I am going to use this Blog to help me make a critical decision for my next Dungeons and Dragons game. I will be Dungeon Mastering a game in just a few weeks and the Main hook of the game has yet to be determined. I will pitch a few Ideas and then let you vote on what I should do.
Classic Dungeon: This would be a classic straight forward adventure. The party would start by entering the dungeon and fight their way through to a boss at the end for some great treasure. It would involve a lot of combat and little NPC (Non Player Character) interaction. The benefits of this kind of adventure lay in the combat; combat is fun and can be set at a fast pace. Combat is also an easy way for a party to work together and feel like a team. The draw backs are that there is little role playing interaction and less time to be creative with your character.
Puzzle Dungeon: Much like the Classic Dungeon much of the action would come from combat but the real challenge of this dungeon would come from the puzzles and traps found throughout it. From the moment the party enters the dungeon they must be on their toes because nothing is as it appears. Trap doors secret passages are only the beginning, there will be runes that need deciphering and riddles needing answered. Clues found on the journey will lead to a greater reward then they could have ever hoped for, if they can find it. The benefits of this kind of adventure are that the party members get to flex their brains for a bit. They will start to rely on their skills and less on their stats (I can explain that if you like). They still get the fun combat as well. The draw backs are that the adventure is taxing on the brain and can take a long time to complete. Problem solving is fun but often times leaves party members out (fighters are not great thinkers).
High Seas: There are recourses to have an adventure aboard a ship sailing the high seas. I have very little knowledge of the rules and mechanics and neither do my party but that is part of the fun. Learning a new system and skill set hard but it makes victories that much sweeter. Maybe a pirate hunt or the party is the pirates could make for a good adventure. The benefits are that the DM and the party get to try something new and find new ways to expand their skill sets and the world they play in. The draw backs are that it take a lot of research and preparation by both the DM and the party to get ready for the game.
Abduction: The party lives in a world of Gods and Demons, creatures of other Plains and unseen worlds, but the idea of Space travel and other planets is not one they have had many dealings with. The adventure starts with the party waking up in an alien space ship. They technology is too far above them and the surroundings are foreign, but still they must defeat their abductors and gain control of the craft before it gets to where it is going. The benefits of this type of adventure are that it is silly. The party is allowed to make jokes and goof off a little bit. The role playing is high and the party gets to flex that part of them that normally is suppressed in a serious game. The drawback is that it is a silly game and the party may loose focus on their objective and waste a lot of time.
So please help me decide what adventure to prepare for by casting your vote now. Also tell your friends, send them to my Blog from yours so that I can get many opinions. Thanks for your help.
