#dnd tip for adventure design: the more hooks you can provide, the stronger pull. Fame, fortune, and power are always good. Playing to the PCs' bonds, traits, flaws, etc. is powerful. Plucking strings from their background or backstory is strongest of all.
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 5, 2019
Okay, cool! Figured out my thoughts on that! For new DMs and players: don’t sweat bonds,traits,flaws TOO much unless customized for your campaign! Because the campaign itself, from what I gather on here,actually SHAPES character! Same time,select campaign to maximize subclasses! Exactly! For home campaigns DMs and players have the luxury to build the campaign around them. In OP or one-shot settings, the hooks have to be more generic, and rely on the players to set their own hooks a bit more.
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 5, 2019
So true!! I guess since hardcovers offer leveling up to a certain point say 1-12, as well as collected adventures like Yawning Portal and upcoming Saltmarsh to fill in gaps or continue adventures, I guess DMs meet in the middle..Also, OP means overpowered? Organized play campaigns!
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 5, 2019
What I love then about OP and AL Adventurers League one shots and esp the playable mini-arc trilogies by Baldman Games is having any character enjoy and progress their assigned PC’s and even have the adventures shape their story. This is a great point.
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 5, 2019
Hard to do as a writer, though, not knowing the actual characters. And that is the flip side. It's great to do if you are creating an adventure for known characters. If you are writing for publication, there are some shortcuts you can take. Which I will be talking about throughout the month! 😀
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 6, 2019