RPG WRITER

WORKBO O K
BRAINSTORM, PL AN, AND WRITE
T H E TA B L E TO P R P G A D V E N T U R E S
OF YOUR DREAMS

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 Table of Contents
Use this clickable Table of Contents to navigate around your workbook.
Each page also has a “Return to TOC” link to easily come back here!

• About the Author

• To-Dos and Reflection
• Setting a Project Scope
• Brainstorming the Effective Way
• Writing Alt Text
• Studying Sourcebooks and Style Guides
• The Three Pillars
• Designing Narrative Obstacles and Challenges
• How to Go from Outline to Draft
• Writing an Introduction
• Creating an NPC Quest-Giver
• Creating Villains and BBEGs
• The Five Senses Guide to Creating Atmosphere
• Worldbuilding Exercise
• Self-Editing
• Making a Marketing Plan
• Preflight Checklist
• Notes

Write Your First Adventure

Summer 2021
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 About the Author
Use this page to write about yourself as an author!

Pen Name Published Titles

Author Portrait

Author Bio

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 To-Dos and Reflection
To-Dos

Select your writing program of choice

Select your calendar tool of choice

Select your project management tool

Input the lessons into your calendar program

Personal Reflection

How do you currently feel as you embark on this workshop?

What is one thing you hope to get out of it?

What do you feel nervous/anxious about?

Write a positive affirmation for yourself.

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Setting a Project Scope
What is this project and what is the final deliverable?
Ex. “This is a one-shot adventure set in Ravenloft. It will be a PDF document available on DMs Guild.”

When does this project need to be completed?

Ex. “July 31, 2021” (You can also set a general timeframe, like “Q3”)

Do you need to learn a new skill Have you star ted learning prior to starting this
or tool to complete this project? project? (Explain yes or no.)

Yes No

If so, what? List them here.

Have you completed a project of (If yes) What is one thing you’ll do dif ferently
this size and scope before? for this new project?

Yes No

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Setting a Project Scope
How much time can you devote to this project every day, week, or month until it’s finished?

What potential obstacles may you encounter during this project?

Based on your responses, map out a timeline for this project.

Be sure to add specific milestones with tentative deadlines.

Is the timeline you’ve mapped out reasonable and achievable? (Be honest!)

Yes No (If you select this, revisit your timeline now and adjust)

Use this space to summarize the whole project.

Include the final deliverable, potential obstacles, and the tentative project timeline.

Based on this summar y, are you ready to begin your project and stick to this scope?

Yes No

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Brainstorming Exercise
Use the fields below to write out ten additional ideas for your adventure.

Which idea excites you the most? Commit to writing that one for the duration of the month!

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 Writing Alt Text
Import or upload an image here:

Write descriptive alt text for an image of your choice.

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Studying Sourcebooks
Review the official D&D Style Guide. Jot down notes about how to phrase mechanical aspects of
D&D for use in your own adventure.

Write a mechanic—a skill check, a saving throw, a feature, or something else —and check the
wording against the Style Guide or an official source.

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 The Three Pillars
Review this sample encounter. What pillar did it focus on? What would
you change to shift the focus to a different pillar?

A human mage named Professor Nidren sits at the table.

If Nidren notices the characters, she blinks to clear the fog of reading and asks if the strangers
have just returned from an expedition and are looking for someone. She nods and returns to
her book if they appease her curiosity:

• Adventurers who claim they’re working for the Master arouse her suspicion, as most of his
agents are known to her. Characters can convince her with a successful DC 17 Charisma
(Deception) check.

— Excerpt from A Century of Ashes, Bianca Bickford

What pillar does the passage after the bullet point focus on?

What option would you add as a second bullet to shift the focus to a different pillar?

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 The Three Pillars
Use the three boxes below to write an encounter with the
social, exploration, and combat pillars.

SOCIAL

EXPLORATION

COMBAT

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 Designing Narrative
Obstacles and Challenges
TYPES OF CONFLICT EXAMPLES HOW CAN I USE THIS CONFLICT
IN MY ADVENTURE?

VILLAIN • Preventing a BBEG

from destroying a
town/region

E N V I R ONM ENTA L • Escaping an erupting

volcano
• Traversing a barren land

PR OTE C T I O N • Keeping a caravan safe

while it travels
• Protecting a child from
monsters

I NF I LTR AT I ON • Performing a heist

• Infiltration a hidden
organization to obtain
information

NE G OT I AT I O N • Securing an alliance
between two kingdoms

NOTE S

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 Outline to Draft
What adventures have you researched for your draf t?
Is there something about them that you want to emulate? Completely go against?

