My campaign primer

[Mouseferatu]

Just because there's no good reason not to, I figured I'd share the brief primer that I've given my players for our upcoming campaign. While it's a 4E campaign, and makes heavy use of a 4E-centric race, I think the basic concepts could carry over to any edition.

And yes, those of you who know your D&D history will recognize that I've used a great many names from D&D's past--despite the fact that none of my players will ever pick up on it.

The Empire of Scale

 

[nedjer]

Looks like a lot of fun About the amount of intro detail I'd want as a player. Always good with the Gith* but an irrational dislike for kobolds . . .

 

[Gilladian]

Sounds like a fun campaign! I'd certainly give it a try...

 

[Haltherrion]

Interesting setup but one that would not appeal to me. For one, I don't like psionics which seem to figure prominently. For another, I don't care for my PC to be a reptile. If you were a player/ref I've known for some time, I'd give it a shot but I'd have to say it would be a provisional shot: I'd try it for a while with the expectation I would probably get into the setting but would like the right to move on at some point. Not to end the campaign too early but turn it into a shorter rather than a longer one.

Is it fair to ask that of a referee? As restricted as the race and to a lesser extent the class options are, I would say yes. Again, I'd give it an honest shot and would expect the premise would actually grow on me but I'd like to have the chance to move to something else at some point if it didn't (say after about 12 months?).

I'll freely admit that all my objections are aesthetic ones but I'm entitled to my own sense of aesthetics as well. And it wouldn't be fair for someone to say "well you ref then." I usually ref and the point is to give someone else a chance to ref at times.

If I walked into a game store and this was one of several campaign options given by refs I didn't know, to be honest, I wouldn't select it most likely.

I like your write up; it's a reasonable length and gives enough information on the world and initial character decisions.

Couple other comments:
* Kobold isn't really a race choice. Moreover, you only want one gith so the race choices seem to be 1.2
* If you have any indications that your players are a little put out about the race or class choices, consider easing up on the one you feel is less important for the setting.
* If someone really, really doesn't like gith or dragonborn, consider allowing them to take something else but I'd also feel free to make them put extra effort into the background
* Do dragonborn really hatch? The females have breasts although I suppose they could be monotremes or the like.

Anyway, looks like some great thought into the campaign and I wish you well! I thought I'd give my honest feedback which is more lukewarm but feel free to ignore it

 

[Shades of Green]

Looks very interesting

 

[BriarMonkey]

While the premise looks interesting, it does appear more that you are just shifting from humanocentric to dragonborne-centric and thus shifting traditional monster roles over a notch. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that (commenting as a DM).

However, from a player perspective, it brings to mind the expression "Every DM builds the world he [she] would like to game in." And I can't say that it is a world I'd want to game in necessarily. I agree largely with Marcq - I personally don't much care for Psionics nor for a highly restricted list of options for what my PC may and may not be. I prefer options. (But you know your group, so hopefully you have discussed this setup and they are happy to play it.)

Speaking to the actual write up though, I do think that the length and content address the overall arch that a player would need. It supplies a good amount of information and allows one to get a feel for the campaign.

As an aside though, after reading it, I did think what fun it could be to actually play that same set-up with a mixed race group - sort of a situation where a church of the Dragonborne have sent one of their own out into the barbaric lands to "convert" the heathens...

 

[Rune]

Interesting concept! I'd play in it (as a kobold)! I like the idea of exploring the Ancient Arkhosian Empire before it becomes ancient (and before the rise of the Teifling Empire?).

I don't personally have a problem with limited options for a campaign vision, but, then again, this primer is for your players, not mine!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Clearly, the crucial question is: bewbs or no bewbs?

 

[Haltherrion]

Mouse, have you socialized this with your players?

I have to confess as a ref, I would be very leery of proposing a setting with that amount of restrictions on race (and lesser extent class) without giving the players some say. I also expect my group would not go for this setting given a choice, which reminds me of the adage: "Don't ask questions whose answer you won't like." But there are perils to imposing too much on player wishes.

A while back I posted something about getting my players to bite on a military order campaign setting knowing that they would enjoy it once they got in to it (and given I planned to remove most of the negatives of being in a military order early on). I've failed to do so yet but I'm hesitant to override the wishes of the players by forcing significant restrictions on them. If they come to like it, great. If they don't warm to it, expect difficulty scheduling the next game session

Minor restrictions like the omission of a few standard races or classes is one thing but this seems the opposite extreme where there is basically a single race, maybe a second one for one player. Moreover, I don't know that many players that like dragonborn. They might put them above gnome or kobold but it's still at the bottom of the list.

We had a campaign start earlier this year where players had to choose PCs from a pool of 25 figures. There was one dragonborn in that draft, it was one of the last figures to be picked.

It's good to make folks play out side of their comfort zone at times. It's one reason we do a "draft" process but it seems better to use a nudge rather than a mallock

 

[Mark Hope]

Cool background. Love the idea of a sort of reptilian prehistory, with humans still little more than primitive tribesmen. Cool take on lizard-men and troglodytes too - got something similar in my own homebrew.

As for the restrictions, I'm all for this kind of thing. My current homebrew was even more restricted than this - only human characters, only a small selection of classes (no standards like fighters, wizards, clerics or thieves at all!) The players lapped it up. I think the biggest issue here is trust. Do the players trust the DM to deliver the goods? If so, they'll buy into more restricted settings. To get the feel or theme or setting that you're looking for, I think you often need to impose restrictions to one degree or another.