Andres Valbuena

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D&D 5e · Quest, encounter & settlement modules

Tabletop Design

100+ sessions as Game Master

Tabletop is where I test the same skills I use in digital RPGs: branching structure, factions with real motives, and consequences that follow what players actually do.

pages across 3 original modules
52
endings and resolution paths across those modules
14
factions in The Slag Bargain, each with a 3-phase plan
4
sessions run as Game Master in D&D 5e and Pathfinder 2e
100+
The Slag Bargain cover and settlement history page

Settlement module · Faction conflict

The Slag Bargain

Moonsea · Levels 5 to 8 · 3 to 5 sessions

I designed a settlement where a dying mithral mine pits the Zhentarim, a Harper spy, the Miners' Guild and a temple of Waukeen against each other. None of them knows the cause: a xorn colony has fed on the vein for 300 years.

  • 4 factions, each with goals and a 3-phase escalation plan that runs if the players do nothing
  • A town with 62 years of history, local customs and 4 districts mapped with sightlines and chokepoints
  • 6 resolution paths with long-term consequences, tracked by Clock and Trust systems
  • Designer commentary drawing on Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds
Read the module (PDF)
The Cog That Thinks cover and encounter overview page

Roleplay encounter · Moral dilemma

The Cog That Thinks

Mechanus · Levels 10 to 15 · 19 pages

I wrote a moral dilemma around Eleven, a modron that has developed a self while staying loyal to Primus. The players decide its fate: hide it, free it, convince it to report itself, or turn it in.

  • 4 resolution paths, each with a trade-off
  • 4 outside powers react on set triggers: the modron hierarchy, the Guvners, the Revolutionary League and Primus
  • Combat is possible and never required
Read the encounter (PDF)
The Merchant's Silence cover and quest hook page

Mystery quest · Foundry VTT ready

The Merchant's Silence

Waterdeep · Levels 3 to 5 · 3 to 4 hours

I built a mystery where players investigate a missing ship captain in the Dock Ward and uncover smuggling and murder. They can solve it through evidence, witnesses or force.

  • 4 investigation paths and 4 endings: legal justice, vigilante justice, a cover-up, or exposing everyone
  • 5 NPCs, each with a voice, a memorable trait, a secret and sample dialogue
  • A 3-day timeline, random tables and Foundry VTT setup for evidence tracking
Read the quest (PDF)
Item Descriptions cover and Glasscutter's Maul entry

Wondrous Items

D&D 5e · Repurposable for CRPGs

Two short paragraphs per item set the voice, hint at history and support or complicate the mechanics. It is the same job as a terminal entry, a holotape or a readable note.

Read the items (PDF)

Game Master notes

Players will do the opposite

They adopt the NPC you invented in two seconds and skip the plot hook you spent hours on. I build flexible situations.

Prep the world, then let players drive

I know who wants what and what happens if nobody steps in. The plot comes from what the players do.

The world remembers

I write down every name and detail I improvise. The guard they helped stays grateful, and the merchant they robbed holds a grudge.

Rules are tools

If a lookup would stall the table, I make a call and check it after the session. I log house rules so I stay consistent.