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Modular Adventures - Prewrite or Rewrite?
27 Plays11 days ago
Pre-written adventures. Use 'em as-is, tweak 'em, strip 'em for parts, or don't bother with 'em? There's lots of opinions on them, and that's what we're talking about this time.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:04
Speaker
D20 Radio. at Your game is rolled.
00:00:17
Speaker
How We Roll Gaming is dedicated to spreading enjoyment of great role-playing games. We hope to bring you insights into games you may not have played, tips to be a better game master and player, and share stories of momentous events at our tables.
00:00:29
Speaker
Every game is a new story to
Meet the Hosts
00:00:31
Speaker
tell. I'm Daryl. I'm Nick. And here's Robert. And this is How We Roll.
00:00:43
Speaker
Welcome back to How We Roll Gaming, the podcast about RPG gaming that we host and hope everyone has fun. Hope that everyone's had a great couple of weeks since the last episode, or if you've been binging,
00:00:57
Speaker
three-day weekend.
Labor Day Experiences
00:01:00
Speaker
we're recording on kind of and odd day we're recording on labor day because we all have the day off so we decided to take it easy and not cram recording into a weeknight ah so ah taxes a week day but it would be it with long and it's a three day weekend Yeah, it's a long weekend, and we hope everyone listening at whatever point had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
00:01:29
Speaker
I would ask how you guys have been doing over your Labor Day weekend, but I saw you on both set. We saw each other on Saturday and Sunday for games. Yes, we did, and we had a lot of
Gaming Stories and Adventures
00:01:40
Speaker
fun.
00:01:40
Speaker
We had a lot of fun. we We had a lot of fun. I almost killed Robert in Walking Dead. Yes, luckily... Dante saved me this time, even though I killed his character last time.
00:01:54
Speaker
Yes, his new character saved you. Because his new character doesn't hold a grudge from the old character. My character no longer has any secrets, which either means I'm going to evolve or I'm going to die in the future.
00:02:06
Speaker
Yep, because this is The Walking Dead. And then on Saturday, continue. I don't know about anybody else, but I am having fun finally at long last learning how to play Legend of the Five Rings.
00:02:19
Speaker
So thank you for running that game for us, Robert. You're welcome. And we are definitely definitely learning for all of us, especially the combat, because I don't think I fully ran it correctly, but we'll so we'll keep trying.
00:02:32
Speaker
um yeah I actually did pull up a video afterwards, and I feel you're pretty close to how I would run it, but I don't think it theut lie the video I watched was like a quote-unquote perfect run-through.
00:02:45
Speaker
But from what I saw, I was very similar to how we did. Yeah, well, it's a big change, because I know the 4th edition just used regular 10s and 100s, while this one, of course, is using Fantasy Flight Special Dice, so...
00:03:00
Speaker
Because FFG loves their special dice. Yes, they do. FFG slash edge, I guess we should say. and i ah Right before we sat down to record, I had to run and and get some some gas for the grill, because the last time we were grilling burgers outside, I ran out of gas midway through the fixing the burgers.
00:03:24
Speaker
So yeah how much propane and propane accessories did you need? This is the only man ever censured by the Texas Propane Association for lewdness and conduct unbecoming a propane salesman.
00:03:41
Speaker
Mm-hmm. But, I mean, you Propane is what I know best.
00:03:49
Speaker
I mean, every time that, like, As I was about to go, Xander came into the room, saw I was putting on shoes. Where are you going? It's like, I am going to get propane.
00:04:00
Speaker
I do not need propane accessories other than the tank that it will come in.
00:04:08
Speaker
And he's like, oh, oh yeah, I forgot we needed that. You have been on a King of the Hill binge lately, so... oh the The new series is out, but it's on the same it's on the same streaming channel as a Alien Earth, which we've all been enjoying, quote, horrified by.
00:04:29
Speaker
And which has given us an idea for a near future episode of this very podcast. Yes, sir. So we'll be doing that, but, you know... now Now I wish I had thought that I was going to mention Xander coming in. Oh, yeah, I forgot we needed that because I could have also pulled down a clip of that point. Right.
00:04:53
Speaker
So.
00:04:56
Speaker
Anyway, now that we've caught up, let's get a little bit of of business out of the way before we get this going.
00:05:07
Speaker
Yeah, but before we dive into our subject, we want to let you know about one of the other great shows on the D20 radio network. Yep. I Should Roll is an actual play podcast set in one of my favorite sci-fi universes, the Mass Effect universe, using a homebrew system that's a mix of 5e, Blades in the Dark, Fate, and other mechanics. So you know they took a long time to prepare this.
00:05:33
Speaker
They currently have two long-form campaigns running. Ride of the Valkyrie, said and two one eight four and dangerous dangers set in in 2189. Yep, and you can find more information on their website, which is simply ishouldroll.com, and get the podcast through your preferred podcast platform.
Exploring RPG Adventures
00:05:58
Speaker
But what we're going to be talking about today is modular adventures or pre-written adventures. And pre-written adventures were some of the earliest additional content that were put out for RPGs going all the way back to original D&D.
00:06:15
Speaker
And even today, many people's entry into RPGs is by way of published pre-written adventures. So on this episode, we're going to be talking about what we see as for one of better terms, the strengths and weaknesses of published adventures and how to integrate them or not integrate them into your ongoing campaigns.
00:06:38
Speaker
Yep. And there definitely just so many. There's a smorgasbord of what you could use depending on any system. A cavalcade, if you would say. A cavalcade of published adventures.
00:06:52
Speaker
A plethora of published adventures. ah there's I can't think of a synonym for adventures that starts with P to keep the alliteration going. A menagerie of multi-form option paths for your players.
00:07:05
Speaker
Yes. It's almost as if you could stack an entire building full of books of them, but I'm not sure what that be called.
00:07:16
Speaker
Symmetrical book stacking? Jenga tower? No human could have done this. Hmm. I believe like Alexandria used to have one of them, but ah did that was lost in antiquity.
