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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AlViking" data-source="post: 9659725" data-attributes="member: 6906980">You've gotten some good advice (and one rotten reply, sorry), but I thought I'd throw in my 2 coppers.There are a couple of general definitions and approaches to how people run their games, terms you may see used around her and argued endlessly about.  <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A railroad means that the DM is dictating absolutely everything along the way.  What the PCs will do and when.  It's considered a bad thing because you want to allow the players to make decisions for themselves, at least at a small scale.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A linear campaign us related.  In this kind of campaign you do have major events figured out and a basic outline of how the campaign will proceed.  This is typical for most purchased modules and a pretty popular style of running games, with a little tweaking what you describe below would be considered a linear campaign.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">In a sandbox the DM sets up some locations, NPCs, factions, figures out some interesting things going on that the PCs might find interesting and then let the characters decide what they're doing and the NPCs, factions and world react.  So the players have a lot of influence on the direction of the campaign.  That's what I normally do but it's not necessarily better than a linear campaign, it's just a preference.</li> </ul>The labels sometimes get quite blurry and honestly I think some people get too caught up in labels but it can be helpful to know what they are.  If you're going to do a linear campaign which I think works best with what you're thinking, let the players know what you're doing and get some buy-in.  I have no issue with these kind of campaigns as long as I know what's coming.Sounds like a solid start.  I'd give all of this info to the players from the get-go which it sounds like you have.Also solid information I wouldn't share right away.  Try to think of ways as you go along to hint at what's really going on, potentially including some red herrings here and there if you want.I've started campaigns many different ways. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ask the players how they know each other and why they're together in your session 0.  Help them with details and ideas but let them make the decisions.  I've also started them in the middle of a fight, as prisoners, recruited by some sponsor.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If starting in the middle of a fight you'll have to have a bit of a flashback after the fight is over, but it can be a fun way to get things going.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">With starting in prison (or the Underdark) I give people ideas of how they could have gotten there which in this case could easily be false arrest.  Let the players decide how they got there which may include something you did</li> </ul>For the future ... this is where it gets a bit tricky.  I think it's best to put the options for the future in front of the PCs in game as much as possible.  The PCs hear about all the terrible things going on, someone important (personal tie or otherwise) begs them for help before dramatically dying and so on.  You'll have to find your own voice as DM on this one but if people know they're in a linear campaign you just have to leave obvious breadcrumbs for them to follow.So this is where you can do this all in-character and something I actually think is okay.  Not my personal preference but I've been doing campaigns for a long time and we all have to find what works for us.From this point on you've basically kicked off the real story arc of the campaign.  It's fine to start thinking about these things but you don't really have to plan out much detail more than a session or two ahead.  It's good to have a general outline because it really helps you come up with rumors and motivations for NPCs on both the opposition side and in support of the oppression.  All of the ideas are decent but running this kind of campaign is kind of like eating an elephant.  You do it one bite at a time.I played in a fun campaign a few years back where we supported a revolution.  We weren't the leaders but we were a strike team and ambassadors/recruiters.  So we were sent out to help unite the different factions, get support from neutral parties and so on.  Sometimes we just sought out treasure to support the war effort. It was always an option for us to take more direct control of the revolution if we wanted but that just didn't sound as fun.As support operations there are any number of things.  A few off the top of my head.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Disrupt supply lines or burn down/steal from storage depots.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Play Robin Hood, steal from the enemy and give to the rebels.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rescue or kidnap missions.  Rescue someone who has information or a group of individuals. Kidnap someone important.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Dungeon crawls in order to get resources. This can be anything from finding the McGuffin to just getting gold either for the PCs to be more effective or support the rebels.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Find the mole.  Someone is providing intel to the enemy, find who it is.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Recruit a spy.  Convince someone to be a spy or if you find the mole turn them into a double agent.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Reconnaissance missions to find information.  These tend to be "don't engage" but then something happens and you end up engaging.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The leader(s) of the rebellion are in trouble.  Do the PCs step into a leadeship?  Do they save the leaders?  Kind of depends on if you want to do the hero replacing the mentor trope.  Just be careful that the mentor(s) aren't as capable as the PCs at what the PCs are needed for.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Side missions that have little to do with the overall campaign.  Or do they?  Sometimes it can be nice to have a change of pace for a session or two and do something like pursue something important to a specific PC.</li> </ul><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Don't get too worried about planning everything out too far ahead.  I jot down a lot of notes, get general ideas about NPCs and factions ahead of time.  But until something has been irrefutably established in the shared fiction it isn't fact.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Let the campaign get side-tracked a bit here and there if the players are having fun. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">When it comes to information, I try to keep things to what I think the characters and the NPCs around them would know.   Especially if there's already established leadership, people who have a better idea of what's going on, if the PCs haven't risen in the ranks those leaders likely won't share.  If people knew they were actually up against Graz'zt they may lose hope so it's a closely guarded secret.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Keep lists of random names and consider using online generators to give them details.  I rarely use them as generated but sometimes they can be inspirational.  The lists are for both NPCs, businesses, small groups.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The most important thing?  Relax and have fun.  Everyone there is just getting together to share in a sometimes goofy hobby.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Let us know how things are going and if you have questions as they come up.</li> </ul>Good luck!</blockquote>

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