No two gamemasters design adventures in the same way. Some prefer to plan for every possibility they can foresee in advance, leaving as little as possible to chance. Others prefer a looser style, where they plan the most significant events in the adventure and improvise the rest. Adventure frameworks serve as blueprints that outline the basic events of a storyline, which the gamemaster can flesh out according to his own tastes. They are a middle step between the brief adventure hooks presented in our books and fully dramatized adventures like Ardanyan’s Revenge or those found in the Shards Collections.

Gamemasters can use an adventure framework to flesh out the events of an adventure while maintaining as much flexibility as they like.

The five parts of an adventure framework are the Summary, Setup, Events, Climax, and Sequels:

The Summary contains a capsule text giving an overview of what happens in the adventure. It should not be a teaser only hinting at what’s to come, but contain all information a gamemaster needs to get an idea of what the adventure contains.

The Setup describes how the adventure begins and how the characters become involved in the story. This section may also include events that have led to the adventure and background on other ideas touched on in it.

Each Event describes encounters and events that occur during the course of the adventure. These may include situations that pose problems for the characters, actions by the adventure’s antagonists, creature encounters, locations, or simply unexpected occurrences. Events are the obstacles or problems the player characters must overcome to complete the adventure successfully. This section is often the longest and most detailed in the framework.

The Climax is the conclusion or resolution of the adventure. It describes the most likely resolution based on actions that the gamemaster expects the players to take, and so it may differ considerably from the way the adventure actually ends. Because player groups often take unexpected actions, we suggest that the gamemaster plan for more than one possible climax.

Sequels are stories that might happen after or as a result of the adventure. Sequels may be adventures that feature the same gamemaster characters or include a magical item discovered in the adventure framework and help to create a sense of continuity in a campaign.

FORMATTING

• We accept electronic submissions only. Each entry should come as a separate file (please use either of the following formats for your entries: DOC, RTF, TXT).
• Your full name and email address should be provided on all pages of each entry.
• All content should be written in the Times New Roman or Georgia font, and in 9 or 10 point.
• Pay close attention to spelling, grammar, and punctuation—use our Submission Handbook (p.9) as a guideline.
• Here is a preformatted document you can use for your submission.

• Any number of entries, formatted as outlined above; attached to an email sent to submissions@earthdawn.com
• We will accept submissions through the end of the business day on

 December 31st, 2010

•  Your email must contain the following text (please copy and paste it unaltered into the body of your email):

I wish to submit the materials attached to this email for consideration for publication by RedBrick LLC, subject to all of the conditions below:
I agree with the terms and conditions outlined in the Earthdawn Adventure Resource Contest.
I submit my materials voluntarily and on a non-confidential basis. I understand that this submission by me and its review by RedBrick LLC does not, in whole or in part, establish or create by implication or otherwise any relationship between RedBrick LLC and myself that is not expressed herein. I further understand and agree that RedBrick LLC in its own judgment, may accept or reject the materials that are submitted with this email and shall not be obligated to me in any way with respect to my submission until RedBrick LLC shall, at its own election, enter into a properly executed agreement with me, and only then according to the terms of the Earthdawn Adventure Resource Contest, as outlined under “What Happens When My Submission Gets Accepted?”).
I agree that RedBrick LLC may have a reasonable period in which to review this submission.
I understand and agree that the review by RedBrick LLC of the materials that accompany this email does not imply or create (a) any financial or other obligation of any kind on the part of RedBrick LLC, (b) any confidential relationship or guarantee of secrecy, or (c) any recognition or acknowledgment of either novelty or originality.
I also understand and agree that if the submission utilizes or is based on characters, settings, or other materials that are owned by RedBrick LLC or FASA Corporation, or if the submission contains trademarks and/or other proprietary materials that are owned by RedBrick LLC, then I shall not be free to submit the submission for publication to any person or firm other than RedBrick LLC.
I warrant that the submission is original, and that its publication will not violate the rights of any third party, and that the person identified herein as the submitter is the sole owner of the submission.
Furthermore, I am of legal age in my country of origin and am free to make agreements relative to this submission.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY SUBMISSION GETS ACCEPTED?

Of all submissions, the jury (consisting of our Earthdawn Third Edition development team) will rate each entry for the following categories:

• Playability
• Originality
• Style and clarity

 Once we have reviewed and rated all submissions, we will select those that we want to use. If your submission happens to be among those we selected, you will be notified via email. Upon receiving that confirmation…

• …your submission then becomes the property of RedBrick LLC and FASA Corporation, meaning that you lose all rights to publish it elsewhere.
• …your name will be listed along with the entry and its rating on our website.
• …you will receive a complimentary copy of the eBook edition in which your work appears, in case we will publish them elsewhere.

 PRIZES

• The best adventure framework wins one of each of our four Earthdawn Dicesets produced by Q-Workshop, including the limited Astral Dice (currently available only in this competition!).
• Places 2 and 3 win a limited Astral Dice set plus one regular dice set of their choice.
• Places 4-10 receive a regular dice set of their choice.

It should be no secret that this competition, as well as our Open Calls, serve as a means to find new writers. If you are interested in joining us, this is the best way to get started!

If you have any questions in addition to those given below, use this forum thread or email us at info@earthdawn.com.

What word count does an adventure framework have?
A good length estimate is 2,000 words (about 2 pages), but you can go down as far as half of that or even double, depending on the needs of the adventure. Note that the word count does not factor into the rating, however. Avoid bloating your text by all means.

Do you have tips for creating a good adventure framework?

• Use existing locations, creatures, and characters from our books where possible, don’t introduce something new unless it is absolutely necessary.
• Don’t create complete campaigns where one framework depends on another one.
• While the story can be epic, don’t level the whole setting by introducing world-shattering events. We don’t want you to write history, we want you to provide an awesome adventure!
• Don’t provide new game statistics or new rules unless absolutely necessary!
• Adventures aren’t movies or novels, they are interactive. Make sure the players have a real impact on the story, instead of railroading them through a series of events towards a pre-scripted ending. This isn't always possible given the vague nature of the frameworks, of course.

Is there an example adventure framework?
Yes, find one attached to the preformatted document provided for this competition. Adventure frameworks can be found in many of our sourcebooks, for example Kratas: City of Thieves and the Nations of Barsaive series.

How many Events should an adventure framework have?
Go for three Events if you are not sure. If your framework has more than seven Events, try to optimize and reduce the number.