Tunnels & Trolls Articles

Writing Solo Adventures by Ken St. Andre

Writing solo adventures for Tunnels and Trolls can be a tricky thing. It occurs to me that it might be useful to share some techniques for clear writing. Here's the first one that I want to share:

There should usually only be one saving roll per paragraph. If you make it go to A. If you fail it go to B.

There might be a situation where saving rolls are needed on two attributes at once. If you make them both, go to A. If you fail them both, go to B. If you fail the first but make the second, go to C. If you make the first but fail the second go to D. This kind of thing can be done, but it gets confusing. Please try to avoid it.

One thing you can get away with is setting up a series of options, each of which calls for a saving roll, but even that would be better served by using more paragraphs. Example: You are facing three doors, each with a sign posted on it. Door A says only Smart Guys get through this door. If you wish to enter, make your L3SR on INT (30 - INT) If you make it, go to A, if you fail take 3 points of CON damage and try something else. Door B says only Lucky guys get through this door. If you wish to enter make your L3SR on Luck (30 - LK). If you make it go to C; if you fail go to D. Door C says only Nimble Guys get through this door. If you wish to enter make you L3SR on DEX (30 - DEX). If you make it go to E; if you fail, go to F. If you tried all 3 doors and failed them go to Z.

That's kind of long and confusing. A better way to do it, IMHO, A better way to do it would be to say: You see three doors. Each is labelled. Door A says Smart; door B says Lucky; Door C says Nimble. If you wish to try Door A, go to X; for door B, go to Y; and for door C, proceed to Z.

(The X, Y, and Z paragraphs would of course each consist of the saving rolls. And the results of success or failure send the player to new paragraphs.)

The benefits of having all saving roll results appear in different paragraphs is that it reduces the temptation to cheat. If your paragraph says, Make a L1 LK saving roll and if you make it take 100 gold pieces; if you fail it then it's a contact poison trap and you die is that the player knows what he'd better do before even reading the rest of the paragraph. Make them turn the pages. It increases suspense and playability.

I won't claim I've never violated this stricture in the past. All I can say is that I'm trying to do better these days. For the sake of simplicity and clarity, let's have all of you do better also.

H'aaarrrggghhh!
Khenn Arrth
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