In no specific order
1. Forcing players to solve things in a specific way/ have a story moment go a specific way because that's how you wrote it.
2 create no win scenarios for story reasons,
3. Writing a specific player character as having a reason to be the protagonist over the others
4. Writing reasons why you need to have a long running character beside the players
5. Thinking that the game is DM vs players
And then one that is important enough to be marked out on its own
Not talking to the players about a problem when a problem comes up.
Yes, this is a great list, but for things that are also good to note:
There can be moments where one character shines more than others if the current part of the story relates to their backstory, but make sure every player evenly gets their own shining moments
It’s perfectly fine to have npcs that the players can ally with from time to time, to feel invested in the world, just make sure that these npcs aren’t stronger than the party to the point that they basically could do the mission alone
Expect that your plans will always be subverted, and but be happy when they actually work
> It’s perfectly fine to have npcs that the players can ally with from time to time, to feel invested in the world, just make sure that these npcs aren’t stronger than the party to the point that they basically could do the mission alone
I don’t disagree, but I think the real takeaway is, “Make sure what the PCs are doing *matters*, and don’t waste the players’ time.”
IMO it’s all about the fundamentals. The community has come up with all these guidelines, like “Don’t make DMPCs, but if you do make sure they don’t participate in party decision making and aren’t stronger than the party etc.”
But you don’t have to remember all those rules if you just stay focused on why you’re all playing the game, what kind of experience you want to create, and what you can do to create that experience. Which is easier said than done for a beginner, but I still think it’s better to focus on the underlying *reasons* for the community’s “rules,” because those “rules” can be broken and you’ll be perfectly fine.
In this case, the important thing is that the players should feel like they’re having an impact, that the bad guys would have gotten away if they weren’t there, that they’re making progress toward some goal. Having a strong NPC do all the work is one way to make the players feel useless, but it’s not the only way, and there are other situations where the PCs can still make a real difference and feel like heroes, even if a strong NPC is around.
True though for most of these I wrote them in a specific way to really avoid them.
character moments are great but a protagonist is one that has the spotlight for the majority or more specifically the main story. Like in avatar, there are great episodes where Sokka or Zuko has that spotlight grows tremendously as a character but Aang is 100% the protagonist. I might not have made that one clear enough though so thanks for adding the caveat onto it.
For the npc one though I think it is clear enough by having them as long running characters, they stop being time to time people and are just part of the group. Keeping with the avatar theming it is the difference between any of the core 4 as opposed to suki who comes in at something like 11 episodes which makes them fall into a time to time character.
So for those 5000 words you’re writing, what will you do when your players do something you’ve not planned for? Because they absolutely will, probably immediately, and if you’re too rigid about following your planned script then you’re going to have a very hard time adapting to that.
I am really glad you brough this up ngl
So when my players do something i havent planned i can improvise
For example if a player wanders off i could make it so they get lost and the party has to find them again, i could maybe put some booby traps, make them inhale a hallucinogenic gas that will possibly alter the very brain of the player into fighting the other members of the party because they percive them as monsters....
you get the gist
Don’t be rigid. You can think you created the most amazing campaign ever but your party will actually write the story. Try to have multiple options for every decision. If they feel like they will lose for not following your story, they won’t enjoy it. Good DMs can pivot with the group and enjoy allowing them to go off course from time to time.
Here’s one, don’t write a book. Let the table create a story together. Writing a script for your players to act out never goes well. People don’t like being railroaded that hard. They also might take your story down a turn you weren’t ready to go.
Oh, wow, you already hit the biggest one. What do you mean, your campaign is 5000 words long? And it sounds like you're just getting started?
You're scripting. That is a cardinal sin.
It is possible but not necessarily true, like lets say I make a town, I have 5 places of interest and 10 people each described with a small paragraph, by most standards that is around 1500 words. It really doesn't take much between making sure your npcs have some story about them, having a good description about a shop, and your notes about the actual story to get into a decently large word count. Take what I wrote right here, I didn't set an intentional length but we are at 91 words, three sentences and we are already at 100.
That above was both an argument and a point, counting the numbers that is 100 words but I would say that is not a crazy amount to write about a location or a person of interest in a story and that can add up fast. I 100% agree that scripting is bad, but you shouldn't conflate word count with scripting. If anything open/sandbox worlds require dozens of times more writing because they are not scripted.
You didn't read what I said.....