00:07:30
Speaker
Yes. But we we get that you're trying to to lead us to say library, Nick. It's not lost on us.
00:07:43
Speaker
My entry into RPGs, running RPGs,
00:07:49
Speaker
I kind of didn't have much choice but to not use written adventures. Because my first real GMing experience, way back in the olden times, in the 80s, was DC Heroes.
00:08:06
Speaker
Now, aside from the box sets with the rules and one or two source books here and there, all they published was adventures.
00:08:16
Speaker
And I bought all of them. But because it was a licensed property dealing with specific characters, DC's comics characters, those adventure modules, with the exception of like three or four that specifically said, you know created for your own heroes, were made with specific DC characters in mind.
00:08:42
Speaker
you know This is a new Teen Titans module. This is a Superman module. This is a Justice League module. there wasn't a lot of leeway to plug your own characters into those.
00:08:57
Speaker
And so that that kind of started me off not using pre-written adventures. And there is a kind of stigma, I feel, that there is in the general like Game Master DM zeitgeist of not using...
00:09:19
Speaker
popless material, like ah advanced modules? I suppose in a sense, but they can definitely be very useful, especially with again i'm not part new up-and-coming and release systems, because I know Aliens, Walking Dead, and Cyberpunk, all the ones we ran were starting adventures, or like, how Alien calls it, cinematic adventures, and then Walking Dead just have one has one in the core rulebook.
00:09:51
Speaker
Yeah, and then of course... Walking Dead also has a published starter box game too. Yeah, and that and that just shows how... don't want call it mainstream because it's always been part of the stream, but... It's ubiquitous it's not just pre-module vendors come out on their own. I mean, buy any core rulebook, and you'll probably see at the very end, pre-made adventure or campaign or something to say, this is how you can start out and then work your way through there.
The Value of Pre-Written Modules
00:10:19
Speaker
And again, I write i did remember my youth getting into the Mississippi, at least when I was getting into it, in like deep
00:10:29
Speaker
early the late 2000s, early 2010s. My DMs were like, we do not do pre-written adventures in this game. We aren't your...
00:10:45
Speaker
I think even one of them did say, this isn't your grandfather's D&D. It's usually a bad thing. they still do they still They would still take us eventually to to Annihilation. yeah Yeah, and that brings up a good point. so I don't know why, but some pre-modular adventures do get stigmatized. It's like, well, you're just uncreative if you have to use someone else's work.
00:11:12
Speaker
It's like, come on. it It's is the same thing as, like, these are professional writers, professional people who work on the game. You say that some pre-written adventures and campaign pre-written campaigns have a stigma, Robert?
00:11:29
Speaker
did Did I hear someone behind us saying Curse of Strahd?
00:11:36
Speaker
Oh, trust me, we've heard all of them. Have you been watching Crispy's Tavern? ah Not recently, because he hasn't done many RPG horror stories, but that is a recurring theme in his horror stories.
00:11:49
Speaker
I do know he definitely doesn't like Order the Dragon Queen. so we did but fear the dragons was Honestly, I'll come back and defend that myself. But true, there are sort some modular adventures that are more well-known and more mainstream than others.
00:12:08
Speaker
But definitely Curse of Strahd is one of them. Now, i I have absolutely nothing against pre-written adventures. Nothing against them at all.
00:12:18
Speaker
ah Like I say, my my intro into GMing forced me, almost, to write my own.
00:12:30
Speaker
ah we We ran one of the prepublliced two two of the pre-published adventures ah for DC Heroes that were made for your own heroes And the rest of them just couldn't really be made to fit because they were too centered around the specific settings of the characters that they were written for.
00:12:55
Speaker
But especially for a brand new GM, take all of the help that you can get. Exactly. And even if you don't run the thing, it can give you a good framework or groundwork or the cornerstone you can use to be like, okay,
00:13:10
Speaker
This is how they created their own modular. This is kind of what they were thinking, how they worked it, you know, introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, the whole get in caboodle.
00:13:22
Speaker
I can use this to start up my own framework. That's what I'm going to say. I will admit, though, like, yes, it is definitely a additional cost to starting DMs, and not everyone has the resources to do that. But they at least investing in one invention module,
00:13:41
Speaker
maybe if you can't get all the source books you want, at least having a framework does help. And most modern quality rule books do have like a starting adventure setup.
00:13:56
Speaker
soologist I'm going to make a distinction before we go much further between pre-written adventures and specific starter sets.
00:14:09
Speaker
dead that's good That's a good distinction to make. yeah de Starter sets, the box starter sets, are always designed specifically for the purpose of the players, if not the players and GM, learning the game.
00:14:27
Speaker
It's designed as an introduction. They're usually streamlined and will... will give everyone ah sense of how everything works without going into everything about the system.
00:14:43
Speaker
it It's an appetizer. Especially more modern ones. They have like at least a starting adventure with hooks to continue the adventure. ah Core rules, pre-made characters, and dice, obviously, to facilitate that adventure, but Letting everyone play around with it, but so they can potentially make a camp. They could potentially make a campaign out of that, but it does fit for also of those that are not on the, like say like high school or college kids who are just trying to get into it. It's a great starter into things.
00:15:26
Speaker
Yeah. And there's, that's a good distinction to make also that, modulars or even starter sets are not just for the GM. They're also for the players because this could not just be the first time a GM is running it. could be the first time the players are playing it. So it's like, okay, here's how the universe works.
00:15:44
Speaker
Here's a pre-made character so you can see how character creation works, like how you can make out a fully fleshed character, and then you can learn the rules through the starter sets. So don't think that modulars or starter sets are just for GMs.
00:15:59
Speaker
And that but it's still useful. Adventure modules are great to use for GMs if they have competence in the system and they can feel like they can even bring people into the system.
