New Publication

[Shaddakim]

Hey,
I am starting a new publishing company and I have an opinion question for all here:

Is it reasonable to publish adventures without a basic game world to hang the adventures on?

We will be publishing both adventure books and a quarterly magazine with 5-7 adventures per issue. HERO System material will be included (assuming I can get the licensing worked out). As a longtime gamer, I can see going both ways on this and I would value your opinion.

Thank you for your time.

[John Desmarais]

Hey,
I am starting a new publishing company and I have an opinion question for all here:

Is it reasonable to publish adventures without a basic game world to hang the adventures on?

We will be publishing both adventure books and a quarterly magazine with 5-7 adventures per issue. HERO System material will be included (assuming I can get the licensing worked out). As a longtime gamer, I can see going both ways on this and I would value your opinion.

Thank you for your time.

Ask Goodman Games - they've published close to fifty adventures in their Dungeon Crawl Classics (http://www.goodman-games.com/DCCpreview.php) line with no game setting associated with them.

[Spence]

Hey,


Is it reasonable to publish adventures without a basic game world to hang the adventures on?


It really depends on what you mean by that. A complete self contained adventure or something else.

Let us say that you are doing a supers adventure.

It is a standard burglary ring. A few different locations (with maps) and the plot/detail guide with a basic time line. But to me the second most important thing (first being scaled MAPS I can print out and actually use to scale) is that it should include all of the needed NPC's and prebuilt villains. The villains and the NPC's should be built in at least three versions Low-Powered, Standard and High-Powered write-ups so it can be dropped into an existing campaign whole cloth or the GM can use his own villains.

It also shouldn't be too elaborate. If it gets too detailed then it won't easily fit into an existing game. For instance if the module is built around the "Black Kats" and freelance supergang of jewel thieves, they can fit in virtually any campaign. But if it revolves around Viper and the campaign doesn't use Viper then it is not much use. The GM would need to make extensive mods to the module or introduce Viper into his world. Which defeats the purpose of the adventure module in the first place.

In the days of the good pre-made modules, if I was short on time and needed a quick adventure I could pick it up, read it and just play. I didn't need to reference any other book or publication. It was all in one.

[Hugh Neilson]

Ask Goodman Games - they've published close to fifty adventures in their Dungeon Crawl Classics (http://www.goodman-games.com/DCCpreview.php) line with no game setting associated with them.

If you click the link, the product on the right is the game setting they have designed to associate with them, as noted in the text immediately below. However, that is Product #35.

Most games need lots of adventures and one setting, so I like the idea of scenarios not tied to a specific setting.

[teh bunneh]

What kind of adventures? Supers? Fantasy? SF? All the above?

[Lord Mhoram]

I don't believe adventures need a setting. They just need to be vague enough to be used in anyone's game [it's hard to use an adventure set in the Roman Empire if you don't have it in your game]. Good and unique ideas are far more valuable then settings, IMO.

Seconded. (Whoa MitchellS and I agree, time to sell ice skates to the underworld).

I prefer generic adventures that I can work into my world myself - I have never run a published setting, I always use my own, but I'll run modified published adventures. Adventures without a strong setting is a plus for me.

[Hugh Neilson]

Seconded. (Whoa MitchellS and I agree, time to sell ice skates to the underworld).

I prefer generic adventures that I can work into my world myself - I have never run a published setting, I always use my own, but I'll run modified published adventures. Adventures without a strong setting is a plus for me.

Even with a published setting, I find that "my game" tends to drift from the source material. Campaign events change matters taken for granted in the baseline universe. Updates to the source material contradict game events, and are therefore not adopted.

A solid adventure without setting-specific components can generally be fit into any setting without a lot of difficulty, so I agree that the lack of setting tie-in is a major plus.

One problem in Hero, however, is that the setting often dictates much of the character build. For example, if you're designing a Fantasy adventure revolving around a powerful wizard, how do you write him up? Valdorian Age magic, Turakian Age magic, Tuala Morn magic, some other magic, or just "100 points magic spells"? While the last is tempting, it takes away from the "out of the box" utility of the adventure, and makes it impossible to provide battle tactics for our main NPC. Plus, if we don't know whether he has a Scrying spell, it's tough to have him make use of it to further the plot.

[Shaddakim]

What kind of adventures? Supers? Fantasy? SF? All the above?

The short answer is: yes.

A slightly longer answer is: depends upon what is submitted to us.

Steve has outlined what we need to do to include Hero System material in our magazine (Thank you again, Steve :thumbup: ) and we are looking at Fantasy Hero and Pulp Hero material for the magazine as that's what we have at the moment. Personally, I'd also like to publish supers material as well. We're still working on the submission guidelines, but you should hear from us soon (like in a couple weeks) on that.

[Shaddakim]

One problem in Hero, however, is that the setting often dictates much of the character build. For example, if you're designing a Fantasy adventure revolving around a powerful wizard, how do you write him up? Valdorian Age magic, Turakian Age magic, Tuala Morn magic, some other magic, or just "100 points magic spells"? While the last is tempting, it takes away from the "out of the box" utility of the adventure, and makes it impossible to provide battle tactics for our main NPC. Plus, if we don't know whether he has a Scrying spell, it's tough to have him make use of it to further the plot.

