Designing an Epic Adventure: The Shattered Harbor Module

Now that I’ve established the essential factions of The Ardinock Chronicles, it’s time to dive into building the adventure. I’m starting with The Shattered Harbor, which is the first part of a trilogy that leads into The Crimson Reclamation and concludes with The Shadow of Eternity. You can see the list of the planned series of adventures on an earlier blog here.

Each of these can stand alone as individual adventures, but they’ve been crafted to form a cohesive 3-part journey that serves as a core introduction to the world of Ardinock.

Starting with Port Ardin

Port Ardin is one of the key locations in Ardinock, and it’s absolutely central to this first story. The town serves as a major hub for trade, power, and intrigue, making it the perfect launching point for the adventure. My goal was to start this module by giving the DM/Reader a strong understanding of Port Ardin and its place in the world.

If someone were to pick up this adventure or explore Ardinock through another path, they could always reference this module for insight into Port Ardin, as it lays the creative groundwork for the town and its role in the greater world. It’s a way to not only set the stage for the adventure but also provide a rich backdrop that DMs can return to again and again.

Influences and the G.U.A.R.D.S System

I’ve done a ton of research into other adventure modules, taking note of what works and what doesn’t. One of the systems I found particularly helpful in structuring Port Ardin was the G.U.A.R.D.S system (Link to Video) from Loot Goblin Marketplace. It provides a framework for organizing the key aspects of a town, including governance, unique features, and key characters, which worked perfectly as the backbone for how I wanted to explain Port Ardin.

Using this system, I can set up the infrastructure of the town in a way that’s easy for the DM to understand and use during the adventure, without overwhelming them with information. I wanted to ensure the world-building was detailed but also flexible enough for DMs to adapt to their own needs.

Peppering in Characters and Immersion

One thing I’ve found important in world-building is familiarizing the DM/Reader with characters they can use or run with. That’s why I plan to pepper characters throughout each section of the adventure. Characters are essential for immersion, and I believe they should act as jumping-off points for the DM. I’ve created personalities, backstories, and relationships for these characters, but DMs can take them and make them their own, tailoring them to their specific campaign and players. This adventure does have some introductions to a few factions already established, like the Crimson Hand and the Trydentai that you can learn more about on their blogs as well.

The adventure’s backbone is still strong enough to stand on its own, but it’s important to give DMs the freedom to expand and adjust these elements based on their needs.

To Show or Not to Show (Art & Descriptions)

Something I’ve grappled with in designing the module is when and where to show a character or an image. I learned that there’s no hard rule here, it is a matter of opinion and taste. Some DMs and players love to have visuals to reference; others prefer detailed descriptions that leave more to the imagination.

Personally, I believe it helps immersion to have a balance of both. Visuals give players and DMs quick cues on the look and feel of the world, while detailed descriptions provide depth. For The Shattered Harbor, I plan to provide rich descriptions for important characters, locations, and artifacts. But I’ll also include some illustrations and small teasers to bring the world to life. The visuals won’t be overwhelming, they’ll just serve as quick insights into the world, helping to immerse players without taking away the imaginative aspect.

Setting Up the Adventure: Jump Right In

My goal for this module is to have Port Ardin fully set up for the DM/Reader to dive into almost immediately. The adventure will provide enough detail and flavor for the DM to get players started, but it will also leave plenty of room for improvisation and customization.

From here, I’ll start outlining the adventure hook, how the players arrive, and how the story unfolds in The Shattered Harbor. I’ll include flavor text for DMs to use, along with insight and perception checks that players can roll to uncover hidden elements of the story. The adventure is really starting to take shape, and it’s exciting to see Port Ardin come alive as the centerpiece of this first chapter.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m excited about the direction things are headed. As I continue building out this trilogy, The Shattered Harbor will act as the foundation, not just for this first adventure, but for the entire continent of Ardinock.

In the upcoming weeks, I’ll share more updates as I flesh out the adventure and develop the next steps in the trilogy. Keep an eye out for further details on the adventure hook, key characters, and how the players will be drawn into the unfolding conflict in Ardinock!