00:16:14
Speaker
I say starter sets are made for people who have like new RPG who this. Yeah, starter sets are for both. Modulars are more tiers towards GMs. I will admit that, yes.
00:16:27
Speaker
Yeah, and that that's why i would say, no I would say I've seen insiders in the industry mention that this is exactly the case.
00:16:40
Speaker
It's why we don't see as many adventure books being published these days, because let's face it, the RPG publishers are in the business to make money.
00:16:52
Speaker
They make money by selling the books. Sourcebooks, more people in the group are apt to buy, not just the GM. Adventurebooks, only the GM tends to buy.
00:17:07
Speaker
Yeah, I can agree with that. It yeah it is a business model, isn't it? on the business It's not a bad one, because it still incentivizes both sides. Newbie GMs will buy more advanced modules.
00:17:20
Speaker
Players who are interested will buy more sourcebooks. Well, it's like like we were we were kind of talking about um not too long ago at your house, Nick, that you it might have just even been this weekend. I don't remember. The days blur by.
00:17:40
Speaker
But you know using... Hey, look! We're using Star Wars as an example. Who would have guessed? um We gotta have a bingo card at some point. and Nah, not a bingo card. More of a tally, Mark.
00:17:56
Speaker
But if I'm playing a bounty hunter in Star Wars, even if I never, ever, ever run a game, i am probably going to buy the core rule book because it has the basic rules so that I know how to play and work on my character between sessions.
00:18:16
Speaker
And I'm going to buy the bounty hunter career book. Yep. No disintegrations. Because it's, it gives me more information about my quote-unquote class of character.
00:18:32
Speaker
Yeah, but I might buy... More options use, more gear to use, more backgrounds or or understanding of the job. And, you know, speaking of of gear and things, I might also buy the...
00:18:49
Speaker
generic Star Wars subline gadgets and gear source book. I might buy the ships and speeders source book. But you could also have as a player group, encourage your GM or help them pool together resources to get those generic stuff so that you can also be access for the whole group.
00:19:13
Speaker
but Yes, as as a GM, you could get those same things, but you also get Modular Adventures, you definitely get the speeders, the gear. Maybe Lords of Nowheados, since you're playing Bounty Hunters, or maybe that type of underworld type thing. Maybe you set it in the HUD space.
00:19:32
Speaker
You definitely get the NPC and more Allies and Adversaries book, just to give you an idea of how to make. nbcs Yeah. and And that's just a... There's probably a whole discussion about different types of source books that can be made.
00:19:48
Speaker
Yeah. But, you know, we've kind of gone down a slight rabbit hole digression about the business model and and all of that. So, steering back on track about the adventures, personally, i am the type of person who...
00:20:07
Speaker
if I really, really like a game system, I'm going to buy everything that appeals to me.
Collecting and Using RPG Resources
00:20:14
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Regardless of what it is. um And this is also, like, if you have, that's advised, if you have the means to do Of course, always. Always live and do in your means. I specifically said, i do this.
00:20:32
Speaker
I do the same, Daryl. And yeah even though I doubt I will ever run D&D, I have an appreciation for the setting and the system.
00:20:45
Speaker
So as I am out and about, if I find a really good deal on one of the 5e books that I don't have, I pick it up regardless of how useful it may or may not be.
00:20:59
Speaker
this is my This is my sickness. One of these days we must have an intervention for me.
00:21:06
Speaker
You have to pin me down for my intervention for my mini obsession. First. Yes, we we... That's not your only one. You have to quit cold turkey, Nick. I'm going to come take all of your minis from you.
00:21:23
Speaker
i You only have two hands, Daryl, and I just need to cut off two of them.
00:21:30
Speaker
No, i i will I will enlist the boy and I will enlist your sister. Okay, unfair. She's quite sneaky.
00:21:45
Speaker
And a squirrel. True, true. I will distract you with a squirrel. um But personally, as I've gotten back into GMing over the last 10-ish years...
00:22:00
Speaker
I think in that time, I'm trying to think, I've only run one published adventure, not counting starter games.
00:22:13
Speaker
And that was early in running the current Star Wars system. I ran the short one-shot that is in the GM's kit.
00:22:25
Speaker
Oh, yeah. yeah and And then, of course, and then I don't know if it's considered a starter game, but When you introduced us Walking Dead, we did play the starter, the Golden Ambulance Adventure. Yeah. it yeah Kind of a starter.
00:22:41
Speaker
I'd say of the games, it would probably be the more probably for more of a starter adventure because it didn't have bunch ideas afterwards. it didn't have a buns of like ideas afterward Yeah, and then as myself, I know, at least Delta Green-wise, I have played a few of their, like GM'd a few of their one-shot. Well, it's not really a one-shot. None of those things can be in one setting except one of them.
00:23:13
Speaker
They're kind of called the opera, as they're called. Yeah, or they call them scenarios. And I know I've done one scenario with you guys, and that was fun. But I would say Delta Green- just in the setting and the type of sense, when it's all about secret agents and all Cthulhu mythos.
00:23:33
Speaker
There's a little would be more appropriate to run if you're not good at thinking of those type of secret agents, secrecy type things, which I lean towards a little bit, especially esoteric or horror-esque.
00:23:48
Speaker
So I definitely recommend those if you can afford it for those who might be looking at that category because they but they are a lot keep of them they are relatively cheap and there's a lot of them on pdf form just get a humble bundle they're really they're really helpful they do a lot of those absolutely especially the one i turned you guys on to is like cheap and gives a lot of good stuff Yeah, and they did migrate to that new site, which is a lot better.
00:24:25
Speaker
Now, i am
00:24:29
Speaker
I still buy adventure books, but I have gotten to the point that I mostly use them for idea minds because once I get a campaign going, because i I have a specific concept for a campaign that I'm running, regardless of the setting,
00:24:47
Speaker
sometimes it's really hard to work in a written adventure. It is. And I've worked in written adventures into several campaigns and I'll admit it may have looked organic, but it's like, it's more than for the fact that like, I did not have anything that I could put in there.
00:25:12
Speaker
Yes. Which brings to a good topic we can discuss. When you get a module adventure, it doesn't mean you have to run the said module adventure. It could be like, ooh, I like this person. i like this setting.
00:25:26
Speaker
i like this course of action. And then I'm going to make it my own type of thing and put it in my campaign. It details a new location, a new mechanic, a new thing that they're like. An ally or any technologist you really like.
00:25:45
Speaker
A hook, a scenario. with the The entire campaign itself, the entire adventure itself doesn't have to be played out, but you like, oh, I like the hook for it, so we're going to use the setup, and then we're going to see where it goes with my merry band of of chaos demons.
00:26:06
Speaker
It could be even as simple as, I like this vehicle, or this is a really cool object. I'm just going to take the object. I'm going to move it here. was like, I like this setting.
00:26:18
Speaker
I don't think this adventure is would be how my players would interact with this setting. But they detailed the setting, so I'm going to let my players explore here.
00:26:29
Speaker
Exactly. but and And here's a good idea, or a good example, of two different approaches to two different GMs using the same pre-written adventure.
00:26:43
Speaker
So... couple weeks ago, the last time I ran... hey look, we're making yet another example out of Star Wars. The last time i ran my Star Wars Rebel Yell game, it was kind of a downtime session, and the player character, who is their manager, was going through all of the various jobs that were open to them for their next gig.
00:27:12
Speaker
And... As I was sitting down you know prepping for the session, I'm writing out what the various jobs are so that I could tell them at that next session.
00:27:26
Speaker
And just for background, you I'm looking on the shelf ah of the Star Wars books because I'm grabbing one book one particular book for reference for something else.
00:27:38
Speaker
And I saw one of the pre-written adventures and i was like, you know what? Their skill set does not work to run them through this pre-written adventure. But what if this pre-written adventure is happening in the background of their gig?
00:27:57
Speaker
what if they are What if they are playing a gig at the big reception that is the centerpiece of this pre-written adventure and so i get to nick's house and i'm running them through that and i give the manager the options and was like oh yes and there's also ah job playing at a museum during an auction on cloud city and nick pauses for a second and he's like wait a second
00:28:33
Speaker
Because he was planning just a week later. effort they complete the Separately, separately. Had never mentioned this to me. i hadn't mentioned this to him.
00:28:44
Speaker
Because we're in the middle of a lull between certain games and me resuffling things. And what were you preparing to post, Nick? I was preparing to literally post the schedule a limited campaign that is...
00:29:03
Speaker
That same adventure.
00:29:08
Speaker
And so, Nick is using the adventure itself as, at the very least, an outline. And I'm running with ah just a few changes to up-level the characters, but also up-level the stakes.
00:29:25
Speaker
Yep. Meanwhile, i have it as the backdrop for one of my adventures. And part of my agreement is, like, I will not touch anything that you do. Because I'm pretty sure, based on the level of our characters, you will not impact anything that they do.
00:29:45
Speaker
Oh, yeah. they The idea has never been for the band to two interact with the main plot of that module.
00:29:56
Speaker
I would say that likely you'll see like, honestly, if it's happened, honestly, I'd say like, even though it's, again, we're going to probably wrap this up in, uh, before I'd say, hold off on your next rebel yell, just so you can sprinkle in like those special events in the background.
00:30:21
Speaker
Yeah, I might do that. I might do that. And the thing a module adventure can do, especially if you're running through it it, could give other GMs ideas for new, just created adventures. Because I know running through said heist limited campaign, we gave both Nick and Daryl an idea.
00:30:43
Speaker
Because we play a bunch of criminals trying to do a heist. and we And some of us know each other from other things. So we keep, spoiler alert, we're back in Star Wars again.
00:30:55
Speaker
So we keep referencing, like, this better not be like the Corellian job, or I swear I'd never work with you after the Corellian job, or we barely made it out because of the Corellian job, to the point where our group just said, OK, we've referenced it enough, made it so grand that we need to have a pre-before-this-heist adventure called cool the Corellian job.
00:31:21
Speaker
And then, Nick, and then that went further. that Nick and I are then going to run an insane, wacky, you know, like same kind of mindset as the Lego Star Wars specials sequel to this whole trilogy.
00:31:40
Speaker
To create the unofficial, like what happened on Corellia did not stay on Corellia is what I'm kind of saying. So we've we've got the Corellian job,
00:31:54
Speaker
we're on the Bespin job, and then something comes after it. Yes.
Inspiration from Modules
00:32:00
Speaker
So you those pre-written adventures can spark ideas, a lot of ideas. like when and when i When I ran that one one shot for my Star Wars group, one one of the bad guys got away.
00:32:20
Speaker
Not me trying to let the bad guy get away, but he got away. And so I always had in mind that he would show back up at some point, but two things happened.
00:32:36
Speaker
The bulk of the group membership changed. yeah Not just characters, but players. And so with the exception of like two PCs,
00:32:48
Speaker
why, why would this bad guy come after the new group?
00:32:54
Speaker
And the other thing that happened was that, well, the the same demon that kills so many campaigns killed this one.
00:33:07
Speaker
and no Oh, no. And the campaign just... We would love to make a whole episode about how we could defeat scheduling, but that would be... No one has found that answer yet.
00:33:21
Speaker
Mine's greater than ours have tried.
00:33:26
Speaker
We just all need to win. Everyone in the group needs to win the lottery so that we you have 100% free time.
00:33:38
Speaker
propose all just turn into a commune, but that that that that would turn into a cult, and I don't want to be a cult leader. Funny you mention that, because that's actually at my work, my manager posted a funny just saying, now this isn't financial advice, but The Powerball is up to $900 million. so um I'm not saying that on the way home from Nick's house on Saturday, i stopped at a convenience store and got us some QuickPix.
00:34:12
Speaker
But I am saying that if I did buy QuickPix, you'll notice that there were no winners Saturday night. And the drawing tonight is up to over a billion dollars.
00:34:24
Speaker
And you aren't where wearing ah purple robes.
00:34:30
Speaker
No, please. he He'd go capes. He knows it. Yeah, I would totally go capes. yeah but I would totally go capes. What marji but modulars, pre-written interventions, and even just the and just behind the core rules can do as well, is like I said, give you a good framework. and My best example, or the best for a mind like mine that likes organization is actually back to Cyberpunk because they actually, okay, because of course in Cyberpunk you run gigs.
00:35:01
Speaker
They're not called really adventures and more just, you know, gigs for your solos. they have a way to do it. It's shorter, but it kind of fits that fast life, fast death setting of Cyberpunk.
00:35:13
Speaker
Yeah, but they actually give you ah an entire like skeleton to run it. Like there's books and then there's development and cliffhangers and climaxes and this has good structure and then all the adventure modules i have related to this give good examples of like okay how you structure this and i found that's very helpful when it comes to me constructing my own gigs that i actually i will guys when it's time to play oh after the fend one of the i do feel that Not to get into the greater fandom of D&D, but D&D 5e has gotten a bit of a bad rap, in my opinion.
00:35:52
Speaker
But so has every edition of D&D. Nothing as bad as 4th edition I've seen so far. That's true. Yeah, it's it's not D&D 5e, really, that has the bad rap.
00:36:07
Speaker
It's Hasbro and their handling of D&D 5e that has the bad rap. Which is weird because they've always handled it
00:36:19
Speaker
Yeah, but it's always the recent scandals that get the attention. But when D&D 5e first came out, the Tyranny of Dragons, which was Horde of the Dragon Queen, Rise of the Dragon Queen.
00:36:34
Speaker
Now you can actually get it in a new revised single book. Was... just pure D&D adventure stuff.
00:36:48
Speaker
I'll admit, it's plain. It's simple. It's like you're you in the party.
00:36:56
Speaker
Meet along the way with a caravan going to a palace. And it's under attack by some brigands. And the adventure continues. It's like, it's your classic D&D stuff.
00:37:10
Speaker
It's like, As a yeah as simple as it is, that's not the point of it. It's supposed to be simple because as a GM, you have to, no matter how well detailed, well written an adventure is, guess what?
00:37:32
Speaker
There's always that. It goes back to like classic understanding. It's like the there's the o factor for the players. It's a bit. Meeting the players. Yeah, and there's always going to be the tropes.
00:37:46
Speaker
There's always going to be tropes in the modular adventures because there's always tropes in everything. And honestly, the more tropey the adventure, the either like that's great for players who've never played before because they can be like, oh, I'm supposed ah as the as the as the Ranger, I'm the scout. I need to go in there.
00:38:08
Speaker
Or i'm I'm the fighter. I need to get ready to take them on. it's like But for players that have done it before, like, I'll play the rogue a little differently.
00:38:22
Speaker
Or it's like, a so you say something and they're like, I see what you're doing. I see what you did there. Nick, it it's kind of funny that you mentioned the the newish collection of that, because, you know, I i said if I see a good deal at half-priced books or whatever.
00:38:43
Speaker
you actually have that? I have one that actually see. I do have the original postings above Horde and the Fighting the Dragon Queen, so I actually do want to see how they actually, like, call it.
00:38:58
Speaker
they they They also included a Rise of Tiamat in it. Oh, cool.
00:39:06
Speaker
So and i'll I'll bring that over next time. Thank you. I would love to see that because it is an adventure that takes you from level one to 20. Oh, wow. Yeah, that's a long adventure.
00:39:19
Speaker
it's It's a proper adventure, but also truncated into like if you play it, quote unquote, properly. It could be around like 30 or so sessions.
00:39:33
Speaker
And that's if you have a team that is like, yes, you're stuck on the compound.
00:39:43
Speaker
Now, the the odd thing with pre-written adventures is and I see this kind of question online a lot. ah And it's regardless of the game system.
00:39:56
Speaker
I've seen it for Star Wars. I've seen it for D&D. I've seen it for... Yep, I know too. it's like, what order do I run them in?
00:40:11
Speaker
Well, what order sounds right to you? For the most part, they there's not a set... This is part one. This is part two. this is part three.
00:40:22
Speaker
Because it's the progression of the characters. not you You're not reading installments in a series of books. like gets into the i think the final part is where those are great starting points.
00:40:37
Speaker
Or great points that you could insert. But part of inserting and like developing it is like you gotta fudge the numbers. You gotta upgrade difficulties. You gotta change challenges to fit your players.
Flexibility in Gaming
00:40:54
Speaker
Yes, because even the modules themselves will say, okay, this is the adventure, but you don't have to read it like it's a storybook, or you don't have to treat it like it's gospel, because that brings in the whole, okay, the characters are zigging, but the module says they have to do this, so I have to ray-roll them back to zagging.
00:41:16
Speaker
You don't have to do that. yeah You do not have to railroad them. Again, if it fits your narrative, div follow the players. Or if you feel the players are being... are lost in the sauce because they're not used to this, they have ways to like gently nudge them back onto the path.
00:41:38
Speaker
Yes. But that brings it to another question that most GMs ask. Well... These modulars are available for anyone to pick up, provided you got the cash.
00:41:51
Speaker
So what if someone's read my the modular adventure before? What do i do then, either knowingly or unknowingly?
00:42:01
Speaker
Well, that's few ways to look at it.
00:42:05
Speaker
Proceed, sir.
00:42:09
Speaker
on the one hand, like I usually use... pre-runs as like guidelines. I will change them up and I'll often, even if I don't change them up, I will wink behind the curtain. I'll say, I'll just do a little fib and say, i haven't changed anything.
00:42:33
Speaker
So that those who have pre-read are still caught off guard. But it's like, it's a little bit of fibbing.
00:42:46
Speaker
Yeah, but or you could or you could just, I mean, like Nick did when he is now running the heist game, he said, okay, I'm running this, so I just request that no one read it, or no one can read it, because i have said module, and i can recognize the art you picture, because I'm like, oh, I remember that, but I don't remember how the story goes, because i haven't looked at it in a while, yeah but I'm not touching it.
00:43:13
Speaker
And I have it, I've read through it ages ago. Nick inserted it into one of the other campaigns that I played in, or at least part of it.
00:43:25
Speaker
And I've ran and and a whole whole one before with players that you haven't played with before. And you so i am i am doing my... i can't metagame lot...
00:43:43
Speaker
even if I wanted to, because it's been a while since I've actually read it. But basically saying that, like, I sort of, for my currently going on Jewel of Yami game, I basically was like, I recognize that some of you guys haven't.
00:44:01
Speaker
Some of you I've read through it. And I've changed things. I've raised the difficulty level of characters. I've added in new elements since that game was written.
00:44:15
Speaker
And also I'm just accepting the fact that like if there is anything you recognize, it's not going to be the same. Yes, because don't think you can do action A because module says leads to result B because the game master, of course, can still run the structure that has creative license to be like, okay, action A now leads to result D instead of B.
00:44:42
Speaker
And usually, like, if if I see... If if in an extreme example, if I had seen someone be like, oh, hi recognize this part from this adventure.
00:44:55
Speaker
And see them trying to, like, quote-unquote, metagame. I'd be like, well, I already prepared for that. It's an adventure that's been out for easily about, like, six or seven years now.
00:45:10
Speaker
How longer? Oh, yeah, because... It was part of the first core rulebook fantasy ever put out, so it'll be longer. hey Yeah, it's over a decade. It's probably 10 years. Yeah, it's probably around 10 years old.
00:45:26
Speaker
So i was like... and So, i Nick, I'm going to confess something here to you. Whoa. Oh. and effect One of the old campaigns I did slightly metagame,
00:45:39
Speaker
when you introduced elements of mask of the pirate queen into the one I play into one of the, uh, into one of the campaigns.
00:45:52
Speaker
Um, I don't even remember which one. Um, having, remember having, having remembered the sidebar saying that, yeah, if you have particularly enterprising players, um,
00:46:10
Speaker
and they they think of this, they can take the Pirate Queen's mask and become the new Pirate Queen. I sat there, since I was sitting next to Stephanie, I was like, take the mask.
00:46:23
Speaker
Take the mask and become the new Pirate Queen. Oh.
00:46:29
Speaker
Also, spoilers for Robert.
00:46:34
Speaker
Sorry, Robert. Well, it seems obvious, but and then That's our previous question. Daryl was actually right. Jewel of Yavin came out March 31st, 2014. Oh, wow. here Right
00:46:54
Speaker
I did metagame a little bit with that. I'm sorry, Nick. But I knew that she went spectacular chaos with... Oh, it was really good. It was really good. ah which We just...
00:47:06
Speaker
Uh, Robert, ah how do you feel okay with us, like, just hitting you with, like, a really strong hammer and making you forget that? Well, I will also admit I bought it and read it, so i already knew that.
00:47:24
Speaker
Okay, so I'll need a stronger hammer to make you forget that. Nah, just give it a few months. yeah well I'll forget it His cache will clear, and And new information will replace it.
00:47:39
Speaker
I mean, I kind of alluded that I did because when we were running Legacy of the Force, one of the places we went to was on Orbantel and we used the bar that was in the Mask of the Pyrocreen as one of the locations.
00:47:53
Speaker
This is true. But again, that's awesome. You could just strip these ah advanced modules for parts. And that's what I do with them.
00:48:07
Speaker
I do too. I mean, in my now on hiatus as an empire campaign, one of the main points in the campaign is I'm using an antagonist with this who's searching for the same MacGuffin.
00:48:22
Speaker
That's in one of the adventure modules. I'm using just Sarah and the crystals that she's after. And that's become a big part of it. When, when you're using a, a published adventure module too,
00:48:36
Speaker
You also have the opportunity that a player can come out of left field with something totally off the wall that that adventure could never, ever possibly think of.
00:48:53
Speaker
D, are you remembering what I'm thinking of, Nick? Yes. So, Robert, I think you've heard this story. In one of our, surprise, moments.
00:49:04
Speaker
Star Wars campaigns that was force related. This is why we're not running. This is why this isn't a drinking game. You will die.
00:49:15
Speaker
um Nick was running part of the Chronicles of the Gatekeeper force and destiny module.
00:49:24
Speaker
And we were having to get something from this high muckety muck who had who was basically in charge of this village of bird people.
00:49:36
Speaker
And it was around Christmas, so Nick was introducing elements that weren't in the module that resembled a Christmas carol.
00:49:48
Speaker
Or wait, no, you didn't introduce those elements. I did with my swerve. Oh, no, yeah. This was entirely, you saw the situation of when I created a curmudgeon-y former Jedi who is sort of became like the pseudo-dictator of the bird people.
00:50:07
Speaker
Yes. So I had the misdirect power. I could create illusions. And you turned this, and I'll let you continue from there. i being that it was around the holidays, turned the end of this segment of Chronicles of the Gatekeeper into a Christmas carol.
00:50:32
Speaker
Yep, you've never told me this story. I made the curmudgeonly dictator see the spirit of his old business, of his old, was it his old master or his old Padawan, since he was a former Jedi?
00:50:47
Speaker
It was his former master because he failed to meet him during Aura 66.
00:50:54
Speaker
And then he saw the spirit of life day past. And then he saw the spirit of life day present and the spirit of life day yet to come. And I introduced a little bird person, Tiny Tim analog.
00:51:10
Speaker
And the whole nine yards. Because my roles were working. And nick would Nick being Nick was being very generous and playing along. and As long as the roles work and you narrate this, go for it.
00:51:26
Speaker
ah Again, not... Nick did his famous just... I don't know if the gatekeeper sequence was supposed to go.
00:51:34
Speaker
It was both like the fact that... Again, I didn't even imply that that was an option. You thought of that your own.
00:51:43
Speaker
Yep. And... And convince the players to play a along because they also had to be part of your illusion.
00:51:52
Speaker
Yep. And... So it had to be the whole party. Like, if you're going to do this, he's going to need players to play the part. And...
00:52:03
Speaker
through turning it into a Christmas Carol, convinced the curmudgeonly, now former dictator of the bird people to willingly hand over the MacGuffin that we were there to get.
00:52:20
Speaker
a Yep, and that just goes to show. Modulars can go anywhere you want to. And force bless us everyone. The part was, it's like, yeah, it was supposed to be, you are supposed to bring him back to the light and to make him realize his wicked deeds.
00:52:41
Speaker
So it was still in the spirit of what the adventure wanted. And because it was a Jedi Force space game, so it fits the setting, it just was not how it was written.
00:52:58
Speaker
yeah It wasn't remotely how you expected us to get there. yeah and But I was like, you still accomplish the task as quote-unquote written.
00:53:09
Speaker
You just wrote in your own answer to the question. Yeah, and the modular ventures, like we said, can be rewritten. Even starter sets can do it, but there are also times where you can play it to form and just also have just funny times, because I remember when Nick did the Force and Destiny starter set game,
00:53:28
Speaker
and we were just playing the pre-written regen characters. And then just throughout the throughout the campaign, your character, Dale, just somehow lost Post's arms.
00:53:42
Speaker
It's just like... that that That was karma, because when nick ran one time when Nick ran the Age of Rebellion starter game, by remembering a tactic that we had done in an earlier run of it,
00:53:59
Speaker
We speed ran the entire beginner game. The beginner game that on average takes about four hours. We got to the end of the printed module in like 30 minutes.
00:54:14
Speaker
Because we speed ran... It was really impressive. We speed ran past the first obstacle. And then other players, including people who were brand new to the system and the game and had never played that starter box before,
00:54:29
Speaker
thought of a way to accomplish the next obstacle that basically tipped over dominoes that got us to the end of the printed module with just that one action.
00:54:43
Speaker
Anyway, it was it was rather impressive. Yeah, but but it was still funny because you said, you better not get the same role, and he got the exact same lump.
00:54:55
Speaker
A bad role can definitely... derail some of those. It's like... I wouldn't call it a... I wouldn't call it a RPG horror story.
00:55:09
Speaker
yeah this is a funny story. It's just rather humorous. And it's the best you've ever rolled on a crit table. And then the other one is like, oh no, you took my other leg!
00:55:21
Speaker
Well, it's just the best you've ever rolled on a crit table. But with With players who've read the adventure module, I've found that if you have a good player, they won't metagame.
00:55:40
Speaker
yeah A player that is going to metagame is going to find ways to to game the system anyway. Or at the worst, they'll be the one that Or the worst, they'll be the one that challenges the GM and says, that's not how that's written. You're doing it wrong.
00:56:00
Speaker
But that's not how I'm playing it. Go away. It's either they challenge based on like all they know they think they know the rules because they know the stories.
00:56:11
Speaker
That's not how a story-based game goes. Or they're ultimately the ones that screw over everyone else.
00:56:21
Speaker
Or give one character the, like, you're the most powerful in this, so i'm going to give you advice, but then they're the one that fails. Yeah, but we have been blessed to not have a group of any of those type of people.
00:56:35
Speaker
But it is something that should be aware. like they There will always be guys that will be min-maxers. Or the ones where you say, okay, we're going to play this modular adventure, and they'll be like, okay, and they immediately go home.
00:56:51
Speaker
They immediately go out, buy it, read it, and watch Watch several podcasts of like, of better, likely better, like done not to degrade anyone, but like, likely higher, more experienced people who play them who would like to play into those tropes and play into that for the fact that they want to show off at the majesty of the story. Yeah.
00:57:19
Speaker
And they'd be surprised when like, oh, I don't have like a team of like experienced, heavy-level RPers, and they aren't getting getting huge 20s all the time.
00:57:32
Speaker
like Yeah, not and I'm not putting mics everywhere and having a movie-set performance studio ready to record everything. Right.
00:57:44
Speaker
That's down the line for us. I don't want to break... i It's usually brought up by someone like CrickCrab... who is a very great channel. I love him.
00:57:56
Speaker
Same with Dane the Dragon. Dane the Dragon 2. But ah there's the quote-unquote Matt Mercer effect. the It represents larger commercialized D&D experience, but they're more true than they are like actual D&D experiences.
00:58:17
Speaker
I feel like what I have with you guys is just what the average is. it It's guys. We get pizza.
00:58:28
Speaker
We hang out.
00:58:32
Speaker
We find ways to subvert your plans. Sometimes the dice are just not in anyone's favor or in one person's favor.
The Joy of Casual Play
00:58:42
Speaker
But all in all, we just have fun have great stories.
00:58:47
Speaker
And that makes the stories great. It's like, again, like, On paper,
00:58:55
Speaker
like, Tyrannia Dragons who would probably say, like, on paper, Tyrannia Dragons, if written in, like, a proper movie sense, would make a really cool story.
00:59:07
Speaker
Guess what it's lacking?
00:59:10
Speaker
Characters.
00:59:15
Speaker
Put the honor among thieves people through it. Basically. It's just, like, That's why D&D, Honor Amongst These, is probably the best representation of D&D as a whole.
00:59:32
Speaker
Except you know they they actually they actually got to the end without having scheduling problems.
00:59:42
Speaker
Technically, they didn't have to wait a while to get COVID. Yeah, but they just had fun playing them. Honestly, that's how it made it better. like, okay, we're stuck inside, so what are we going to do?
