Planning Adventures - Allotting for Time

I’d like to talk today about planning an adventure. The most important rule to remember when designing an adventure is: However long you think it should take to complete, it will take twice as long.

I’m writing this before my group plays it, but I’d like to use an upcoming encounter in my current campaign as an example. I’ll update the end of this post after they’ve played for an accurate time stamp.

For reference, the group just helped a man fight off a mystical creature attacking the town. He appears to them as a greyish winged man and is a member of the city’s military force called “The Night Guard”.

“The Wounded Night Guardsmen thanks the party for saving him. He is new to this form (and reverts to a normal, pale Human appearance) and thus was not as helpful as he should have been. He explains a little bit about the Night Guard, but admits he hasn't been a member long enough to have memorized their full history. He will foot the bill to the Night Guard Meeting Hall, so long as the party doesn't mind him stopping by the Market District first.”

This single paragraph of text does a few things: 1) It gives the players an option to learn more about the Night Guard if the wish, and they will likely be curious given his appearance. 2) It confirms to them that he is a Vampire, if they weren’t sure yet. 3) It shows the group that the town is fairly generous, as by this point multiple people will have offered to pay the transportation costs around town. 4) It points them toward the city’s defenders, who will help them in an upcoming battle. 5) And it gives the party an excuse to go shopping, even though they are kind of in a hurry.

Looking at the paragraph I often think to myself “I need more content for this adventure.” Then I have to remind myself that this small block of text will take the group 30 minutes and set up two other encounters.

Just the discussion with this guy will end up taking them much longer than it would take me, but that isn’t a bad thing. I like that my players are thorough and spend a lot of time planning. It is a little disappointing when the adventure takes longer than I want, but it means that I have to plan less for each session. It also is very satisfying to see the players “in character” without a lot of prodding by me.

With each adventure I try something different. This is both fun and helps me learn what my players like best. For this one I’m putting a lot of planning into the NPCs and businesses in town, but I’m letting the players dictate the adventure. They have to prepare the town for an invading force, but that is a fair amount of time in the future. Everything they do in the next session (and maybe the one after that) is really up to them.

So the adventure I have written (a mere 2 days before it needs to be done) should take about 2 hours of gameplay if it was a party of 5 of me. I also know that it will at least fill a 4 hour session with my group, both because they don’t all play like me (thank god) and because roleplaying takes extra time. And of course they are now at the Paragon Tier which means combat takes longer should it arise.

And now for a rundown of how long it actually took to play. The sample encounter above ended up taking less than 5 minutes to finish. I was a bit surprised. Of course, another encounter that I expected to be over quickly took well over 20 minutes. The session as a whole only took 2 hours before we stopped for the night, but we had a scheduling conflict.

Metagaming and the DM’s conundrum

            For those who don’t know, Metagaming is a player using his knowledge to dictate his character’s actions. This is usually used in reference to a Tabletop RPG, but actually could be used in any game where you are portraying a character.

Most DMs tell everyone that they have a 0 tolerance policy on metagaming, but that is not true. Even if he swears on his mother’s life, a DM always allows a small bit of metagaming. Sometimes he doesn’t notice it until after it’s happened, sometimes he just doesn’t mind. But it always happens.

I personally don’t mind metagaming between players in order to help someone roleplay. For instance: Player A just received a vital piece of information but didn’t quite grasp how important it was. He learned that a group of assassins is coming to town in a few days. The next session the player has completely forgotten that the coming group is assassins. Shortly after meeting the group, Player B suggests ambushing the assassins as they sleep. His character has no idea who these men are, but the other character does. So it stands to reason that he might come up with this plan, even if his player did not.

My players have a habit of starting metagaming sentences with “Of course I’m not there, so I can’t affect the situation, but…” It reminds the other players that anything they suggest isn’t happening unless someone else’s character makes the connection, but it allows them to be part of scenes that their characters aren’t.

This is the good side of metagaming.

Now for the bad side… And my own desire to reckless metagame.

In my group I am sometimes a player and sometimes a DM. As a player I enjoy splitting the party, my character scouting ahead or falling back to protect the others. As a DM I enjoy splitting the party because it gives the players cool roleplay moments and helps the characters feel more like a team instead of conjoined twins(always stuck together). But the teams of each campaign are so vastly different.