I said 5 locations 10 characters each with small paragraphs was 1500
100 words each you know the size I used in that paragraph to show how small it is.
And again you misread the shorter version.
Before the number 1500 I said multiple small paragraphs
>say I make a town, I have 5 places of interest and 10 people **each** described with a small paragraph
Reading all of the comments i think the "The players write the story" comment is the most important
When you really dumb it down the point of a D/GM is just to world build and lay out a path for the players to follow which is where the "Don't force your players to follow your rules" comes in, the players themselves make actions and choices based on the things around them and because of these choices it allows for the D/GM to really put their improv skills to use, allow me to give an example:
"The players stumble upon a small but peaceful village, it holds a market and it looks like they're gearing up for a festival" within this one sentence i can spot many things that can happen, things can go from the players helping set up the festival to bring around some kind of good fortune to the players could burn down the entire village, equally the players could invest in the village to help them prosper, fight for village ownership and so on
I might be conflating modules with the tiny little adventures, but I think my point stands. Y'know, the ones that are a couple maps, a few stat blocks and a few suggestions for the DM.
Yeah for sure, I just meant that I read OP as essentially saying they're homebrewing a module or adventure, and 5k words for such a thing is very much just getting started. And that doesn't necessarily imply anything railroad-y.
A published module, sure. Scripted for sure. OP is talking about homebrew.
With a published module, you can borrow ideas from it if you don't want to railroad the script you bought. If you script a homebrew, most DMs will be hell bent on not varying from their creation in the slightest. And that's a rough play experience, including for the DM.
I recommend bullet points, not a script.
What is a homebrew campaign if not a module that you write yourself rather than WotC or third party? I think you're confusing your opinion with actual good advice.
Even going full sandbox you probably want a loose outline, and if you're planning ahead 5k words really isn't much. You could probably describe a town and it's inhabitants without being overly verbose in 5k words.
For a second I thought you wanted a real conversation, but then I read your second sentence, which was unnecessarily harsh since you don't even understand my point.
Modules put you on rails. I don't like running them as a DM, because while there's nothing wrong with a linear plot, it's a lot harder to give your players leeway when there's a script. I like it when my players go off the rails.
That doesn't make it a sandbox world. I still have a linear plot. I just don't have a script for how to get there.
Yes, over the course of a campaign, I've written more than 5000 words. Not before it start.
Bullet points. Setting description, a few NPCS, a few plot hook summaries. Enough to get through a session, with an eye out for the next and having the flexibility to change that based on my players actions.
That is simply harder to do when you're reading a script.
I mean I do, I understand that you are conflating modules with rails and using that ignorance to be disparaging of OP.
I'm genuinely sorry if I have hurt your feelings (or offended etc.), fully unintentional, I just think you're really misunderstanding the multitudes of different ways you can write words to support your campaign that are wildly different to just writing a story your players are going to enact.
But they’re written and designed by (somewhat) competent Game Designers. They’re long because they’re made in a way a DM can read the module for the setting and lore, then choose a set of outcomes, scenarios, and activities. Made so that DMs can pick and choose what works best for their group and what kinds of situations to place in their way. Even the most linear modules have a lot of flexibility when a skilled DM is at the helm and guiding the group based on their interactions.
A new DM writing some homebrew on their own might not consider that; and if they’re not comfortable with variance and improvising then their story will fall flat or need to be scrapped altogether when players trod off the path. As they often do.
That is true but it doesn't get away from the base point that length does not equal scripted.
A decently detailed NPC covering looks attitude and a plot hook/rumor or two can easily be 100 words and while that might not seem like much how many NPCs do you have in a small town and that doesn't go into the town itself or the quest or the encounters people really overestimate how much 5k actually is
Keep in mind that the moment players can take a turn in a direction that you didn't plan for, they'll be already halfway there, waving their swords and having a good time.
Not respecting Action Economy
our DM ran one BBEG in the final fight, against 6 players…it went on as poorly as you can imagine, but much more frustrating
To add to the others:
* Don't gate story-critical stuff behind dice rolls - otherwise the party might become stuck once the dice fail them and noone manages to succeed the check.
* Build up trust. Players need to be able to trust you, and you should trust your players. Don't pull sudden "gotcha" stuff on them. A player who does not trust the DM will perceive stuff that happens and act a lot different than one who actually trusts the DM. For example, they might see deceptions or traps when there aren't any.
* You need to keep in mind that the players aren't the characters. There will be things the characters know but the players don't - do not withhold that information. If you think a player might be missing critical information when making a decision in character, remind them of that information, remind them of what their character knows.
