Adventure Prep

AX.C.14.05

This section covers the session prep workflow for building a single-session adventure using the 5-stage structure from AX.C.14.04.

For encounter composition, power budgets, and encounter balance, see AX.C.14.06.

Adventure Creation Workflow

A complete adventure can be prepared in roughly two hours following these eight steps. Experienced GMs will compress this significantly; the time estimates are calibrated for first-time use.

Step 1: Select Your Plots

(10 minutes)

Roll or choose two plots from the 36 Dramatic Situations table (AX.C.14.04):

Primary Plot: The main adventure theme
Secondary Plot: The Stage 5 hook

Write down the actors and elements for each. These are the dramatic framework everything else hangs on.

Step 2: Set the Premise

(15 minutes)

Answer these questions:

Where does this take place? (Dungeon, wilderness, city, other plane)
Why are the PCs involved? (Hired, personal stake, stumbled into it)
What do the PCs know at the start? (Complete briefing, partial info, nothing)
What's the time pressure? (Urgent, moderate, leisurely)

Adapt the primary plot's actors to the setting:

Who are they specifically in this world?
What are their motivations?
How do they connect to the PCs or their interests?

Step 3: Design Stage 1

(20 minutes)

Choose a test type: combat, puzzle, social, stealth, or skill.

For Combat:

Select or create an appropriate threat; see AX.C.13 for building guidelines
Use Minion (3–4D) or Standard (5–7D) threats for Stage 1
Design a simple battlemap or theater-of-mind description
Prepare enemy stats and tactics

For Puzzle or Skill:

Define the challenge clearly
Set Threshold 2–3 for most challenges
Determine which Talents apply
Prepare 2–3 possible solutions

For Social:

Create an NPC with a want and an obstacle; see AX.C.14.03
Decide what they want from the PCs
Determine how they can be persuaded
Prepare 2–3 dialogue entry points

Plot Integration:

Which actor or element from the primary plot appears?
How does this foreshadow the main conflict?

Step 4: Design Stage 2

(20 minutes)

Choose a contemplation type: riddle, moral choice, NPC interaction, or investigation.

Create the Challenge:

Write out the riddle or puzzle with its answer
OR define a moral choice with consequences for each path
OR create NPC(s) with information to share; see AX.C.14.03
OR hide clues for investigation

Plot Integration:

What deeper truth about the primary plot is revealed?
How does this complicate simple assumptions?
What stakes are raised?

Information to Convey:

List 3–5 facts players might learn
Decide which are obvious, which require work
Prepare how each NPC or clue presents information differently

Step 5: Design Stage 3

(15 minutes)

Choose a twist type: betrayal, reversal, complication, ambush, false goal, escalation, or revelation.

Craft the Twist:

What specific surprise occurs?
How does it relate to Stages 1–2?
What new challenge does it present?

Plot Integration:

How do the actors' true natures emerge?
What relationship or motivation was hidden?
How does this recontextualize earlier stages?

Foreshadowing Check:

Add 2–3 subtle clues to Stages 1–2 that hint at the twist
They should be noticeable in retrospect but not obvious initially

Prepare Player Reactions:

How might players respond?
What information is revealed if they ask questions?
Does the twist lead to immediate conflict or more roleplay?

Step 6: Design Stage 4

(30 minutes)

This is the climax — spend the most time here.

Choose Conflict Type: Combat (most common), negotiation, race against time, skill challenge, or hybrid.

For Combat Climax:

Select or Create Boss: Elite (8–10D) or Champion (11–13D) appropriate to party; see AX.C.13.02
Add Support: 2–4 Minions (3–4D) or 1–2 Standard threats (5–7D)
Design Environment:
Terrain features (difficult terrain, cover, height variations)
Hazards (fire, traps, collapsing structure)
Interactive elements (doors, barriers, mechanical triggers)
Set Objectives: Beyond "defeat all enemies" — protect someone, complete a time-sensitive action, prevent the enemy from achieving their goal
Prepare Tactics: How does the enemy fight given their Wit tier? See AX.C.13.04
Plan Retreat: How does the enemy disengage if losing?

For Non-Combat Climax:

Define stakes clearly
Set Thresholds for success
Prepare for failure — rarely the end; see AX.C.14.02 on reading results
Make time pressure concrete
Allow for creative solutions

For encounter composition and power budgets, see AX.C.14.06.

Plot Integration:

All actors in the primary plot appear or are referenced
The conflict directly embodies the plot's core tension
Resolution of the conflict resolves the plot

Step 7: Design Stage 5

(15 minutes)

Immediate Aftermath:

What's the scene immediately after Stage 4?
Who survived? What's damaged or changed?
What can be found, looted, or learned?

Rewards:

Wealth: Appropriate to party level and Genre Catalog
Items: 1–2 permanent items, 2–3 consumables
Information: New knowledge, contacts, reputation
Advancement: Have characters accumulated XP toward a Stage unlock? See AX.C.14.08

The Hook:

Adapt the secondary plot to the current situation
Make it intriguing but not demanding — players choose when to pursue it
Connect it to something in the current adventure OR introduce a completely new thread
This thread should be tracked as a world thread; see AX.C.14.08

Examples of Secondary Plot Hooks:

Supplication (1-1): An NPC begs for help against a powerful persecutor
Abduction (4-2): Learn someone important has been taken
Mystery (5-2): Find a cryptic message or unsolvable puzzle
Revolt (2-2): Hear rumors of conspiracy against a local authority

Step 8: Review and Refine

(20 minutes)

Check Pacing:

Does Stage 1 hook players quickly?
Does Stage 2 provide contrast in challenge type?
Will Stage 3 genuinely surprise the players?
Is Stage 4 challenging but achievable?
Does Stage 5 provide satisfaction AND anticipation?

Check Balance:

Run numbers on Stage 4 combat; see AX.C.14.06
Verify skill Thresholds are appropriate: Threshold 2 for standard tasks, Threshold 3–4 for hard ones
Ensure the party has tools to succeed, but not guaranteed success

Check Plot Integration:

Does each stage advance or reveal the primary plot?
Are the actors present or referenced?
Will players understand the plot's shape by Stage 4?
Does the Stage 5 hook feel distinct from the primary plot?

Prepare Materials:

Write stat blocks for all enemies; see AX.C.13.03
Note key NPC dialogue and information
List rewards specifically
Create or find a battlemap for Stage 4
Write stage transitions: what do players see and hear as each stage begins?