Writing a 4e Adventure

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I'm writing a D&D Fourth Edition adventure to run for some of my friends, before 5e is released. Think of it as sort of a "goodbye party." Anyway, I want the adventure to embody the best and most distinctive elements of 4e, which I currently consider to be ...


A swashbuckling, cinematic feel.
Tactical combat.
A focus on interesting environments and terrain.


Additionally, I want to evoke a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. This is a stand alone adventure, not connected to any other game we've played, so the setting is absolutely flexible. What if the game takes place in a dying world lit by a swollen red sun, where the players wander around the ruin of some great structure, surrounded by murals depicting the deeds of heroes in some bygone age? What if the points of light that illuminate the dark wilderness and starting to fade, leaving only cold shells? What is the very laws of reality are coming apart as the gods lie down to sleep forever?

Any thoughts or ideas?

[Echobeats]

Sounds like you want Dark Sun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun).

Any particular reason you feel you have to stop playing 4E once 5E is released?

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Sounds like you want Dark Sun (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun).

Any particular reason you feel you have to stop playing 4E once 5E is released?

I don't have to. It's just that I like 5e better, and so do my friends. We did put of a lot of hours into 4e, which is why it deserves a goodbye like this.

[unwise]

I suggest that you go overboard on the nostalgia. I would use something akin to one of the Lair Assault packets, or a dungeon from 4th core. A powerful figure has summoned all of these heroes here to save the world by completing the dungeon etc etc. I suggest a time and space based McGuffin, time is unravelling and only they can stop it.

The thing is, the god/power who is outside of time has brought in all of their old characters from every 4e game you have played. They are all the same level. Amongst the heroes are some of their rivals from various campaigns as well as some of their allies. They can all be from different time periods, does not matter if they eventually died, they are all here now.

The players pick a party of 5 or whatever from all of the available characters and previous NPCs. They can be mixed and matched, they can even play other peoples characters with that persons permission. You then send them into a shockingly difficult dungeon with very high lethality. As PCs die they can replace them with their other characters.

Since this is a dungeon outside of space and time, in order to stop them it summons monsters from their realities. They can replay some of their favourite boss fights with new twists. Different characters than those that fought them last time. Since you want to have a high turn over of PCs, put at least one fight with two unrelated BBEG in it, should be good fun.

Not sure if I convinced you to try it, but I have just convinced myself. I'm keen to give this a go.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I suggest that you go overboard on the nostalgia. I would use something akin to one of the Lair Assault packets, or a dungeon from 4th core. A powerful figure has summoned all of these heroes here to save the world by completing the dungeon etc etc. I suggest a time and space based McGuffin, time is unravelling and only they can stop it.

The thing is, the god/power who is outside of time has brought in all of their old characters from every 4e game you have played. They are all the same level. Amongst the heroes are some of their rivals from various campaigns as well as some of their allies. They can all be from different time periods, does not matter if they eventually died, they are all here now.

The players pick a party of 5 or whatever from all of the available characters and previous NPCs. They can be mixed and matched, they can even play other peoples characters with that persons permission. You then send them into a shockingly difficult dungeon with very high lethality. As PCs die they can replace them with their other characters.

Since this is a dungeon outside of space and time, in order to stop them it summons monsters from their realities. They can replay some of their favourite boss fights with new twists. Different characters than those that fought them last time. Since you want to have a high turn over of PCs, put at least one fight with two unrelated BBEG in it, should be good fun.

Not sure if I convinced you to try it, but I have just convinced myself. I'm keen to give this a go.

Please tell me how it goes!