Tag Archives: adventure design

6 Popular Things in D&D That I Fail to Appreciate

Posted on April 16, 2019 by David Hartlage
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Event-driven D&D Adventures Aren’t About Events; They’re About Villains

Posted on November 6, 2018 by David Hartlage

The plot of every vintage James Bond movie resembles a role-playing scenario based on an investigation and events. A hook like the theft of an atomic bomb sets Bond into motion. In an investigation, he chases leads from one situation … Continue reading →

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Are the Authors of the Dungeon & Dragons Hardcover Adventures Blind to the Plight of DMs?

Posted on March 20, 2018 by David Hartlage

Adventure paths reveal their linear design in the name: They follow a path. In a linear adventure every play group follows the same plot thread, through the same scenes, to the same conclusion. For adventure creators, linear adventures bring advantages. … Continue reading →

Posted in D&D fifth edition, Role-playing game design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Four Essential Qualities of a 4-Hour Dungeons & Dragons Adventure

Posted on September 5, 2017 by David Hartlage

Running adventures by other authors has raised my Dungeons & Dragons game. As a dungeon master for organized play, I have prepared adventures that seemed like duds. Sometimes, at the table, I followed an author’s script and saw that their … Continue reading →

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Create better encounters by considering what your monsters want

Posted on September 26, 2016 by David Hartlage

Sometimes Dungeons & Dragons worlds seem split in two. In the towns and hamlets, players exercise charm and guile. In dungeons and lairs, every creature attacks on sight and battles continue to the death. When TSR printed Dungeon magazine, the … Continue reading →

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Running Shackles of Blood: Making the good adventure into a great session

Posted on October 28, 2015 by David Hartlage

The free, issue 4 of Dragon+ includes the Dungeons & Dragons module Shackles of Blood by Joshua Kelly. This adventure comes from the Adventurers League Expeditions program. Normally, this program only lets you play such adventures in public venues such … Continue reading →

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The fifth-edition Dungeon Master’s Guide joins the battle against excessive backstory

Posted on December 17, 2014 by David Hartlage

When I got my copy of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, I first looked at topics that overlap with posts I plan for this blog. If the DMG already said it, I will work on something else. Turns out, as good … Continue reading →

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How knowing the difference between a setting book and an adventure helps craft better adventures

Posted on December 2, 2014 by David Hartlage

What makes an adventure different from a setting book? Both start with maps, locations, and characters, but what extra ingredients turn a source book into an adventure? You might name story or plot as that essential extra bit, but early … Continue reading →

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Designing for spells that spoil adventures

Posted on January 10, 2013 by David Hartlage

In my last two posts, starting with Spells that can ruin adventures, I discussed the various spells with the potential to spoil Dungeons & Dragons adventures, turning hours of fun into a quick ambush. You may say, “Why worry? Just rule that … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, D&D fifth edition, Role-playing game design, Role-playing game history | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Scry and fry

Posted on January 7, 2013 by David Hartlage

(Part 2 of a series, which begins with Spells that can ruin adventures.) Third edition Dungeons & Dragons added the Scrying spell, which unlike Clairvoyance and Clairaudience could target a creature rather than just a familiar location. Scrying worked in … Continue reading →

Posted in Role-playing game history | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment