D&D Adventure Design: The Lost Village

D&D Adventure Design: The Lost Village
In this video I use the process outlined in BX D&D (OSE) to create an adventure suitable for a 2nd level party in OSR systems. The group must overcome a outpost of hobgoblins occupying an ancient village. Below the surface though a mysterious magic user could be pulling the strings of the hobgoblin king.
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[@BanditsKeep]

Here is a link to the actual play for this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKjXe5maiN6lh5I

[@Grimlore82]

I do believe adventure design and gaming philosophy are likely my favorite things to listen to. You give excellent advice and demonstration on the basic expert era. Which, I would argue can easily be utilized in any addition. It's like cooking recipes, follow the recipe and flavor to taste!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! The recipe metaphor is spot on - or was that a simile?

[@usapatriot4163]

By far, the best "how to" rpg channel on the net! When I watched the actual playthrough and then this one, I'm amazed at how much the party missed out on. Not their fault, just happens.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! Oh yes that happens sometimes for sure.

[@jimmybrook7119]

If you like this, watch Runehammer or Dungeoncraft. Two best imo.

[@erikmartin4996]

@@jimmybrook7119 DungeonCraft only does book reviews and museum tours now. He’s run out of ideas

[@dantherpghero2885]

The eternal struggle between Good and Evil, Law and Chaos is not the only reason a village can end up abandoned. It often has to do with a shortage of natural resources. Such as poor soil or drought causing a poor harvest or famine. The local mine could be played out. That happened to a lot of boom towns in the old west. No more gold (or silver), no more people. And of course this is D&D, so a monster could move in. An evil wizard can place a curse on the land. Any number of things could cause the villagers to run away in fear. Even after the threat is gone, the stories linger and people stay away.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@orkcol]

I'm loving these videos where you show yourself making a thing, then playing the thing. Super useful for newer gamesmasters. extremely entertaining to watch. I hope there is many more for me to binge watch.

[@BanditsKeep]

Glad you like them! I did a few of these. Maybe something I can try again at sone point.

[@TheArcturusProject]

Even just letting us newer generation know this table and process exists is great

[@BanditsKeep]

😊😊

[@Astartes36]

I really have such a good time listening to your videos and I really appreciate being able to see your creative process. At the risk of sounding critical, which I AM NOT, your adventures seem pleasantly simple. Like I said, I am not criticizing this! On the contrary, I think it is very fun and playable. I struggle with this. Everything I design becomes this crazy mess, and i don't seem to be able to stop myself. It might be exacerbated by the players I have, who run in plenty of directions, but I wish I could figure out a way to reign things in without feeling like I'm limiting the players' choices and such. Well done!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! I feel you, my players often go in every direction - not sure if you saw the actual play of this one 😂 - I think the simplicity of these is at least partially coming.from the process, and partially from having purchased tons of adventure that are great to read but hard to run with all kinds of sub-plots etc. so when I write my own stuff I try to keep it simple.

[@MrCefus]

I know this comment is a year old, I hope you have had many good adventures since. I liked that you mentioned it was simple. I have found in D&D and in teaching, what I think is, or should be simple, is not when you don't know how it was made. It took me a long time to get away from convoluted plots and keep it a series of simple encounters. I have a bunch of stuff in my head, from reading all sorts of things, but the players take it in a direction that makes creating the next simple encounter much more than I would have come up with an adventure or two ago. Keeping it simple is the best advice for new and old DM's in my opinion. Great video Daniel, thank you for making it.

[@tunkatodd4539]

I cannot thank you enough for these adventure building videos. As far as I know these are the only vids like this on the KZbin, so thank you. I know I’ve said it before but it just needs repeating, All of your hard work, & content are GREATLY Appreciated! You my good sir are straight up groovy sauce!!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! 🙏🏻

[@mallygd774]

Bruh. You are a beast. I've been looking for these types of step by step creation videos, but the youtube algorithm only shows more popular videos when you search it up, even if the video they show isn't exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for existing and posting.

[@BanditsKeep]

Glad you found me! Thanks!

[@nickyhaller4530]

Wow watching this, I can really see how much we missed. I like learning about the actual design of the adventure. It really shows how much of this wonderful game we play is "scripted" and how much really arises from the players interacting with the story. Players being invested and interacting with the story in unique ways will always be the more interesting game for me, and I am happy that your adventure design and DM style allow for that kind of play. Great video Daniel- I really enjoy watching your creative process.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@jonwooldridge3766]

Great video! I really love these adventure design video, and the random adventure table and the associated descriptions for creating adventures. The shriekers and skeletons is a great trap. I really like traps that are not your typical pr obvious mechanical / magical trap.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! I agree - traps can be fun when they become more like environment hazards

[@cameronorwin]

Really great ideas here. I love the shrieker/skeleton combo. Very cool.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@mookiewilson4166]

Absolutely! It’s given me ideas about a whole new type of encounter or even an entire adventure premise: What sorts of fungi might spring up from the bodies of the magically animated evil dead? What if, instead if the zombie hordes spreading it, the true threat was the semi-sentient fungus itself, directing the animated corpses like a mycelium network of death? Maybe this is a curse issuing forth from a long-sealed tomb the adventurers opened a couple adventures ago?

[@cameronorwin]

@@mookiewilson4166 sounds a lot like Sons of Kyuss. In that case, it was worms that infected victims and created zombies, but could just add easily be fungus.

[@TheArcturusProject]

Woo

[@rolanejo8512]

Loved the Exploring the Unknown one and the Liveplay. Can you please make a Playlist?

[@BanditsKeep]

Ah, yes that’s a good idea!

[@MrYancakes]

Great vid. Random but what's the thumb art from?

[@BanditsKeep]

Hmm I think I photo-bashed 2 public domain images from wiki commons

[@jimmybrook7119]

Appreciate what you do, but it’s all vanilla. Love that you’ve gone old school rules though.

[@andrewhaldenby4949]

To be honest I prefer the classic B/X or BECMI to the “gonzo” style of some modern OSR. But each to his own - lots of space in the hobby for different styles 👍🏻

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks. I prefer to allow the PCs to bring the exotic flavor.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure, many different and fun styles of adventure and play.

[@BanditsKeep]

I’m curious what types of things you’d like to see in future adventures. More exotic monsters? locations?

[@jimmybrook7119]

@@BanditsKeep I scour KZbin for ideas for my game. Locations, their inhabitants, to me this is the easy part. Hook ideas, plot twists, time pressure ideas (the ticking clock) to create player agency, interesting NPCs. This is what I need. Drawing boxes and assigning bad guys, I got that covered. Thanks for your hard work.

[@Slit518]

What is 1 + 1 HD? Is that essentially 1d8+1 for example?

[@BanditsKeep]

Right, the HD plus 1x Typically in OD&D it’s a d6 in BX for monsters it’s d8

[@JazzyJacksJokeShack]

Where do u get the art u use in thumbnails

[@BanditsKeep]

Royalty free paintings usually

[@rogueskypilot4116]

What is this book called?

[@BanditsKeep]

Here’s a link - www.drivethrurpg.com/product/110274/DD-Basic-Set-Rulebook-B-X-ed-Basic?affiliate_id=464523