text-only, and 1-on-1. I'm ghalev on Discord.
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Some ways of trying to describe #HTTRPG to strangers. It's mostly about #AdventureDesign, in a style that existed commercially (on the fringes) from the early 80s until sometime in the mid-to-late 90s, before disappearing from game retail.
I run Discord workshops that teach the basics of designing in this style. Even if you don't have an interest in HTT itself, there's plenty to pilfer for other styles. Just ask! Workshops are free, text-only, and 1-on-1. I'm ghalev on Discord.
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Some ways of trying to describe #HTTRPG to strangers. It's mostly about #AdventureDesign, in a style that existed commercially (on the fringes) from the early 80s until sometime in the mid-to-late 90s, before disappearing from game retail.
I run Discord workshops that teach the basics of designing in this style. Even if you don't have an interest in HTT itself, there's plenty to pilfer for other styles. Just ask! Workshops are free, text-only, and 1-on-1. I'm ghalev on Discord.
-
Some ways of trying to describe #HTTRPG to strangers. It's mostly about #AdventureDesign, in a style that existed commercially (on the fringes) from the early 80s until sometime in the mid-to-late 90s, before disappearing from game retail.
I run Discord workshops that teach the basics of designing in this style. Even if you don't have an interest in HTT itself, there's plenty to pilfer for other styles. Just ask! Workshops are free, text-only, and 1-on-1. I'm ghalev on Discord.
-
Some ways of trying to describe #HTTRPG to strangers. It's mostly about #AdventureDesign, in a style that existed commercially (on the fringes) from the early 80s until sometime in the mid-to-late 90s, before disappearing from game retail.
I run Discord workshops that teach the basics of designing in this style. Even if you don't have an interest in HTT itself, there's plenty to pilfer for other styles. Just ask! Workshops are free, text-only, and 1-on-1. I'm ghalev on Discord.
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CW: Longpost, Rambling about TTRPG adventure design insights
So I'm suddenly finding myself homebrewing a TTRPG adventure, after a flash of insight earlier this week about how exactly to do that.
I was imagining a story set in the D&D universe, nothing particularly based around an adventuring party, and as I explored the concept, I realized that it provided a really decent grounding for an adventure that gradually uncovers it. Basically a backstory.
Only problem is it had a gap in the middle. After trying to figure out "what the party should do" between the intro and finale, for some time with it feeling cheap and hollow, I realized the same trick works here: where does the backstory need to be fleshed out? In doing so it populates more compelling content in the world, relevant to the current conflict, for the party to run across however they do.
Now everywhere I consider it, this seems like the superior adventure deaign strategy. The players will tell their story, how does your adventure's backstory populate the world they're playing in? I think I'm going to be able to fix published modules that threaten to stall out for me, and just be a more compelling storyteller and GM this way.
And of course it's not necessary to preplan the entire universe beforehand, the Matt Colville approach of "just throw something exciting at them and figure it out later" style of near-improvised adventure design is fine. But the "figure it out later" ia a question about backstory there too, just creating one on the fly from what's already happened.
It makes me wonder why D&D modules don't seem to contain a story of how the situation came to be, written out like a short story or novella. Usually the story is hidden in there - but presented in shattered format, in the bits and piecea order the players are assumed to discover it, not the cohesive way the DM needs to know it. Did they ever have an attached prose story, does any system do that?
One module I run has a family in one part, separated by horrible things, but the only hints as to that story are along the lines of "with a DC 15 insight check, the PCs may realize that this is the parent of the character in area D5". Okay and you were going to prepare me to know their story....when, exactly?
The other interesting thing about this insight is - it shows that TTRPG actually is just fine at presenting something normally thought to be difficult: solving a mystery. Nearly every adventure is actually solving a mystery, but rather than "whodunit" it's typically more of a "wtf is going on".
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Meaningful choice as a motivator for your RPG players
Erin argues for giving your players significant choices as soon as possible as a way of getting them engaged with the game.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Sz8XB9Ehqw0
#GMTips #DMTips #AdventureDesign #ModuleDesign #TTRPG #ttrpgcampaign #DnD #RPG
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Does anyone have some references for how to write good dungeon room descriptions? Both long form box text or non-box (only meant for gm reference) text varieties.
I've gotten complaints in how I write mine (he found them piddly and without enough substance) and since I find the vital info buried in walls of text approach lacking I'd like to hear what others are saying.
I will also accept adventures/settings I could pick up with good descriptions.