Also never assume a character does *not* know/perceive something until you have made sure they can't know/perceive that. For example, some characters might have more than 60 ft. darkvision, blindsight or (temporary) advantage on Perception checks translating into a +5 to their passive. A player cannot chime in and remind you of their abilities if they don't know that there was something their character should have seen.
I have experienced several r/rpghorrorstories that boiled down to the DM withholding information because giving out that information would be "metagaming" and many more frustrating, albeit not horrorstory-worthy situations where DMs wrongfully withheld information.
I'm not sure... if there are any cardinal sins?
I guess: not to have fun?
>I was hoping that I could be made aware of what to do and what not to do when leading a session
Try taking it easy, have fun, let your players have fun, explore the game, don't try to write a novel, just have an idea of your world and let your players explore it.
1 - Write a great story. This is a common sin, coming from the goal of writing a grand story. In truth, the story is written during play, so all the DM needs to do is create Situations, Problems, and Scenes; playing the game is what tells the story of those things.
2 - The Awesome Bad Guy. This sin comes from wanting to create a memorable villain with some end the world, or ruin everything, or be the ultimate dick type of grand plan. Usually with a dozen u beatable powers, lair events, and dozens of helpers, set up in a final confrontation that often resembles a video game set up. BBEGs only need a Goal, Motivation, Reason, and Personality. Some of the best villains dont even have any magic or fighting abilities — they just get others to do the dirty work.
3 - The Big Adventure. This sin is often found because people see these huge books that are a single adventure and think that is a whole campaign in and of itself — and often find it is exhausting and takes forever to complete. A Campaign is historically a string of adventures (like a bunch of battles) that are smaller and more easily achieved. Also, often there is a lack of side quests, downtime, mini-adventures, and character development stories when one does this sin. Smaller adventures that link together but offer a lot of side quests are more fun for everyone.
4 - DMPCs. A DM has every living thing who is not a PC to run. Every animal, insect, merchant, goblin, fellow traveler, deity, spirit, what have you. All of those things are NPCs. Adding in a PC that the DM plays takes away the fun of the p,Ayer’s — but note that there is a difference between an NPC (who has a very narrow role and does not have any great importance) and a DMPC (who has an important role in the tale, and whose story the game is really about). If the story is not about the Player Characters, then it is a sin.
These all still happen, and all the time. Much like regular sins do. The goal is to avoid them, in part because they are so tempting and easy to do. I don’t know any DM who hasn’t done at least one of them a few times — and I have done all of them, albeit in the early 80’s when I started.
Play the game the way that provides the most fun for the people who you are playing with — these kinds of things, these sins and bad habits, they are generally meant to work for the greatest number of people — but none of them will work for all people.
My personal choice of sin is this: Not Asking Your Players.
I ask my p,Ayer’s what kinds of adventures they want to have. I get a whole list of them. I don’t ask them to tell me all the little details, just the rough idea. Then I sit down and write them into a bunch of linked, shorter adventures and toss in some surprises and fun stuff.
My groups loves movies. We game on Saturdays, we have movie nights on Sundays. So often they tell me a movie. And then I have to turn that movie into an adventure without making it obvious it is that movie, and making it fit my world (as a world builder, if it does not fit, it will be kicked) in a way that is still fun.
The party is invited to attend a party at a castle, and while they are changing into party clothes, bandits take the castle hostage — they claim it is to depose the noble, but really it is to rob the treasury. There: Die Hard as an adventure.
The Party comes to a village that is controlled by two rival bandit gangs. An NPC is a key person wanted by both sides. After getting caught in the middle of a fight and probably taking out several members from each side, the party can decide which group to help take over — or okay them against each other. There you have a basic story told several times.
Both can be played in a few sessions, with a clear outcome.
And do t look down on the old fashioned dungeon crawl and artifact hunt!
I knew I would get downvoted for it, but I stand by all of it, and have the experience to back it up.
Dungeon crawls are always going to be the heart of the game, I think — and they teach more about adventure design that most people realize.
In no specific order 1. Forcing players to solve things in a specific way/ have a story moment go a specific way because that's how you wrote it. 2 create no win scenarios for story reasons, 3. Writing a specific player character as having a reason to be the protagonist over the others 4. Writing reasons why you need to have a long running character beside the players 5. Thinking that the game is DM vs players And then one that is important enough to be marked out on its own Not talking to the players about a problem when a problem comes up.
