Hello all.  This coming March I will be attending the Con-Quest Sac gaming convention in Sacramento, California http://www.con-quest.com/.  I usually like to run a couple of games when I go and this time is no exception.  As March approaches I want to share with you my thoughts and techniques while I design an adventure intended for running at a convention.

I’ve already decided that I will be running a 4^th edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure.  Mostly because it’s my favorite game and because I have discovered that there is never any shortage of players looking for a game of D&D. 

Designing an adventure to run at a gaming convention is a lot like any other adventure you might design, however there are a few things that make it very different from what you might do in your weekly home game.  Before I get started on the actual adventure I want take a little time to go over the single biggest factor that will influence everything I do…

Time

The first thing I look at when putting together a convention adventure is my time constraints.  Most events allow for time blocks of 4, 6, or 8 hours.  In this case I’m looking at a six hour session.  You’ve got to remember that the time frame needs to encompass the entire adventure and it also needs to allow for set-up, character creation, and any necessary rules explanations.  Right away the time restrictions influence my design considerations in the following ways:

Pre-generated characters. 

Character creation, although quick in 4E, takes way to long to waste precious time during a six hour session.  Pre-gens allow me to save time, ensure balance, and select an appropriate challenge level.  In this case I’ve decided to generate third level characters.  Third level gives each character a nice selection of powers but not so much that it may be overwhelming if I end up with a new player in my game (something that happens to me every time I DM at a con).  While I’m at it now is a good time to decide how many players I want in the game.  I’ve opted for a max of five.  This makes design easy, as it is the default assumption for D&D and keeps the game from bogging down with too many bodies at the table.  I’ll most likely create at least two different characters of each role; two defenders, two strikers, etc.  This should give the players a nice variety to pick from.

Familiar setting. 

I don’t want to spend a lot of time explaining the campaign setting.  Although many “home-brews” are interesting and unique (I like to think mine are) there is no way a group assembled for a convention session has the time to really get into a custom setting.  So with that in mind I’ve decided to use something I hope most players will be familiar with; the Nentir Vale from the Dungeon Masters Guide (page 206).  In this way I can assume the players are all familiar with the “core assumptions” of the D&D game. This way I don’t have to spend time explaining the rules for an unusual environment or describing an unfamiliar pantheon of gods.  In fact I’ve decided to base this adventure out of the town of Fallcrest (DMG 198).  Any players I get should have at least a passing familiarity with the region and a lot of the work is already done for me. 

Pacing. 

For any adventure pacing is important, but when placed under a very limited time budget pacing becomes critical.  I once played in a convention game where the DM handed out unequipped pre-gens and then started the adventure out with shopping in the local village.  Thinking that the shopping trip was part of the adventure the players went about equipping their characters, talking to merchants, and exploring the town square.  Two and half hours later we discovered that we were only shopping because the DM didn’t get around to giving our characters equipment.  We then crammed the remaining six hour adventure into three and half hours. 

Over the years I’ve learned that when designing for a con I don’t hesitate to jump right into the action and keep it coming.  I don’t like to waste time with any scene, encounter, or activity that doesn’t drive the adventure forward.  It’s fine in my weekly home game to dedicate an entire evening to wandering the merchant district and chatting with incidental NPC’s, but during a one-shot session it just isn’t fun, exciting, or time effective. 

Related to the subject of pacing is direction.  As DM’s we are frequently advised not to railroad players or lead them by the nose.  In my home campaigns I try and follow this advice, but for a convention game I throw this advice out the window.  I don’t want to start the session off with a weak scene in an attempt at trying to get the players to decide to go on the adventure instead I want to thrust it upon them.   It is perfectly acceptable to have the party ordered to undertake the mission, or to establish right up front that they answer directly to a powerful patron, or even place them in circumstances that require them to take immediate action.  This is also a great way to introduce action from the very first scene.  Besides at a convention the players at my table have already read the adventure description in the brochure and decided they want to play in it, so I might as well dive right in and give them what they want. 

Overall time is one of the greatest considerations and carries the most impact on any adventure being played by a group of strangers at a gaming convention.  Every aspect of the adventure should consider this limited resource and attempt to make the most out of the time it takes.  As I continue with this series we’ll address the issue of time management with each facet of design.

I’ve talked about a few broad factors and a couple of things I need to avoid this time, but in Part 2 I’ll look at some specifics for getting the most out of the limited time I have.