Wrote up a quick review of The Sinister Secret of Peacock Point! Was not expecting to run this any time soon, but my usual group found ourselves down a crucial player, so we took the time to play something fun in Shadowdark. Conversions were done on the spot, which mostly worked fine!
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Great read.
Possibly I am splitting semantic hairs but: I would say that modules are not just technical writing; they are both technical writing and artistic writing. That’s one of the things that makes them such unusual creative endeavours.
This is definitely something I agree with Bryce on: he’s quick to catch up authors on basic usability concerns, but simply acing the technical aspects isn’t enough to get his praise: he’s always looking for descriptions that have that extra zing that place evocative ideas directly into the GM’s imagination.
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Great review! I’d be keen to run this as a one-shot at some point.
On the technical writing front, I find it really interesting how standards shift and change based on templates set by various systems. The OSE model has really taken off, to the point where it’s easy to write off anything that doesn’t take that approach to design and layout. I used to give DCC a lot of flak for not having modern layout standards and general at the table usability. I do find myself missing the prose in those modules though as it conveyed a lot of flavor. And the art is also absolutely part of the package worth the price of admission.
Keeping things terse and tight is generally my preference but all too often it sacrifices tone and atmosphere. I like that Brad finds a way to work tone into the module without relying on prose.
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The OSE model has really taken off, to the point where it’s easy to write off anything that doesn’t take that approach to design and layout.
100% agreed. I think what the OSE model does best (and everyone else should be learning from) is how it onboards folks to the plot. Simply putting a well-written summary at the beginning of an adventure is huge.
I’ve been looking at a lot of Traveller modules lately, and man they really really suck at this basic thing, even if they have great ideas.
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I’m a big time DCC player I 100% agree. I despise using their modules but love their content. I end up taking them and doing my own “OSR Key” for it if I am doing anything that is longer than a 1 shot.
I’ve been thinking a lot about all of the topics in this thread and actually wrote an article on it. ( In Defense of Humor in Adventure Modules – Revivify Games ) Mostly because I agree that the OSR-style layout, while my preference, does test your ability to bring flavor to an adventure. Personally, I love a healthy dose of humor in my adventures and have been challenging myself to add more to the things I design. It’s part of the reason I am such a Brad Kerr fan as well, he always finds a way to add a slapstick-like humor to his adventure.
Right now my north star is the adventures published by the Merry Mushme. They manage to cram a ton of flavor (including humor), into a small package with amazing art on top. They are definitely the auteurs of this medium.
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