Campaign in a Box

[Whisper72]

In answer to your questions:

as to the mini's, I dont think you'd necessarily need 200 mini's for a 1-10 lvl campaign. By using a certain theme, it would logically follow that a more restricted set of different enemies is encountered. Think the Red Hand of Doom. Most enemies would be orcs and goblins and such, here and there you'd have some unique monster, but overall, there is no real need to have many different monsters. Also (maybe cheating a bit...) you could repurpose some mini's (for example the skeleton figure is also the lich... etc.)

As per the dice, exactly.

As per cards in stead of character sheets, that is what I was thinking of. The idea would be to 'build' your character using different cards. You choose your equipment, powers, spells etc. (depending upon your edition of choice...), oviously this would limit choices a bit, since otherwise you'd be looking at tons of cards, so maybe several can be grouped together. For example as a fighter you can choose armor and weapon combinations such as 'sword and board', 'archer', 'two hander', 'spear and shield', 'two weapon', with basic sets of weapons.

Granted, this will make it a bit more boardgamey (tm), but if the aim is to get people playing and having fun in short time, then there is little problem with that.

I am convinced there are many people (yeah, I am looking in the mirror...) who prefer to simply play and have a good time without lots of time spent fussing on the exact weight and look of the weapons they are carrying... if you'd cater to such an audience, then the limiting of choices wouldnt matter much. Also, it is a feature, and people who DO want to detail things can still do so, only then they'd have to build and write out their character the old fashioned way....

Anyhoo.. just some ideas...

 

[masshysteria]

I think one of the answers any product like this needs to answer is "How much time does the GM need to invest in preparation?"

Paizo's adventure paths try to limit the time needed by provided a fleshed out campaign with villians and set pieces and encounters. However, options are a lot more limited as to where the players must go. Eventually, you must get on the rails. Or maybe better put, you have to come back the main narrative of the AP.

Contrast that with something like Ptolus, which is a bit more a Sandbox-y. All the locations and mover's-and-shaker's and antagonists are detailed, but it is up to the GM to draw them all together into a plot and campaign. For some people this is a huge time sink. If the players decide to go in a different direction, the GM may know what is behind Door Number 2 but needs to modify the narrative to adjust for the change.

Neither answer is wrong, but you'll be looking at different audiences. Which makes me wonder if you can combine both. Create a rich meta-plot setting. By default the PC are major players in the meta plot, but even if they ignore the meta-plot things are still changing around them. Maybe some sort of setting flow chart that shows possible outcomes for the linchpin moments in the campaign?

 

[Stormonu]

Oh, this gives me an idea for a neat little semi-related product...

CR decks & dungeons.

Th idea would be you have a deck for each monster CR, a map, and a DM's key. Instead of listing what monsters are in the room, it might say, "ECL 4 encounter" or "4th level enounter", or even "XP budget as a 4th level encounter". The DM could then draw, for example, one CR 4 creature, two CR 2 creatures, a CR 3 and a CR 1 creature or any such combination from the decks to build the encounter. By removing or adding cards to the deck, you could make themes for a dungeon or adventure.

And of course, you could still do pre-built encounters either based on a specific card or having the stat block in the key (think of how much space having the stat blocks on cards instead of in the text could save...)

You could also have supplemental decks for treasure, traps, tricks and the like to make it infinitely customizable.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Oh, this gives me an idea for a neat little semi-related product...

CR decks & dungeons.

Th idea would be you have a deck for each monster CR, a map, and a DM's key. Instead of listing what monsters are in the room, it might say, "ECL 4 encounter" or "4th level enounter", or even "XP budget as a 4th level encounter". The DM could then draw, for example, one CR 4 creature, two CR 2 creatures, a CR 3 and a CR 1 creature or any such combination from the decks to build the encounter. By removing or adding cards to the deck, you could make themes for a dungeon or adventure.

And of course, you could still do pre-built encounters either based on a specific card or having the stat block in the key (think of how much space having the stat blocks on cards instead of in the text could save...)

You could also have supplemental decks for treasure, traps, tricks and the like to make it infinitely customizable.

