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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robhthedm" data-source="post: 3968032" data-attributes="member: 54225">Mixing/Matching StepsVery cool (Ryan has said he's not posting anymore, don't know if he's reading).The Relationship Map idea is a good one to keep NPC's actions "flowing naturally" as play goes on.  Chris Chin's essays on setting up campaigns with low prep and that plus "conflicts" plus "flags" is the advice.  The drives are "flags" in a sense with a feedback mechanic on them via Raising the Stakes.<a href="http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/collists/waystoplay.html" target="_blank">http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/collists/waystoplay.html</a>Working as GM with 5 players on our next campaign, when current one wraps, there are two phases being used to have players "create all the grist (campaign elements) that the adventuring mill will turn into flour (GM prep) that will then be baked into story (play)"First, we're doing a "tenets" phase based on Universalis, each player (GM counts as just another player) has 10 coins.  Each coin can be spent (up to 2 at once) to express a tenet which is a fundamental component of campaign that will persist, only be changed via truly heroic effort and will be felt.  Coins are paid for the key element.  Before we started we agreed on a general theme for campaign players wanted to explore (last was a voyage of exploration), this is a "military campaign" (PC's are members of a mercenary unit).  The general feel is similar to the inter-war period between WWI and WWII.E.G., Tenet 1: Hotspot in a cold war (e.g., Spanish Civil War, Korea, Vietnam etc.); Tenet 2: Legitimate regional government/authority has collapsed, replaced by puppet warlords/strongmen, opportunists and factional infighting; Tenet 3: Despite the shifting alliances, there is a core conflict between the Ryanad and Sindar [two major fantasy powers/nations in the setting]. All of the others (Horned Realm, various Sonjon states, the Bazos city-states, the Zel, the Phaerimm, etc.), are all either allied with one of those two, or forming other axes to mess things up even more. etc.From this list of tenets, as GM I will create a web of conflicts and "regional overview", likely about 2 pages.  Everything in this overview will be derived from the tenets, embody them, be about them and also be "driving towards conflict and adventures".For example, Core conflict is that Town A seceded from rule by City B during the disruption of a recent war ("the Great War"), taking advantage of the chaos etc.  The active conflict is City B trying to retake control of Town A.  City C doesn’t want to get directly involved but prefers to see City B weaker and is supporting Town A, with funds for mercenaries.  Each of these communities also has past associations with different sides in the Great War and the “Great Powers” have interests in the outcome, making this a hot spot in the cold war.With the regional overview (tenets expressed into web of conflicts and adventure elements), then Phase II.The Players each create 4 relationships, each being like a "chapter" in their past (per Spirit of the Century) that helps define their characters but also creates drivers in play.  One must connect to another PC (not satisfied by a connection from them, thus creating a web where each PC has 2 prior connections to others).  The other 3 are to NPC's either already named in the “campaign bible” or ones created from the general types in it (e.g., from tenet above, PC can create a warlord who they have a connection to).Each NPC must want something in respect of the PC (they want or need something from character or they have a goal that aligns or conflicts) and which is appropriate fo the category.  It’s not good enough to describe the ogre that killed and ate your parents, what does that ogre still want from you or that conflicts with what you want?  Violence, it wanting stay alive and you wanting it dead are adequate (though hardly ‘wow’).  Money, it having the family treasures that you want back would be adequate.The relationships must thematically fit into four categories (one each) of Blood (kinship), Violence, Sex (including romance), and Money (and the past chapters must thus say something about the character in terms of each of those themes).  They can be friendly but still have to have some goal/issue in play in them that "pushes a PC button" - e.g., when your past lover who broke your heart sends you a call for help, you will answer.So we get connections between PCs which must be "active" in that "something could flow from that, challenge it etc." and up to (with 5 players) 15 NPC's tagged or created by Players as "pre-written hooks for adventures".  It could be fewer as players are encouraged to overlap NPC choices.We expect adventure plots and complications should flow pretty well from there, the campaign will be about striving to 'change' particular tenets at overall level and resolving those issues on personal level.Rob</blockquote>

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