How would you describe your outline?

Is it detailed? Brief? Actually a mindmap?

Are you going straight from outline to draft?

If not, what are the intermediate steps that you’re doing?

Are there any particular obstacles bet ween you and starting your draft?
If so, how do you plan on tackling these obstacles?

Do you think the upcoming lessons will significantly change parts of your adventure?
If so, which lessons?

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Writing an Introduction
Write your Synopsis here:

Write your Background here:

Write your Dramatis Personae here:

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 NPC Quest-Givers
Think of one of your favorite stories (of any medium). Who is your favorite character from that story?

What about them resonates with you?

How would you describe them as an NPC?

What do they want; what do they hate; what do they yearn for?

What are their traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws?

TRAITS IDEALS

BONDS FLAWS

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 Villains & BBEGs
Villain name and description:

What is the type of conflict they represent?

How does this villain represent this conflict?

How does the villain create or catalyze this conflict in the adventure?

RATS

Relatable: Antagonistic: Threatening: Special:

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 Creating Atmosphere
Pick a scene or locale from your adventure to complete the following activity.

What does this scene or locale look like?

What does it smell like?

What does it taste like?

What does it sound like?

What does it feel like?

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 Worldbuilding
THE TOWN

Design the town:

What do the locals know?

Locale Details

History

Culture

Atmosphere

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 Worldbuilding
Regional Details

History

Culture

Atmosphere

Global Details

History

Culture

Atmosphere

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 Worldbuilding
THE MARKETPLACE

Where in town is the market located?

What does the market look like?

What is on display or for sale?

Who are the traders/merchants?

What is the currency or barter system?

What is the general atmosphere of the market?

Write some short encounters in the market:

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 Self-Editing
Use the following checklist and text fields to guide your self-editing.

I read my work in a different medium or format.

Notes or reflection after this step:

I read my work aloud to myself or to an active listener.

Notes or reflection after this step:

I read through my work in silence/without distractions.

Notes or reflection after this step:

I read my work out of order.

Notes or reflection after this step:

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 Marketing
Map out a starter marketing plan using the prompts below.

These are the promotions or posts I can make on a weekly basis:

These are the promotions or posts I can make on a monthly basis:

What is one goal that marketing can help me accomplish?

How will I measure the success of my marketing efforts? (Think of metrics or milestones.)

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 Preflight Checklist
Publishing a product on DriveThruRPG, Dungeon Masters Guild, or any other OneBookShelf site or
community content program includes many small to-dos. This simple checklist ensures you have a painless launch.
Before You Set Up Your Title Page
Credit all writers, artists, editors, and other
contributors in your product. Pay particular
attention to license agreements as they may
stipulate how to credit a contributor.
Include any necessary logos on the cover.
Include any necessary legal documentation,
such as a community content agreement or
the Open Gaming License (OGL) agreement.
Ensure that your product is in an appropriate
file format (most likely .pdf).
If you include additional files, such as maps or
handouts, create a .zip folder for these.
Setting Up Product Files
Navigate to Account → Upload/Update Files
(under My Content). Select your recently
created title from the drop-down box.
Drag and drop the files you want to include in
your product. Note: It is recommended that
you upload the main PDF of your document
first. This will prevent any issues with your
product previews. Fully complete the process
then return to this step for any additional files.
Rename the files if you would like and click
Save Change.
Click Make Public so that your title is listed for
sale on the page.
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Setting Up the Product Page
Enter all authors and artists in the appropriate
field, separated by commas.
Enter a selling price. Be sure check for appropriate
decimals.
If you are creating a Pay What You Want product,
be sure to check the box above the selling price
tool. This will cause your selling price to be the
“suggested price.”
Create an engaging page in the “Product page
text” editor. Be sure to proofread your text!
Make use of headers, bold and/or italicized fonts,
and centering.
Use the green tree “Insert/Edit Image” button
to place an image. Please note these images must
be hosted on www.imgur.com, Google Drive, or
be a OneBookShelf URL (such as for a cover of
another product).
Consider adding images of eye-catching pages
from your product.
Upload your cover. Cover files must be .jpg
format and no larger than 900 x 1100 pixels.
Larger images tend to look better on the site.
Apply appropriate filters. Do not select filters that
are not related to your product.
Set up previews. These allow for buyers to get a
sample of what they are purchasing.
Thoroughly read and accept the Content
Agreement.
Certify that you have the rights to use all artwork
in your product by selecting the check box.
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 Notes & Ideas
Use this area to write down notes and ideas as they come up!

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