So you've got a great idea for a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Congratulations! Now comes the hard part: designing it. If you're new to dungeon design, don't worry. We've got you covered with this handy guide to taking your D&D 5e adventure design from good to great.
Plan for success, but be prepared for failure.
No matter how well you plan, there's always a chance that your players will decide to do something completely unexpected during your game. That's why it's important to have a solid plan for your adventure, but also be prepared to wing it if necessary. If you're feeling lost, take a deep breath and remember that even the best DMs have had their fair share of game-ruining TPKs (total party kills).
Make your NPCs memorable.
Your NPCs are what bring your world to life, so it's important to make them interesting and compelling enough that your players will want to interact with them. One way to do this is by giving each NPC a distinct personality trait or quirk. For example, if you have an NPC who's supposed to be grumpy, make sure they're always complaining about something or snapping at the players when they try to talk to them. On the other hand, if you want an NPC to come across as friendly and helpful, have them go out of their way to offer the players advice or assistance whenever possible.
Know your villains.
Your villain should be more than just a two-dimensional mustache-twirler with a scheme to take over the world/destroy the heroes/etc. They should be fully fleshed-out characters with their own goals, motivations, and fears. Take some time to think about what makes your villain tick and what drove them to become the villain in the first place. The better you understand your villain, the easier it will be to write them into your adventure in a way that makes sense and is true to their character.
Pay attention to pacing.
One of the most important aspects of any story is pacing—the rhythm at which it unfolds over time. Pacing is especially important in D&D because it can prevent players from getting bored or frustrated during long periods of downtime between combat encounters or puzzle-solving sessions. A good rule of thumb is to start slow and gradually ramp up the intensity as the adventure goes on until you reach the climax—the most intense and exciting part of the story—near the end.
The Three Act Structure.
Another way to take your adventure design to the next level is by using the three-act structure. This principle comes from traditional storytelling and has been used in works such as The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Hunger Games. Essentially, the three-act structure is a way of dividing a story into three distinct parts: setup, conflict, and resolution.
In the first act (setup), the story's world and characters are introduced. The second act (conflict) is where the story's main conflict is introduced and explored. The third act (resolution) is where the conflict is resolved and the story comes to an end.
While it might seem like a lot of work to plan an adventure around this kind of structure, it can be quite simple. Just ask yourself what needs to happen in each act for your story to make sense. For example, in act one you might want to introduce the villain and their scheme. In act two, the heroes might discover the villain's lair and race against the clock to stop them. And in act three, the heroes finally confront the villain and put an end to their nefarious plans.
Of course, you don't need to rigidly adhere to this structure—the point is simply to give you a framework around which you can build an exciting and well-paced adventure. Feel free to get creative and experiment with different ways of using the three-act structure in your adventures.
Designing a great D&D adventure takes time, effort, and practice—but it's worth it when you see your players engaged and having fun in your game world. Incorporating some elements of game design theory will help create unforgettable adventures for years to come. Just remember to stay flexible, keep things interesting, and pay attention to pacing, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a master dungeon designer!