My character (Damasei) has suggested many times that the party split for sound tactical reasons, or in an effort to spare his party having to deal with the Devils he associates with, but he’s always shot down. As a player I’ve only been split from the main party once, and it was a result of them being adamant about sticking together! (DMs love messing with your plans almost as much as you love messing with theirs.)

As a DM my party has split at least 4 or 5 times that I remember. I’ve never asked them to split(though I don’t discourage it) and they always seem to do it out of curiosity about what’s down 2 hallways. This may be my fault for giving too many options as a DM, but the larger issue isn’t that they split… It’s that they only split when I’m not playing!

A huge part of me wants to just have Damasei become a selfish bastard and say “I’m going this way, you guys are on your own” and see what happens. But that isn’t in his character to do so. It also would derail the campaign as Damasei is the current focal point for the next adventure(The DM likes focusing on characters for a time).

Of all the advice I’ve found on DMing, the only piece on splitting the party is: Don’t. The gaming world seems to think it can’t be done without resulting in TPK or something equally as horrible. But I’ve seen it done well many times, and I am tactical enough to know it can end with minimal damage if the party is willing to plan first.

The same goes for metagaming: Don’t. No DM I’ve ever spoken to will admit to metagaming having a place in RPGs.

Why am I the only person to think these things can be good? Why can no one help me with my problem without telling me my whole playstyle is wrong? All I want is advice on getting my players to treat my ideas as sound when I’m a player, instead of playing like my character isn’t all that smart.

I realized long ago that I still need work as a DM, and I understand when my players don’t like something I put together, but as a player I don’t know what else I can do. It is a conundrum.

All of my Tabletop RPG Characters

So I've mentioned my favorite Tabletop RPG character in a past post. And recently I was listening to someone on Youtube describe their memorable characters. So it came to be that I was just sitting around thinking about all of my past characters today. I figured I'd share them with you guys. We'll go in order.

First up is Kutal: A Human Druid. As a Min/Max choice for the system we were playing, I gave him Amnesia(long story). Doing so meant that he gained 5 more "flaws" that he(and I) was not aware of. As time went on he began to remember bits of his past, like his father and his first adventure, but the kicker was the "flaws". It so turns out that he has Insomnia, and on top of that if he did manage to get some sleep it was filled with Nightmares. I liked to roleplay the Nightmares as fragmented memories of the event that caused his Amnesia. He walked around like a zombie a lot.

I also discovered a few sessions in that he was Allergic to Plants, and Allergic to Animals. This was a source of ridicule from his party members, as he was a Druid. He also had a pet Red-Tailed Hawk named Tobias(Animorphs reference FTW!) which miraculously never set off his allergies. I decided that that's why he chose the pet.

He was terrible at dealing damage, and was easy to hit, but he ended up being a great Controller. He had a lot of really useful status effect spells and immobilizing vines in his arsenal. I only played him for 3 sessions, so I still don't know his last "flaw", but he was a blast to play.

Second was Akara, who I've talked about before.

Next was Shiori Jesra: A Human Jedi. Shiori specialized in healing and tech manipulating powers, but had turned his back on the order. He left of his own volition and no longer carried a lightsaber as a result. Instead he carried a simple vibroblade.

He had some cool moments, which includes the time a fellow Jedi tossed him a spare lightsaber so the group could fight on multiple fronts in the dark, but he was a rather unremarkable character. His most useful ability was force pushing enemies against a wall so others could kill them easily.

Then during an encounter where our party was fighting against Gremlins(from the movie) my friend and I kept adding dialogue to the enemies because it was fun. The group liked it so much that they asked us to make permanent Gremlin party members.

Cletus and Rosco were born! I was Rosco, named for an inside joke my friend and I sometimes used. Nothing too remarkable about the Gremlins except that the group got a kick out of them.

I also made a female Monk that was meant to be my combat oriented character for that game, but I never really got much play time with her. She was a green skinned alien though; that was interesting.

The next character I played was for the Dragon Age RPG by Green Ronin. She was an Elven Cricle Mage on a quest for an artifact stolen by one of her fellow mages turned Blood Mage. She was a support mage by design, specializing in healing and strengthening her allies. She eventually learned a lightning spell, but she wasn't a fighter by any means. I enjoyed her character enough that I plan to write a story about her. She was also an extremely effective healer.

My most recent character is Damasei: A Tiefling Swordmage from Neverwinter. He is a master of Teleportation, and has in fact used his powers to save his allies on many occasions. He reluctantly serves a Devil, who grants him his powers. He hates his father and idolizes his grandfather. He is currently traveling with a group he barely knows on a quest to retrieve his grandfather's lost sword.

