The 5x5 MethodThe 5x5 Method Ne STARTING Destroy the Temple sts cocaine THE METHOD ee stroas ales troops ae striped rom the frnter paar cements tevin itr nde the lin ih ie ‘ovate ama que You dav ace oie theepertonty ral en Suara loin he ‘ies Wha ref pan ae he : e Cee a ee rE ee huchngnfeantcaiemuerseptinime ‘The Ritual of Cleansing Forces mag ler a th nk seal fragt tt go eng enon at tHe ls ve rates ane ening post yc ances ee tc wool hercsunve argh Mey mide! cana esate quests shoul appeal toa varity of player and char . ‘cr mothation One quest mig beusbemiyen — Prevent War in Sdungeon-craling anctheron poi MANEWETIN The plies fhe Empee'Inuiton ar ining fmtheroneeoeingaeane re andon Dent Pe fi Hes Inn ns “rsiyacan hike ey Youn eta ne uring hn i me aime ere cane ee pupal ison Wah psig day tse Forex rie qu eager a coe lig a eer a samc ese yMmhot be ako pest seg + Recover the Aofthe Dwar onde + estoy the Temple of rental El + Prevent the natn of ikon fom fling ino chil war + Research and complete a Ritual of Cleansing the Art Lichf Veena Next, es ot your kas and ist he tps required {complet each them, Recover the Axe Lego ay thatthe Ac of he Dwar Lond appears when dwarves need i mod Gans ae organing an {iy tonne the dvaren aon of Tal ad ‘an wielinge wondras weapon leds the son farce. only ay to defeat hi snd the ve (ong st the dares) and place the ands ‘art edeDefeat the Arch-Lich Anarchs ich who worships Veena peeing the fpelssecretve deeds inthe tal wel The rl ch {sa abit showing up hide the heres plans, si beluga therm destroy hn Fig Sa destroying hispactery isthe onl way to stop Fim blr be recone the Hand and Eye Verne DEVELOPING THE 5x5 GRID ‘Now tha yout have youre quetron pape waite dwn fve peti steps to competeeah quest path The path sb be linear so the heft step amet ‘be accompli before the second the seco ore the thin aed wom, Panto mak the step fay major ccomplishment-incther words make roc ec ach step shoukt conte roughly one ven re-bt youe ot actually planing the scenario Jetje sketching ot an nearing compan, Youcan plan the individ wenture when you eed them, For tom, describe ech step nace rt tha gts crus the rnin en ae lp your ‘rn the ode fevers nthe ques. "When planing your eps cna ntxing Serr play sips. jst as ou dd withthe quests. At tis evel jou cana en quest steps that pet ent the adventurers backgrounds Perhaps fone sep inves acharacter amily member ftntem the advennurers ned hat is ken party members home wm. Not only does this eh ue provide an easy ayo lave the characte trcktries, ut tal it help the ples el more Anmesed inthe campaign. "nay ant tomb a ew quests wth more ‘efused strture, whic the eharacier can co ‘ete the fst twoor three steps in any onder then ‘ontinue wih the al two steps to compete the sues No mater what strata ou use, the Bit for Step should ful wo step 5, which the completion ibetnafer rel The ve parts of our example 55 campaign are presented belo: with cach expanded toe sep Recover the Axe + vestige darven legends surrounding the xe An Tartria the ome ey othe character arg Encounter factions whowe embers do? wan the seo + Recover the mamscrpt"Olyeses Jourey” which del the lst known appearance of the ae by ‘winnlngt fon the Hasberg Auction nw + Venture onto the hgh seas to recreate the path (Olyese ok to find he resting place of dhe we {¢ Prove your orthon the Lot Iso Mord “Recor the As ofthe Duar Lond an use 0 ‘te he glans Destroy the Temple + Thwart bards win he ben aiding ile teibeomsie ee em + Pade aig seer wn 4 Fhhut aks fmt nay ees {+ Patogeher cc sesting ht cachet thee rps ne fo the Scotti 4 Find he Tempe of mena land estoy Prevent War in Fitzleon “Recon the Tease of Talon Pas fr theme Lee tara “¢ Discover that Lod starmant soled with he cl Gees Lolth andeseape fom his mason, The 5x5 Method 4+ Fo out hat Lond starmant ie agiting ant the current government and quel he rts he nets nis questo win a eounel sea 4 Team up with the ther candidates fr count. + Inflence the eletton tense that thee ond nanan! does at et poiton a ower. The Ritual of Cleansing + Anower the calla characters mentor who needs fepdefrings porta othe Abyss 4 Research the magi ol tht has ep the porta sealed and discover that the key clean the statue les tn the Feo 4 Fda Fey Crosing ard defeat ts guardians, + Return othe academy where Guris the ean waar (ple character studied, and earch a Ritual of Cleansing + Gather the clement nee fr theta Ingen fom the Als. Cont the ial, Defeat the Arch-Lich 4 Encounter the ar lich temps tose the Handf Ven rom the Peon treasury. and Aarts eft 4 Tae the Hand Vato safe lcation before the abc ean or elf au and come afer. 4 Race the acc othe atone Eye of Vr. + Trackthe path ofthe are ie bck tothe eaton sls pater. ‘Ene the Tower of Veena a dest the ply Interlinking You een. pte deseo ‘roth peny star campig To aly make ‘shine yorcan links meng pe cert a ~The 5x5 Method ot Te pl gre ae hk at ich Sioqunee meal detrngon eps [Reser he Ae Apa ne Tee ise econ fac a Preven Defeat the Vincwintsscn te Stptomtite |e semi enya ay ——__| __ a ae ay Se Cqurardaclwedlinntsdnsn vice” [ams | gear” | Teme Take | Posse | ed oto jee) toe ranaeraTesp S35 Eee | mae tlw tr maig ees oa cca ieee ing riefhel, | hythe Prntats(m suman — [Romans | Some i he nen wean ep os mye [RBatcabe(n | Imamanrs earn | Yer ce "cy inagraetchameen ene scrss | Co awe oy ory te ori ice a aa fattening pn eae aang ea = vl Beigamatctnrytestepardes — fOReSe umn (Aue ebls | gy | lt ttc Coming went ooh oe Net Sera) eset df Nscwhercheitkenfuistemtgtater [Poe wath Torna tannte | Met canihaes | ew cuentas is ng el Sins onsnaenyesll trem Compe he fercantn aay A ie tthe | per hae | Tee of ee Steg ec TailtatStnimaimecnse carga fame” | emewatt |TV naturally during sessions of play, and others will be ——. ‘eget hited at by pages Nocevery step needs alink and not every path needs wth another, but even nial ‘ures: ach quest might ent characters back oy but ry tat cae te characters oop pad fallow ter own quests ih avay For amare clase D&D setup characters ny nd ot about he quests STARTING AND RUNNING A 5x5 PLAN ‘tes bot the eres could ete each ther ‘an hep immensely wth campaign planning "Ath pd ou hare your carpal plan ach entry shou be relatively easly deep ino recor our encounters te crete acenpe te ture Youve already panne out the overal strokes ofthe earmpaig. and yu can develop the diva ‘nventures as neded depending om where the car ‘mtordeede toga “The best me to start 5S plan atthe debt ofa ew campaign oral te beganing one ter nan xtsting campaign You can se the ist adventure teh intrce the campaign an torre he fe mar quest that the characters can purse Pa «em donot ned to kon the exact nature each gue, Trt gpd idea to make the aware that ey have elon tha can acl depth other experience Ite party has aleaer eer payer character or anonplayer charac) that person might ley Ive eds about the diferent uss em iso ee fom postings nap boar or hear rumors. ‘Nome howe You ttre the qs ines by ‘heal oat athe begining set he strate and ‘make sure thatthe players keep them alin {hey adventure Using actual qestcardsis great ay to acomplish hs oa indeThe 5x5 Method a The First Adventure ~ ‘Your fst adventure shou serve as an intrdncton (ficemmetgs Yorcoster Eosteey lst tie party together and then provide the quests atthe Coker ie pty might cere eens ‘est fees dings adventure. This rod: {ory whentare canbe oneal