Viking Bastard
Adventurer
My key to a good campaign?
Just have fun and don't take it too seriously.
Just have fun and don't take it too seriously.
How Do You Run a Good Campaign?
- Thread starter I'm A Banana
- Start date
I'm A Banana
Potassium-Rich
So....you run a good campaign by making it exciting and interesting....
How do you do that? For someone without any real storytelling tallent, how do you tell a great story?
Other than ask for advice on these boards, of course.
How do you do that? For someone without any real storytelling tallent, how do you tell a great story?
Other than ask for advice on these boards, of course.
Viking Bastard
Adventurer
Well, doesn't have to be. Just fun. Can be wacky, dorky whatever.Kamikaze Midget said:
I've been into games that were totally ruined by people who just took it too seriously. What's a game without Blackadder or Monty Python jokes? A bloody crappy one that is.
I... just do whatever first pops into my head. I don't really plan it.
William Ronald
Explorer
My 2 cents
There has been much good advice on this thread. I will add a little.
First, make sure that the campaign will be fun for the players. If you are designing a new campaign, talk to the players about what they want. If you are running an existiing campaign, try to determine how to balance the wants of the players with the nature of the setting.
Self-consistency is also important. There can be light hearted moments in even a grim campaign, but there should be a sense that everything fits in that world. For example, a low-magic setting usually should not have an adventure where the player characters will face a radically different environment. Black Omega touched on this in how out of place a FR paladin might be in his Rokugan campaign.
Research is also important. If you are drawing from history, myth, legend, or an existing campaign setting, know what you are working with. It is incumbent on a DM to help breathe life into his world. Try to make it seem like a place that could exist -- given magic or whatever other elements you have in it.
Players should also have a sense that their characters are part of the world. They may have the opportunity to rise to the hieghts of power or may just be relatively normal people for their world. I prefer to give player characters a chance to shine.
Also, rewards and power should be earned by hard work. The players should feel that their characters have legitimately earned everything they have -- whether the character is a 1st level fighter or an epic level hero.
You may want to use slow advancement if that fits in to how you want the campaign to progress. If a campaign is a multi-year effort, perhaps the PCs should advance on how well they achieve their goals.
Always give characters a fighting chance. I have seen killer DMs who have actually scared people away from gaming. Provide encounters that make sense for their levels. If you wish to have powerful personages or creatures involved, do it in creative ways that do not mean instantly killing a party.
There should be a sense that the PCs are not the only people in the world. Have players create a background for their characters, including families, friends, mentors, communities, and maybe even rivals. (Just a few names and details might be needed at first.) Encourage role playing even at low levels. Most characters were not raised in the woods by wolves. Indeed, even a character raised by wolves would have someone to interact with: the wolf pack.
As for NPCs, try to make them distinctive. Different voices and mannerisms help. Some NPCs may wish to help the party, use them for their ends, or even destroy them. Having a few NPCs with complex relationships to the PCs can add some spice to a game. For example, a mentor to one of the PCs may help the party but could have a secret agenda. (This does not have to be a sinister agenda. Indeed, the NPC may be helping guide the party to something he believes is in their own best interest.)
Challenging stereotypes is a good idea. Not all elves have to be of the noble Tolkien variety or an aloof and sometimes arrogant creature. A dwarf can be cheerful, and optimistic. A half-orc or kobold can be kind and intelligent. Do not be afraid to try something different. Remember, people in the real world can be very complex. Someone who may seem arrogant and aloof may be doing so for a good reason. (On the TV series MASH, the character of Colonel Winchester (played by David Ogden Stiers) would often seem like an arrogant aristocrat. However, he had surprising parts of his personality that came out from time to time.)
Try to make sure that PCs have a strong motivation to adventure. Having recurring villains is always a good idea. Most of us have had people in the real world who tried to oppose us on some issues or seemed completely opposed to us. Perhaps even having a few friendly rivals to the PCs might be appropriate as well.
The main thing, I believe, is to listen to your players. Ultimately, a campaign is a shared effort. A DM may create a campaign, but the players help to tell the story and truly make it remarkable.
There has been much good advice on this thread. I will add a little.
First, make sure that the campaign will be fun for the players. If you are designing a new campaign, talk to the players about what they want. If you are running an existiing campaign, try to determine how to balance the wants of the players with the nature of the setting.
Self-consistency is also important. There can be light hearted moments in even a grim campaign, but there should be a sense that everything fits in that world. For example, a low-magic setting usually should not have an adventure where the player characters will face a radically different environment. Black Omega touched on this in how out of place a FR paladin might be in his Rokugan campaign.
Research is also important. If you are drawing from history, myth, legend, or an existing campaign setting, know what you are working with. It is incumbent on a DM to help breathe life into his world. Try to make it seem like a place that could exist -- given magic or whatever other elements you have in it.
