Writing my first module; no idea what I'm doing. Help flesh out the concept?

[SouthpawSoldier]

My wife bought me the core 5E set for Xmas, and a friend got her son the Starter Box. We've discussed doing a Skype game to intro her kid to DnD, and to build my DM chops. Since we're all OR natives, the idea I had was to write a module based on Goonies. It's a movie we all know and love.

I know I want to go low-magic, trap focused, with just enough combat to keep it interesting for the Martial characters if anyone builds one. Other than that, I'm a bit lost.

[Alucard2099]

I'm not sure I can help with the story, however, if you are going to do a Skype game, I would use roll20.net.

It's a virtual tabletop where you can store characters and all the players can see any miniatures. I have been using it for more then 250 hours and I don't think I could ever go back t9o a basic table top again.

[Celcey]

Now, I know nothing about Goonies at all, but it sounds like you're interested in making a dungeon crawl. Now, you want to write a module. What do you mean by that? Like a Hoard of the Dragon Queen type thing? If that's what you want, I recommend looking through some that are already published, so you'll have an idea of what you need.

Also, if you do decide to make your adventure a dungeon crawl, make sure your characters have time to rest, especially if you've got casters on the team.

[SouthpawSoldier]

The core goal of the story will be a dungeon crawl to find a lost pirate teasure. The Goonies is a 80's movie about a group of low-income kids who dream of saving their homes from forclosure by finding this treasure. Lots of traps and puzzles that they get through from teamwork and courage.

I'm working in social elements for the classism that goes on between the poor fishing families and the richer merchants. Not a whole lot of exporation, at least not yet. Ther ewill be larger political elements that will be worked in further on, but PC's shouldn't be involved in that yet. Idea is for them to mostly be from the slums, though if one wants to be from the richer neighborhood, I'll allow it.

I'm doing okay when it comes to locations, story, and planning background/big picture events. Puzzle writing is a bit harder for me, as is planning encounter balance, and monsters that would make sense for the settting.

[JAL_1138]

I would suggest converting the AD&D version of Tomb of Horrors, but I assume you want them to still like you afterward.

[Feldarove]

I would suggest converting the AD&D version of Tomb of Horrors, but I assume you want them to still like you afterward.

Heh...

You can always make puzzles that aren't risky, but difficult to solve. Not all traps have to be deadly, the dmg does a great job explaining this in the trap section.

You definitely need a one eyed willy skeleton...and a friendly, deformed npc!

Remember, the dungeon crawl should start below an old restaurant.

[JAL_1138]

Zork, the old Infocom text adventure, might be a surprisingly good model for this adventure.

It is pitch black. You are likely to have your brain eaten by an intellect devourer.

[rlc]

This many people not knowing what Goonies is makes me sad.



I'd probably make Sloth Fratelli a barbarian-like npc, though.


Zork, the old Infocom text adventure, might be a surprisingly good model for this adventure.

It is pitch black. You are likely to have your brain eaten by an intellect devourer.

Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive's treasure?

[SouthpawSoldier]

I've got a rough idea down when it comes to worldbuilding. Still struggling with write-ups for NPC’s, encounters, details for subplots, and mapping. Apologies in adavance; it is a VERY rough draft.

Town of Erne (Astoria is named for John Astor; origin for that name is Astur (hawk); Erne=sea hawk)
Located at the mouth of Silverfish River (reference to the salmon industry of the Pacific Northwest), a large river that serves as a trading artery for the region. Main economy was fishing, which has been supplanted by trading and shipping industry to switch to smaller vessels for shipping goods upriver.
Seafaring ships have been going missing, more than usual due to sandbars and storms. This is impacting the trade industry as well, as less goods means more cost, and less profit. There are rumors of everything from monsters to pirates and bandits, but no one knows for sure. (Eventually going to work in naval campaigns against sahuagin, but that's a long ways down the road).
The city council wants to build a small naval shipyard. This will mean money from the local nobility for construction contracts, marines/sailors spending money, etc. As a cost saving measure, the council wants to use the docks/slums on the spit as the build site. They plan on transplanting the Spit people from the river side of the spit to marshy, tidepool filled ocean side. The people living there lack political protection, as the Fishing Guild lacks clout.

