Creating Adventures

[robject]

This is a very general question.

What are some rules of thumb when writing short adventures? What's your experience in doing this, and lessons learned?

For example, your adventure should be straightforward and focused: an eight-year-old should be able to understand the point of it all. (Yes or no and why/caveats).

Or, adventures generally are just about putting players in a fix and letting them dig themselves out. (Similar responses) Or letting them navigate through wheels-within-wheels. Or all about teamwork (or the horrible things that happen when it's absent).

You get the idea? Your thoughts please!

 

[Whipsnade]

IMHO word count is why a short adventure must be straightforward and focused.

IMHO word count is why a short adventure cannot be much more than dropping the players in the soup and letting them find a way out.

IMHO word count is why you can suggest complications, twists, wheels-within-wheels, or team work and why you cannot detail the same.

IMHO a short adventure is best exemplified by the Amber Zones found in JTAS and Challenge. A short adventure will consist of players' information, referee's information, background information, and the famous six complications.

IMHO a short adventure's location should either be keyed to one location or keyed to a range of locations. The latter is ideal because it presents the referee with options rather than additional work and is best illustrated by Lee's Guide.

 

[Beerfume]

I keep this taped into the first page of one of my Traveller binders. I've always found it helpful. It is from the GURPS Basic Set - Third Edition p. 198:

Features of a Good Adventure
A good adventure (by the standards we use for our own publications) will include:

• Lots of opportunities for the PCs to use their non-combat skills – including some difficult rolls, and some involving unusual skills (forcing the PCs to roll against defaults).
• Contests of skill between PCs and NPCs, and possibly between PCs as well. Situations where the players will have to think about the right thing to do . . . puzzles, moral choices, or both.
• Situations where proper use of social skills, like Fast-Talk or Diplomacy, will avoid combat.
• Situations where no possible use of social skills will avoid combat!
• Interesting descriptions of people, places and things, to give the players the feeling that they are really there with their characters.
• A clear introduction; a plotline which builds tension or mystery; and a clear conclusion.
• Opportunity for roleplaying and character development. This should be present even if the adventure is the most lighthearted hack’n’slash imaginable! Fighters are interesting people, too – or they should be.
• A reward for characters who complete the adventure successfully, and a consequence for characters who fail!

 

[Whipsnade]

I keep this taped into the first page of one of my Traveller binders.

That's a great list.

 

[mike wightman]

I've posted this before.

If I don't have time to plan I can usually knock up an evening's adventure by rolling three times on the patron table and three times on the NPC table.

Arrange the encounter elements in the order they most logically interact with the players but don't be afraid to change the order on the fly or add/remove stuff as the players do their stuff.

Here is the example:

note that this is using the 81 version of LBB3 – Starter Edition and The Traveller Book actually have much more comprehensive tables
I roll on the patron table and get: rumour, avenger, army
Next I roll on random person encounter and get
workers, animal encounter (a roll of 6,n I take as animal or alien) and ambushing brigands.
I pick the starting encounter:
Let’s say the players encounter some workers who are obviously agitated, discussion with them reveals that the industrial plant they have been operating has been closed due to rumours of some violent native beast, and that some hotheads are thinking of going to hunt the animals down. There is a rumour that the animals in question have highly valuable (insert whatever you want here – anagathic glands, valuable fur, expensive blubber – whatever).
Players may or may not join the hunt, but they have been seen talking to the workers.
Next encounter depends – if they go on the animal hunt then they may encounter the ambushing brigands who are also after the animals, or they may encounter the army patrol guarding the industrial site and containing the animals.
If they don’t go on the hunt they are approached by the avenger who has lost (family member, best friend, whatever will pull players in) and offers to guide the players past the workers/army guards to get to the animals.
If they went along with the workers they may still encounter the avenger being attacked by the brigands/army patrol.
It’s fairly organic – I may decide to change the encounter order in response to player actions, and reaction rolls may make things more tense than they need to be.
And at some point I have to generate the animal stats…

 

[kilemall]

Most of the points I would make are already covered, so I'll just throw in a few more I can think of.

