Pack Tactics (Adventure Design)

Type of Project: Solo, Academic | Role: Encounter Designer | Genre: Table-top RPG Adventure | Duration: 3 weeks | Year Created: Early 2025 | System: Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game 5th Edition

Project Overview

This project is a homebrew one-shot adventure for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. It is a lighthearted campaign that focuses on easing new players into the game, while focusing on iconic creatures like the kobold, pseudodragon, and later into the book, a dragon.

Inspiration

Kobolds have a beloved place in my heart ever since I learnt about Tucker’s kobolds. While I do not portray them as mercilessly and as frustrating to encounter (let’s not scare new players too much), I wanted to give players a small taste of less-than pleasant creatures that do more than just stand still and hit.

Design Process

  • ACT 1 & 2

    • Start in media res rather than at a stereotypical “bar/pub/tavern” to give players a sense of urgency

    • Give them a low stakes encounter with social interactions so that newer players can ease into the flow of roleplay

    • Give players choices that start to require checks and rolls

  • ACT 3

    • Introduce more characters and mechanics once players are more comfortable

    • First combat encounter with low difficulty to tutorialize combat mechanics — few monster types so that players have a lower mental load

  • ACT 4 (Optional)

    • Optional to allow for flexibility of the session since many one-shots go over time, but optional content allows faster players to continue playing

    • Major consequences depending on how ACT 3 went to show players that actions have consequences

    • More combat with higher difficulty to challenge players

  • ACT 5

    • Resolution of the adventure, gives players time to wind down to end the day

    • More worldbuilding elements if players are interested to continue playing

Learning Outcomes

  • When writing content that will be relayed to second-hand:

    • information has to be as clear as possible

    • account for possible misinterpretations or misunderstandings

    • account for many possible reactions while not being too controlling

  • When designing a self-contained one-shot:

    • subtlety is overrated — it is more important to design with the intent of making understanding as easy as possible

    • railroading is necessary to keep the plot moving — this is not removing player agency, this is giving players direction so that they have agency

    • additional details about characters and setting are very helpful — they allow the DM to improvise if players stray far away from expected actions.