00:59:58
Speaker
bo Want to play the movie? And they're like, oh! This is better. This is way more fun.
01:00:11
Speaker
And that that's D&D. Don't expect going into D&D unless you feel like you and your players are ready for like a quote-unquote like epic adventure.
01:00:22
Speaker
You're not going there for Lord the Rings like we're tight. don't walk it Don't walk in expecting Lord of the Rings because you're going to get Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
01:00:33
Speaker
And just enjoy it. Have fun. Vibe with the players. Be like, okay, I want to be the cool stoic guy. No, I like this weird goblin, dude. I want to on um be on the team.
01:00:49
Speaker
Yeah, instead of experiencing a movie, just go in and tell a story with the others. Yeah. And again, don't see the DM as... The DM isn't the enemy. The DM just wants to... Wants to see you all have fun.
01:01:06
Speaker
yeah the DM will throw enemies at you, but he's not an enemy himself. He's making the story with you. and That makes me say that several times my uncle was like, are you winning, Nick? It's like, well... There's no winning.
01:01:19
Speaker
My friends are... Well, typically this is because we all have fun. There is no single victor.
01:01:28
Speaker
You know, we... Despite what it may seem at times, I'm not trying to... Unlike Nick in the Alien game, I'm not actively trying to kill the players, the player characters in Walking Dead. That's because cheating beyond my expectations.
01:01:47
Speaker
No, just in The Walking Dead, Nick is actively trying to kill his character. Which is usual, Nick. Yeah. yeah I mean, I'm trying not to play too heavily into the tropes of, like, Robert, your character had the big emotional arc in yesterday's session...
01:02:13
Speaker
I'm trying not to play into the tropes of the TV show that, well, that means he's dead. He's going to die next next session. Well, you because we don't have a huge you huges cast roster.
01:02:27
Speaker
But even if I do, even though I love Hank, if everyone loves hands it happens, it happens. Yeah. you know I'm not trying to actively kill any of you, but if it happens, because you the state this is Walking Dead, so the stakes are going to increase.
01:02:46
Speaker
oh we we knew by your end of credits scene that it's going to increase.
01:02:54
Speaker
But yeah, I feel like there's so much to work with in terms of the idea of written adventures. There's so much to look into, and Yeah, there's some infamous ones. It's like, if you run them straight, like people are like, it's so formulaic or has a refut reputation. It's like, that's just one experience.
01:03:20
Speaker
Yeah, and we're not saying that experience is inherently wrong. It's just how fun you make it. Yeah, and I would say ah a good rule of thumb when using a pre-written adventure is yes, it's pre-written and most of the heavy lifting is done for you, but don't treat it as an inviolable blueprint.
01:03:45
Speaker
It ain't gospel. Make it your own. Make it your own and tweak it to fit your game's style and your player's situations.
01:03:57
Speaker
With the player's zigs, you can zag. Mm-hmm.
01:04:06
Speaker
And hopefully, if you tweak it a little, you're not going to get copyrighted for it.
01:04:15
Speaker
Yeah, no nobody's going to come to your door and knock and, you know, hey, you didn't play this right. Yeah, it's not Nintendo.
01:04:25
Speaker
It's off to GM jail for you. Honestly, that's why there's so many light playthroughs, because it's like public domain. You do it your own way.
01:04:38
Speaker
Also, if if the business is looking at it rightly, it's free advertising. like
01:04:45
Speaker
Nassar?
01:04:49
Speaker
Absolutely.
Wrapping Up and Farewell
01:04:51
Speaker
I think we hit all those ah nails on the head and clipped those hanging chads. yeah True, true. What a timely reference, Nick.
01:05:03
Speaker
Yep. We've hit the nail on the head just like the horse hit your character back in Walking Dead.
01:05:10
Speaker
Too... No, it's been a month. Too soon. It's been two months. I mean, of course the farmer would know to jump in front of a bucking horse is the smartest thing to do.
01:05:22
Speaker
a
01:05:27
Speaker
But you've bullied me, so that... that You know, that means... I guess that does have a signal. I guess that does count as bullying, so it is time for me to say check out our website at howwerollgaming.com and on our website you'll find information about our current campaigns.
01:05:44
Speaker
the podcast archive, and links to our merch store and all of our social media across Facebook, Blue Sky, Threads, X, Discord, you name it. We may or may not be there. I know we're on the ones that I just mentioned.
01:06:04
Speaker
Yeah, and you can also, you don't want to do all that, you can also directly support the show through Patreon. Just go to patreon.com slash how we roll gaming and you'll see our different membership tiers starting at just $2 a month with special recognition on our Discord server in the higher tiers, giving you on-air credit and discounts on our merch store.
01:06:23
Speaker
And finally, if you have any questions you'd like us to answer, topics you'd like to cover, or even submit to your own RPG Glory Stories, choose an email at podcast at howwerrogaming.com.
01:06:42
Speaker
We want to thank all of you for listening. i would like to thank Nick and Robert for joining me on this lovely working holiday. So we did a little bit of fun work on our day off.
01:06:56
Speaker
Oh, it is Labor Day. Yes. And we had our labor. Yep. It is always a pleasure to to chat with you, too.
01:07:07
Speaker
If you love what you work, you don't work a day in your life. Yeah, I work five days a week. It depends on the day, whether I treat it as a job or just the day.
01:07:23
Speaker
But thank you, every everyone. Thank you all for listening. We hope to see you back next time, hear you back next time. And we will talk at you all later regarding games.
01:07:36
Speaker
Bye-bye. Adios. Bye.
01:07:41
Speaker
This episode of the How We Roll Gaming podcast is copyright 2025, How We Roll Gaming, LLC. All games and associated intellectual properties are copyrighted their respective owners, and How We Roll Gaming makes no claim of ownership by discussing them here.