DMs: What is the campaign concept or idea you've never had the opportunity to DM?

[Privateer]

I think we've all had a "perfect" campaign idea that never happened, fell through, was too ambitious, or didn't suit any of the players but you. What are yours? With any luck, some idea will be better suited to another DM in another land, and will carry on your work where you left off, or at least be inspired.

My (notable) failed children are:

1) Skull & Bones campaign. We had characters, I had plot, and players decided against pirate campaign at last minute. Grr.

2) My pet campaign. I had a wonderful idea; a new locale, a plot twist sending Roman-esque characters to an Oriental-Adventures-style new land ruled by a xenophobic emperor who wished to fence off his kingdom and, with the aid of The Unspeakable One, send it to another plane so that it would be forever unblemished by the crude foreigners. I had all sorts of henchmen worked out that were complete characters, but still evil enough to be hated. The whole thing fell through due to lack of player interest and incompatable PC types.

 

[RangerWickett]

No, all of my campaigns work perfectly.

 

[Blue_Kryptonite]

This one. Something always happens to prevent it from being run. Four attempts was enough.

 

[Wormwood]

I'm burdened with a couple of players who *hate* anything that challenges their narrow conception of traditional fantasy.

I've suggested everything from steampunk (Iron Kingdoms) to 'modern fantasy' (Urban Arcana), to otaku chop-socky (Exalted).

They refuse to consider 'em---as far as these guys are concerned, if it doesn't look like Faerun with the serial numbers filed off, then it ain't fantasy.

So here I am, a decade later staring at the same old boring elves, dwarves, orcs and other assorted lame-ass D&D clichés.

They even complained when I started using smokepowder in my Realms game. The fact that smokepowder has been around since FRA is immaterial---if it wasn't in the Old Grey Box then they refuse to wrap their tiny little lizard brains around it.

Quite frankly I'm sick to death of the same old D&D. I'm excited about Eberron, for example. If these grognards won't give it a chance---I'm dumping the group. It's the last straw.

Luckily I have another group I game with---but those guys have their own set of problem (ugh. don't get me started).

 

[Allanon]

I'm burdened with a couple of players who *hate* anything that challenges their narrow conception of traditional fantasy.

I've suggested everything from steampunk (Iron Kingdoms) to 'modern fantasy' (Urban Arcana), to otaku chop-socky (Exalted).

They refuse to consider 'em---as far as these guys are concerned, if it doesn't look like Faerun with the serial numbers filed off, then it ain't fantasy.

That is one complaint I'm very familiar with. I've tried a Mutants&Masterminds game, d20 modern, d20 Dark*Matter and a Skull&Bones "Pirates of the Caribbean" campaing... All where shot down due too lack of fantasy (read Faerun) flavor...

I'm currently running them through a Planescape campaign. All of them are from Faerun (surprise, surprise) and I'm having trouble of getting them immersed in the whole faction, Sigil schtick. But at least I've had two of my player's comment on how they like the current campaign and I'm hoping that they will convert the other three. Life as a DM ain't a bed of roses

 

[Piratecat]

Wormwood, Allanon, try what we do. I had the problem of owning a bajillion RPGs that I never got to play. So once a year, we invite friends over for the weekend and play all the games we've wanted to try but couldn't. The one rule is no D&D. It's been incredibly successful - and because each is only a four hour game, there's no resistance to giving new games a try.

 

[DragonLancer]

Wormwood, find new players. You have to enjoy the game as much as they do, and you shouldn't be stuck unable to try something different because your players are closed minded.

 

[Gundark]

My group is really good about trying new settings (we are doing steampunk right now). We had a player that was a little resistant to trying new stuff, but once we got into it she enjoyed herself. She doesn't play with us anymore so there is no resistance to trying new things. I agree with what piratecat said, but if that's not enough then you need to play with a new group. The game that I have been wanting to play is Shadowrun, I like the game and the rules. It's just that we don't have the time, and we are in a D&D game right now.

 

[EricNoah]

My biggest regret is that I never got to try Dark Sun, even though I had lots of the materials.

 

[Gundark]

Luckily I have another group I game with---but those guys have their own set of problem (ugh. don't get me started).

I hate it when people bait me with a story and then don't follow through and tell the story. .............grrrrrr