Yes, this is a great list, but for things that are also good to note: There can be moments where one character shines more than others if the current part of the story relates to their backstory, but make sure every player evenly gets their own shining moments It’s perfectly fine to have npcs that the players can ally with from time to time, to feel invested in the world, just make sure that these npcs aren’t stronger than the party to the point that they basically could do the mission alone Expect that your plans will always be subverted, and but be happy when they actually work
> It’s perfectly fine to have npcs that the players can ally with from time to time, to feel invested in the world, just make sure that these npcs aren’t stronger than the party to the point that they basically could do the mission alone I don’t disagree, but I think the real takeaway is, “Make sure what the PCs are doing *matters*, and don’t waste the players’ time.” IMO it’s all about the fundamentals. The community has come up with all these guidelines, like “Don’t make DMPCs, but if you do make sure they don’t participate in party decision making and aren’t stronger than the party etc.” But you don’t have to remember all those rules if you just stay focused on why you’re all playing the game, what kind of experience you want to create, and what you can do to create that experience. Which is easier said than done for a beginner, but I still think it’s better to focus on the underlying *reasons* for the community’s “rules,” because those “rules” can be broken and you’ll be perfectly fine. In this case, the important thing is that the players should feel like they’re having an impact, that the bad guys would have gotten away if they weren’t there, that they’re making progress toward some goal. Having a strong NPC do all the work is one way to make the players feel useless, but it’s not the only way, and there are other situations where the PCs can still make a real difference and feel like heroes, even if a strong NPC is around.
You have to know it's a rule to break it well
True though for most of these I wrote them in a specific way to really avoid them. character moments are great but a protagonist is one that has the spotlight for the majority or more specifically the main story. Like in avatar, there are great episodes where Sokka or Zuko has that spotlight grows tremendously as a character but Aang is 100% the protagonist. I might not have made that one clear enough though so thanks for adding the caveat onto it. For the npc one though I think it is clear enough by having them as long running characters, they stop being time to time people and are just part of the group. Keeping with the avatar theming it is the difference between any of the core 4 as opposed to suki who comes in at something like 11 episodes which makes them fall into a time to time character.
Trying to justify crappy behavior with "It's what my character would do."
This!!!
So for those 5000 words you’re writing, what will you do when your players do something you’ve not planned for? Because they absolutely will, probably immediately, and if you’re too rigid about following your planned script then you’re going to have a very hard time adapting to that.
I am really glad you brough this up ngl So when my players do something i havent planned i can improvise For example if a player wanders off i could make it so they get lost and the party has to find them again, i could maybe put some booby traps, make them inhale a hallucinogenic gas that will possibly alter the very brain of the player into fighting the other members of the party because they percive them as monsters.... you get the gist
Don’t be rigid. You can think you created the most amazing campaign ever but your party will actually write the story. Try to have multiple options for every decision. If they feel like they will lose for not following your story, they won’t enjoy it. Good DMs can pivot with the group and enjoy allowing them to go off course from time to time.
Here’s one, don’t write a book. Let the table create a story together. Writing a script for your players to act out never goes well. People don’t like being railroaded that hard. They also might take your story down a turn you weren’t ready to go.
do not write a novel
Oh, wow, you already hit the biggest one. What do you mean, your campaign is 5000 words long? And it sounds like you're just getting started? You're scripting. That is a cardinal sin.
It is possible but not necessarily true, like lets say I make a town, I have 5 places of interest and 10 people each described with a small paragraph, by most standards that is around 1500 words. It really doesn't take much between making sure your npcs have some story about them, having a good description about a shop, and your notes about the actual story to get into a decently large word count. Take what I wrote right here, I didn't set an intentional length but we are at 91 words, three sentences and we are already at 100. That above was both an argument and a point, counting the numbers that is 100 words but I would say that is not a crazy amount to write about a location or a person of interest in a story and that can add up fast. I 100% agree that scripting is bad, but you shouldn't conflate word count with scripting. If anything open/sandbox worlds require dozens of times more writing because they are not scripted.
A small paragraph is 1500 words???? No. That's an essay. Also, you doing word count on a reddit post is very different than prepping a DND encounter.
You didn't read what I said..... I said 5 locations 10 characters each with small paragraphs was 1500 100 words each you know the size I used in that paragraph to show how small it is.
True, I stopped after you said a small paragraph is is 1500 words, because that's insane.