The funny thing about Damasei is that his original party are all dead or trapped in another dimension. The Fighter turned out to be a shapeshifting spy, the Archer was left behind on another plane where she was originally born, and the Cleric was slaughtered by his own god for consorting with Damasei. All of these events happened after the group picked up an Orc Fighter as a minion. While I'm assured this was all a coincidence; and Damasei doesn't even consider it an option; I feel it would be a great end to the campaign if the Orc was really working against the party the whole time, orchestrating the deaths of everyone to look like random acts of happenstance.

I have a few more characters I have come up with that I am excited to play, but I'm currently spending my game nights DMing so they'll have to wait.

My favorite Tabletop RPG character

I was recently contemplating which, of my various RPG characters that I've played, is my favorite. And I felt like sharing it with you guys.

Meet Akara. I made him for a Homebrew game in my very first gaming group. After rolling up his stats I found myself with, what veterans call, a "glass cannon". He hit like a mack truck, but his HP was low and his defenses were barely average.

After a few minutes of looking through classes, I decided that the Samurai fit his stat build the best. But I didn't want to just have a generic samurai character, so I set out to make him a happy-go-lucky kind of character. I decided that he would be all about having fun, and less about serious role-playing. Of course that turned into his motto: "I don't do anything that isn't fun."

Once I'd settled on a personality, I needed a Race. After discussing good min/max choices with the DM, I promptly ignored all advice and made him a Gnome. That's right - A Gnome Samurai. I quickly decided that his sword (Katana, which is normally classified under Longsword in most games) was not Gnome sized, but regular size. Everywhere he walked left a trail in the dirt as it dragged behind him. A typical Katana is about 3 ft, he was 2'4".

When an NPC asked him to go on a quest, he promptly replied with "Will it be fun?" If the NPC was smart, they answered "yes". He decided that at least one of them was lying. He decided this as he hid from a group of man-eating Harpies on a cliff.

One of the most memorable sessions with Akara was when a guest Player came to visit. A simple comment of "You look like fun." was taken way out of context and garnered a slap from the warrior woman. Of course, I couldn't help but run with the gag. There were so many innocent phrases turned into bad innuendo that session that the group was just rolling there eyes by the end. And of course Akara took to walking behind her, complimenting the view.

He was slapped so many times by the end of the session that the DM started asking her to roll for damage.

Now I mentioned the near death experience with Harpies, and there was the disheartening moment when he lost in the first round of an arena tournament... to an opponent that was designed as a joke, but no moment in Akara's little Gnome life was as terrifying as when he was almost beheaded by a slap from an "ally".

He had just made yet another comment about the "view". After almost passing out from the pain, he grinned and responded "Fine then, you're ugly." The party's other warrior had to intervene at that point.

Some days, when I'm being nostalgic, I really miss that little guy. I'm a little sad that I wasn't able to stay with that group longer, but it was out of my control. Besides, my current gaming life has allowed me to DM; something I enjoy immensely. So I guess it all works out.

Of course, I'll never stop missing Akara. I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks his way into one of the campaigns I'm DMing. Wouldn't that be "fun"!

Skill Challenges: A Second Look

A while back I wrote a post about Skill Challenges. I gave examples of Skill Challenges the way they had always been presented to me, and reasons why I disliked them. Okay, let's be honest - I hated them. But I think that has changed recently.

To begin; I still hold my opinion that Skill Challenges the way they are normally presented are not great. I still hold that running them without notifying the players that they are happening is the best way to run those. But now there's another way... Or to be more accurate, now I've discovered the other way.

At the bottom of this post is a Skill Challenge presented in a D&D 4e Adventure titled Menace of the Icy Spire. I plan on using a modified version of this adventure for my gaming group soon, so they probably shouldn't read it until after they make it through. But it is a great example of what a Skill Challenge was meant to be. It gives good explanations of the Skills used and what they are meant for. It gives both the DM and the Players a chance (and a reason) to stretch their storytelling muscles while doing something semi-repetitive.

This example Skill Challenge was written by a D&D veteran by the name of Sean Molley. I don't know if he came up with the idea or just put his own spin on it, but he did an excellent job. Combine that with listening to Chris Perkins (another veteran) DM and give tips on DMing, and I have found a new respect for Skill Challenges.

