It's Never Too Late to Playtest

Way back in 2016, I designed Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs for Pathfinder 1st edition. In 2018, Raging Swan Press released a 5e-compatible edition of the adventure.

Two weeks ago, I started a new 5e campaign with a (mostly) new group. As I have plans for Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs, which I touch on in this post about Incremental Design, I thought I’d rerun the adventure to see if I can find any improvements.

We are only two weeks into the new campaign, and already I’m spotting things that could be enhanced or upgraded. While I’m having a ton of fun with my new group, I’m also enjoying the process from a “professional” point of view. My design style has changed and evolved (hopefully for the better) since I first published Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs; I have another seven years of experience as a designer and publisher under my belt. I can make this adventure better! I will make this adventure better!

And on this subject, in an email last week, Seth Godin wrote about art, design and the opportunities to improve. He said:

"The artist who paints a masterpiece, from scratch, without hesitation. The playwright who doesn’t need a workshop or a reading. The architect who designs a food hall that has a layout and vibe that works without one alteration…

Evolution is powerful. It gives us the chance to revise, edit and do what works while removing what doesn’t.

Once we realize that there is almost no chance we’ll get it right the first time, we can embrace the opportunity to sign up for better instead of perfect.

Get it wrong the first time.

Then make it better."

I’m already looking forward to next week so I can discover more facets of the adventure that need tweaking and modifying!

Related Post

In this post, I discuss Incremental Design, Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands and the Shunned Valley of the Three Tombs. If you are interested in publishing and design, it’s worth a read.