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Planescape-style - How do you run a planar adventure?
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<blockquote data-quote="Southern Oracle" data-source="post: 6225016" data-attributes="member: 1249"><p>I have run a Planescape campaign for the last 10 years, and every peripheral campaign I've run in that time has also been a planar campaign (even if the players never realized it). I like the planar sandbox, because I can explore concepts, try out new settings, and "test" new rules without a waste of time and investment.</p><p></p><p>Over the years, I have found two adventures that are the perfect launching point for a planar campaign, depending on the scope and focus of said campaign. Because the planes are so vast and you have so many choices, you do need to think ahead and determine a clear trajectory for the campaign. This isn't railroading; it's picking a theme or concept or goal and working toward developing that to its full potential. And if players lose interest, or things don't go the way you thought, you can shift to another focus.</p><p></p><p>If I want a light-hearted campaign that gives the players a whirlwind tour of the multiverse and introduces them to the awesome scope and majesty of the planes, I hearken all the way back to <em>Tales of the Outer Planes</em> from AD&D and its first adventure, "A Simple Deed, Well Rewarded." That adventure lets the characters visit exotic locales across the planes and interact with gods, all while stressing that brains are more important than brawn. If the players seem to enjoy that style of adventure, you can continue with the others in the book, as they make a good adventure path. You can also use the World Serpent Inn and Mitchifer, its proprietor, to introduce the characters to any other setting you wish. I used the World Serpent Inn as a T.A.R.D.I.S. -- every time the heroes exited the front door at lower levels, they were in a different setting.</p><p></p><p>The other introductory adventure I like to start with is <em>The Eternal Boundary</em> for the Planescape campaign setting. The adventure has a more serious bent, but it also stresses brains over brawn...the heroes see first hand that they cannot hope to take on every challenge the planes has to offer. Once again, if the players like the adventure and crave more, I'd segue into <em>The Great Modron March,</em> then <em>Dead Gods</em> (and then <em>Faction War,</em> if you're not squeamish).*</p><p></p><p>For my longest running campaign, I used Mitchifer and the World Serpent Inn in conjunction with <em>The Eternal Boundary.</em> The theme for my campaign is "Choose a side." Over the course of 10 years game play and 17 character levels, the heroes have come to realize that every action they take (and every action they don't take) has a consequence, and they must come to terms with those consequences. People die, cities crumble, and worlds are forever changed because of the decisions they make. On the flip side, beauty is preserved, life is celebrated, and whole new worlds are birthed by those same choices. My players joke that I've made everything good and everything bad in the multiverse their characters' fault, and it's kinda true.</p><p></p><p>If you've got any more questions (or if you want more exposition), feel free to ask.</p><p></p><p>*Say what you will about the adventure, but it gives you the tools to make Sigil and the factions exactly what you want, without feeling like you're violating canon.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Southern Oracle, post: 6225016, member: 1249"] I have run a Planescape campaign for the last 10 years, and every peripheral campaign I've run in that time has also been a planar campaign (even if the players never realized it). I like the planar sandbox, because I can explore concepts, try out new settings, and "test" new rules without a waste of time and investment. Over the years, I have found two adventures that are the perfect launching point for a planar campaign, depending on the scope and focus of said campaign. Because the planes are so vast and you have so many choices, you do need to think ahead and determine a clear trajectory for the campaign. This isn't railroading; it's picking a theme or concept or goal and working toward developing that to its full potential. And if players lose interest, or things don't go the way you thought, you can shift to another focus. If I want a light-hearted campaign that gives the players a whirlwind tour of the multiverse and introduces them to the awesome scope and majesty of the planes, I hearken all the way back to [I]Tales of the Outer Planes[/I] from AD&D and its first adventure, "A Simple Deed, Well Rewarded." That adventure lets the characters visit exotic locales across the planes and interact with gods, all while stressing that brains are more important than brawn. If the players seem to enjoy that style of adventure, you can continue with the others in the book, as they make a good adventure path. You can also use the World Serpent Inn and Mitchifer, its proprietor, to introduce the characters to any other setting you wish. I used the World Serpent Inn as a T.A.R.D.I.S. -- every time the heroes exited the front door at lower levels, they were in a different setting. The other introductory adventure I like to start with is [I]The Eternal Boundary[/I] for the Planescape campaign setting. The adventure has a more serious bent, but it also stresses brains over brawn...the heroes see first hand that they cannot hope to take on every challenge the planes has to offer. Once again, if the players like the adventure and crave more, I'd segue into [I]The Great Modron March,[/I] then [I]Dead Gods[/I] (and then [I]Faction War,[/I] if you're not squeamish).* For my longest running campaign, I used Mitchifer and the World Serpent Inn in conjunction with [I]The Eternal Boundary.[/I] The theme for my campaign is "Choose a side." Over the course of 10 years game play and 17 character levels, the heroes have come to realize that every action they take (and every action they don't take) has a consequence, and they must come to terms with those consequences. People die, cities crumble, and worlds are forever changed because of the decisions they make. On the flip side, beauty is preserved, life is celebrated, and whole new worlds are birthed by those same choices. My players joke that I've made everything good and everything bad in the multiverse their characters' fault, and it's kinda true. If you've got any more questions (or if you want more exposition), feel free to ask. *Say what you will about the adventure, but it gives you the tools to make Sigil and the factions exactly what you want, without feeling like you're violating canon. [/QUOTE]
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