Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
DM'ing again after a LONG absence
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 6887681" data-attributes="member: 37579"><p>I recommend what I call "dartboard design".</p><p>Picture your world like a dartboard, with numerous rings radiating outward from a key location. Plan the most details for the starting area: the middle ring or bullseye. The next ring out gets less. So if each major location gets a page of notes and details, locations in the next ring get half a page maximum. The next ring out gets a quarter page. The next ring has locations with a short paragraph. Beyond that, things get a sentence. </p><p>As the campaign moves, the dartboard's bullseye changes and you can add more detail. </p><p></p><p>Start with lots of hooks and always add more. Every time the players finish off a plot line, there needs to be another brand new hook, if not two. There should always be a choice of new storyline.</p><p>On the same point, storylines go away. If players don't take the hook that storyline gets resolved. Maybe someone else solves the problem or it becomes worse/different. If the players don't take the "goblin bandits" hook then people stop travelling through that area, the goblins stop raiding, and it just becomes goblin territory with fortified villages. </p><p>Keep the world changing and evolving. It doesn't cease to exist when the players aren't watching. </p><p></p><p>Always ask your players what their next move is at the end of the game. Never just end a session with a firm ending; always have the next goal or move planned and decided on. That way you know what to plan next. Make sure your players know that changing their minds is discouraged and if they really decided to take a different route they need to give you lots of time.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jester David, post: 6887681, member: 37579"] I recommend what I call "dartboard design". Picture your world like a dartboard, with numerous rings radiating outward from a key location. Plan the most details for the starting area: the middle ring or bullseye. The next ring out gets less. So if each major location gets a page of notes and details, locations in the next ring get half a page maximum. The next ring out gets a quarter page. The next ring has locations with a short paragraph. Beyond that, things get a sentence. As the campaign moves, the dartboard's bullseye changes and you can add more detail. Start with lots of hooks and always add more. Every time the players finish off a plot line, there needs to be another brand new hook, if not two. There should always be a choice of new storyline. On the same point, storylines go away. If players don't take the hook that storyline gets resolved. Maybe someone else solves the problem or it becomes worse/different. If the players don't take the "goblin bandits" hook then people stop travelling through that area, the goblins stop raiding, and it just becomes goblin territory with fortified villages. Keep the world changing and evolving. It doesn't cease to exist when the players aren't watching. Always ask your players what their next move is at the end of the game. Never just end a session with a firm ending; always have the next goal or move planned and decided on. That way you know what to plan next. Make sure your players know that changing their minds is discouraged and if they really decided to take a different route they need to give you lots of time. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
DM'ing again after a LONG absence
Top