WAM #0: Let’s Write a Module
Let’s write a module. From zero to layout to published. What do you say?
Zero
You’ve got a fistful of dice, a sharpened No. 2, and a blank chatacter sheet, just waiting to throw them together and create something both incredible and memorable. It’s time to flex your imagination and get the creative juices flowing. It’s session zero.
It was nice of the rules author(s) to spell out the exact steps, in order, for creating a character. Unfortunately for us, it’s not quite so simple. There are no rules and no official process to follow for publishing a module. We’ve got a basic idea, but we’ll surely make mistakes, backtrack, and make mistakes again. We’ll keep at it, though, and push through. We’ll fill in the gaps. And at the end, maybe we’ll have a little bit better idea of the sequence of events.
For now, let’s go with:
- Zero – planning, goals, constraints, ideation
- Writing – pen to paper
- Mapping – switch/repeat with 2
- Layout – getting things ready for pdf/print
- Publishing – putting it out there
- Marketing – a 4-letter word with 9 letters
That’s probably all a bit too vague, perhaps even naive. But, we have to start somewhere. And I plan to go all out — giving it the full treatment, creating or commissioning art for cover and interior, maybe hiring someone to pretty up any maps if needed — real fancy.
So, let’s start there.
Goals
What exactly are we trying to accomplish here? Make a million bucks? No, like I said… just practice. This is our first try. We can’t expect it will be anything special — perhaps not even ordinary. We’ll aim for passable. Because even passable is done and better than the guy who started and never finished. It’s progress towards finding a voice, learning the tools and the trade, and maybe eventually making a mark of some kind.
- Create a short adventure module (2-3 play hrs, one-shot)
- Finish it, nice-like
- Offer it up to the world in PDF form
- Start on the next one
Those are pretty broad, too. But we have to start somewhere.
Design Goals
Let’s get more specific on the adventure itself, though. We need some design goals to guide us, some constraints to keep us honest. Just saying “module” or “adventure” can be anything from a one-page dungeon to a wilderness hex crawl to a cavernous mega-barrow to a sprawling, urban, archpriest-kidnapping social plot.
Maybe a 5 room dungeon format would be a good place to start. It’s a proven template, if not a bit formulaic, but we don’t care about that — we’re just practicing. Besides, maybe we can be clever and put a twist on it. Maybe no one will even notice or care what’s under the hood.
- 5 room dungeon
- 3 pillars: combat, exploration, social
- meaningful choices
- fiddly bits and secrets
- unique monster(s)
- a few good hooks
Luckily, we do have some guidance on how to create an adventure. Many TTRPGs include a section on just such, usually in the Referee’s portion of the rules. And there’s plenty of 3rd party products, too, like The Adventure Crafter by Tana Pigeon, the seminal Tome of Adventure Design by Matt Finch, and the many fine works by Kevin Crawford. We’ll just use the 5e DMG — it’s pretty good and less complicated.
Style Goals
We can even get a little bit specific on the more tangible bits, like the writing and the layout.
- Succinct, evocative descriptions
- “control panel” layout
Emulation
The way most creatives learn is by copying the masters. There’s no shame in it, so long as you’re making the thing your own, mixing it up, and not outright plagiarizing. There’s a lot of great stuff out there worth emulating. There’s even lots of old, crappy stuff out there worth emulating — at least parts of them, anyhow. For me, I like old-school D&D modules from the 80s, but I appreciate the new-school innovations in presentation and design spearheaded by people like Jacob Hurst and Gavin Norman. Here’s some items worth emulating:
- Winter’s Daughter by Gavin Norman
- Lapis Observatory by Jacob Hurst
- Mothership RPG by Sean McCoy
- Just about anything in the Ten Foot Pole #best list
Hero
Lastly, let’s put a deadline on this. One month, start to finish. Could it be done in a weekend? Sure. It could also take years. We’re setting a hopefully realistic goal here, and a month sounds like a good target. You do you, just set a deadline and try to meet it.
Next, let’s crack open the DMG and put pen to paper.
