Questions tagged [campaign-development]
For questions about writing, managing, and expanding campaigns.
326
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How to ease down the munchkin factor?
I've been playing RPGs since the early eighties and have come to terms with the fact that not everyone enjoys this hobby for the same reasons as myself. I'm into it for the sake of the adventure, the ...
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20
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I'm creating an original setting for D&D—where do I start? [closed]
Creating a new fantasy setting for D&D is daunting but I don't want to use one of the published settings. I have a blank piece of paper in front of me and a whole world to create. My friends want ...
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votes
10
answers
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Player has arachnophobia: what to use in place of spiders?
I have a player who joined an ongoing campaign; after a session which involved a fight against giant spiders and an anxiety attack, I was asked by said player's partner to remove the spiders from the ...
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60
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16
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With the lifespan of elves, would you ever encounter a low-level elf?
Elves and other races have hundreds of years to get good at what they do — is the expectation that NPCs of these races would mostly be of high level?
How do I build a campaign setting that makes ...
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votes
13
answers
2k
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How do I help my players not get caught up on smaller plot points?
I just finished having a conversation with one of my players, and was led to a question I'm not sure I know how to answer.
I'm running a sandbox campaign (D&D 4e, if it makes a difference) where ...
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56
votes
9
answers
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What are the essential features of a successful evil campaign?
Until this point, I have demanded that my players not build characters with evil alignments, as I am familiar with how to design campaigns and adventures around "good" or "redemption" themes. However,...
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votes
10
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How can I use powerful NPCs without overshadowing the player characters?
I’ve been playing P&P for years and have taken my first tentative steps into DM’ing over the last year, mostly leading One-Shots. I am also a passionate world-builder and so I jumped at the chance ...
- 3,959
55
votes
6
answers
8k
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Preventing saturation in a horror campaign
I am currently designing my first horror campaign and what I've come up with so far is pretty dark and gruesome. I worry that if it is gut wrenching the whole way through, eventually the players will ...
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53
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5
answers
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How to build an evil campaign
I'm going to start DM'ing for the first time next week. When I got together with my group to figure out what type of game to play, when we got to alignment, I told them they either all needed to be ...
user18101
52
votes
11
answers
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How do you discourage "player knowledge" as a GM?
As a trivial random encounter is winding down, a player thinks "That was too easy... The GM wouldn't give us an encounter that doesn't give XP," and starts searching for hidden bad guys or other clues....
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46
votes
15
answers
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Accidentally let party wander into a high level situation, how do I help them get out without cheesing?
TL;DR - due to poor planning on my part in my sandbox-esque game, a party of four Level 5s (fighter, warlock, non-healer bard, wizard) is about to wander into a high level situation and I'd like them ...
user61367
46
votes
9
answers
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How do I run a successful and engaging campaign without combat?
I'm thinking of starting my own campaign with a few of my friends with me as DM, primarily because I wasn't extremely impressed with the campaign my friend was DMing. When I started thinking about the ...
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44
votes
12
answers
12k
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Should I change the entire campaign to please one player?
So, I'm running my first ever dnd campaign - and I'm having a blast doing it. I've found a really great group of players, who are really accomodating to my newbieness, and I couldn't be happier with ...
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42
votes
13
answers
3k
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What are some dangerous non-fantasy creatures?
We're running a fantasy game where the adventurers frequently travel through the wilderness. Too many of the threatening encounters they have are with fantasy creatures (like goblins, orcs, etc.). ...
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39
votes
9
answers
7k
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How to run a campaign for intelligent players with idiot PCs?
I've just started a pathfinder campaign, and all of the players have taken intelligence as their dump stat. This is causing problems, because usually I depend on knowledge checks to determine what ...
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38
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7
answers
15k
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Pre-modern farming: What percent of the population is in agriculture? [closed]
I'm running a premodern setting where the characters will be involved in local administration. Assuming no magic, how many farmers does it take to support one non-farmer? Any statistics/estimates ...
- 17.1k
38
votes
11
answers
3k
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How to get better feedback from players?
OK, we started a new campaign yesterday and I really want to take quality feedback from my players. When I ask, "How was it? Do you like it?", I generally get some vague answers like "It was good, I ...
