Why You Should Gift Adventure Modules This Holiday

It’s that time of year

For gifts, merriment, and cheer!

Suppose you have a nerd in your life?

What should you get them? Maybe a knife?

A knife could be a nice gift. Another great gift idea is commissioned art for the RPG players in your life! Artist Laura Cano, @_urracas on Twitter, who illustrates the adorable kenku Kiri from Critical Role (a known knife aficionado) does such illustration work. Click the image to check out her Instagram and find out more about her commissioned art work. [Art by Laura Cano]

Fill your holiday with adventure and good will

Rhymes aside, the holiday season is upon us, and for many that means gift giving. However, finding something special is harder than one might presume. There’s a thin line between buying someone a gift they’d never think to buy themselves yet genuinely love and purchasing another thing to be re-gifted or clutter their limited space.

While the list of doodads and whatsits that the tabletop roleplaying game nerd in your life might enjoy is longer than Santa’s beard (or Ted’s for that matter), I had an idea about what to get your nice list gamers: adventure modules!

I’ve got five ideas for why you should gift adventure modules and how that can be so much cooler than a gimmicky knickknack from the store!

1. The gift keeps giving

“Stuff” is pretty easy to gift, real talk. Like, anyone can give someone a gimmick present they picked up on an aisle display in a store, but when you give an adventure module, you’re gifting inspiration for the receiver to craft an experience.

When someone receives an adventure module, it’s like receiving a toolbox, or a Lego set; the pieces are there to construct something cool and fun, but if you get creative with it, the module itself is merely the starting point, the framework. An experienced Game Master will likely springboard off a single adventure module and think of several other resources in their possession they could incorporate into it. From there, they craft their own wholly unique experience that they can give to their gaming group, thus perpetuating the spirit of giving!

2. You can always find one that fits!

Something I absolutely love about the idea of giving adventure modules is they really do come in a ton of varieties, and with just a little digging you’re sure to find something that special nerd on your list will love. Whether it’s horror with a dash of comedy, mystery with a sprinkle of adventure, or something else entirely, the abundance of resources ensures that there’s something for everyone!

Unlike other gifts, which can be finicky to fit just right, part of the delight in receiving an adventure module is the surprise of the story inside! So long as it has elements your receiver likes, it’s sure to delight.

3. Avoid unnecessary clutter!

One of the things I personally love about adventure modules is they can be purchased in digital form. I know some people might have hangups about buying non-physical books, but I personally appreciate digital products, because I don’t live in a mansion as expansive as Santa’s workshop.

Space is precious in my home, and I really can’t stand clutter. However, with RPG supplements in digital form there’s no added mess in my house, and I can focus on what really matters: spending time with my loved ones.

4. Don’t break the bank!

Another perk of digital products, like adventure modules, is that they tend to be less expensive than physical books or other gifts. It’s pretty easy to spend upwards of $30 on a nice metal dice set, and while I love me some metal dice, I can’t really afford to give everyone on my list something so lofty.

However, adventure modules are another story! Whether you want to find something official from WotC over on D&D Beyond or you’re looking to find something unique on an indie site (say, possibly Nerdarchy the Store?), there’s a wealth of resources to choose from, and at the prices standard among digital products, I can afford to pick up two or three resources for the price of a single physical gift!

Maybe you want to actually physically present something, though? No worries! Printing out a small picture (possibly the cover) on a gift-card-sized piece of cardstock is an easy workaround that lets you still place something under the tree!

5. Add something special

Chances are, if you’re giving someone a gift this year you probably like them decently well. Wouldn’t it be cool if you gave more than just an adventure module this year? Suppose you gave them a promise to play through the module with them? As I said earlier, anyone can buy a gadget from the store, but gifting your time dedicated to a shared experience is something so much more special!

Whether family or friend, when you include the promise of your enjoying the gift with the person, you’re ensuring the gift sees use, instead of getting backlogged, and you’re showing you have a vested interest in the other person. Furthermore, it shows that you believe in the gift you gave. [NERDITOR’S NOTE: Running a game for friends and family is a fantastic idea! I got my own aunt and uncle to play D&D after making a comment about their Christmas Village holiday display looking like a D&D setup and they were like “can you teach us how to play?” If you’ve never run a game before, a holiday game is a great way to start.]

But where do I start?

Need some ideas for adventure modules and other RPG resource gifts this season? You can find a plethora in Nerdarchy the Store, as well as on Drivethru RPG and Dungeon Masters Guild! Check out the links below for a few more adventure module titles to get your started.

You can make your adventure module gift mean even more by helping raise money for Extra Life too. Check out these titles here, with all of the monies received from sales going to support Extra Life, a charity that unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

There’s also Orcus’ 5E Holiday Horde Humble Bundle featuring a ridiculous number of adventure modules and other titles from Kobold Press, Frog God Games and Troll Lord Games. These bundles are seriously unbelievable deals to stuff your digital shelves and these also help raise money for charity. In this case the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Check it out here.

Until next time, happy holidays, and happy gaming!