scenario yeu dont ‘watt have five penal quests planned forthe fs aon, Hang the proce tlt way et you cd ‘ut which quests your players ae the most interested fn you'd rather ost jumpin youcan ry slik this information ahead of tne by txing ema or tvhen creating character ‘Our example 55 plan starts anew campaign in {he paragon ier We can snare that he heroes have adventure together bere and that all other are ‘complished and recognize in ther own ih de ttrdctorysdvenure, the party lp to defend temple of Pel fom an as by urea ‘Aerward, servant ofthe ple nated Ebel Spproches the characters and tells them be has ‘earl of dark maneurering om petitoners ‘nhs have come othe ChurhofPelorseking help find guidance. The clergy has prayed for asintance ‘dealing with these mater ae Fbek eles tha, Pelorset the party herein esponse to these prayer The characters have proven capable of dealing with reat threats, othe pret besceches ther be a etl the heroes what he has ean rom those toning bine + “Giant besiege our dvarven brethren othe est Inthe ation of Tare. The ede the ants ‘eke amv hammer thatthe dwarves ear ‘he fable Maa fhe Tins Deven een ays ‘hat nl the Ase ofthe Dwar Lon in the has ‘worthy dar leader can psy pt ato to fe wielding the maul ++ "Mand cos and monsters ae besogng i Inge on the bordelan between kingdoms. A Tite mucl ould be sulficent ode them ff and protect the villages but such muscle sn short ‘apply vapor toe |$ "The Lord starmani. generous benefactor of our church, seeks capable npn ecovering an objet Tro afaramay Keep. and we promised we would sca group with the nectar ualiatona” “+ Leger ols thats maple ol kep a port tothe underworld sealed The choor Mathis, ‘whom believe some of you lea km hae Invested reports dha tril creatures are USING THE 5x5 METHOD FOR MORE THAN CAMPAIGNS ‘Youcan ee varitionon hs method for adven- ture planing wel Instead of each quest ‘onstng of ive adventures, each entry 53 sane, These scenes can be ay ects that ‘vance your storyine-socal encounters se Investigations, raps or fll encounters TH ‘aration onthe method works expecily well {you flow the ve Room Dungeon? made. You can sl a depth to your adventure by lntertiing the cones js cp id tht ‘the more inking yu do. the more complex your tsdveaure becenes Wile Is rete ey to kep track of fve pose dren fr the ‘next adventure, keeping up with ive options in ‘Single Sessions more dificl "You can sto enarurt a Se5 gr foray “ter facets of ou DM planing ncn com plex NPC relstionhipa chaste backatorses, Imeractons between various governments and (acho ands000. seeping through the portal He Belews he knows ‘he ese, but he neds ep an he needs sn” + °A power undead wizard hasbeen poping up In heavy defended fortress and easaly di patching guar ltt random. Those who fave survived his olathe search Ing fr srmething bt they know ot what” After you have tec the five quests han oat fquctcard fir each scenario ad et the players, ‘decide wich they woul Ike o pore. You can then fea the eon ad et to work planning the ne ‘sventre basi on ther choice Afer each aden fre summarize he characters progress ad et he players know what might be nearby thatthe heroes ‘oul aly vestigate Als ak this port to ‘ein hem of any ime senate factors CRemem ‘er oe llearying the Had of Va”) “The ystem shoulda become astraghacket I he ction ofthe edentnersor ther reads the ‘ory take them in direction that cat neatly Into the 505, adn necenay The 5 method i ‘nly tool help yon plan campaiga iled with Interesting choles epe ques, ad mupeclimae Abou the Author (eh e Se metad-y ro pr ‘stay appends ec re Sager ha lee brie Donne 8 Deacon are ‘nie adn rsa cet he BD gone nn Chace en es Cer nde tage rar a eB ‘Rint Per.