Goodman Games

Over on RPG Geek: http://rpggeek.com/thread/819350/design ... adventures

It is follow up to the wonderfully summarized session reports listed here: http://rpggeek.com/forum/1029567/dungeo ... e/sessions

Makes me wish I could go join their group!

Both links were quite enjoyable.

The rules to design zero-level adventures was quite well thought out and really gives insight as to how to do it.

The synopsis of adventures is cool because the players start out clueless and you can see them climbing the learning curve as they figure out how not to die quickly and painfully.

Nice catch on the posts!

My favourite referee advice:

1) Only roll dice when it is absolutely necessary (e.g. there is something to lose).
2) No second tries (unless in combat, where time is of the essence).
3) Roll once for each plan (not once for each part of the plan). If the plan takes a long time, simply roll at the critical juncture (with degrees of success or failure allowing for partial gains or sacrifices). This is an excellent rule stolen from Burning Wheel.*
4) Use at least three of the five (or six!) senses to describe each and every scene.
5) Make each NPC ugly (in a unique way!) and make each NPC know another NPC (to tell the players on their first meeting). Soon you will have a network of memorable NPC's.
6) Put PC's in a tight spot regularly, but if they come up with a good way out, happily allow it to them. I disagree with the advice to "balance" encounters, or to always let the players pick their own poison. In my last OD&D campaign, the very first monster the first level players encountered was a dragon (they dealt with this intelligently and all survived).**

* For example, if a player plans to sneak up to the tower, climb the parapet, avoid the guards, overhear the enemy's plan and sneak back, I would just have him roll when once (when he is hanging from the edge of the crenellation and the guards are strolling by).

** They immediately thereafter entered a dungeon, thus completing the entire theme of Dungeons & Dragons within the first five minutes!

Galadrin wrote:They immediately thereafter entered a dungeon, thus completing the entire theme of Dungeons & Dragons within the first five minutes!

I <3 that.

...is that too girly of me?

Nice, condensed list.