There's so much to miss in an adventure path; and let's face it, most books are not written well enough to give me the reminders I need at the moment I need them. Then again, maybe that's just because I don't look down at the book enough.
So until recently I hadn't picked up a module in about three years. Back then I was running a Stargate inspired game. The center piece of the campaign was this giant stone dragon head, it's tongue forming a small set of stairs that led into the dragon's maw. When activated the maw could connect to other dragon heads around the multiverse.
I still think the image of a giant stone dragon mouth filling with olive colored fog as black lightning flashes within is great. But then I got ahead of myself. During the week before the game really started, I suddenly woke up with this amazing idea: I could run a different adventure path at the end of different Dragon Maws.
I imagined the possibilities. Hoard of the Dragon Queen through one Maw, Rise of the Runelords through another, Out of the Abyss from yet another. And it didn't have to end there. I could pick up any adventure path I wanted, stick it at the end of a portal, and run them all at the same time. I could run sessions in each path, always ending on a cliff hanger, but always providing a sense of urgency to return to other places. Sure, Tiamat's forces might be about to claim a city... but what about the Drow princess who is being corrupted by a demon at that very moment?! (You can probably tell how much of the modules I actually read in advance)
I pictured characters jumping from plane to plane, always feeling like they were a step behind, but finding moments of validation in the small victories.
And behind all of it would be this great cosmic entity. I would change soldiers and threats from each module so they were all the same: Shadar Kai with blood red eyes, and scars splitting their faces that glowed with unholy power.
The idea lasted about three sessions until I started feeling overwhelmed. It turns out that preparing a game from a published source is way more work than preparing for an exciting improvisational game. You actually have to read the source material. And not just once. I would read through an entire path to make sure I understood where things were going. And then read through relevant parts again, taking notes as I went. I had to list important NPCs that I couldn't forget about. I had to redesign elements I didn't like, figure out what to do at points that were obvious weak links in the chain of an adventure.
This isn't the type of game prep that I enjoy, and it was dawning on me that I hadn't taken on the work for just one path, but at least three. The game lasted about six sessions total, all of which felt forced to me, and then it fell apart. It wasn't my greatest moment.
But I did learn some things:
- Running a module well requires a ton of work. It isn't just sitting down at the table with a book.
- Grand, cosmic ideas aren't always the best starting points for games.
- And most importantly, always play to your strengths.
That last one is key. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try new things. I'm running a Curse of Strahd game now, and we just finished Death House. The three sessions it took to get through it were super fun, and I'm way excited for the rest of the adventure path. But this time I reminded myself that improvisation is what makes a game fun for me, and during my game prep I allowed plenty of space for my strengths to shine (more on that prep in a future post).
So know what your DM style is. If you like improvising and living in the moment as much as I do, then maybe running three scripted adventure paths isn't the best idea. But if you love living in someone else's world, love making it your own, then go for it.
Always play to your strengths. It sets you up for success, and it's a great way to avoid burn out.
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