How Much Do You Prepare When Starting a New Campaign?

Paul_Klein

Explorer

• May 30, 2002

• #1

I'm starting a new campaign (Star Wars d20 to be exact), but I'm setting it in a period where NO official story has been written, and where the PCs can be the main heroes, not having to follow in the footsteps of Luke, Han and Leia.

I'm setting it 500 years in the future, and I can do pretty much anything I like. Only, I have a LOT a material, history, backstory, NPCs, settings, events, etc... to cover, since its a whole galaxy here, not just one planet or one continent.

I've been typing my fingers to the bone, and racking my brain coming up with cool stuff, and it got me thinking: how much work do YOU all do when prepping a new campaign?

Do you let your ideas rest basically in your head, or do you type them out? How much do you write? Do you plan for the campaign's future (do you have an idea where the PCs should be at 5th level? 10th level?)?

Fortunatly, I have a few months to work with here, but I'm still daunted by the task.

Just wondering,

Paul Klein

 

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F

fba827

Adventurer

• May 30, 2002

• #2

For myself, I like to have stuff written down only because I like to be able to put it on a personal website so that the players can look there and get an idea / feel for what's up.

Some people start with a small location and basically build outwards (ie the next continent over then the whole world, etc..) others start with the galaxies outline then start working inwards on various specifics.

I would have to say that the best thing I can tell you is this:
Try not to get TOO specific about a certain location or plot. Why? Players will always do something you don't expect. If they go a completely different direction then all your work on building world X will be for naught if they spend all their time on world Y... that's why, while detail is good, try and give some basic idea to lots of different areas in case you need to expand on a quick whim.

 

R

River

First Post

• May 30, 2002

• #3

I've run a number of games over the years and I've found a few key strategies to "starting a world"

1. Figure out who the main NPC's the characters will be initially dealing with and breath some serious life into them. Employers, Bar Keeps, Allies, enemies, anyone who's going to be around a while needs to be really fleshed out. That way whatever happens you can look at those pivitol NPC's say "Whats their motivation" and be prepared for anything your players do.

LOOSELY flesh out the world you will not be initially dealing with...

2..However it is generally important that things have names. Mention those names to players and keep[ them consistent. When the game moves on to areas you haven't fleshed out yet the consistency of the names dropped earlier will make players think you were foreshadowing the campaign....

Work up some cheddar.

I generally have a dozen pages of so of quick baddies for players to kill. That way if I don't have time to prepare a lot of plot on a particular week I can always throw a little extra combat in. The d20 is scaleable so as your players get better just add a few points to all the baddies relevant numbers (BAB) (AC) (Saves) (Damage) and your "Cheddar" can be kept current to players abilities.

River

 

Mustrum_Ridcully

Hero

• May 30, 2002

• #4

For my "Space Experiences" Campaign, I made the following:
Designed the history. Several important incidents, mainly wars, and some political / technological advancements.
The past as well as part of the possible futures are roughly specified.

I designed the main empires/countries and some organizations.
I didn`t name any planets so far, and even some parts of the system (mainly space combat) are not finished yet.

Then, I designed a first adventure in this Universe - not in the centre of the story, just something to get the characters togehter and to introduce them in the world.

For the next Adventure, I invented a complete new location I did not thought of before - a space station (well, it is not totally stationary ). Part of the idea I got thanks to the fact that 4 out of 6 player characters are small sized humanoids. (2 Halfings, Gnomes )

Mustrum Ridcully

 

A

Always_a_DM

First Post

• May 30, 2002

• #5

running one off games as seed adventures

500 years in the future is a lot of time to play with.

Here is something that I have done:

Run 3 one-off games with pre-generated characters. Let the players have free reign to be as crazy as they like. Then write the history of the campaign in such a way that the characters in those three sessions played a pivotal role in making the world the way it is today.

I also did not add all of the characters into the common-knowledge history. The ones I left out were part of the all-pervading secret conspiracy. I am writing a short story that will set the scene, but the story is getting longer and longer and it has been 5 months and I have not started the game-proper yet.

I suppose there is such a thing as being over prepared.

 

Plane Sailing

Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!

• May 30, 2002

• #6

I *really really* recommend you look over the Dungeoncraft articles from the Dragon, which are helpfully available online from http://www.wizards.com/dragon/

Although aimed at a fantasy setting, it has some great ideas encapsulated in basic rules of dungeoncraft.

It suggests excellent things like "don't create more than you have to", "every time you create something, create a secret to go with it" as well as having great information about setting up memorable NPCs and home bases.

Check it out!

Cheers

 

Gospog

First Post

• May 30, 2002

• #7

As for me, I used to spend hour after hour writing and preparing for campaigns.

Faced with starting a new Star Wars D20 campaign (last week), I picked up the Living Force Campaign guide and have used it almost wholecloth.

It worked fantastic, and has saved me a ton of time.

For your campaign, you could make some signifigant changes (with the 500 years time differnce), but still find lots of stuff to steal.

On the other hand, maybe I've just been doing this too long, and I'm getting lazy.

Good luck with your game!

 

dave_o

Explorer

• May 30, 2002

• #8

Different.

I seem to do things a little different than most.

For online games (IRC, Message boards, telepathy) I prepare very little. I get the general idea for the setting, highly detail some places (Such as the Floating Crystal Cities in the Shining Islands in my Eldram setting, or Dragonspire in my Del Amir setting), but after that I basically make it up as I go along. I also pull a few neat tricks to save me a lot of time. I have each player, if they wish, detail an organiation/place/thing important to their PC, and I use it (albiet with a bit of modification).

For face to face games, my technique is similiar, just with boatloads of stats at my fingertips so I can have critters and NPCs galore.

My games are usually very role-play heavy, though, so stats are typically rarely needed.

 

Angelsboi

First Post

• May 30, 2002

• #9

Look at what i do:

http://test.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?threadid=11740

Also check here for some ideas:

http://boards.wizards.com/rpg-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?category=8

 

Teflon Billy

Explorer

• May 30, 2002

• #10

I don't like exhaustive prep, but I do like a lot of detail and realism in the way my worlds work.

So I use lists and maps.


So here we go...

1) People: Just point form notes about movers and shakers (Names, Race, Class, title, and Motivation. Maybe a couple of personality traits.) This list should include anyone the PC's have (or will have) notable interaction with. If any one of these characters develops some kind of trait you want to remember (Hates a PC, owes the party a favor) wirte it down.

2) Places: Just interesting locations you'd like to use. Rope bridge over a chasm. Bar with a Djinn for a barkeep. stuff like that. Again, make sure that any locations that need names (bars, stores, wizards towers, etc) are named.

3) Map: and by this I mean a large map of the part of the world you intend the players to adventure in.

Place your cities so they make sense. Is a city a backwater? make sure it's off of trade routes and away from a river. Daraw your map and make sure that you place cites where you would've settled if you were a wandering tribe.

that's about all I usually start with. Begin with a simple adventure to get the players used to their characters, then an introduction to the story arc.

Then the ball is rolling