• Short adventures should be like a TV episode, largely self-contained within the set parameters of the 'show' (whether continuing characters or one off 'teleplay' of 'Tales of your ATU') and a resolution within sight.
• It WILL go off the rails- have about 3 different resolution branches ready to roll, and keep your improvise hat at the ready, no rails.
• Like a TV episode, good idea to have the comic relief/personal business/emo subplot to keep people engaged. I recommend space pets or space exes.
• Large story arcs can provide short adventures too, just chop them up into individual episodes.

 

[robject]

Mike, I'll try your trick. Right. Now.

3 Patrons: Scout Pilot, Crewmember, Embezzler.
3 Randoms: Animal/Alien, Soldiers, Thugs.
3 Rumors: Location data, Broad background info, Minor fact.


A Scout Pilot in the TAS lounge tells everyone to avoid a particular world, as it is home to a high-tech hostile alien species.

Various crew of other ships decide he's trying to scare them off treasure, and make plans to jump in as a small, poorly-armed flotilla.

Of course, no players in their right minds would go to this world now. If they care to search the datanets, they'll find that the target world is an Imperial Reserve, and as such is protected from unauthorized ships by various small, fast cruisers.

The next day, Startown is plagued by the Imperial Army, which is sweeping the hostels, dives, bars, and whatnot for any and all starship crew. All are interrogated regarding what they heard and what their intentions are. Treat it as harassment, as if we rolled under Law Level.

Free from harassment, however, is an employee of Tukera Lines, who is busy preparing to ship off. Unbeknownst to everyone, he is shipping off having embezzled millions of credits from ... the local underworld. He wants to hire a ship, and knows what needs to happen to keep the players from being nabbed and unfairly detained.

At some point, the Imperial Army is supplemented by local thugs, who are less friendly about handling ship's crew. A riot ensues as the Army turns to control this threat from Legitimate Businessmen (maybe the sweep uncovered more than the Army was ready to handle).

Meanwhile, the Embezzler is actually heading to the Imperial Reserve world. What's more, he has a minor fact for the players: he knows of a patrol gap that occurs in the Imperial Reserve world.

And so a perfect storm ensues: the players take on a criminal, slip from the clutches of the Imperial Army (but only for now), get tagged by a powerful crime syndicate, and end up in a system that allegedly has a hostile high-tech unknown alien species....

Wow, that was fun.

 

[robject]

Again:

Patrons: Rumor, Astrogator, Mercenary
Randoms: Workers, Beggars, Peasants
Rumors: Helpful data, General location data, Major fact

The players hear a rumor about a great employment opportunity that's right down the players' alley -- for instance, if they're merchants, it's a great trade opportunity, and if they're mercenaries, it's for a sweet ticket, and so on.

Asking around, they are directed to an Astrogator who can serve as a guide, either as a non-paying passenger or on working passage.

The target location for this opportunity is in the outback of an otherwise habitable world. The situation is a peasant village that is blockaded by a mercenary group hired by a local government: the village has refused to deal with the government's intrusive policies, and as a result they are essentially interdicted.

The result, whether the players decide it's worth intruding to earn the ire of a planetary government, or whether they think the village is actually in the wrong, or whether they do something entirely different, is up to the players. What additional role the astrogator plays in the whole process is also up to the inventiveness of the referee.

 

[robject]

And again:

Governor, Embezzler, Marine Officer
Vigilantes, Animals, Aliens
Misleading clue, General location data, Completely false information


A board member of a small colony, who bears the insignia of the local militia Night Watch, asks the help of the players. Local vigilantes have been bombing administration buildings in protest of the gross misplacement of state money, caused by the governor draining the coffers for his sizable Kian ranch in the outback. He wants them to penetrate the defenses of the governor's mansion and turn him over to designated authorities.

Before they do this, an Imperial Marine colonel learns about their job (how?) and takes them via speeder to a remote Night Watch installation, where local aliens are, I don't know, being sold off as slaves on the interstellar black market. The marine claims that the story about the governor is a ruse, and the board member is actually out for the governor's job. The "designated authorities", along with the vigilantes themselves, are in the board member's pocket.