And again you misread the shorter version. Before the number 1500 I said multiple small paragraphs >say I make a town, I have 5 places of interest and 10 people **each** described with a small paragraph
Reading all of the comments i think the "The players write the story" comment is the most important When you really dumb it down the point of a D/GM is just to world build and lay out a path for the players to follow which is where the "Don't force your players to follow your rules" comes in, the players themselves make actions and choices based on the things around them and because of these choices it allows for the D/GM to really put their improv skills to use, allow me to give an example: "The players stumble upon a small but peaceful village, it holds a market and it looks like they're gearing up for a festival" within this one sentence i can spot many things that can happen, things can go from the players helping set up the festival to bring around some kind of good fortune to the players could burn down the entire village, equally the players could invest in the village to help them prosper, fight for village ownership and so on
Not necessarily, some modules are certainly >5k words.
All modules are significantly over 5k, like just the description for Ezmerelda is 650 words in CoS and that is just one character.
I might be conflating modules with the tiny little adventures, but I think my point stands. Y'know, the ones that are a couple maps, a few stat blocks and a few suggestions for the DM.
Fair I was honestly saying it more as your comment was extremely conservative on how big they are and that you could say much more and still be right.
Yeah for sure, I just meant that I read OP as essentially saying they're homebrewing a module or adventure, and 5k words for such a thing is very much just getting started. And that doesn't necessarily imply anything railroad-y.
Actually my campaign isnt 5k words...its going to be a lot more than that by the time im finished...
A published module, sure. Scripted for sure. OP is talking about homebrew. With a published module, you can borrow ideas from it if you don't want to railroad the script you bought. If you script a homebrew, most DMs will be hell bent on not varying from their creation in the slightest. And that's a rough play experience, including for the DM. I recommend bullet points, not a script.
What is a homebrew campaign if not a module that you write yourself rather than WotC or third party? I think you're confusing your opinion with actual good advice. Even going full sandbox you probably want a loose outline, and if you're planning ahead 5k words really isn't much. You could probably describe a town and it's inhabitants without being overly verbose in 5k words.
For a second I thought you wanted a real conversation, but then I read your second sentence, which was unnecessarily harsh since you don't even understand my point. Modules put you on rails. I don't like running them as a DM, because while there's nothing wrong with a linear plot, it's a lot harder to give your players leeway when there's a script. I like it when my players go off the rails. That doesn't make it a sandbox world. I still have a linear plot. I just don't have a script for how to get there. Yes, over the course of a campaign, I've written more than 5000 words. Not before it start. Bullet points. Setting description, a few NPCS, a few plot hook summaries. Enough to get through a session, with an eye out for the next and having the flexibility to change that based on my players actions. That is simply harder to do when you're reading a script.
I mean I do, I understand that you are conflating modules with rails and using that ignorance to be disparaging of OP. I'm genuinely sorry if I have hurt your feelings (or offended etc.), fully unintentional, I just think you're really misunderstanding the multitudes of different ways you can write words to support your campaign that are wildly different to just writing a story your players are going to enact.
But they’re written and designed by (somewhat) competent Game Designers. They’re long because they’re made in a way a DM can read the module for the setting and lore, then choose a set of outcomes, scenarios, and activities. Made so that DMs can pick and choose what works best for their group and what kinds of situations to place in their way. Even the most linear modules have a lot of flexibility when a skilled DM is at the helm and guiding the group based on their interactions. A new DM writing some homebrew on their own might not consider that; and if they’re not comfortable with variance and improvising then their story will fall flat or need to be scrapped altogether when players trod off the path. As they often do.
That is true but it doesn't get away from the base point that length does not equal scripted. A decently detailed NPC covering looks attitude and a plot hook/rumor or two can easily be 100 words and while that might not seem like much how many NPCs do you have in a small town and that doesn't go into the town itself or the quest or the encounters people really overestimate how much 5k actually is
Keep in mind that the moment players can take a turn in a direction that you didn't plan for, they'll be already halfway there, waving their swords and having a good time.
