Campaign Structural Paradigms

[Reynard]

What structural paradigm do you tend to design your campaign around? That is, structurally speaking, what does your campaign look like.

I am going to use entertainment analogies, but that's just because that is the way I think.

I prefer a television paradigm -- specifically, a 90s semi-serial series like X-Files or Buffy/Angle. I prefer to have an ensemble cast that engages in adventures that sit somewhere near the middle of the episodic to serial axis. I don't really break things into "seasons" though. This is as opposed to the novel paradigm -- a single long story without episodic breaks -- or even a "CRPG" paradigm with story nodes and surrounding side quests (exemplified to me by Rime of the Frostmaiden for D&D).

One paradigm I have always wanted to run but have never figure out how to do it structurally is the procedural. This differs from the "regular" television paradigm I listed above in that each adventure would essentially be a variation on a theme, and character development would be slow and subtle at most.

What about you?

 

[payn]

Factional. As many as I can reasonably make. The PCs can align, or not with whoever, but their actions do have consequences in the setting. There is no right answer, nor wrong. Some things are insignificant, and others are impactful. Though, the board is always changing.

 

[pogre]

I am similar to you -I use an episodic structure. Closer to a series that relies on earlier information in the season like GoT or Deadwood than complete episodes like The Rockford Files.

 

[Yora]

I am working on a new campaign for which the structure is based on classic dungeon crawling.

There is a town, there are nearby dungeons. There are treasures in the dungeons, the players get XP for carrying the treasures to the town. Since long rest is only possible in the town and the characters have weight limits for how much supplies they can bring, the players have to make regular trips back and forth between town and dungeons, with the pacing depending entirely on how safe or daring the players want to play it.

 

[Reynard]

I am working on a new campaign for which the structure is based on classic dungeon crawling.

There is a town, there are nearby dungeons. There are treasures in the dungeons, the players get XP for carrying the treasures to the town. Since long rest is only possible in the town and the characters have weight limits for how much supplies they can bring, the players have to make regular trips back and forth between town and dungeons, with the pacing depending entirely on how safe or daring the players want to play it.

What game system are you using?

 

[Yora]

D&D 5th edition, with a few tweaks pretty much copy-pasted from B/X.

 

[Blue]

I run closer to a novel. Chapters will each cover a topic with an appropriate change at the end, but at a slower pace then serial TV shows. I do homebrew setting and adventure in a semi-sandbox setting - there are plots out there, but I'll basically run in whatever direction the players want, including ones that come up during play that I never expected or prepped for. While I have some concepts that will be coming later they are highly susceptible to changes based on player interest. I practice Schrodinger's Plots - everything can be in flux until it's been observed at the table. So as a novel I would call it loosely plotted - there are some planned twists and an ending, but if I was an author I am writing to find out and the characters keep surprising me so I've scrapped NPCs, plots, manipulated things into concepts I never expected when I started writing, but someone it's all coming together as a narrative.

 

[Jer]

What about you?

Episodic. It's the only way I CAN run games these days because my players schedules are erratic. I try to keep things contained in a single session if I can, with themes and recurring characters that cross sessions to keep things linked together.

 

[Haiku Elvis]

More like the OP, mostly seperate adventures with reocurring main story/ bad guy episodes.

 

[BookTenTiger]

Interesting topic!

I use the Super Mario paradigm. Most Super Mario games have an overworld you travel around, and each level is like a big playground with multiple goals.

I usually organize my campaigns by creating a big map, and placing in it setting where I have some loose ideas of themes and adventures. As I get to know the characters and their interests, I'll add more details to those settings. During the campaign, the characters travel around the map, and when they get to a new setting they'll find out about a number of things going on. I like to think of each place like a big playground for the characters to play around in.

Over time, stories will emerge from these various settings, but I'm not too focused on big arcs.

Here's an example of one of my settings:

Umber Dell
A village of tortle slaves, tiefling nobility, and gnoll slavers.

Players might...

• Liberate the Tortle slaves!
• Explore the peat bogs for lost treasure
• Fight Skirovan, an alchemist necromancer whose experiments are polluting the water
• Search for the ancient Omyrian Fortress where a Tortle Shaman is in hiding
• Overthrow the corrupt priest who has enslaved the Tortles
• Shop for potions in the Flower Market

And so on. The characters may have a goal or two given to them from outside of town, but more or less they get to do what interests them. And if something is too difficult or high leveled, they can always come back!