This is one of the things rolling around in my mind and why I've asked for input. I'd like to provide a basic framework setting, but not a confining one, that can either be used or not. For NPCs, I might say "100 points in spells. the recommended spells are:" This would provide a guide as to what we were envisioning, but allow the GM to make changes.

As mentioned elsewhere, Goodman Games now has a campaign setting that can be used or not. I see one of the advantages of this approach is it lets adventures build upon each other until you have enough back history to weave together into a world.

Now the Pulp Hero material will need to be set in the "real world" (I put that in quotes because, you know, Pulp).

[Hugh Neilson]

A further issue which occurs - will your license allow adventures set in, say, Turakian Age, Valdorian Age, Tuala Morn, etc.? It's probably a good idea to hash out whether you want to publish adventures set in "official" gameworlds (Hero or otherwise) before you finalize your licencing agreements and solicit material.

[CraterMaker]

Hmm.. As far as the fantasy mage goes, you could just (briefly!) describe the spell flavors. Knowing that an evil wizard has truck w/ demons, a scrying pool, and can create illusions would go a long ways towards allowing a gm to tailor the adventure to his particular group and world.

Same thing would go for a Super adventure, I'd think as well. I'd rather more work went into personality and plot than crunchy bits, myself.. Rather than list out the individual powers, just tell us what he can do - we'll argue his actual powers list on the Champions board (and probably have a blast doing it!)...

-CraterMaker

[Hugh Neilson]

Hmm.. As far as the fantasy mage goes, you could just (briefly!) describe the spell flavors. Knowing that an evil wizard has truck w/ demons, a scrying pool, and can create illusions would go a long ways towards allowing a gm to tailor the adventure to his particular group and world.

Same thing would go for a Super adventure, I'd think as well. I'd rather more work went into personality and plot than crunchy bits, myself.. Rather than list out the individual powers, just tell us what he can do - we'll argue his actual powers list on the Champions board (and probably have a blast doing it!)...

This depends on what one plans to use the adventure for. Much of the support above comes from people who would like an adventure they can just drop into their existing game without a lot of preparatory work, so having a wizard with vaguely described spell themes is less than perfect in this regard.

[CraterMaker]

Of course, it does widen it's appeal to people playing other game systems..
But I see what you mean. Unfortunately, with Hero's *infinate* flavors and power levels, they'll either have to be satisfied with a very narrow cross-section the game can be easily ported into, or take the broad stroke approach. In my opinion, at least. I'd be satisfied with fleshed out NPC's and a Good Adventure, and noodle up my own stats for the PC"s based on their writeup. YMMV, tho..

-CraterMaker

[ghost-angel]

One thing you could do is, present the adventures in a basic Genre Setting, something maleable.

Then go the extra step and provide suggestions to adopt the adventure to other Genre's that may also seem appropriate. For instance a Dark Champions adventure could become a Urban/Modern Fantasy or Pulp Adventure with only a bit of tweaking most of the time.

[Spence]

One thing you could do is, present the adventures in a basic Genre Setting, something maleable.

Then go the extra step and provide suggestions to adopt the adventure to other Genre's that may also seem appropriate. For instance a Dark Champions adventure could become a Urban/Modern Fantasy or Pulp Adventure with only a bit of tweaking most of the time.

Very true. And Supers modules are actually a bit easier IMO. A supervillain will be unique anyway. A module concerning a string of store heists built for supers can easily be adapted for a DC or Pulp adventure. If the adventure is sound and already includes the NPC's, not only supervillains but also the normals like local detectives, police and normal criminal elements, it can easily be converted to DC or Pulp by simply removing the supers and dropping in your campaigns archfiend. If the module has maps and keys for three robbery sites and maybe the local precinct, then it become a valuable aid even after it has been run. I have a few old modules from the eighties that I still use over and over because of the maps.

I am just one of the many opinions out here. But when I look at adventure modules, I will chose and crappy adventure that happens to have a good map over a great adventure with no map.

So I guess I am saying MAPS! :D

And by the by. To add versatility I would put two copies of each map in the module. One in hexes and one in squares. I have a many modules for game I will never play, or actually despise. But they had MAPS.

[BlackSword]

This depends on what one plans to use the adventure for. Much of the support above comes from people who would like an adventure they can just drop into their existing game without a lot of preparatory work, so having a wizard with vaguely described spell themes is less than perfect in this regard.
I think ghost-angel has it, just bite the bullet, pick which genre/flavor/setting for the adventure, and include a note at the end of the villain write up of a few recommended changes for various settings.

[Spence]

I think ghost-angel has it, just bite the bullet, pick which genre/flavor/setting for the adventure, and include a note at the end of the villain write up of a few recommended changes for various settings.

Yes, but remember if you don't have a usuable map of the adventure location, the module isn't really much use as a module.