Building a Better Adventure: Leaders

So, you have an adventure that features several identical encounters - the PCs encounter 6 hobgoblins. The adventure thus either provides the stats once and then refers to them, or it just gives a direct reference to the Monster Manual. And everything is fine, right?

Well, no.

There are two significant flaws with this way of thinking. The first is that having several identical encounters is boring. The second comes the moment the PCs try something radical and dangerous, such as talking to the hobgoblins. At which point, they probably want at least a name for the hobgoblin they're talking to, he'll need a personality and some defining quirks, and so on.

But what do you do? After all, writing up details for every single hobgoblin in the adventure is a huge waste of space and effort, not least since the PCs probably won't stop to talk.

Well here's, not the solution, but clearly a solution...

At the start of the adventure (not in the encounter text), write up half a dozen representative individuals for the various encounters. When the PCs interact with hobgoblins from one of the groups (and not until then), either roll or pick one of these representatives - this then becomes the hobgoblin they speak to, who is now a fully-detailed character, with quirks, mannerisms, and even (gasp!) a name.

(And, in fact, if the PCs decide they don't like that hobgoblin, and speak to the next one, well, you've got that covered as well!)

But for extra credit, there are several ways to take that same idea further:

1. Instead of having the individual chosen be a representative, have that character be the leader of the band, either in reality or in the sense that his character broadly matches the character of the group. So, if Bob the hobgoblin is a cowardly sort, then the group he's with are likewise more cowardly than the norm. If Jeff the hobgoblin prides himself on being a ferocious killer, so too do his band use full Power Attack all the time.

2. The next step beyond this would be to quickly write up the various different war-bands and assign them in play. So, instead of "4 hobgoblins", the text says "hobgoblin band" - and at the start of the adventure you have Jeff's band (heavy on Power Attack), Bob's band (using missile weapons exclusively), Bert's band (two hobgoblins and a cave troll), Dave and Dave (two elite hobgoblins), and so on. When the PCs encounter a band, just assign the one that best fits. (This also has the advantage that it makes the adventure play differently each time it is reused, which can be fun.)

3. Don't forget to give the individual characters different agendas! Perhaps Bob can be intimidated into turning his coat. Perhaps Dave and Dave secretly hate the hobgoblin king, and would happily join a coup. But perhaps Jeff's band are especially loyal, and so any mention of bribes or betrayals meets an immediate and violent response. And as for Bert... well, he hates cowards, and if the PCs ask for his directions he'll point them at Bob, trying to have them wipe out his enemies...

4. Naturally, each individual band should have individual treasures!

5. And don't forget that you can place various clues for your "hidden areas" amongst the individual hobgoblins... in a way that would be difficult if they were just faceless and generic hobgoblins that the party are unlikely to interact with.