If I was writing a module where any number of outcomes could happen based on the PCs decisions, how would I structure that in an adventure? Are there any good examples of this in any official modules I can look a for reference?
As an example, I have the players trapped in a jail, they have the options to bribe the guard to escape, or if that fails then they will be taken before the city council for sentencing.
If they successfully bribe the guards and escape then the next chapter of the adventure could look very different to if they fail and are taken to the city council.
What I am trying to understand is how could I keep both of those outcomes as possibilities but also progress the story in a way that makes sense. So if they escape, the next chapter of the adventure would be what happens after that, where they went etc, but how then would I fit in a chapter about the city council if that was their outcome instead? Would that then be written after the chapter on the escape?
I guess my question is, how to keep track of an adventure that could have many outcomes that can drastically change the next part of the story, and how to include all the possibilities without making the module one giant confusing mess.
You do as little as necessary to have the If-Else structure set to play through the session. Then you leave room for working on whatever is needed for your next play session.
Another way to think of it is as project management, specifically agile project management (thus my ID here). Every time you sit down to work, you work toward a short-term goal that gets you closer to the long-term project result. This gives you a sense of what to do and when to do it, focusing on your DM prep work.
Most modules from most publishers lack any real format that helps with this, so you have to search for the diamonds in the rough (on DMs Guild, etc.) or make it up on your own. Given your use of If-Else, you may use a programming-inspired format for an outline (but made-up language). I'll make up an example for your situation:
If Players = Bribe Guard Successfully (30+ GP, Persuasion/Intimidation DC 18 to lower bribe amount by 5)
Then Players = Escorted through sewers by Guard's "friend" and deposited on outskirts of town.
Else, If Players = Fail to Bribe successfully
GoTo Council
If Players Persuade Council (DC15 Persuasion check)
Then Players = Offered 'Community Service' Quest as punishment.
Else, if Players = Fail, Sentence Quest is mandated as punishment.
This is bare-bones, but it gets you the "how they get through this" process in both ways in advance. You can now script the descriptions and words of each NPC (the Guard, their sewer escort, the Council, etc.). That will leave you ready for each path.
THEN, you repeat this for "What's next?" on each scenario. In my example, that's the Outskirts (bribe success), Community Service, or Sentence Quests.
I don't know your story, so I can't detail those, but this format may help with the outline. From there, the more time you have in advance, the more you can layer in details and fun!
There's a tool out there used for dialogue trees that might work for this purpose.
It's called Twine and thought I haven't used it in a few years, the idea is that you can more easily map choices and options. It's more an 'if/then' tool in my mind, but still might work. Think of it like a choose your own adventure book creation tool.
I mean the other thing is to do it oldschool I use post-it notes or other sticky notes of different colours to on a whiteboard (though I was a professional writer so I have a large whiteboard), or use a wall/wardrobe/cabinet door. Make notes for choices with consequences, then cascade your notes on from there. As a rule of thumb though there shouldn't be more than one major choice like this beyond the one you're mapping out. It's a bit like creating a scheme of work for teaching. You want to have an idea of what you're going to focus on or present, but should also be open to flexibility so that you can pivot or redirect as appropriate.
So, I'd advise having only the current big decision (or consequence) and the next major decision/consequence to be able to see where they go.
You’re making three classic mistakes when it comes to writing an adventure.
First off, you’ve apparently written into the story that the party gets arrested. They probably won’t. Players are notorious for resisting that outcome at all costs, even to the point that most of them will choose to fight until they TPK through suicide by town guard before they ever let themselves succumb to the ignominy of arrest. Chances are that bit you’re writing about the guard will be completely wasted because chances are the party will never see the inside of their cell.
Next, you’re trying to account for all the different possible things that the players might choose to do. You can’t. Just in your example about the jail guard I’ve already thought of at least half a dozen other choices they could make, such as- Killing the guard somehow and taking the keys and making their escape. Starting a fire in their cell so the guard has to let them out, and then making their escape. Pulling the old “guard, my friend here is sick, you have to help” trick and then knocking the guard out and making their escape. Starting a prison riot to sow chaos so they can escape. Etc., etc., etc…. That means the people who will play this adventure will probably come up with scores more ideas too. You would need o write an entire book just to cover this one thing, and you still couldn’t think of everything. What if one or more of them is playing an eladrin or shadar-kai and can teleport? What if one or more of them is playing an arcane trickster, or a gith, and they have an invisible mage hand they could use to steal the keys? What if one of them has a familiar hidden in a pocket dimension when they get arrested and they manage to smuggle it in and can summon it to get the keys? What are all the other possible what ifs? You can’t account for everything, so don’t try.
Finally, your ultimate mistake is that you’re trying to write a story with chapters. You said so in your post. If you want to write a cohesive story with chapters and a beginning, a middle, and an end that all fit together, that’s called a book. That’s not how adventures get written. Adventures have to be more flexible. Don’t try to write a sequence of events because they might not happen in any sequence you predict, and some of those events may never happen. Instead, write areas with people and things and possibilities in them in a more general way. Give those people ideas and plans. Then write a sequence of events that those NPCs can control that have both really to do with the players for the most part. Then let the players figure out the rest.