Players should also have a sense that their characters are part of the world. They may have the opportunity to rise to the hieghts of power or may just be relatively normal people for their world. I prefer to give player characters a chance to shine.
Also, rewards and power should be earned by hard work. The players should feel that their characters have legitimately earned everything they have -- whether the character is a 1st level fighter or an epic level hero.
You may want to use slow advancement if that fits in to how you want the campaign to progress. If a campaign is a multi-year effort, perhaps the PCs should advance on how well they achieve their goals.
Always give characters a fighting chance. I have seen killer DMs who have actually scared people away from gaming. Provide encounters that make sense for their levels. If you wish to have powerful personages or creatures involved, do it in creative ways that do not mean instantly killing a party.
There should be a sense that the PCs are not the only people in the world. Have players create a background for their characters, including families, friends, mentors, communities, and maybe even rivals. (Just a few names and details might be needed at first.) Encourage role playing even at low levels. Most characters were not raised in the woods by wolves. Indeed, even a character raised by wolves would have someone to interact with: the wolf pack.
As for NPCs, try to make them distinctive. Different voices and mannerisms help. Some NPCs may wish to help the party, use them for their ends, or even destroy them. Having a few NPCs with complex relationships to the PCs can add some spice to a game. For example, a mentor to one of the PCs may help the party but could have a secret agenda. (This does not have to be a sinister agenda. Indeed, the NPC may be helping guide the party to something he believes is in their own best interest.)
Challenging stereotypes is a good idea. Not all elves have to be of the noble Tolkien variety or an aloof and sometimes arrogant creature. A dwarf can be cheerful, and optimistic. A half-orc or kobold can be kind and intelligent. Do not be afraid to try something different. Remember, people in the real world can be very complex. Someone who may seem arrogant and aloof may be doing so for a good reason. (On the TV series MASH, the character of Colonel Winchester (played by David Ogden Stiers) would often seem like an arrogant aristocrat. However, he had surprising parts of his personality that came out from time to time.)
Try to make sure that PCs have a strong motivation to adventure. Having recurring villains is always a good idea. Most of us have had people in the real world who tried to oppose us on some issues or seemed completely opposed to us. Perhaps even having a few friendly rivals to the PCs might be appropriate as well.
The main thing, I believe, is to listen to your players. Ultimately, a campaign is a shared effort. A DM may create a campaign, but the players help to tell the story and truly make it remarkable.
My 2 cp's
The first thing I do to run a good campaign is find a group of players I would like to run, either friends or people online.
What I look for in a player:
1. Likes to roleplay: The player develops a relationship with the other players such as friendship or brotherhood. Writes up an extensive background on their character. Roleplays their character as actually having a personality.
I can't stand hack and slashers. Players like this should stick to video games.
2. Likes to work with the other players to make a cohesive group that would actually travel together. I don't like parties who are just thrown together with no good reason why they are together. For example, someone making a Chaotic Neutral Half-orc barbarian who just wanders the world killing and looting while another player makes a Lawful Good Aasimar Paladin who is on a crusade to destroy all evil outsiders. There is no good reason why these two would travel together, and I hate fudging reasons why they stay together just so players can be happy.
Players should talk before they make their characters. It helps the DM create a story.
3. Doesn't cheat. I don't like players you have to watch like a hawk.
Once I get a good group of players together, then I just start concocting an ongoing story. I usually alternate between modules and my own adventures. I dont' need an overall plot. The characters will hopefully have goals of their own that they are pursuing.
Some key parts of a campaign I run include the following:
1. Arch Villains: I like to develop ongoing enemies who are a pain in the character's side.
2. Romance: I like to have the characters have a romantic interest. How else can you ruin their lives? hehe.
3. Epic Adventures: I make sure to include a few epic adventures in their so the PC's are eventually considered heroes.
Like was previously stated, ongoing campaigns are like T.V. shows or short stories loosely strung together. You just have to keep the players entertained.
It takes alot of preparation, but it pays off if the players are good. The players really make or break the campaign.
The first thing I do to run a good campaign is find a group of players I would like to run, either friends or people online.
What I look for in a player:
1. Likes to roleplay: The player develops a relationship with the other players such as friendship or brotherhood. Writes up an extensive background on their character. Roleplays their character as actually having a personality.
I can't stand hack and slashers. Players like this should stick to video games.
2. Likes to work with the other players to make a cohesive group that would actually travel together. I don't like parties who are just thrown together with no good reason why they are together. For example, someone making a Chaotic Neutral Half-orc barbarian who just wanders the world killing and looting while another player makes a Lawful Good Aasimar Paladin who is on a crusade to destroy all evil outsiders. There is no good reason why these two would travel together, and I hate fudging reasons why they stay together just so players can be happy.
