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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AntiStateQuixote" data-source="post: 2196236" data-attributes="member: 30770">The “Open” Campaign: A (short) Guide to non-linear adventures/campaigns in FRPGsIn order to run an “open” Dungeons and Dragons (or any game system) campaign I would suggest you follow a few simple guidelines. I have done this in the past and it worked out great. My most successful campaign ever was run this way. It fell apart at the end when I tried to force the BIG PLOT on the PCs too fast. Had I continued with my starting strategy it’s very possible I would still be running the same game now. Anyhow, here’s my strategy for running an open campaign: 1. Know the game world: first and foremost you must be intimately familiar with the setting you are using. I have used the same (homebrew) campaign world for most of my DMing over the last twenty years or so. It’s like an old friend. I can pick up my world map, point out a spot on it and conjure up tons of what-ifs and how-fors. Know the history of the world. What happened where, why it happened the way it did and what’s likely to happen in the future. Do all of this with no knowledge of the PCs or their motivations. Super detailed information is not necessary. Broad brush strokes are fine. 2. Know your players and their characters: what kind of adventures are your players interested in playing in? What kind of adventures will motivate the PCs? It is imperative that the PCs have well-defined backgrounds (that fit your game world) that you can use to jump start adventures and plots. I have a standard character questionnaire (stolen from DnD 2nd Edition Complete Bard’s Handbook) that I make every player complete before they can make a new character. 3. Build NPCs and Organizations: think about who the movers and shakers of the game world are. You don’t necessarily need detailed dossiers on all of there characters, but at least a couple of lines about who they are and what motivates them. When and if the PCs decide to interact with them you can build more detail as needed. Also, build organizations for the NPCs and PCs to interact with: the Thieves’ Guild, the Order of Holy Knights, the Druidic Cult, and the Mages Order. What motivates the organization as a whole and what motivates its primary members? 4. Build Adventures: I routinely steal adventures wholesale from all kinds of sources. Some I buy, some I find online, and others I’ve played in and “borrowed” from other players. I rarely build my own adventures from scratch. Before I start a new campaign I find at least ten or twelve low to mid level adventures that MIGHT interest the PCs. I find a way to tie some or all of these adventures together and tie them to my NPCs and Organizations from step three above. 5. Get a “Big Plot”: think about a long-running storyline that you can tie into your world. Is there a powerful archmage or lich planning something awful? Is the ancient wyrm Scratamongulous awakening from a long slumber? Is there a war brewing between two good-aligned nations? It doesn’t matter what the big plot is, just find one. Now, how will the NPCs and Organizations from step three interact with this big plot? Work it out. What will happen if the PCs do nothing? Don’t worry so much about what will happen if the do something. Let them do something and then change the big plot to react to what they do. 6. Go: introduce the PCs to some of your NPCs and Organizations from step three. Throw out a couple of hooks from the low-level adventures in step four. Now, ask the players, “What are you gonna do?” Watch what happens. If the PCs have really thought about their characters and the characters’ backgrounds they will make quick work of diving into one (or more) of the hooks you threw out to them. As things progress you need to find more adventures (higher level) that you can fit into the overall game. You will also need to more fully develop some of the NPCs and Organizations as the PCs develop relationships with them. This style of game is not for everyone. Some players WANT the DM to railroad them along a pre-planned plotline. They’re not interested in motivation or finding out what they need to do through exploration and discovery. If your game goes flat when you try this style of DMing you’re either not paying enough attention to the details or your players just don’t want to do the work of finding adventure for their characters.</blockquote>

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