Adventure/Module/Scenario: What do you want?

[trodgers]

While I presume that most of us make our own modules, there are times when I was big into roleplaying that I would buy scenarios if they looked interesting. So with that in mind: What do you want when you pick up a new module for a game?

I'll get things rolling:
1. Cheap or free
2. Obvious what the scenario is about from the cover art; my favorite example of this is, I think, the old adventure in Dungeon magazine for A Rose for Talakara.
3. Compelling story line
4. Boxed text brief if present
5. NPC motivation: too many "deranged/power-hungry" evil characters; let's hear some plausible motivation
6. Non (boring) linear story lines: I don't mind if all roads converge on one point as long as the journey there is interesting enough
7. Sufficient mappage: let me know roughly where things are in relation to one another

[J.K.Mosher]

I've only ever bought like 3 mods . . .
1 for D&D3e (Shadow of the Rose - Ravenloft Setting featuring Lord Soth)
2 for D&D 4e (Slaughter Stone, and Orcs of Stonefang Pass)

The Ravenloft adventure for the story. Lord Soth one of my favorite D&D novel characters.
The two 4e adventures . . . cause I wanted something in case I ever start an online game, or
can convince my wife to try it . . .other then that what I look around for is:

1) Interesting story . . . would I want to play it?
2) Low level . . . good to use for introducing people to a system (like D&D4e)
3) Good Price . . . (free is good, but so is reasonable pricing)

[trodgers]

Thanks for the feedback. Does art and style matter much to you? How do you tend to get a sense of the module? Cover art first then a brief snippet of text somewhere?

[J.K.Mosher]

When just checking out a mod here's what gets me interested
first (before I even look at price or game system)

1) The Title . . . (Orcs of Stonefang Pass . . . SOUNDS interesting)
2) The Cover Artwork . . . if it looks interesting and has that "draw in"
quality . . . does it fit the name, or make you want to learn about
where the title comes from . . .
3) The mod's overview or snippet. It is the snippet that will have me actually get/purchase a mod.
but the Title and cover work draw me to the snippet.

[BubbaBrown]

1. Decently priced. I'm willing to pay an appropriate amount. If you are too proud in the pocket book about your work, I'm going to stay away.

2. Interesting story, world, characters, setting, etc... If I'm buying for content, I want good content. Having an adventure module is great, but it is even better if there's enough material to have a few good side adventures.

3. Stuff to do and good story hooks. It is always great to have bad guys to beat, goals to meet, and quests to complete.

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

How about something new for the setting?

Rather than just another ruin to explore, should a module advance the time-line or add a new faction to keep the world alive? Perhaps those traps aren't relics of a tomb from centuries past, but newly made to hide a secret society with plans of assassinations?. Maybe the adventure is to find gifts to present at the royal wedding to merge two nations, so there is a competition to see who can bring the best dowry or those who would prefer the wedding doesn't happen.

Perhaps less specifically, a module might expand on ideas in the world. A tournament of arms and discussion of the games and food opens a number of opportunities to the players for fame and fortune, aside from the central mission to sabotage the games for a greater purpose.

Although I would certainly appreciate little or no monetary out-lay, I don't think low price is an absolute qualifier. However, the price point does need to be earned through artwork and thought. Modules are worth something, so far as they are saving the GM considerable time in creating areas, choosing monsters, naming NPCs, and other elements of preparation.

While it is nice to be self contained and ready, something that leads to the ability to write further adventures is probably the key. Why not have a series of add-ons to follow a continuous story-line?

[trodgers]

Very useful, all. I'm currently kicking around the following schema for NOIRpg modules:

1: The Downlow: an overview of the adventure; brief...half a page at most.
2: Cast of Characters: people you will, and people you might want to, encounter.
3: Twists and Turns: in a noir, the story is never straight forward. As I see things unfolding a bit like in a film, I have Acts and Scenes, but there are always "Edits" sections, that discuss different ways things might go down.
4: Haunts: Places of interest in the setting
5: Curtain Fall: a few things to consider in wrapping up the module, including various ways more adventures could be spawned

I'm looking to make modules available for $1, and they'll include sparse art: a cover and a couple interior pics. The one I'm working on, Eyes the Color of Money, has a total of 3 images (I don't count maps).