Design Patterns for Adventure Design
Design languages have existed in architecture for decades and in software development. The idea is simple enough. Design patterns capture the essence of what you see repeated so that you can more rapidly understand and apply appropriate design yourself.
Pattern: Heist
Description: The party will need to acquire something that involves overcoming numerous obstacles that are built to stop them.
Design: Each Heist requires a series of obstacles preventing access to the target or goal. The nature of the obstacles are tailored to prevent the party's success.
Pattern: Point Crawl
Description: A graph of nodes (points) where each point is an interesting location, NPC, obstacle or combination. Travel along the edges (paths) incur a cost.
Design: Point crawls are best combined with other patterns. The richness of description of the points and travel are critical.
Pattern: Fetch
Description: The party must acquire something on behalf of another. One or more obstacles prevent the party from accessing the item.
Design: The scope of a Fetch pattern can be very small or very large as a meta pattern. Works well with #Pattern Antagonist
Similar To: #Pattern Heist
Pattern: Antagonist
Description: An antagonist faction, party, or individual works against the party.
Design: Requires detailed NPC building to make the antagonist interesting. Can often be used in combination of other patterns as an interesting twist. As a meta pattern it is often the BBEG.
Pattern: Delivery
Description: The party must deliver something of value to another.
Design: The act of delivery adds a constraint of having to protect and care for what is being transported. Works well with #Pattern Antagonist.
Similar To: #Pattern Fetch
Pattern: Obliterate
Description: The party must eliminate an object, faction, individual, or group.
Design: The act of combat is the most heavily utilized aspect of this pattern, but obstacles to obliterate an object should also be incorporated.
Pattern: Sway
Description: The party must gain favor from an individual or faction.
Design: Requires detailed NPC design. The party will need to navigate social issues, provide services, and handle other requests.