# What is the WBS encounter format



## Blackbrrd (Aug 19, 2009)

What is the WBS encounter format? Are they formatted the same way Keep on the Shadowfell formats encounters - in other words: Two pages with tactics, battlemaps, monster stats etc?

How is the modules formatted? Do you have all the story at the beginning and encounters at the end or are they mixed?

How far have you come in updating the PDFs with errata?


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## merchantsteve (Aug 19, 2009)

The format follows the WOTC format generally, but not slavishly. The base breakdown is 

Intro and Adventure
Appendices
Tactical Encounters
Player Props

Intro and adventure contains the story and most of the skill challenges.
Appendices have magic items, paragon paths, feats and skills that are new, etc.
The Tactical Encounters are like the WOTC format. Usually 2 pages, but occasionally bleed into a third.
Player Props round out the remaining pages.

Each tactical encounter is hyperlinked in the main text and has a nice big icon to identify it as such.

We also provide 1-inch battlemaps on this site for ALL the tactical encounters.

Hope that helps.


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## Marius Delphus (Aug 19, 2009)

Each combat encounter occupies one to four pages (four is rare; two is most common) depending on several factors including complexity and the length of the stat blocks involved. Some encounters just refuse to fit in two pages, and some encounters simply don't occupy two pages.

DMs familiar with the encounter presentation in Keep on the Shadowfell, Dragon Online, et al. should be able to find their way around the War of the Burning Sky encounter pages with ease.

Combat encounters are separated into their own appendix. So far, the story and other DM information tends to occupy about half the adventures' page count (the first half), with the combat encounters making up the other half. We've included page number references backward and forward, from story to encounter and vice versa, to make the thing as easy as possible to navigate (and the PDF is hyperlinked).

Adventure One got one update which fixes all the major issues we've identified. For Adventure Two, we haven't yet scheduled an updated release, but if you find a "show-stopper" therein, let us know and we'll get a fix out as soon as practicable. Adventure Three is scheduled for a minor update (it needs a battlemap replaced and some of those page numbers I mentioned) as soon as I can get around to it.


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## merchantsteve (Aug 19, 2009)

Here are some sample pages from Adventure 2. The first page shows an aspect of the adventure with one of the skill challenges in place (Text blurred to keep things a surprise). The second is a one-page encounter showing the format. I blurred out the creature positions, but not the general text, just so you can see what is usually found in a tactical encounter.


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## Blackbrrd (Aug 20, 2009)

Ok, this got really tempting! 

(You should post those sample pages on your website, there are a lot of modules with CRAP encounter layout. Yours look really nice.)


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## Marius Delphus (Aug 20, 2009)

Thanks for the compliment!


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## lectric (Aug 21, 2009)

This is an awesome series, with lots of forum help and dynamic support (pdf maps, updates, revisions, etc.). You should totally subscribe. For $50 -- just a few hours worth of "do you want fries with that?" -- you get a whole boatload of modules, and support an independent publisher! The (is it 10?) modules in WotBS beat any 2 WotC adventures for the price. 

No, I'm not getting paid to say this. Just my 2 Gate Pass minted coppers. And hoping that if I kiss enough butt, Morrus will let me change my forum name.


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## Marius Delphus (Aug 21, 2009)

12!

And also-thanks for the also-compliment!


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