If you had 1 year to plan a weekend of gaming, what would you do?
- Thread starter Wulf Ratbane
- Start date
Thunderfoot
Hero
"The Temple of Elemental Evil" 1e
1st month - read and re-read the module, make whatever changes I feel are necessary, write a script for specific encounters (with variations for theme)
2 - 4th month
I would map out each level on 1" grid, design walls, dungeon dressing, etc. and collect minis to represent the monster and major NPCs.
5 - 6th month
Mount a scale village of Homlett on 4x8 plywood.
7- 9th month
Secure appropriate amounts of 1e PHBs, pencils, paper and other needed gaming supplies to include character record sheets.
10th month
Secure a large enough venue to play and begin interviewing prospective players( to ensure commitment, maturity, etc
11th month
Pre-game meetings for character creation, house rule discussions, Q&A, getting to know each other as a group, etc. Make music selections to accompany proper moments in game, go to the studio and compile any really groovy sound effects that will enhance the mood.
3 weeks out - contract catering (Hell if I've had this much time, I just as well go all out) for the weekend, secure rental agreements for refrigerators for the hall (if none are available.)
2 weeks out - rest and re-read notes
5- 3 days out - begin setting up the hall (again if I knew ahead of time, why not make sure I have time). Decorate to period if possible, set up sound system
2 days out - follow-up with contractors to ensure plans are in place. Secure "crash area" supplies for those 30 minute sleep breaks
1 day out - nothing
Game on!!!
Wish I actually had this lead time - I usually try and do all this crap with about 2 weeks between sessions - obviously, it has never been quite right.
1st month - read and re-read the module, make whatever changes I feel are necessary, write a script for specific encounters (with variations for theme)
2 - 4th month
I would map out each level on 1" grid, design walls, dungeon dressing, etc. and collect minis to represent the monster and major NPCs.
5 - 6th month
Mount a scale village of Homlett on 4x8 plywood.
7- 9th month
Secure appropriate amounts of 1e PHBs, pencils, paper and other needed gaming supplies to include character record sheets.
10th month
Secure a large enough venue to play and begin interviewing prospective players( to ensure commitment, maturity, etc
11th month
Pre-game meetings for character creation, house rule discussions, Q&A, getting to know each other as a group, etc. Make music selections to accompany proper moments in game, go to the studio and compile any really groovy sound effects that will enhance the mood.
3 weeks out - contract catering (Hell if I've had this much time, I just as well go all out) for the weekend, secure rental agreements for refrigerators for the hall (if none are available.)
2 weeks out - rest and re-read notes
5- 3 days out - begin setting up the hall (again if I knew ahead of time, why not make sure I have time). Decorate to period if possible, set up sound system
2 days out - follow-up with contractors to ensure plans are in place. Secure "crash area" supplies for those 30 minute sleep breaks
1 day out - nothing
Game on!!!
Wish I actually had this lead time - I usually try and do all this crap with about 2 weeks between sessions - obviously, it has never been quite right.
weem
First Post
"The Temple of Elemental Evil" 1e
1st month - read and re-read the module, make whatever changes I feel are necessary, write a script for specific encounters (with variations for theme)
2 - 4th month
I would map out each level on 1" grid, design walls, dungeon dressing, etc. and collect minis to represent the monster and major NPCs.
5 - 6th month
Mount a scale village of Homlett on 4x8 plywood.
7- 9th month
Secure appropriate amounts of 1e PHBs, pencils, paper and other needed gaming supplies to include character record sheets.
10th month
Secure a large enough venue to play and begin interviewing prospective players( to ensure commitment, maturity, etc
11th month
Pre-game meetings for character creation, house rule discussions, Q&A, getting to know each other as a group, etc. Make music selections to accompany proper moments in game, go to the studio and compile any really groovy sound effects that will enhance the mood.
3 weeks out - contract catering (Hell if I've had this much time, I just as well go all out) for the weekend, secure rental agreements for refrigerators for the hall (if none are available.)
2 weeks out - rest and re-read notes
5- 3 days out - begin setting up the hall (again if I knew ahead of time, why not make sure I have time). Decorate to period if possible, set up sound system
2 days out - follow-up with contractors to ensure plans are in place. Secure "crash area" supplies for those 30 minute sleep breaks
1 day out - nothing
Game on!!!
Wish I actually had this lead time - I usually try and do all this crap with about 2 weeks between sessions - obviously, it has never been quite right.
You forgot to mention...
2 weeks out - Invite Weem to the game!
Quickleaf
Legend
Well, we're having a weekend of gaming over Thanksgiving holiday! Woohoo! I have about a month to plan for it. If I had a year I think I'd go crazy.
It's a homebrew campaign (D&D 4e) that we started in August this year, and it rocks. I've posted bits of pieces of the campaign all over ENWorld's boards, and now it's time to put it all together.
It's a homebrew campaign (D&D 4e) that we started in August this year, and it rocks. I've posted bits of pieces of the campaign all over ENWorld's boards, and now it's time to put it all together.
I've done a number of weekend-long games and events. If you are planning a small convention (say, 100+ people), then you need a year to plan - getting a site, managing food, getting games for all the people to play, getting all the stuff the GMs require, signups, managing hotel room blocks, and so forth.
But for one table, you don't need a year unless you're going to some extreme technical lengths - and there the limiting factor is probably more of money than of time.
But for one table, you don't need a year unless you're going to some extreme technical lengths - and there the limiting factor is probably more of money than of time.
Aberzanzorax
Hero
Put a catalog together crossreferencing every adventure from every publisher I own...making the ULTIMATE sandbox world.
Then let the players loose.
Rappan athuk? ok.
Ptolus? No problem.
Fly across Eberron? you'll have to plane hop to get there, but SURE.
Then let the players loose.
Rappan athuk? ok.
Ptolus? No problem.
Fly across Eberron? you'll have to plane hop to get there, but SURE.
Obryn
Hero
While this would be great for a full month of gaming, I have to disagree if we're talking about a weekend... I'd lean towards the narrow options, but make them exceptionally deep and precise, with tons of props.
Sandboxes like you're suggesting are suited to long campaigns, which can go on for years. For what amounts to a one-shot, I'd suggest sharper focus - like "This year, we're playing Tomb of Horrors". Otherwise, you're spreading yourself very, very thin. And what comes out of it may be no more memorable than any other given weekend of gaming.
-O
Olaf the Stout
Hero
I'd like to run all the games I own but have still yet to run. So I would run a Feng Shui game, a Paranoia game, a Toon! game, a Year of the Zombie game and a Sidewinders Recoiled game.
Then again, knowing me, I would procrastinate about everything up until the week beforehand and then throw something together in a hurry at the last minute!
Olaf the Stout
Then again, knowing me, I would procrastinate about everything up until the week beforehand and then throw something together in a hurry at the last minute!
Olaf the Stout
What an intriguing question. At this point, I would lean toward one of two semi-homebrewed mega-adventures. Each anticipates using the D&D minis I've collected for the encounters. I would use the minis stats for the foes but allow the players to use the full rules from the 3.x PHB. Here are the two ideas.
The first is my spectrum crown campaign. The players seek the crown and all the jewels from the sites on the Isle of Dread map from one of the last issues of Dungeon Magazine. This game would probably have 11 encounter areas as there are 11 sites on the map. Of course, one PC becomes the Master of the Isle at the end. This game could also be all-dwarf.
The Second is based on Slaine from the Horned God series of graphic novels. I would love to do it as a 1-20 level game with accelerated advances of 1 level per encounter. The PCs have to get all the magic items that Slaine collects so that one may become the king of Tir Nan Og. The comics have a bit of a surprise ending, too. The PCs are all human of only 5 classes: barbarian, bard, druid, fighter or rogue. No multi-classing and 1 of each character class to preserve each PC's niche.
The one problem I foresee with these games is the advancement. It just takes time to make & advance the PCs. So, I would either use progressively more powerful D&D minis for the PCs or have the advancement done before the game. Trying to get the PCs through all that material would be hard enough, so pre-generated characters is almost a must. But, 20 levels in 20 hours would be too fun. With a year to prepare, I think I could do 5 PCs at levels 1-20 and leave just a few choices for the players to make on the fly--probably feats or spells. Sort of like a massive con or tournament game. It is 100 character sheets, though. The PC options need to be pretty simple for the players to digest the information at the table, so a simplified computer-generated series of character sheets could work, too.
Here's hoping that you will past your plans and how they trun out.
The first is my spectrum crown campaign. The players seek the crown and all the jewels from the sites on the Isle of Dread map from one of the last issues of Dungeon Magazine. This game would probably have 11 encounter areas as there are 11 sites on the map. Of course, one PC becomes the Master of the Isle at the end. This game could also be all-dwarf.
The Second is based on Slaine from the Horned God series of graphic novels. I would love to do it as a 1-20 level game with accelerated advances of 1 level per encounter. The PCs have to get all the magic items that Slaine collects so that one may become the king of Tir Nan Og. The comics have a bit of a surprise ending, too. The PCs are all human of only 5 classes: barbarian, bard, druid, fighter or rogue. No multi-classing and 1 of each character class to preserve each PC's niche.
The one problem I foresee with these games is the advancement. It just takes time to make & advance the PCs. So, I would either use progressively more powerful D&D minis for the PCs or have the advancement done before the game. Trying to get the PCs through all that material would be hard enough, so pre-generated characters is almost a must. But, 20 levels in 20 hours would be too fun. With a year to prepare, I think I could do 5 PCs at levels 1-20 and leave just a few choices for the players to make on the fly--probably feats or spells. Sort of like a massive con or tournament game. It is 100 character sheets, though. The PC options need to be pretty simple for the players to digest the information at the table, so a simplified computer-generated series of character sheets could work, too.
Here's hoping that you will past your plans and how they trun out.
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