How come I never saw an adventure building guide?

[akma]

I saw many guides on many things, but I don`t remmember ever seeing a guide on how to write an adventure. How come no one (or barely anyone) writes how to write adventures guides?
And also, is there any good guide on the subject?

[Emperor Tippy]

Because it depends far too much of the specifics of your game.

Sure, we could give you quest ideas but if you want stuff tailored to your group and game we would need to know your gaming style, your parties make up, your parties gaming style, how competent you are with the rules, what setting you are running (and if it's home brew a ton more), what adventures you have already run, and a good chunk more stuff.

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The best you will get it some general advice on how to structure an adventure or on specific adventures/plot hooks. Anything else just requires too much game specific detail for a general guide.

[dsmiles]

Because it depends far too much of the specifics of your game.

This +1. obligatory text

[DonEsteban]

Yeah, a comprehensive guide would require more like a book than a simple guide. That said the DMG has some useful advice -- as well as the DMG II and just about any DM guide for any system. And, of course, courses/guides/book on creative writing would cover some of the necessary tools and skills.

I guess the vast majority of the GMs just learn by doing. I'm also just realizing that writing an adventure and being a GM are two different things. There are a few guides on the second topic (though I couldn't recommend a specific one), most of which cover parts of the first topic. I'm not sure which one you meant.

[shadow_archmagi]

To be a good adventure writer is an elaborate and complex process. You may as well right a book on how to use Kung Fu.

On that note, it just so happens that the best way to learn how to write good adventures is to wash my car! Try it! If that doesn't work, try cleaning my house and giving me ten dollars.

[dsmiles]

To be a good adventure writer is an elaborate and complex process. You may as well right a book on how to use Kung Fu.

On that note, it just so happens that the best way to learn how to write good adventures is to wash my car! Try it! If that doesn't work, try cleaning my house and giving me ten dollars.

Wax on, wax off, Daniel-san.

[Knaight]

Plus, this is one of those things that can be picked up fairly easily. Its like proper dice rolling technique, you don't see guides on it, even though there are plenty of ways to do it wrong.

[Whammydill]

For me, building an adventure or even a campaign usually starts with one small thing and I build out from it like a spiral trying to tie everything together with at least some coherance. The most important part is making the PC's relevant to it all. Sadly this starting point is almost never the same. Sometimes its a history, a person, a place, a Mcguffin, or any combination of things really. One shot dungeons or adventures are easier for me obviously since it has no over-arching plot or world to work into.

I really can't see how someone can codify on how to do it, they can only tell you how they do it and from there you develop your own style. Hard to put that in a book, unfortunately. If someone managed to do this and it worked for me, I'd buy it in a heart beat. I guess you can all DM'ing an oral tradition, or at least a demonstrated one.

[Violet Octopus]

Plus, this is one of those things that can be picked up fairly easily. Its like proper dice rolling technique, you don't see guides on it, even though there are plenty of ways to do it wrong.

What about a negative guide then? "Here are the things you shouldn't do when writing adventures, unless you have a really unusual group or a very good reason."

Kinda like how primary and high-school creative writing teaches you what not to do in terms of grammar and story, under the premise that one needs to know the rules in order to break them.

[BRC]

A complete "How-To" guide would be impossible, but some generic advice is doable.

The Pieces of the Adventure
1: The Hook, how do your PC's get involved. Can be anything from a wanted poster on the wall to a big plume of blue smoke coming from the nearby woods.
2: The Problem, what is the problem that needs to be solved. A Mage's project has escaped, bandits are in the woods, an evil cult is being evil.
3: The Incentive, why do the PC's want to solve this problem. because it's the right thing to do, because they will get paid, because it's part of some personal vendetta.
4: The Truth, a good adventure dosn't tell the PC's everything up front. Once they get involved, they should discover something new. It may be merely more details on the problem (there are eight bandits, and their leader is a spellcaster), it may be a complete surprise (The Bandits are not Bandits at all, but a group of knights framed for the death of the previous lord)
5: The Climax, the big fight, the dramatic trial. When the conflict in the Adventure comes to a head.
6: The continuing road, once the problem has been solved, you send the PC's on to further adventure.
And now, Advice
1: Know your party. You must be sure to tailor your adventure to your party, make sure the problem is something the characters would want to solve, and make sure it's within their powers to solve them. Let your characters use their skills and specialties.
2: Know your Players, know their playstyles and their tendencies, and plan accordingly. Some parties will gladly bite your plot hooks and follow your railroad tracks, others will want to formulate their own plans, they will laugh at your intricate plots and spit on your scripted dialog.
3: Know Yourself, know what types of adventures you are good at running. If you are a bad role-player, don't run an RP-heavy adventure.

[Whammydill]

Very nicely said BRC; if I had an internet to give you, it would be yours.

[Notreallyhere77]

Very good advice, BRC. I'm going to save this knowledge to give to my DMs.

[sokbeest]

I saw many guides on many things, but I don`t remmember ever seeing a guide on how to write an adventure. How come no one (or barely anyone) writes how to write adventures guides?
And also, is there any good guide on the subject?

One such guide was the old Dungeon Master's Design Kit. It was written for AD&D, but much of the content is just ideas and how to organize them into an adventure.

That said, BRC's guide looks great.