Semi-random SRD Fantasy Adventures
for OpenRPG - by Chris
This how-to is for both random adventure creation in general, and
creating an adventure in OpenRPG specifically. There are a
million different approaches to being a DM. This compilation of
tips is
for those of us in a hurry - the guys are coming over in a few hours
(or online in a few hours) and you don't have a single NPC prepped yet.
PreRequisite Software to have
installed IN ADVANCE.
Install all of the junk on the software
page above, then spend
some time learning to use it all. If you generate just ONE random
adventure now, then when it is for real, this will be an easy task for
you. The monster database and NPC generator are especially
critical if you want to generate monsters and NPCs for OpenRPG.
This is simply a
bunch of different 'how-to' type of information on the major topics of
adventure generation. I have also posted the best of the DM
Reference Material I can find on the internet. For a complete 'how-to-be-a-dungeonmaster' FAQ,
check out the articles I list at the bottom of this page. They
consist of a hundred+ pages of great GameMaster Information.
I am assuming that you are only using the System Reference Document
for DnD 3.5 - since that way, you can have a 100% FREE gaming
experience! When you combine the SRD with the opensource material below,
you have more than enough rules & regs for playing a structured fantasy role-playing
game. If you tastes run towards something else, check out the HomeBrew
website for a list of free RPG rulesets ready for you to go.
- create an adventure
location - make sure you get a basic population setup in advance
- generate a random
adventure using Tablesmith
- Next, we should use the random adventure to fuel our imagination
and provide us with an adventure
outline or two
- Lets setup our maps for
OpenRPG for the first couple of encounters in our adventure
- Create some memorable NonPlayerCharacters
for your adventure
- For
OpenRPG, randomly generate some NPCs
for the adventure - we will end up with text files that have statblocks
for each monster/character, and/or some OpenRPG nodes that can be used
for online DnD gaming
Extra
Reference Material - you can search for Netbooks on Google to get more
Net Book of Plots
#1
Net Book of Plots
#2
Net Book of Plots
#3
Net Book of Plots
#4
Net Book of Plots
#5
Plots 06
Adventure
Sketches
Organized NetBook of Plots
Net Book of Traps #1
Net Book of Traps #2
Net Book of Traps #3
Net Book of Traps #4
Net Book of Traps #6
Trap Collection #1
Trap Collection #2
Traps 101
ADnD-L Book of
Tricks&Traps
Netbook of Traps
AD&DDownloads -Riddles
NetBook of Riddles
NetBook of Equipment
Netbook of Combat
Netbook of WAR
Netbook of Creatures
Netbook of Poison
Netbook of Magic (a cool method
for spells - spellpoints instead of the usual method)
Some other
Articles about Adventure/Campaign Writing
Tips on
Writing your Own Adventure
- some notes on writing your own adventures
World
Building Checklist
- a huge list of questions to ask about your world. You could literally
copy this into a Word document, then flesh out each question/entry.
That alone would be a huge benefit to creating a realistic world.
How to
Write an Adventure in 4
Chapters - this article breaks down Adventure Writing - for
those of us who have never tried to write an adventure, ever.....
Character Creation Checklist -
questions to ask when creating a memorable character - good or bad
DungeonCraft - this is a series of
articles I found online at about.com - this is a really comprehensive
look at being a GameMaster - highly recommended reading