Subsequent developments are left to the referee.

 

[McPerth]

IMHO thre are two kinds of short adventures:

• distractions inside a longer campaign
• one afternoon games (e.g. a convention exhibition play)

Within this, the short adventures should have:

1. a definite situation
2. a definite goal
3. a limited location
4. a definite and limited time

Point 1:situation: if this is a campaign game, the players should be brought there, or find themselves into it, and the situation would be the one in the campaign. If a one afternoot playing, just tell the players what the situation is.

Point 2: the goal may be evident or not, but the players must find it out to solve the adventure.

Point 3: again, thiswill depend on the kind of adventure. what is said about the situation is also true here.

Point 4: if you intend it as a short adventure, there must be a deadline for time, be it because events that shoudl occur if not solved, to players' other pressing matters (best suited inside a campaign) or because something is happening that limits it (e.g.; if exploring a derelict, it may be in a unstable orbit and keeping too long on it may be danerous).

See that, mostly if inside a campaign game, those short adventures can be a way to obtain clues or allies for long ranged effects, and the way they solve them may have latter effects (they may interfere in someone else's plans and win rivals/enemies, they can benefit someone and gaining contacts/allies, they can win a piece of equipment that can help/hindrance them latter, etc.).

Most short adventures should focus in one aspect of play, be it social interaction, combat, exploration, puzzle solving...

We can find many examples of those in the traveller published ones, be them as Amber zones, patrons or casual encounters...

Esamples on published adventures (the situation is always as explained on it):

Shadows:

Spoiler:

• Goal; explore the piramid
• Location: the piramid
• Time limit: until the piramid sinks again
• Focus: exploration (also puzzle solving)
• Possible long term effects: the several enigmas on it (coins found, who where the builders, etc.)

Exit Visa

Spoiler:

• Goal; obtain the Visa
• Location: Alell
• Time limit: the ship may be wanted by authorities, and the local ones might find this out
• Focus: social interaction
• Possible long term effects: being stranded in Alell or een jailed as crew of a wanted ship

Night of Conquest:

Spoiler:

• to reach their ship
• Location: the city
• Time limit: the reinforcments for the attackers are coming...
• Focus: combat/social interaction
• Possible long term effects: being stranded in the planet if they fail. A grateful government (and a not so grateful one) if they win

 

[robject]

• Short adventures should be like a TV episode, largely self-contained within the set parameters of the 'show' (whether continuing characters or one off 'teleplay' of 'Tales of your ATU') and a resolution within sight.
• It WILL go off the rails- have about 3 different resolution branches ready to roll, and keep your improvise hat at the ready, no rails.
• Like a TV episode, good idea to have the comic relief/personal business/emo subplot to keep people engaged. I recommend space pets or space exes.
• Large story arcs can provide short adventures too, just chop them up into individual episodes.

Excellent notes, thank you.

 

[robject]

Thank you for your notes.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: I want to be prepared for the next convention.


LONG TEXT:

Over the past few years I have refereed at local conventions, and always Always ALWAYS get mental block when it comes to thinking up a short adventure. The typical con short is indeed four hours more or less.

So it has to be KISS with room for the players to veer off a bit, or at least feel they can veer off if they see something that sparks their interest.


The dungeon crawl (unknown ship or building) is TOO simple for Traveller, UNLESS there is an mystery involved.

On the other end are full adventures such as one of the GDW classic adventures or the FASA adventures - they tend to be too long for one night.

In the middle are the double adventures and the amber zones, both of which can be comfortably fit into a convention one-shot. Chamax Plague works nice, as does Foodrunner or Geria Transfer. Double adventures are easy to truncate, and amber zones are easy to stretch - if needed.

 

[Ulsyus]

This is a very general question.

What are some rules of thumb when writing short adventures? What's your experience in doing this, and lessons learned?

How do you define short? Is it just the time it takes to play, or do you have other criteria?

