tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post6406087833942539479..comments2024-02-16T22:05:32.773+02:00Comments on LotFP: RPG: Guide to Adventure WritingJimLotFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-89489363458743846232016-01-27T15:23:50.697+02:002016-01-27T15:23:50.697+02:00Remember, all modules are like puzzle pieces in th...Remember, all modules are like puzzle pieces in the larger game design that is the game board. An adventure is the result of engaging in game play (i.e. deciphering the game via manipulation). An adventure is not the pre-existing game design. That would be the actual game. <br /><br />Confusing the too often ends up in either: 1. writing a script for players to follow, or 2. not using a game at all, but "inventing" an adventure collectively (which has nothing to do with games or gameplay whatsoever)howandwhy99https://www.blogger.com/profile/14611287591950671912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-31660543335044431802013-04-10T16:34:43.062+03:002013-04-10T16:34:43.062+03:00I just re-read this post - good one.I just re-read this post - good one.Ynas Midgardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-83865923233916694552011-05-25T09:34:50.160+03:002011-05-25T09:34:50.160+03:00Always roll!Always roll!JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-62477721378291924652011-05-25T00:40:55.530+03:002011-05-25T00:40:55.530+03:00What is your [the author's] take on secret doo...What is your [the author's] take on secret doors vis-a-vis rolling to find 'em? In my game (Red Box Vancouver, http://redvan.wikidot.com/) we follow the Basic D&D 1 in 6 chance of finding secret doors. Do you prefer secret doors that the players "narrate" open?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-40687740076233724342010-05-17T01:35:42.076+03:002010-05-17T01:35:42.076+03:00I can only say, having encountered this article in...I can only say, having encountered this article in issue #489 of Johnn Four's RPT, that I disagree most vehemently with every word in it, including "is" and "the."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-8948202531409128412010-03-26T16:47:46.790+02:002010-03-26T16:47:46.790+02:00Nice article, 2 comments:
"Any adventure whi...Nice article, 2 comments:<br /><br />"Any adventure which dictates what a character thinks or feels or does (barring magical enchantments, of course) is a terrible, terrible adventure."<br /><br />I might add "even including magical enchantments". I had something similar in a published Paranoia adventure years ago, one of the worst gaming sessions ever. At the least, there must be a chance/choice to avoid said enchantment. <br /><br />"Keep a strict record of time!... How long does that torch burn? And that lantern?"<br /><br />Good in priciple, the tricky thing here is how quickly the "continual light" spell is gained in D&D, terminating the issue of depletable light by 3rd level or so.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-64484078810641331792010-01-18T04:24:47.054+02:002010-01-18T04:24:47.054+02:00"Never place a secret door that you intend to..."Never place a secret door that you intend to be found."<br /><br />I would add to this the notion that if secret doors are difficult to find then there should be some kind of payoff, whether it be a clue, a never before encountered monster, some sweet loot, ect,. When players begin to associate secret doors with fun surprises, they really get into searching for them!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03072822001932002924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-32745486520779256782009-10-04T12:35:17.394+03:002009-10-04T12:35:17.394+03:00Really great advice overall, and I ESPECIALLY like...Really great advice overall, and I ESPECIALLY like this passage:<br /><br />"if failure is not an option, then the success is but an illusion, it’s fake, it’s a lie. And by taking the attitude that the end result determines the fun of the game, then suddenly the process of playing the game is not fun in and of itself."<br /><br />Kudos!Carter Soleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01286436801953647693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-59174484114551304862009-07-22T00:50:11.680+03:002009-07-22T00:50:11.680+03:00great article. im starting to dm a campaign this ...great article. im starting to dm a campaign this week. its my first shot at the dm job and the majority of the players are first timers. ive played since i was 12 and know everything about the player but dming is a whole other ball of wax. lots of good advice. thanks!Dawson Clawsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06024100675804885881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-52644910648815559272008-11-18T20:43:00.000+02:002008-11-18T20:43:00.000+02:00Good stuff.Only thing I would add is "Do not hedge...Good stuff.<BR/><BR/>Only thing I would add is "Do not hedge!"<BR/>The biggest thing discouraging players to take pro-active action is lack of information. So when a player says "I'm trying to find out XY", do not mumble something about "Well, it seems to be a secret or nobody is likely to talk about it..."- use the opportunity of the player action to provide the group with whatever information they could reasonably gain and they will be off the map quickly, scheming and making all kinds of crazy plans (which might or might not actually work, whats important is that they are DOING something).<BR/>Of course this means you have to have a reasonably good idea about the adventure background, NPC motivations etc., something which many old-school scenarios (being mainly descriptions of locations, without any kind of context) lack, requiring some thinking on the part of the GM to fiddle it all together.alexandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09456056647313914311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-40894125138837197382008-11-15T22:37:00.000+02:002008-11-15T22:37:00.000+02:00*hits forehead with open palm*Duh!I forgot about t...