Sean gave me the well thought out tool to make this dreaded mechanic enjoyable, and Chris gave me the idea to make it more than just a mechanic. If you haven't seen or heard Wil Wheaton spend 2 minutes describing how he escapes an acid pit IN GAME, you should. Not only is it hilarious, but it got me thinking. Skill Challenges generally explain what each Skill gets you in game, but what if wasn't an explanation? What if it is an example to build on.

I don't know why it never dawned on me before, but if I set up the example then the Players can come up with the details. And the whole group can pitch in. You don't need to be a master storyteller all by yourself in a Roleplaying Game. You are one of many writers telling a cooperative story. Throw in an idea about how you Athletics roll involved you pulling someone away from danger, and the group will chime in with how the other person screamed like a girl or how you really just pulled them into more danger.

I personally would like to see my gaming group be a little more descriptive and a little less prepared to roll for success; and I think that this method of Skill Challenge meets storytelling will allow for that. I've already begun implementing this kind of Skill Challenge in several adventures I'm writing. Here's to hoping for the best!


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I also removed the DCs of the Checks in case my players do read it. Gotta keep a few secrets. ;)

The PCs find themselves in a snowstorm. The storm’s intensity continues to rise minute by minute until the PCs are caught in the middle of a full-on blizzard. To find their way through the driving snow, they must succeed on a skill challenge.
The PCs must survive the harsh conditions while staying on the right path to reach the tower. They use their skills and knowledge to choose the right direction and protect themselves against the storm’s hazards.

The Blizzard
Skill Challenge

The snow comes at you so fast that it both blocks sight and somehow threatens to mesmerize you with its chaotic patterns. A deep chill pervades the area, as well. Can you find your way through this storm to your destination?

Complexity 3 (requires 8 successes before 3 failures).

Primary Skills Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight,
Nature, Perception.
Other Skill Endurance, Heal.

Victory - If the PCs succeed, they find their way through the storm, losing no additional healing surges.
Defeat - If the PCs fail, they still survive the storm, but each character loses 2 healing surges to represent the beating they take from the blizzard.
*Acrobatics DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). A failure with this skill costs the character 1 healing surge. The PC helps guide the party over hazards such as icy patches of ground and through sudden gusts of wind that would otherwise knock party members off their feet.
*Arcana DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The first time a character earns a success with this skill, he or she also recognizes the fey nature of the magic, which opens up the use of the Insight skill (see below). The PC senses the direction from which the arcane energy powering the storm flow and can work backward from the flows of magic to get a sense of the tower’s location.
*Athletics DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). A failure with this skill costs the character 1 healing surge. The PC helps force a way through the storm using brute strength—breaking a path through a snow drift, moving fallen trees or jumping over them, and so forth.
*History DC ?? (1 success maximum). The PC recalls a specific detail about the location of Draigdurroch Tower or discovers a unique landmark that helps orient the group to its location and guides them along the right track.
*Insight DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). This skill cannot be used until it has been unlocked by a successful Arcana check. Because this storm is partially the result of fey magic, some of its effects are illusory. A PC who succeeds on an Insight check recognizes some of these illusions and can help the group avoid traveling in circles, prevent them from choosing paths that look safe but are dangerous, and so forth.
*Nature DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The PC relies on knowledge of the area, an ability to study terrain, an innate sense of direction, and wilderness survival skills to help lead the group through the blizzard.
*Perception DC ?? (1 success, no maximum). The PC relies on keen senses to look for safe paths, avoid hazards, spot gaps in the swirling storm, and otherwise help guide the group through the storm.
*Endurance DC ?? (0 successes, all characters must attempt). Every character must attempt an Endurance check every turn (representing 1 hour of exposure to the storm) to resist the chill winds and other hazards of the blizzard. Failure means the character loses a healing surge, but it does not count as a failure on the overall challenge. Characters who are protected by the Endure Elements ritual or who have innate cold resistance gain a +5 bonus to these checks (they are not immune, because some of the cold is magical). The PC tolerates the weather conditions.
*Heal DC ?? (0 successes, but can restore a healing surge). A character who has not attempted to use another skill (other than Endurance) during a turn can attempt a Heal check if another character fails a skill check that would cause the loss of a healing surge. If the Heal check is successful, the other character does not lose a healing surge, but that character’s failure still counts against the overall skill challenge. The Heal check does not count as either a success or a failure against the challenge. The PC helps another deal with the extreme weather conditions.