Locations
1. Spit
A tight knit, humble fishing community built on a spit that juts into the river. When the town was smaller, it was the basis for fishing docks. The fishing economy has been eclipsed by the trading town on the Island. A bridge runs from the point of the spit to the island, cutting off easy access to the ocean. With the fishing economy tanked, the Spit people now fish for subsistence instead of sale, and work menial labor for the Islandfolk. They are lower class citizens, known as “Droolies” and similar saliva-related epithets. It’s common for richer kids to come pick fights in the slums. Press gangs from the City Watch frequently gather people to clean the sewers in the Island district during low tides, and sweep the surrounding water with nets to keep the island area waters clean. Sub-locations are the “old” lighthouse, antique shop, tidal marsh, and a small all-gods temple.

a. “Old” Lighthouse
Both lighthouses are actually the same age; they were used to mark the safe channel between the spit and the Island. Located at the point of the spit, it is now used as the HQ for the City Watch.

b. Antiques shop

Source for quest; chest with map, old diary/notebook?

c. Temple
This is a generic temple of all faiths.

2. MidTown/Jetty
A jetty connecting the point of the spit to the Island, lined with shops. Toll gates at the spit end ensure only those with tokens or money cross from the slums to the island. Headquarters for the City Guard. Mostly small convenience shops. A couple blacksmiths and tinkers that repair/maintain the various businesses.

3. The Island
Prime shopping and trading district, with newer docks that service the major trading vessels. Homes and higher end shops for the merchants and the like. Mayor’s Manor on the hilltop. People from the slums are not welcome; very obvious classism. Occasionally there’s a charity case, like a student from the slum schools being sponsored to attend the schools in this neighborhood (esp. applies to wizards and casters). Such kids are sometimes teased for being a pet; some families are proud of their kids moving up in the world, others want their kids to be true to their roots. Furthest upstream point is a well, as the water there is fresh, and no longer brackish.

a. Mayor’s Manor
Upscale home; base of the “new” lighthouse. Both lighthouses are the same age, used to mark the channel between island and sandbar of “old” lighthouse. “New” house is in much better repair, and lighting in the evening is a ceremonial mayor’s duty.

b. Sewers
Newly built sewers under the island, using naturally occurring caves. Flushed through by the tides, and crews are sent through daily to clear debris that could clog them. Has tubes that lead up to some of the homes that serve as indoor outhouses. Patrols occaisionally run into nasties left by low tide.

4. Cave
Opposite side of the river, atop cliff is a small cave; entrance concealed (easily found if close). Used as a home for a small family of criminals/pirates; one recently escaped the City Watch.

Ideas I've been kicking around;

Fratelli's will be rogues, of sufficient infamy and level that the party won't try to throw down. Maybe casting Sloth as a Flesh Golem (need to check MM for stats to ensure party can befriend it).

Using alignment of the lighthouses to mark the cave, or the first step on the way to the adventure.

Points of difficulty;

How the treasure will serve as the MacGuffin; wealth would normally be forfeit to the lord (going to write in a pending visit/tour for the proposed shipyard as a deadline). I want there to be a reason for his gratitude and willingness to overrule the council, opting for a more expensive location for the naval . Thinking the legend will relate to family history; clearing an ancestor's name or the like.

Incorporating treasure to threat from sahuagin.

Writing the puzzles; I want it to be relevant to the Goonies, but not obvious enough to give it all away too soon.

Planning encounters, fleshing out NPC's.

[JAL_1138]

Lord Dimwit Flathead the Excessive's treasure?

Probably one of the contractors he used, instead...he had a tendency to spend all of the empire's money.


OP: Richard Garriot of Ultima fame ran a solo dungeon with some great traps and puzzles over livestream during the Kickstarter for Shroud of the Avatar; it may be online somewhere.

As a note on puzzle design, obvious progress indicators (e.g., one side of a two-part drawbridge lowers when they have the puzzle half-solved) can be invaluable to keep players from flailing blindly down exactly the wrong track.

Another thing that can be fun is to lay out a selection of random things they can do, see what they do, and if they come up with something particularly clever out of that, declare it the solution.

You could also find a copy of AD&D Undermountain somewhere--it's almost too big to use--and just look for puzzle rooms and steal them wholesale. Odds are the players have never encountered them due to the module's sheer size.