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37
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17
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12k
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How can I have a campaign where not everyone shows up to each session? [closed]
I'm starting a D&D (5e) club at my school. As most high schoolers don't show up to every club meeting, how can I account for this in creating parties? The club will likely have 20+ members, so ...
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37
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8
answers
3k
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What ways are there to anger the PC's without angering the players?
Since I got so many good ideas on my last question, here's part 2:
What ways are there to really anger my PC's -- give them that sense of unbridled rage and fury -- without pissing the players off ...
- 17.5k
35
votes
8
answers
7k
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Running Parallel Campaigns
So, as seems to frequently be the case with me, more players wish to be a part of my new campaign than I'm comfortable putting around one table (maybe 8). I toyed briefly with the idea of running two ...
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34
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8
answers
3k
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Am I designing my campaign setting to be too specific?
I'm a first time DM (3.5e), and, being a passionate writer, I decided to create the entire campaign and campaign setting myself. It's been good fun, and I have about 12 pages of (elaborated upon) ...
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34
votes
2
answers
4k
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How can I manage my campaign digitally, without using a screen at the table?
For big campaigns I keep my campaign information — maps, keys, session notes, reference tables, etc. — in binders and duotangs which I can reference and annotate at the table. Their content only ...
- 244k
33
votes
7
answers
4k
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What to do when a great idea comes too soon?
As a GM, often a fantastic ending to a campaign comes to me before I start it. In the Star Wars universe, I picture the heroes stealing a Star Destroyer from the Empire or, in D&D, I picture the ...
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33
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5
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2k
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How can I make an overbearing government's unwelcome attention convincing without it dominating screen time?
My players are newly awakened mages (Mage: the Ascension 2nd edition) living in a near future in a metropolis in the European Union which is developing into a surveillance and military state union—a ...
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33
votes
4
answers
6k
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How can player characters get by with daily necessities during a delve into Hell?
Recently, one of my players (a barbarian) had to make a pact with Lady Fierna of the 4th to avoid losing one of his friends. He agreed to offer his soul to the disposal of Lady Fierna after he dies in ...
- 1,047
32
votes
18
answers
10k
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How can my villain intimidate my players' characters into submission?
I'm planning a new campaign where the villain will force the party to do his bidding, starting from level 3.
The opening will be an encounter with the villain, where he will "ask" them to do not-so-...
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32
votes
20
answers
7k
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How can I best implement a recurring villain when the players are not opposed to killing? [closed]
I am writing up a campaign for D&D4e that I will be playing in a couple of months and, though I do not have the storyline 100% all thought out, I know the general tone I am going for already, and ...
- 1,071
32
votes
7
answers
8k
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How to set up love interests for player characters
A few of my players (2 out of 4 in the current group) would like having a love interest in our campaign. I feel like it's something that we can achieve, as the campaign is not too dark and into "...
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31
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4
answers
2k
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How much to bend "the rules" about populating a world?
All right, I have a question about creating a world and populating it with appropriate monsters, etc.
I created a world a little while back, loosely based off of the world found in Michael Stackpole'...
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31
votes
9
answers
1k
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How do I help create story around the table without writing it?
I love RPGs. I think they can create some of the most fun and enjoyable stories, both from an out-of-game and in-game standpoint.
I also realize that "story" is the result of the game played by the ...
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31
votes
8
answers
6k
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What are the DM's responsibilities when dealing with a character's death?
This facet of RPGs is the thing with which I have the least experience/comfort level. I'm sanguine about the idea that Dungeons etc. are inherently dangerous places, and that the PCs behavior is ...
- 419
31
votes
3
answers
4k
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Should I discuss the type of campaign with my players?
The campaign I’m preparing is designed to give the illusion of choice via side quests and an open world (not really open), but with a main story line that will be pushed into them sooner or later. The ...
- 3,407
30
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8
answers
6k
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My players want a tighter narrative, but have wandered off course. What now?
I started a new campaign yesterday for a smaller group of players that are new to pen and paper roll playing games. Before we started actually playing the players and I were talking about how P&...
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7
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What's the best way to present a sandbox world to your players?
In my sessions, I let my players play in a sand-box world. There is a main story that I always plan that they could follow, and I have no problems with them doing so.
However, I would like my players ...
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29
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10
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6k
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Creating a campaign that ends with a TPK by design
I'm creating a campaign that takes players from level 3 to level 15+. The premise is that the party is granted a special role by the reigning good King to protect and serve (essentially they are ...
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29
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10
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What alternative models exist for Vampire populations in WoD?
The official WoD sources say that a vampire requires between 50,000 and 100,000 people to support them, giving an upper limit of about 50,000 vampires in the entire world. I've always found this ...
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28
votes
6
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6k
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How can I limit my players' options in character creation when the reason why is a spoiler?
I am currently preparing for a game of Vampire: The Masquerade. I've got a plot in the works that involves a Malkavian villain. Given the nature of the Malkavian Madness Network I want to exclude the ...
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28
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8
answers
2k
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Overcoming setting complexity paralysis as a GM
The problem
What are the best practices to overcome that certain “complexity paralysis” that may strike a GM when trying to learn and immerse himself in a setting that has a lot of intricate ...
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27
votes
10
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5k
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How can live fire exercises be made safer?
My group is in Waterdeep, and our wizard would love to help train the world-famous griffon cavalry, especially in evading fireballs. That is, he wants to hurl fireballs at them that they need to evade....
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6
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How can I have a mixed game of nWoD without having a thematic mess?
I'm planning on starting a full-on mixed nWoD game, but I don't know how to avoid having it feel like a fantasy kitchen sink, since that can easily destroy the feel of a game. What are scenarios or ...
user5834
27
votes
5
answers
3k
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Creating the setting with the players
As far as I'm aware, the two most common ways to choose a setting for your campaign are one of these:
The GM makes it up pre-game, or
the GM has some source book containing the desired setting.
...
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27
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5
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2k
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How can I keep surprising my co-GM when he's playing in my campaign?
I recently started a D&D 5e campaign with my gaming group and one of my friends has decided he wants to GM also. The setting we're playing in is a homebrew setting; I created the general outline ...
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26
votes
7
answers
8k
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Why Do We Keep Adventuring?
alright, so in general, I like 5e, it's got a lot of positives, but I'm noticing more and more that there aren't really any reasons for adventuring past a certain point.
So, an example: Our group is ...
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25
votes
18
answers
3k
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Overpowered PCs (Gabe's Dilemma) [closed]
Penny Arcade recently ran the following strip:
(Original strip here)
While the resolution of this thread hasn't yet been posted, I'm wondering what we think here. How do you game with PCs who are ...
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25
votes
8
answers
4k
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What should I keep in mind when running a game intended to subvert the players' expectations?
Many of my favorite works of fiction are either explicitly deconstructive in nature, or at least feature elements or scenes that unexpectedly subvert the audience's expectations. Often these are some ...
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7
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How to make sure the players escape but feel like it was because of their wit?
Setting
I'm preparing for my first time as a DM in D&D 5e (as a player I have gotten to level 4 in 3 campaigns so I have a good grasp of the game, in my group everyone wants to have a go as DM and ...
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24
votes
9
answers
5k
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How can I avoid railroading in a sci-fi campaign?
I run a fantasy campaign and a sci-fi campaign. I always find it much easier to create interesting content in the fantasy world than the sci-fi world. In fantasy, for instance, a dungeon can be many ...
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24
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5
answers
4k
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One of my PCs unknowingly slept with his sister [closed]
So some background: 3 sessions into the campaign, we arrived in Neverwinter and went to the nearest inn. At this inn, one of the barmaids started to flirt with our Paladin. Our paladin had sworn an ...
- 3,147
24
votes
7
answers
1k
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How can I convey the nonsensicality of a dream world?
Soon I will be GMing a campaign that allows the players to move freely back and forth between the "real" world and the "dream" world. I do not want this to be a secret or try to confuse the players; ...
- 17.5k
24
votes
6
answers
3k
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How to make large number of NPCs manageable to the GM?
I'm planning a game where there is about a dozen important NPC actors, with some more less important ones. "Important" means that even if they are not directly involved in current events, they play a ...
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