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If I was writing a module where any number of outcomes could happen based on the PCs decisions, how would I structure that in an adventure? Are there any good examples of this in any official modules I can look a for reference?
As an example, I have the players trapped in a jail, they have the options to bribe the guard to escape, or if that fails then they will be taken before the city council for sentencing.
If they successfully bribe the guards and escape then the next chapter of the adventure could look very different to if they fail and are taken to the city council.
What I am trying to understand is how could I keep both of those outcomes as possibilities but also progress the story in a way that makes sense. So if they escape, the next chapter of the adventure would be what happens after that, where they went etc, but how then would I fit in a chapter about the city council if that was their outcome instead? Would that then be written after the chapter on the escape?
I guess my question is, how to keep track of an adventure that could have many outcomes that can drastically change the next part of the story, and how to include all the possibilities without making the module one giant confusing mess.
In a word, minimalism.
You do as little as necessary to have the If-Else structure set to play through the session. Then you leave room for working on whatever is needed for your next play session.
Another way to think of it is as project management, specifically agile project management (thus my ID here). Every time you sit down to work, you work toward a short-term goal that gets you closer to the long-term project result. This gives you a sense of what to do and when to do it, focusing on your DM prep work.
Most modules from most publishers lack any real format that helps with this, so you have to search for the diamonds in the rough (on DMs Guild, etc.) or make it up on your own. Given your use of If-Else, you may use a programming-inspired format for an outline (but made-up language). I'll make up an example for your situation:
If Players = Bribe Guard Successfully (30+ GP, Persuasion/Intimidation DC 18 to lower bribe amount by 5)
Then Players = Escorted through sewers by Guard's "friend" and deposited on outskirts of town.
Else, If Players = Fail to Bribe successfully
GoTo Council
If Players Persuade Council (DC15 Persuasion check)
Then Players = Offered 'Community Service' Quest as punishment.
Else, if Players = Fail, Sentence Quest is mandated as punishment.
This is bare-bones, but it gets you the "how they get through this" process in both ways in advance. You can now script the descriptions and words of each NPC (the Guard, their sewer escort, the Council, etc.). That will leave you ready for each path.
THEN, you repeat this for "What's next?" on each scenario. In my example, that's the Outskirts (bribe success), Community Service, or Sentence Quests.
I don't know your story, so I can't detail those, but this format may help with the outline. From there, the more time you have in advance, the more you can layer in details and fun!
There's a tool out there used for dialogue trees that might work for this purpose.
It's called Twine and thought I haven't used it in a few years, the idea is that you can more easily map choices and options. It's more an 'if/then' tool in my mind, but still might work. Think of it like a choose your own adventure book creation tool.
I mean the other thing is to do it oldschool I use post-it notes or other sticky notes of different colours to on a whiteboard (though I was a professional writer so I have a large whiteboard), or use a wall/wardrobe/cabinet door. Make notes for choices with consequences, then cascade your notes on from there. As a rule of thumb though there shouldn't be more than one major choice like this beyond the one you're mapping out. It's a bit like creating a scheme of work for teaching. You want to have an idea of what you're going to focus on or present, but should also be open to flexibility so that you can pivot or redirect as appropriate.
So, I'd advise having only the current big decision (or consequence) and the next major decision/consequence to be able to see where they go.
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.
You’re making three classic mistakes when it comes to writing an adventure.
First off, you’ve apparently written into the story that the party gets arrested. They probably won’t. Players are notorious for resisting that outcome at all costs, even to the point that most of them will choose to fight until they TPK through suicide by town guard before they ever let themselves succumb to the ignominy of arrest. Chances are that bit you’re writing about the guard will be completely wasted because chances are the party will never see the inside of their cell.
Next, you’re trying to account for all the different possible things that the players might choose to do. You can’t. Just in your example about the jail guard I’ve already thought of at least half a dozen other choices they could make, such as- Killing the guard somehow and taking the keys and making their escape. Starting a fire in their cell so the guard has to let them out, and then making their escape. Pulling the old “guard, my friend here is sick, you have to help” trick and then knocking the guard out and making their escape. Starting a prison riot to sow chaos so they can escape. Etc., etc., etc…. That means the people who will play this adventure will probably come up with scores more ideas too. You would need o write an entire book just to cover this one thing, and you still couldn’t think of everything. What if one or more of them is playing an eladrin or shadar-kai and can teleport? What if one or more of them is playing an arcane trickster, or a gith, and they have an invisible mage hand they could use to steal the keys? What if one of them has a familiar hidden in a pocket dimension when they get arrested and they manage to smuggle it in and can summon it to get the keys? What are all the other possible what ifs? You can’t account for everything, so don’t try.
Finally, your ultimate mistake is that you’re trying to write a story with chapters. You said so in your post. If you want to write a cohesive story with chapters and a beginning, a middle, and an end that all fit together, that’s called a book. That’s not how adventures get written. Adventures have to be more flexible. Don’t try to write a sequence of events because they might not happen in any sequence you predict, and some of those events may never happen. Instead, write areas with people and things and possibilities in them in a more general way. Give those people ideas and plans. Then write a sequence of events that those NPCs can control that have both really to do with the players for the most part. Then let the players figure out the rest.