*hits forehead with open palm*<BR/><BR/>Duh!<BR/><BR/>I forgot about the passage in which a unique group of creatures counts as a unique monster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-78079766865962514842008-11-15T22:28:00.000+02:002008-11-15T22:28:00.000+02:00>>How do you square this with your Random Cr...>>How do you square this with your Random Creature Generator and the advice therein to make most monsters unique?<BR/><BR/>"*roll roll roll* Ah, what a weird monster! I'm going to say there are five of these things in this one room!"<BR/><BR/>I did allow for "groups of unique monsters" in the Generator, if I recall correctly. :)JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-15772340978731234732008-11-15T22:26:00.000+02:002008-11-15T22:26:00.000+02:00>>How is this not railroading?Note that I su...>>How is this not railroading?<BR/><BR/>Note that I suggest trying such a thing once. Although I would suggest such a cave-in be something planned/keyed in advance and not something the referee does on a whim. "The third time this entrance is used, it will collapse," is a perfectly valid dungeon feature.<BR/><BR/>As far as "no trap for just being there," as long as you're aware of what you're doing and why and never overdo it, no advice is absolute.<BR/><BR/>>>I agree with most of your advice but only when running a certain style game. I very much disagree that this is *the one/only* way.<BR/><BR/>Hammers drive in nails, and make no apologies for it. Yet you don’t yell at the hammer when you want a wrench. This blog is a hammer.JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-75878163760900093522008-11-15T18:35:00.000+02:002008-11-15T18:35:00.000+02:00> Don’t let the players turn the game into a se...> Don’t let the players turn the game into a series of “Scout out the next room, ambush the beasties, collect the loot, and then retreat back to camp and get all the spells back.” Or don’t let them complain of monotony and boredom if that is what they choose to do. There are a variety of ways to prevent this, although some may seem heavy-handed. Cave-in traps or other methods of blocking exits can be useful, once, before it becomes a crutch instead of an idea.<BR/><BR/>How is this not railroading? Same as having the tavern the characters are in just happen to be the one adventure intro kicks off?<BR/><BR/>And doesn't it fly in the face of "player driven adventure", letting(forcing) the players to be proactive, make choices and have those choices be meaningful? If they choose to “Scout out the next room, ambush the beasties, collect the loot, and then retreat back to camp and get all the spells back.” and you make the tunnel cave in to prevent them that is EPIC LAME DM fiat, manipulation of the worst kind. [your other suggestion of teleporters and pit traps to 2nd level are better but those seem to contradict your "no trap for just being there"]<BR/><BR/>I agree with most of your advice but only when running a certain style game. I very much disagree that this is *the one/only* way. <BR/><BR/>What you outline is great advice for "old-school", player skill over character skill, avg-joe, low-fantasy type game.<BR/><BR/>It's just as valid to run a heroic game were things (such as being in the wrong tavern at the right time) just happen to the players cause they *are hero's*. To push all the non-epic, non-heroic into abstraction and the background (e.g. time, supplies, inconsequential battles).<BR/><BR/>It's also just as valid to run a story game. Where the players are weaving their way through a plot promulgated by the DM. Much like a novel or choose your own adventure.<BR/><BR/>Even if all you care about is the first style of game. It's wrong and annoying to pretend your fav style is the only one that matters.<BR/><BR/>I felt refreshed when I first found your blog a couple weeks ago after reading too much old-school forums and blogs opinion that was closed minded and black/white esp two-faced anti-Cargosa rants. <BR/><BR/>The absoluteness of this post... Actually I guess most your posts are absolute, I just agreed with the absoluteness of the other posts. Meh, there's room enough for everyone on the Internets.<BR/><BR/>At the very least you're the black side of black & white [I sincerely mean that as a compliment]Norman J. Harman Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/01319655075997712313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-56249139237223587762008-11-15T16:54:00.000+02:002008-11-15T16:54:00.000+02:00Oops. In my comment above I meant to type "humans ...Oops. In my comment above I meant to type "humans AND normal animals", not "humans are normal animals".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-62732888453652504192008-11-15T16:53:00.000+02:002008-11-15T16:53:00.000+02:00James, that's a great essay with which I agree alm...James, that's a great essay with which I agree almost 100%. I have one question about this part:<BR/><BR/>"It is usually better to present an encounter with a greater number of enemies than it is to give the players one opponent at a time."<BR/><BR/>How do you square this with your Random Creature Generator and the advice therein to make most monsters unique? One option is to have most opponents be humans are normal animals (wolves, lions, bears, etc.). Any insights?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-75388753668198156892008-11-15T13:32:00.000+02:002008-11-15T13:32:00.000+02:00Great article! I'm someone who has never been...Great article! I'm someone who has never been disciplined enough to sit down & write a module - never have been able to after 17+ years. I'm great at the conceptual, but not at the concrete (on the fly with a few notes is about as detailed I get - the rest is on the fly). I'll take your ideas given here & see what I can do. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-51644260185530668052008-11-15T06:02:00.000+02:002008-11-15T06:02:00.000+02:00This is your best article, period. It is full of s...This is your best article, period. It is full of stuff that all DM's, regardless of experience, should remember while planning.<BR/><BR/>My hat off to you!<BR/><BR/>RIPRipperXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506064393275174920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-50514222715801706902008-11-15T02:49:00.000+02:002008-11-15T02:49:00.000+02:00Yah the fudging the dice was a great point. Though...Yah the fudging the dice was a great point. Though, admittedly, I've done it in the past as a newbie. I've also added gimpy ways of resurrections to a party. Though when I did that it was after the first time they had ever played with me that I introduced a beast that was way way too powerful for them, some fought, one ran away. The one that ran away got bonus exp that night.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-12676988015426172222008-11-15T02:13:00.000+02:002008-11-15T02:13:00.000+02:00Do not fudge the dice. Ever. Luck is a part of the...<I>Do not fudge the dice. Ever. Luck is a part of the game, and the dice are there for a reason. Resist the temptation of sparing characters that fail or even die due to “bad luck” or a “stupid die roll.”<BR/><BR/>Would it be acceptable to tell a player that just rolled a stunning success that you’ve decided, just because it’s more fun, that the die roll doesn’t count and he instead failed? I don’t think so. So why would ignoring the dice in the players’ favor be acceptable?</I><BR/><BR/>I'd like to tell you, in the most manly way possible, that I love you. Seriously, I share the same exact outlook as you in this respect, and I find that sadly, the art of non-fudging is a dying one. The dice, and the randomness and chaos they inject into the game, should remain sacred. My feeling has always been, if you're going to fudge the dice, you may as well move to a diceless system for your RPG experience*.<BR/><BR/><BR/>* - I don't think there's anything wrong with diceless systems, either. They're usually just not for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-6063805557420160372008-11-14T21:15:00.000+02:002008-11-14T21:15:00.000+02:00When I think traps, and triggering/avoiding/disabl...When I think traps, and triggering/avoiding/disabling/surpassing traps, I think of Indiana Jones. I also think of The Tower of the Elephant. Great traps there. <BR/><BR/>I very rarely think of bomb experts sitting there trying to figure out which wire to cut to disable the bomb. <BR/><BR/>I don't like to sit there and have a thief roll over and over again to try to disable a trap. But the thief skills can still come in handy even in the context you described (such as slipping notes to the thief on things that his character notices, but not alerting the entire group. But I'm guessing you are against this as you generally seem to dislike character ability scores being used to solve problems, other than combat/action related dice rolls).<BR/><BR/>Great writeup. I recommend you further it over time and publish more of your thoughts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-40052777519604892042008-11-14T18:37:00.000+02:002008-11-14T18:37:00.000+02:00Especially the part about traps, and not having th...Especially the part about traps, and not having them be triggered by simply being somewhere, is excellent. Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-45480768727000453312008-11-14T17:44:00.000+02:002008-11-14T17:44:00.000+02:00My last attempt to write fiction was a little more...My last attempt to write fiction was a little more than ten years ago. I still have some of the stories on my computer.<BR/><BR/>It's quite embarrassing to read. :D<BR/><BR/>I'd post some of it to prove it to you, but if anyone read that they'd never take me seriously (I almost added "again" there, but who am I kidding? :D ).<BR/><BR/>Nah. I like reading stories, not writing them.JimLotFPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-41661624362116346172008-11-14T14:40:00.000+02:002008-11-14T14:40:00.000+02:00your writing style is impressive,easy to read and ...your writing style is impressive,<BR/>easy to read and direct, but not simplistic.<BR/><BR/>have you considered a more lucrative outlet for your talents?<BR/>(i.e., contemporary fiction)<BR/><BR/>this compliment is sincere<BR/>as I disagree with much of your personal preferences and tastes<BR/>(but I do love Iron Maiden).<BR/><BR/>accolades and wealth is very hard to acquire in the "insular and inbreed" gaming communityclovishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03647936958773934755noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-81440965041505509232008-11-14T14:38:00.000+02:002008-11-14T14:38:00.000+02:00"This sort of thinking is drenched in the notion t..."This sort of thinking is drenched in the notion that the game is somehow a failure if the characters do not reach the pre-scripted conclusion in just-so condition so that they can deliver a satisfying climax to the adventure the way they are supposed to"... even though I'm a 4E player/DM, this is I think one of the biggest problems with much of the newer 3.x and 4E edition stuff. The players are more actors in a scripted play, than sharing in the writing of the story.<BR/><BR/>excellent post. Added to <A HREF="http://www.google.com/notebook/public/18100313738766279893/BDQJ1SgoQ8dPHoMwj" REL="nofollow">my google notebook</A>. thank you!Jonathan Jacobshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06133232985480734844noreply@blogger.com