Players should talk before they make their characters. It helps the DM create a story.
3. Doesn't cheat. I don't like players you have to watch like a hawk.
Once I get a good group of players together, then I just start concocting an ongoing story. I usually alternate between modules and my own adventures. I dont' need an overall plot. The characters will hopefully have goals of their own that they are pursuing.
Some key parts of a campaign I run include the following:
1. Arch Villains: I like to develop ongoing enemies who are a pain in the character's side.
2. Romance: I like to have the characters have a romantic interest. How else can you ruin their lives? hehe.
3. Epic Adventures: I make sure to include a few epic adventures in their so the PC's are eventually considered heroes.
Like was previously stated, ongoing campaigns are like T.V. shows or short stories loosely strung together. You just have to keep the players entertained.
It takes alot of preparation, but it pays off if the players are good. The players really make or break the campaign.
Mark
CreativeMountainGames.com
There's a ton of great advice in this thread and if I could add one thing it would be this...
Sign up for Johnn Four's FREE weekly Email-
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/
Don't just take my word on it, browse through his archive. Keeping your mind open and your tools sharp are an excellent way maintain your DMing edge. No DM is an island and utilizing every available resouce is the best way to keep your game running with a fresh and inventive perspective.
Sign up for Johnn Four's FREE weekly Email-
http://www.roleplayingtips.com/
Don't just take my word on it, browse through his archive. Keeping your mind open and your tools sharp are an excellent way maintain your DMing edge. No DM is an island and utilizing every available resouce is the best way to keep your game running with a fresh and inventive perspective.
Last edited:
Re: How do you run a good campaign
One thing we did to make sure that we do not have to watch players like a hawk is to make all dice rolling out in the middle of the table top. Yes, the DM does have the discretion to make reaction rolls and other rolls in secret, but when it comes to combat, everything is out on the table. There is nothing better than rolling it in front of the other guys when you get that big 20 to score a critical hit in front of everybody, and just the opposite when the 20 comes up for the DM. Or, even better, when the DM has some mega villain that rolls a consecutive 2 and then a 1.
Sure, sometimes the bad guy can get knocked off a little too quickly, but there is always somebody bigger and badder waiting in the wings.
And, we’ve done a pretty good job in our group in balancing the hack and slashers and the role players. I think most of the guys have been together long enough where they realize our DM will balance things out. We may have two straight sessions with almost all role playing, but then have a third session with a huge combat that lasts all night. You just have to get a feel for the players.
Just like, some players need to be the center of attention most of the time, while others are content hanging back and having their one or two moments each session.
One thing we did to make sure that we do not have to watch players like a hawk is to make all dice rolling out in the middle of the table top. Yes, the DM does have the discretion to make reaction rolls and other rolls in secret, but when it comes to combat, everything is out on the table. There is nothing better than rolling it in front of the other guys when you get that big 20 to score a critical hit in front of everybody, and just the opposite when the 20 comes up for the DM. Or, even better, when the DM has some mega villain that rolls a consecutive 2 and then a 1.
Sure, sometimes the bad guy can get knocked off a little too quickly, but there is always somebody bigger and badder waiting in the wings.
And, we’ve done a pretty good job in our group in balancing the hack and slashers and the role players. I think most of the guys have been together long enough where they realize our DM will balance things out. We may have two straight sessions with almost all role playing, but then have a third session with a huge combat that lasts all night. You just have to get a feel for the players.
Just like, some players need to be the center of attention most of the time, while others are content hanging back and having their one or two moments each session.
ichabod
Legned
Most of what I would say has been said, but I thought I'd throw in a couple of points:
1. Preperation: This depends on the DM. I have known DMs who did little prep, lots of improv, and were able to make it work. Those were some of the best games I've played in. I can't do that. I have to prep like a fiend. Every time I have improvised as a DM I have lived to regret it (which is weird, because every time I improvise as a player it works out). You need to figure out how much prep you need, and do AT LEAST that much preparation.
2. Knowing your players: As many have said, you need to determine what your players want, and design the elements of the campaign based on that. However, you need to remember that you're one of the players. Make sure there is stuff you enjoy in the campaign, so that everyone is happy.
3. Check out Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering from SJG. Good book.
1. Preperation: This depends on the DM. I have known DMs who did little prep, lots of improv, and were able to make it work. Those were some of the best games I've played in. I can't do that. I have to prep like a fiend. Every time I have improvised as a DM I have lived to regret it (which is weird, because every time I improvise as a player it works out). You need to figure out how much prep you need, and do AT LEAST that much preparation.
2. Knowing your players: As many have said, you need to determine what your players want, and design the elements of the campaign based on that. However, you need to remember that you're one of the players. Make sure there is stuff you enjoy in the campaign, so that everyone is happy.
3. Check out Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering from SJG. Good book.
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