The Problem of Modules

I am going to be unveiling a radical new innovation in tabletop gaming design in a few hours.

But before I do that, I want to discuss how traditional RPG module design suffers from four related problems which I have figured out a way to solve.

1. A module is so detail rich that it is near useless at the table. You are pretty much forced to read it ahead of time. If they go somewhere you aren't familiar with, you now have to read 2-3 paragraphs on the spot and then narrate it. Furthermore, a module is designed to be printed which results in having to flip around looking for things.That can cause uncomfortable pauses, breaks in play, etc.

2. Because of the richness in point 1, a module is designed with limited scope. A single location, maybe two or three if you are lucky, with lots of detail in that area but not much outside of it. Maybe 2 or 3 pages about the surrounding countryside. The result is that a module is NOT a campaign and can never be so. If you want to run a campaign, you have to assemble it yourself from different modules. A module cannot provide you with a compelling narrative. It can provide you with the equivilant of a CRPG "side quest". It is not the main event. You have to build your own main event.

3. Because of the limited scope in point 2, a module is limited in the ability to provide you with the kind of sweeping action and adventure that you expect from a film or book. Travel across long distances is not really a viable element to a module. As a result, most of the content is static. There is a dungeon here, if you explore it these things happen, but you can just walk away with no problems.

4. Because of all these reasons, a module is a poor method of teaching a new GM how to play or for transmitting styles of play to other GMs by someone with considerable skill. Giving someone a module and saying "use this to learn the game" is like handing someone a football and saying the same thing. It is a tool, not an instructional device or a skill transfering system. The person must learn the game either on their own, or by watching others, not really from the module. It is like learning calculus from the book. Very hard.


I have invented a way to bypass all these problems. I actually invented in a while ago, but until yesterday was struggling with making it work. I have solved my final obstacle.

Prepare for a new way of running RPGs.