Adventure design and campaign planning for D&D 5th Edition.
An adventure is a story told through gameplay, where players make choices that affect the outcome. Adventures can range from single-session quests to epic multi-year campaigns.
Hook - What draws the party into the adventure?
Rising Action - Complications and challenges increase
Climax - The big confrontation or revelation
Resolution - Tying up loose ends and consequences
A complete story in a single session (3-4 hours)
- Simple, focused plot
- Clear objective
- Satisfying conclusion
Multiple sessions forming a complete narrative (3-6 sessions)
- Deeper character development
- Multiple encounters and locations
- Meaningful choices and consequences
Long-term stories spanning many sessions
- Interconnected adventures
- Character growth and progression
- Evolving world and relationships
Start with an exciting scene that grabs attention:
- Action scene or combat
- Mystery to solve
- Urgent request for help
- Strange occurrence
Players should understand what they're trying to accomplish:
- Rescue someone
- Stop a villain
- Find a treasure
- Uncover a mystery
- Survive a threat
Design interesting places to explore:
- Dungeons with multiple rooms
- Towns with distinct NPCs
- Wilderness with encounters
- Otherworldly locations
Populate your world with memorable characters:
- Give them goals and motivations
- Make them distinct from each other
- Some should help, others hinder
- Let players form relationships
Present dilemmas where both options have merit:
- Save one group or another
- Choose between allies
- Pursue different leads
- Decide what's more important
What's the core idea?
- "The party must stop a cult from summoning a demon"
- "A murder mystery in a noble's manor"
- "Explore an ancient temple in the jungle"
Who opposes the party?
- What do they want?
- Why are they doing this?
- What resources do they have?
- What's their plan?
Where does the adventure take place?
- Draw simple maps
- Note interesting features
- Plan encounters for each area
- Consider multiple routes
What challenges will the party face?
- Combat encounters (varied enemies)
- Traps and hazards
- Puzzles and riddles
- Social challenges
- Exploration obstacles
What happens based on player choices?
- Success outcomes
- Failure outcomes
- Partial success
- Unexpected approaches
Start simple - Don't try to plan everything
Be flexible - Players will surprise you
Use published adventures - Learn from examples
Take notes - Document what actually happens
Ask for feedback - See what players enjoyed
Create with your players in mind:
- What do they enjoy?
- What character moments can you highlight?
- What challenges suit their abilities?
Railroading - Forcing one path
- Solution: Offer multiple approaches
Over-planning - Too much detail that goes unused
- Solution: Plan key moments, improvise the rest
No stakes - Nothing matters
- Solution: Create real consequences for failure
No player agency - NPCs do everything
- Solution: Let players drive the story
For detailed adventure design, see the Dungeon Master's Guide Chapter 3.