Published RPG adventures, often called “modules,” can help the gamemaster who doesn’t have time to prepare.
These are ready-to-go adventures that can be run by anyone. However, there are some drawbacks.
The Downside of RPG Modules
The first drawback is cost.
If you’ve already spent a hundred $200 or $300 on RPG books and other materials and resources, buying a published adventure every month (or week) can be very expensive.
Second, published adventures and modules need to be read.
I know this sounds terribly lazy, but I barely have time to keep up with a fulltime job, a family, and other responsibilities in the real world.
Not to mention reading books and doing other things that are not RPG-related.
Now, I have to read a published adventure every week? Before my friends come over?
Working on the railroad…
Also, I don’t usually care to run modules and I find that a lot of people do not care to run them either.
Why is this?
For me, a published adventure is too restrictive and often I find myself falling into railroading the players.
The Upside of Published RPG Adventures
There are many helpful aspects of published adventures for the busy gamemaster.
The quality of some published adventures is outstanding.
There’s no way just sitting at the gaming table I could come up with some of the interesting ideas in a published adventure that professional writers took months to craft.
If we grab a module and just read a little bit, we can always glean some powerful concepts, situations, or set pieces from them.
Doing this has always helped me run a great RPG session.
Find new and useful materials…
In many published adventures, you find new maps, or new creatures, or NPCs that can be used as is in anything
Even if you’re not using the adventure as written, you can take the city map, or the villain and just plop those right into your game.
Mine the Module
Don’t discount published adventures right off. Know that you can mine them for useful bits here and there.
But I would not rely on buying one every week, it’s just not a sustainable activity.
For example, when I was a teenager I ran a lot of West End Games Star Wars Role-playing Game. My players enjoyed bounty hunting and smuggling adventures and so did (do) I.
I bought a published adventure called Tatooine Manhunt. The only reason I bought that module was that it came with a map of Mos Eisley.
You know, the wretched hive of scum and villainy.
The city center was on one side and an incredible map of the iconic Cantina was on the other.
That map became the centerpiece in a number of memorable adventures and sessions.
I have actually never run the written adventure, but the use I got out of that map alone was vastly greater than the seven dollars I paid for the entire module.
In fact, I still use that map to this day.
More than 30 years worth of good gaming out of one map. Now, that is a valuable RPG resource.
Pro Gamemaster Tip: Maps don’t care what game edition or system you use them the for.
I can use that same Mos Eisley map for WEGs, Star Wars Saga, or Fantasy Flight Games system, or even a non-Star Wars game.
Same goes for a lot of older edition D&D maps. They work great in 5e or any fantasy TTRPG.
Should you use RPG Modules?
Sure, they are great tools for a gamemaster. However, don’t feel you need a new one every session or that you have to use it as written.
Coming Up
More tips on cutting down GM prep time are coming. Don’t miss a post and get free dungeon maps.