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| A few of the games on my shelves |
At the past couple of conventions I've asked about ideas on how to write adventures for a role-playing game (RPG). I was a little surprised about the questions because I have only published one adventure back in the 1980s. I have run uncountable numbers of adventures in a multitude of games, settings, and genres. These have included adventures I was reviewing and my own creations for home groups and conventions.
Since I wrote this article, and before publishing it, I've also been asked to be a presenter about tabletop gaming, and specifically RPGs. This is one of the topics that was discussed for presentation. Once I confirm the topics and dates I will put that information out and everyone is welcome to come join in the discussion and ask questions.
The technique I use for creating my adventures, and a good rule for when I'm reviewing, has developed over the years from my own hardships. Along with my own trials and errors, I've learned from other game masters (GMs) and authors who make a living from writing games, supplements, and adventures. This is not an end all to how to write adventures. There are books out there talking about what type of encounter should happen when. This is a way to start you out on how to create an adventure (I also have used this for writing non-gaming stories).
Writing a Collaborative Story
As the writer of the adventure you're writing for a collaborative storytelling event for everyone who is going to be involved at the game table. The story still needs a plot, setting, and characters. The major difference with an RPG adventure is understanding that you, as the author, are giving up a level of control of the story to bring in the rest of the players. It is much more like the development of a movie—a collaboration of the writer, director, actors, etc. as each puts their own spin on their part.
The GM is going to be a director who understands where the story needs to go. They can control the setting and the non-player characters (NPCs). They give direction to the player characters and have control of when events are introduced to the story. If they are trying to do too much of the story telling then the players are listening to the story instead of being a part of it. The players are the characters who are acting and reacting to how the events unfold.
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| I like to start with spider diagrams |
As the writer of an adventure, you want to give the director (GM) enough information and tools to keep the story moving along the correct path without barriers that force the action of the rest of the players.
Create a Plot Line
Most people are excited about the climax of the story. We rush through books to find out how it ends. You want your adventure to pull the characters through the story in the same manner. One of the best ways of accomplishing this is to know where you want the story to end.
I almost always know where the story starts, but if I know where I want it to end, it is easier to create the plot. I create a basic outline of the story. There are different tools for doing this and mine is a little different than most people I talk with.
After having a start and finish I brainstorm ideas and use a spider diagram. A spider diagram takes major points and then connects smaller ones to them and how they connect to each other. For me this is a good visual representation of the progress of the story. When starting, I might not even know what the major points are going to be and the diagram helps me identify them.
I can then sort and prioritize the events.
Major Plot Points
When running an adventure, you need to know which events need to happen. When working with new GMs, I like to emphasize this point—know which points in the story need to happen, not how. Here is an example of an encounter.
The party needs to learn how to defeat the golem guarding the only entrance into the Temple of The Ancients. They know the mage in the Tower of Golhemth has the knowledge of how to defeat the golem. They don't know anything more about the wizard and travel to the tower.
The plot point the party needs to fulfill is to gain the information. Everything else beyond that are part of the story creation the players are going to create. There are many options of what they can do to win the favor, threaten, bribe, steal, persuade, etc. the mage for the information.
Identifying the requirement of the encounters helps in the creation of a plot, or story arc. From the plot line created, you can create a series of major and minor points to reach the climax of the story.
One author I know teaches these as being lampposts along your story line. These are the points you see in the distance at night that keep you moving in a general direction. However, they don't limit the characters from drifting off the path on side adventures and on minor story arcs that can develop along the way. When they are done with their wanderings off the path, they can see the lamppost and return to the main story.
Give More Detail
The adventure does not need to be presented in complete detail. Remember the GM is your director and the players are controlling the characters. Give the information about the Tower of Golhemth needed to complete the plot point with the ability to make the story their own.
There is a constant debate about movies made from books, which one is better and how well did the movie follow the book. My contention is they will be different. This applies to RPGs. No two parties are the same, even if they have the same characters. So don't write your adventure with the idea of only one right path to completion. And, don't think you can cover every possibility a group can come up with.
The detail you have control of is the setting and the development of the NPCs. Even then, once you introduce a GM and players, you give up control of all of it. A GM may have a different mage they want to use. Players bring their own experiences. Between them, they will create their own story based on your plot.
Final Thoughts
RPGs are shared story creation and storytelling events. Some of the worst adventures I have played, reviewed, or had to run, are those where there are pages of description that are read to the party. Those are stories that should either be in an anthology or a novel. An adventure is something to participate in.
This process has worked in every gene and system I've had the opportunity to play or run a game in.
If you are looking at writing your first adventure, go for it and have fun. My early adventures were bad. Even after decades of running games I still develop some that suck. Take what you've done and make your next one better. Keep having fun at the table and share your stories.
If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.
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