Activity #4 for Week 2 (and beyond) of the ‘Spring 2022 Write Your First D&D Encounter Workshop’ is to start outlining my one page (500 words at 12 pt font) encounter in my Workshop document and then share on Discord in the #crafting-your-encounter channel.
This is the ‘writing phase’ of the workshop and that builds on what I’ve done for Activity #1, Activity #2 and Activity #3.
Activity #3 for Week 2 of the ‘Spring 2022 Write Your First D&D Encounter Workshop’ is to create six more three-line encounters.
It’s okay to use any of the three pillars (social, combat, exploration), but keep the encounters short – it’s just to practice with coming up with new ideas.
Not every encounter idea you come up with will be the most amazing idea ever, and that’s OK; that’s the point! Only by practicing does this process become easier.
Ashley Warren (Brainstorming the Effective Way from Week 2)
Exploring my encounters through the lens of each pillar – how might the same encounter be experienced as combat, socially or exploratory?
(1) COMBAT
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: To defeat others from rival clan(s) who are also trapped and trying to escape the cavern.
Obstacle: Battling unknown number and skill levels of rival clan members.
(2) COMBAT
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: To defeat an ailing race of indigenous creatures seeking to escape the cavern and take over surrounding area, and then the world.
Obstacle: Battling the creatures in an unfamiliar and unforgiving environment.
(3) SOCIAL
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: To form a truce with others from rival clan(s) who are also trying to escape the cavern.
Obstacle: Reaching a delicate balance between friend and foe in order to survive – frenemies!
(4) SOCIAL
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: To befriend and tend to an ailing race of indigenous creatures that that may know how to escape the cavern
Obstacle: Communicating effectively with the creatures who have never seen your character race before, or anyone else for that matter.
(5) EXPLORATION
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: With great stealth, escape the cavern using one of the many potential routes while avoiding combat and contact with rival clan(s) or creatures.
Obstacle: Being discovered by rival clan(s) and indigenous creatures.
(6) EXPLORATION
Location: Mysterious underground cavern.
Goal: Escape the cavern using the safest route and with the most detailed mapping and details of the underground area so you can return with reinforcements.
Obstacle: Getting lost and limited time to create detailed maps and potential to be discovered by dangerous creatures and rival clan(s) also trapped underground.
As noted by M.T. Black on the Stoco workshop website, D&D encounters can be categorised using the “three pillars” of:
M.T. Black also highlights how the three pillars make an encounter unique and dynamic, and although it’s possible to apply all three pillars in one encounter, one is usually enough.
Because combat is crucial to character progression in D&D, the majority of the rules are related to combat-related activities. M.T. Black describes a combat encounter as an obstacle where a character must fight an antagonist. Black also notes that combat isn’t limited to killing an opponent or inflicting maximum damage while minimising your own. It also includes: rescuing a captive, preventing a ritual, acquiring or destroying an item, protecting an important NPC, getting to an exit, or even sealing off a portal.
According to M.T.Black, a social encounter involves the characters talking to or interacting with someone or something e.g., asking for information, convincing someone to carry-out an action, negotiating a deal, or even influencing a decision – success! As M.T. Black notes, in these cases, the obstacle is another person who is initially disinclined to grant the request.
Exploration is a broad type of encounter and as M.T. Black explains, can include activities such as searching for traps and secret doors, solving a riddle or puzzles, finding and following clues, mapping out an adventure area, searching for a lost city, learning about new weird and wonderful things or locations, overcoming hazards and obstacles, and even finding hidden treasure, and more. As long as the exploration involves the character interacting with an object, situation, or location and learning something previously unknown, notes M.T. Black.
Activity #2 for Week 1 of the ‘Spring 2022 Write Your First D&D Encounter Workshop’ is to create three new encounters using the three-line format – it’s okay to use the same location, goal or obstacle flavoured to one of the three pillars. Then, share with others in the #ideation-and-organization channel on Discord or using the Discussion feature of the workshop website.
SOCIAL
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: Work together as a group to find out how to escape from the mysterious underground cavern
Obstacle: Bickering and in-fighting between conflicting personalities, which makes decision making a challenge and threatens to prevent your escape.
COMBAT
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: As a ramshackle group, defeat unseen creatures and evil forces as you make your escape from the underground cavern.
Obstacle: Varying combat skills among the group and unseen creatures and evil forces
EXPLORATION
Location: Mysterious underground cavern
Goal: Explore all possible escape routes from the underground cavern.
Obstacle: Overcoming booby traps, dead-ends and getting lost as you attempt to make your escape.
Leading up to the start of Write Your First D&D Encounter | Spring 2022 workshop, I’ve been totally inspired by the maps produced and shared for use by Dyson Logos and have started drawing out my own D&D maps for my encounter – it’s been fun to think how I can keep them tight, light and urgent for my encounter.
