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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="barsoomcore" data-source="post: 2744017" data-attributes="member: 812">Lots of NPCs. And make your NPCs real people, out there doing stuff, plotting and scheming and causing trouble.I remember my first experience pitching a TV series and the producer listening to us politely and then, when we were done, leaning forward and saying, "You don't have a Relic."Now, non-Canadians are thinking, "What is this? Tomb Raider?" but Canadians (those above a certain age) will remember the character Relic from the old series Beachcombers. Relic was a cranky, not super-bright, argumentative type who would cause trouble just for the sake of it. The producer (who'd worked on the show) had learned how important it was to have characters who always stir up trouble. They make it so much easier to generate stories.This is true of campaigns. You need NPCs who, regardless of whether they're good guys or bad guys, are just always going to be running around causing trouble. They're nosey, they're power-hungry, they're vindictive, they're insane, they're self-righteous, whatever. But have LOTS of them. So whenever you need somebody to cause things to happen (or, if you work like me, somebody who might plausibly turn out to be responsible for the latest goofy thing I just decided to have happen cause I was bored), you've got a whole list of them and you can keep things moving.I don't know of anything that is more important for running an open type of campaign.</blockquote>

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