My understanding is that an "adventure path" is three or more complete adventures that are connected together by an overarching "metaplot". Much like a good book series, each book should be a complete story, but links within the books also connect them as part of a greater story.
While this is true, how does one do it?
Plotting out a good adventure is hard enough, but plotting multiple seems daunting.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Oof. I think there'd be a good series of essays on how to write an adventure path. I'm also not sure you're going to get the answer you need from posting the question here in the OTF section instead of somewhere in the main RPG-focused subforums.
The very simplified answer I could give would be is to plan it all out, starting from a broad outline of where the adventure starts and which ways you expect it to go. Then start fleshing out the character arc threads and the campaign setting arc threads from start to end. Why is this path happening, and happening now? What are the principal players' -- individual beings, powerful groups, nation states, even deific/extraplanar powers -- goals, what alliances will they make, and what lines will they/will they not cross? Why are the PCs specifically involved instead of others, and what lasting impacts will they leave on the campaign setting? Not just major stuff, but how will the average farmer, tradesman, shipper, and peasant be impacted as well?
This is definitely also the time where you'll need to decide how much the adventure will need to stick to the "path" you're laying down, and how much sandbox the players will have to play in.
With those basics down (yet all still subject to change), start breaking down major conflicts either planned by the powers and created by the PCs' likeliest actions. Be sure to throw in minor conflicts too, both related and unrelated to the major plot arcs. For example, any open prolonged conflicts are going to impact trade, such as arms, mounts, and livestock/food stuffs. How will farmers and merchants react if their goods can't get to markets in a timely minor? What happens when their goods are seized for supplying the conflict, even by the "good" guys? How will they attempt to resolve these issues on their own, and how will the principal players & PCs work to support or disrupt those plans? How will others not involved in the conflicts profit or lose from such disruptions, and how will yet others seize these opportunities, such as bandits, rival trade groups, humanoid tribes, local cities, and religions/cults?
While your writing and brainstorming, ask yourself how previous adventure paths & modules you've ran & played are influences. What moments in those encounters standout as enjoyable & memorable, which felt particularly empowering or affecting for both your PC and you the player? Not just moments that made you smile, but any ones that made you feel profoundly, made you cate about the characters and the setting? Which moments triggered improvisation by the PCs, and what stands out as moments where individual PCs got consequential turns in the spotlight? Conversely, what do you remember as standout moments that didn't work? Was it the fault of the prewritten encounters/plot, was it the GM not being up to the task, or was it the players who dropped the ball (or ran away with it)? How can plan to lower the risk of something similar happening in your adventure path, or at least give the GM a few tools to help steer it back on course?
Any adventure path is going to be a major undertaking in plotting, writing, editing, and re-writing. You'll also need to keep a running count of encounters and experience opportunities, and look for natural breaks to section the narrative into separate adventure books. And while editing and re-writing, you'll need to keep asking if your NPCs and conflicts/encounters serve the plot... and not be afraid to rework them extensively or cut them out entirely.
That's more than I intended to write, but maybe it'll help at least a little.
The very simplified answer I could give would be is to plan it all out, starting from a broad outline of where the adventure starts and which ways you expect it to go. Then start fleshing out the character arc threads and the campaign setting arc threads from start to end. Why is this path happening, and happening now? What are the principal players' -- individual beings, powerful groups, nation states, even deific/extraplanar powers -- goals, what alliances will they make, and what lines will they/will they not cross? Why are the PCs specifically involved instead of others, and what lasting impacts will they leave on the campaign setting?
This is true.
That is why I was noting how astounding the work that James Jacobs does. Even when an AP doesn't quite work (for example: Second Darkness, Council of Thieves, and I could go on.) these questions were thought about, and addressed.
And, I don't have to think of marketability.
While your writing and brainstorming, ask yourself how previous adventure paths & modules you've ran & played are influences. What moments in those encounters standout as enjoyable & memorable, which felt particularly empowering or affecting for both your PC and you the player? Not just moments that made you smile, but any ones that made you feel profoundly, made you cate about the characters and the setting? Which moments triggered improvisation by the PCs, and what stands out as moments where individual PCs got consequential turns in the spotlight? Conversely, what do you remember as standout moments that didn't work? Was it the fault of the prewritten encounters/plot, was it the GM not being up to the task, or was it the players who dropped the ball (or ran away with it)? How can plan to lower the risk of something similar happening in your adventure path, or at least give the GM a few tools to help steer it back on course?
Which leads to the "Why" I am even asking this question.
I love the Serpent's Skull AP. I hate the Serpent's Skull AP.
So, I would really like to run a campaign with Tarzan type themes, but I am finding a shortage of good material.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I’m working on an AP. It’s for new players, so I made a fighter character sheet. Everyone will have a copy of the same sheet. That will let us get started right away, and I can explain the rules once, instead of once for the wizard, once for the cleric, once for the rogue etc.
I’m starting with a combat scene, but I will go over basic backgrounds for the world, as well as character backgrounds.
At the end of the combat, I’ll introduce custom magic items to the players. A special living gauntlet that allows the characters to begin to use magic. The gauntlet powers would grow with the character, and be somewhat customizable. (I’m not a big fan of the magic shoppe.)
If the players are interested, I have a loose outline for the AP, to continue it on. Most likely it will end there, but maybe they will want to make their own characters. In which case I’ll have to go with something else, or maybe run a published AP.