Heh, reminds me of Warhammer Quest. (I love Warhammer Quest - best dungeon boardgame ever. )

The Auld Grump

 

[Stormonu]

Heh, reminds me of Warhammer Quest. (I love Warhammer Quest - best dungeon boardgame ever. )

The Auld Grump

I've played the precursor - (Advanced) Heroquest and own Warhammer Qest (but not played it). This also reminds me somewhat of the old Dungeon boardgame, and of course the new D&D boardgames use a somewhat similar idea, its just not broken out by CR/level.

Also, TSR tried their hand at a "dungeon in a box" with the miserable Cardmaster box set. I think it didn't do well because of the low quality and lack of expansion for the game.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I've played the precursor - (Advanced) Heroquest and own Warhammer Qest (but not played it). This also reminds me somewhat of the old Dungeon boardgame, and of course the new D&D boardgames use a somewhat similar idea, its just not broken out by CR/level.

Also, TSR tried their hand at a "dungeon in a box" with the miserable Cardmaster box set. I think it didn't do well because of the low quality and lack of expansion for the game.

One of the major differences between AHQ and WHQ was that AHQ used a deck of cards, and each board tile had a corresponding card - so you didn't have to raid the already built dungeon to get the map board that you needed. A fairly decent mechanic. Expansions added new tiles and new cards to go with them.

The Auld Grump

 

[nedjer]

RPG bells and whistles are more gadget fun than most electronic kit. Some as good as winning a trolley shop in a huge stationery store. But I'd still rather have the time, paper and a pencil.

 

[Quickleaf]

I think one of the answers any product like this needs to answer is "How much time does the GM need to invest in preparation?"

Needed? About 2 hours for the DM to familiarize her or himself with the campaign and players to make PCs. Then 15-45 minutes between games, about how long you'd spend reading a few chapters in a book. At least that's what I'd shoot for.

Which makes me wonder if you can combine both. Create a rich meta-plot setting. By default the PC are major players in the meta plot, but even if they ignore the meta-plot things are still changing around them. Maybe some sort of setting flow chart that shows possible outcomes for the linchpin moments in the campaign?

Exactly this. I've been playing around with Flow Chart Software and it's pretty cool how involved the flowcharts can get and still produce something readily decipherable. I could even imagine the back side of a poster map being a circuit board like network of interwoven flowcharts and decision points. Actually many of the Living Forgotten Realms include flowcharts of how the story evolves with Yes/No options for decision the PCs make.

Having just perused the Castle Whiterock free preview (http://www.goodman-games.com/downloads/WhiterockPreview1.pdf), I noticed it devoted good amount of space to "what if" scenarios. The map actually resembles a limited flowchart in a way.

Oh, this gives me an idea for a neat little semi-related product...

CR decks & dungeons.

<snip>

You could also have supplemental decks for treasure, traps, tricks and the like to make it infinitely customizable.

I think the product you describe has been done and done well in DungeonQuest Advanced HeroQuest, and Warhammer Quest - not to be confused with JourneyQuest | The journey is… a quest!!

I'd rather see something cover new ground and solidly be a RPG product, focusing on the opportunities doing it as an all-in-one could offer.

First, the campaign-in-a-box would really show evolution over time, how rhe stories, NPCs, and places evolve. What's great is that this turns the problem of limited space into a solution. For example, we can only afford X number of battlemaps so how can we re-use maps and keep it fresh? What if many locations evolve with both the PCs' deeds and outside events?

Second, the campaign-in-a-box would provide more customization options for the DM with less worry about wasting space. Since what was "wasted" in the moment can be reused as it's built into the meta-plot, the DM has a freer reign to adapt to the PCs. I guess it would be a model of integrated modularity, a balance between sandbox and rail-road.

Third, the campaign-in-a-box would have all its parts tightly woven together. Maps could be overlapped to create "new" area, several maps might be joined together to create a 4'x6' king's keep, and adventures could refer to specific terrain as depicted on the included maps. Miniatures could also be used for a certain statue puzzle or with a new summoning magic item. Character themes/backgrounds could be referenced in specific quests, changing the story slightly or determining who gets which player handout. I think I'm just screening the surface of what would be possible this way!

 

[I'm A Banana]

Okay. Let's do it.

Perhaps we can even collect the ENWorld Braintrust to help design it? Put up some polls to determine plot points and adversaries, and maybe whip up a Kickstarter to get it all funded?

I'm probably way too optimistic....

 

[I'm A Banana]

MULTIBALL...I mean....DOUBLEPOST!