“Monument of the Ancients“ was published in Dungeon #170 and is an adventure set in the Forgotten Realms for 13th level characters. The capsule description is thus:
If myth and legend are to be believed, the antediluvian monument defends a region of Faerûn where the boundary between the world of Toril and the Elemental Chaos is weakest. At the monument’s heart lies the Anchor of Chaos, an arcane bulwark sealing a cosmic fissure between the planes. Were the enchantment powering the Anchor to fail, the Moonsea North would stand defenseless against a full-scale invasion by forces of elemental evil. Unbeknownst to the citizens of Phlan, that day is nearly upon them.
We sent a few questions to Matt James, one of the adventure’s co-authors (along with his brother Brian R. James) and the webmaster of Loremaster, to better understand “Monuments” and about being published in Dungeon.
Critical Hits: Without spoilers, what can you tell us about the story in “Monuments of the Ancients”? What kind of adventure is it?
Matt James: “Monuments of the Ancients” is a paragon tier adventure based in the Moonsea North region of the Forgotten Realms. In this adventure an ancient threat has reemerged and the schemes of a “Lost God” is brought to light. This adventure has everything from difficult tactical combat encounters to skill challenges and even a puzzle challenge! It provides a rich, in-depth approach to adventure writing and we hope as many people as possible enjoy it.
CH: I noticed that Pool of Radiance, the classic game/module is listed as an inspiration, but how did it go from that to the finished product?
MJ: Both Brian and I grew up playing the old SSI games, such as Pool of Radiance. We wanted to recreate some of that nostalgia and provide a throwback to the old-school players of those games. On the same token, we wanted to give a unique and amazing adventure to those who may have never even heard of them and simply want a good, solid adventure. In essence, it gave us a chance to revisit the old while ushering in the new. Win/Win by our standards!
CH: It’s set (strongly) in the Forgotten Realms, but how easy would it be to set elsewhere, either in another published campaign setting or in a home setting?
MJ: This is also another thing we strived for heavily while designing the encounters and plot of “Monument of the Ancients.” This adventure could easily be adapted to any setting or home campaign by reworking the various lore bits. In example, the city of Phlan can fit perfectly in any campaign that has a port city teething with politics. While there is indeed a whole slew of crunchy Realmslore peppered throughout, no part of the adventure is so acutely tied to the Realms that it cannot be adapted. I am very much looking forward to how people make this adventure fit into their own setting as much as those who are Realms fans.
CH: Finally, I’m sure there are many out there who hope to one day have their own adventure published in Dungeon, how did it go from concept to published? Any tips for others?
MJ: Rewriting, Rewriting, Rewriting. This pretty much defines how to get out a quality piece of work. We must have gone through 5-6 concepts before settling on what you now see. In fact, many people may be surprised to know that we had originally written this assignment for 20th-level characters but had to scale back due to demand for the paragon tier. There is a lot of frustration when you end up scribing 10,000 words over the course of a week just to have to toss it out and start fresh. While an inconvenience, it is the reality of writing and game design.
As for tips: The key to having a successful piece of work, whether in Dungeons & Dragons or not, is to first understand that not everyone will like your work. As something I used to struggle with years ago when writing for a Live-Action Roleplaying (LARP) organization, I learned over time that persistence and consistency are paramount. For better or for worse, you need to hone your writing skills and focus on the basics. If you forget everything else, remember this: Success in game design can only be defined by the enjoyment of your audience!
Thanks to Matt for talking to us. If you’re a D&D Insider, check out “Monument of the Ancients” or the collected Dungeon issue it appears in, and also check out Loremaster for D&D news, especially their Interactive Interviews section and their RPG donations for Wounded Veterans.
Great interview!
Matt, I’m hoping you read these comments. I have one question about adventure writing and publishing:
What does your draft look like that you send in to Wizards? How much formatting are they expecting? What sort of maps or artwork are they expecting? What tips on formatting do you have for the submission in general?
Thanks and congratulations!
.-= Mike´s last blog ..How to Handle Player Resistances =-.
Thanks Mike!
We tried to make the draft fit in line with the actually final formatting as humanly possible. Meaning, we wrote it in same columns as you see in the final article and tried to use the same size font, etc… Note that their font-type is proprietary so you won’t find an exact match. As for the art; WotC has their own system for how to submit art-orders and how to insert tags into the document for where you wish the pieces to go. I can’t go into too much detail but it is a thorough process that gives maximum control to the author/designer.
As for tips: Don’t ever stop submitting. A lot of people don’t realize, but I submitted over 40 queries in a 6-month span before getting picked up to assist on this article. Make sure you proofread your submissions as the LAST thing you want an editor to see if a sloppy piece of work. If you do a good job and are consistent, they will ask you back for follow-up work. Best of luck in your own writing and don’t hesitate to ask me for assistance. You can find me over at http://www.loremaster.org !
.-= Matt James´s last blog ..Critical Hits interview with Matt James =-.