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<blockquote data-quote="BookTenTiger" data-source="post: 8819230" data-attributes="member: 6685541">Thanks for the great posts everyone, this is a fun discussion to read. Some things I've noticed:Campaign Settings that Outlive the Campaign: I've never had the same setting in two campaigns. Something I really enjoy is building a custom campaign setting that matches the themes of the characters. Because of this, every time we start a new campaign, it's in a new setting. On the other hand, if someone is running multiple campaigns in the same setting, there would definitely be things that exist without the characters interacting with them.&quot;Improvised&quot; or Player-Serving Settings: There seems to be a misunderstanding that I run improvised settings, or settings that &quot;serve&quot; the players. I don't think this is true... I run settings that serve the characters and grant the players fun, interesting challenges! Usually what I'll do when the characters enter a new setting is that I'll create a list of &quot;truths&quot; about the place. I'll also ask the players for ideas of what might be there, or what they want to encounter (&quot;I've always wanted to fight a beholder&quot; or &quot;we haven't encountered any magic item shops yet&quot; for example). When the characters are exploring and investigating, I'll pull results from my list of truths, or create new truths based on ideas they have.For example, if the characters are coming to a seaside port city, I might have truths including &quot;ruled by a corrupt hedonistic baron&quot; and &quot;pirate merchants sell illicit goods&quot; and &quot;an abandoned island temple may house a pirate treasure hoard.&quot; As the characters talk to NPCs, investigate the city, and as the players ask me questions, I'll pull out stuff from the list. Whatever doesn't make it usually gets tied into the next setting.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="BookTenTiger, post: 8819230, member: 6685541"] Thanks for the great posts everyone, this is a fun discussion to read. Some things I've noticed: Campaign Settings that Outlive the Campaign: I've never had the same setting in two campaigns. Something I really enjoy is building a custom campaign setting that matches the themes of the characters. Because of this, every time we start a new campaign, it's in a new setting. On the other hand, if someone is running multiple campaigns in the same setting, there would definitely be things that exist without the characters interacting with them. "Improvised" or Player-Serving Settings: There seems to be a misunderstanding that I run improvised settings, or settings that "serve" the players. I don't think this is true... I run settings that serve the characters and grant the players fun, interesting challenges! Usually what I'll do when the characters enter a new setting is that I'll create a list of "truths" about the place. I'll also ask the players for ideas of what might be there, or what they want to encounter ("I've always wanted to fight a beholder" or "we haven't encountered any magic item shops yet" for example). When the characters are exploring and investigating, I'll pull results from my list of truths, or create new truths based on ideas they have. For example, if the characters are coming to a seaside port city, I might have truths including "ruled by a corrupt hedonistic baron" and "pirate merchants sell illicit goods" and "an abandoned island temple may house a pirate treasure hoard." As the characters talk to NPCs, investigate the city, and as the players ask me questions, I'll pull out stuff from the list. Whatever doesn't make it usually gets tied into the next setting. [/QUOTE]

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