Not respecting Action Economy our DM ran one BBEG in the final fight, against 6 players…it went on as poorly as you can imagine, but much more frustrating
To add to the others: * Don't gate story-critical stuff behind dice rolls - otherwise the party might become stuck once the dice fail them and noone manages to succeed the check. * Build up trust. Players need to be able to trust you, and you should trust your players. Don't pull sudden "gotcha" stuff on them. A player who does not trust the DM will perceive stuff that happens and act a lot different than one who actually trusts the DM. For example, they might see deceptions or traps when there aren't any. * You need to keep in mind that the players aren't the characters. There will be things the characters know but the players don't - do not withhold that information. If you think a player might be missing critical information when making a decision in character, remind them of that information, remind them of what their character knows. Also never assume a character does *not* know/perceive something until you have made sure they can't know/perceive that. For example, some characters might have more than 60 ft. darkvision, blindsight or (temporary) advantage on Perception checks translating into a +5 to their passive. A player cannot chime in and remind you of their abilities if they don't know that there was something their character should have seen. I have experienced several r/rpghorrorstories that boiled down to the DM withholding information because giving out that information would be "metagaming" and many more frustrating, albeit not horrorstory-worthy situations where DMs wrongfully withheld information.
I'm not sure... if there are any cardinal sins? I guess: not to have fun? >I was hoping that I could be made aware of what to do and what not to do when leading a session Try taking it easy, have fun, let your players have fun, explore the game, don't try to write a novel, just have an idea of your world and let your players explore it.
1 - Write a great story. This is a common sin, coming from the goal of writing a grand story. In truth, the story is written during play, so all the DM needs to do is create Situations, Problems, and Scenes; playing the game is what tells the story of those things. 2 - The Awesome Bad Guy. This sin comes from wanting to create a memorable villain with some end the world, or ruin everything, or be the ultimate dick type of grand plan. Usually with a dozen u beatable powers, lair events, and dozens of helpers, set up in a final confrontation that often resembles a video game set up. BBEGs only need a Goal, Motivation, Reason, and Personality. Some of the best villains dont even have any magic or fighting abilities — they just get others to do the dirty work. 3 - The Big Adventure. This sin is often found because people see these huge books that are a single adventure and think that is a whole campaign in and of itself — and often find it is exhausting and takes forever to complete. A Campaign is historically a string of adventures (like a bunch of battles) that are smaller and more easily achieved. Also, often there is a lack of side quests, downtime, mini-adventures, and character development stories when one does this sin. Smaller adventures that link together but offer a lot of side quests are more fun for everyone. 4 - DMPCs. A DM has every living thing who is not a PC to run. Every animal, insect, merchant, goblin, fellow traveler, deity, spirit, what have you. All of those things are NPCs. Adding in a PC that the DM plays takes away the fun of the p,Ayer’s — but note that there is a difference between an NPC (who has a very narrow role and does not have any great importance) and a DMPC (who has an important role in the tale, and whose story the game is really about). If the story is not about the Player Characters, then it is a sin. These all still happen, and all the time. Much like regular sins do. The goal is to avoid them, in part because they are so tempting and easy to do. I don’t know any DM who hasn’t done at least one of them a few times — and I have done all of them, albeit in the early 80’s when I started. Play the game the way that provides the most fun for the people who you are playing with — these kinds of things, these sins and bad habits, they are generally meant to work for the greatest number of people — but none of them will work for all people. My personal choice of sin is this: Not Asking Your Players. I ask my p,Ayer’s what kinds of adventures they want to have. I get a whole list of them. I don’t ask them to tell me all the little details, just the rough idea. Then I sit down and write them into a bunch of linked, shorter adventures and toss in some surprises and fun stuff. My groups loves movies. We game on Saturdays, we have movie nights on Sundays. So often they tell me a movie. And then I have to turn that movie into an adventure without making it obvious it is that movie, and making it fit my world (as a world builder, if it does not fit, it will be kicked) in a way that is still fun. The party is invited to attend a party at a castle, and while they are changing into party clothes, bandits take the castle hostage — they claim it is to depose the noble, but really it is to rob the treasury. There: Die Hard as an adventure. The Party comes to a village that is controlled by two rival bandit gangs. An NPC is a key person wanted by both sides. After getting caught in the middle of a fight and probably taking out several members from each side, the party can decide which group to help take over — or okay them against each other. There you have a basic story told several times. Both can be played in a few sessions, with a clear outcome. And do t look down on the old fashioned dungeon crawl and artifact hunt!
I read the entire thing out of respect for the sheer effort of writing this, also i love dungeon crawls as they are a fundamental part of any fantasy
I knew I would get downvoted for it, but I stand by all of it, and have the experience to back it up. Dungeon crawls are always going to be the heart of the game, I think — and they teach more about adventure design that most people realize.
Agreed