The chronologically written module is obsolete
It’s a useful format when you’re just starting your DM career, and your party doesn’t mind the latest “dungeon-on-rails” adventure of the night, but we all eventually want The Story. A binding narrative. Something that doesn’t demand we spend all our loot on ale and whores between sessions, and have to go adventuring again as the plot hook. For the really ambitious, maybe a plot that folds in character backgrounds into the main narrative.
The Valmerian Chronicles is a sandbox, fantasy campaign, written in the form of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. All the DM needs to do is to flip to a region in question, then choose between three types of encounters:
- Storyline: These advance the campaign calendar and main plot.
- Subplot: These are written generically, so that you can mold it to any character’s background.
- Narrative: When life happens and there is a light table, these are one-shot adventures that will not affect the main plot.
Imagine not having to flip through a module, hunting for the scrap of information you need that’s hidden in paragraphs of narrative text. Or have to make up entire sessions on the fly because the party “went off the rails.” Or have to make up a side quest on the spur of the moment because of player cancellations, hoping it doesn’t conflict with major plot points. Pick the right prompt and you’re ready to go. Available on Amazon or Etsy if you want a cloth companion map!