I keep this taped into the first page of one of my Traveller binders. I've always found it helpful. It is from the GURPS Basic Set - Third Edition p. 198:

Awesome list. Combine it with Kilemall’s and McPerth’s points and there’s some great scenario engineering guidelines.

If I run something short, I try to keep it so the conclusion leaves a sense of having achieved something, but still open for it to plug into a larger story/campaign arc.

I normally try to keep short evening sessions down to three scenes with the travel/movement in between them also played out.

 

[kilemall]

Wightman's technique went straight to my toolbox, there is never an excuse for not whipping up something in 15 minutes. It's really a Rule 68A for adventure gen.


Thought I would throw in my one add-on to the rolls, the Stakes roll.


This gives you a figure from Cr10 to potentially subsector impact. The stakes can be the fee, the PC payoff if the McGuffin is found/captured/retrieved, what the players can lose, or what their planet/polity can suffer or gain.


Determined as follows-


Roll 1d6 to determine # of die to roll. Then roll that many die to get a random number, 1-36.


Roll 1d6, noting results 1-5 and rerolling on each 6. This is the number of zeros to put behind the above random number.


So

• two 1s gets you Cr10,
• two 3s gets you a random number roll of say 3 4s for 12 and the other 3 means 000 so the stakes are Cr12,000,
• two 5s means 5 die rolls, lets say 1,2,3,4,5 for a total of 15 and 00000 so the stakes are Cr1,500,000, etc. etc.

Scenarios could then end up being a comedy of errors or some amusing future social conundrum with Cr500 at stake, or easily a big MCr one.

 

[robject]

Another Random Amber Zone

Rumor
Doctor
Hijacker

Fugitives
Soldiers
Researchers

Major_Fact
Location_data
Location_data


There's a rumor in town that high-profile political fugitives are hiding out nearby. Soldiers are busy looking for the fugitives, led by a feared minister without portfolio simply known as The Doctor. Players are thrust in the midst of this when a hijacker stows away and tries to take over. His efforts fail, but for a one-man job he is surprisingly difficult to restrain. Sure enough, it turns out that he's one of these fugitives, with a big 'ol tattoo-and-tracking-device marking him as a synthetic, property of a particular hush-hush government lab. Just having him around is bad juju, as the players will find out, since tracking devices make the synthetic traceable. Whether or not the players dump the hijacker, their ship will be implicated, and the safest route is out of the system. Regardless, they will be pursued by agents (two by two, hands of blue fashion).

I'm not sure of the solution to this mess; presumably, the referee could key off of the players' efforts to minimize the effect on them. However the results of this wrong-place-wrong-time dilemma is to have pairs of dangerous agents always keeping an eye out for them.

 

[robject]

How do you define short? Is it just the time it takes to play, or do you have other criteria?

I'm working that out. Shorthand for "short adventure" is "four hours".

I think a short adventure is a short plot, the size of a Double Adventure or Amber Zone, but with prep work done.

 

[robject]

Rumor
Smuggler
Shipowner

Riotous_Mob
Tourists
Vigilantes

General_location_data
Misleading_clue
Completely_false_information

Rumor of a lucrative(?) opportunity, coupled with the acquisition of half of a non-working artifact, brings the players to Startown, where they arrange to meet a factor on the next day. Of course, the next day a workers' riot erupts in the City, engulfing Startown in mobs of aliens and humans clashing with City officials over contract violations (both sides claim the other side violated various contracts). The violence goes on for twelve days, and includes numerous fatalities. The workers are greedy, and the local police are thugs. Kobayashi Maru.

...But that's okay, because the starport itself is safe, and they're contacted by a trader who says he's a friend of the Factor. He is looking to book a ship for a tourism jaunt to the other side of the planet, and a starship is as good as a speeder when you have (a) high-paying customers and (b) no City transportation network. He'll pay luxury rates, as long as the food is half decent.

I'd like to say the tourists aren't just tourists, but in fact are vigilantes seeking to do more harm to the government. But frankly what group of players are going to trust a strange trader seeking to move people across the world? I mean that just reeks of criminal activity. So I'm not sure where to go with that!