PC Centered Campaign

[Stormborn]

Inspired by Monte Cook's recent articles in Dungeon:
Do you run or play in a campaign where:
the PCs are the central focus of the campaign? (like Luke in Empire Strikes Back)
the PCs are merely caught up in larger events? (like Luke in Star Wars)
the PCs are important to the central events of the campaign, but events keep happening whether they are there or not? (like...Han in Star Wars, presumably Luke and Obi Wan would have found another ship and Luke would have blown up the Death Star w/o Han's return.)
Other?

Please note, not debating the merits of these examples, just trying to get a feel for the different styles. Choose your own examples if that helps.

 

[MoonZar]

My Pc are always in the central focus of the events, they build the world by the action they choose.

 

[Crothian]

PCs are central to the story. They can become central to the setting if they do things and work that way. They might just get caught up in the events if they choose to particp[ate in events. I've had PCs that choose to ignore world events. PCs are never secondary to the events though they might feel that way as they are not always able to effect change, there is chance for PC failure or success but not the success they want.

 

[Henry]

Are you asking which we prefer?

I actually do BOTH, depending on Campaign.

Examples: My Forgotten Realms game I ran about two years ago. The PCs ran around and did their think, but there were also events that kept going on around them. If they interfered, they did. If they didn't, then the events went on. Some things they couldn't help (e.g. they once came across 4 Epic-Levels fighting an Ancient Brown Dragon. They sat and had tea with the Epics' entourage and swapped info while they watched the titanic battle.) Other times they tried to help and got hurt badly because the challenge was too much (a village was invaded by giants, and they charged in without being tough enough to handle it. They escaped and hid out while the town was destroyed, then helped the refugees retreat to a nearby fort).


In my Eberron game we recently ended, the PCs were the ONLY ones equipped to deal with the situation. If they didn't stop the mad warforged from doing something bad, Knorvaire was indeed kaput. They were hailed as heroes when they returned to Sharn.

I use both styles, but not in the same campaign.

 

[Ferret]

They are cogs that turn other cogs, and move a giant clock. They just get caught up in events, but those events are central to the story.

 

[the Jester]

The pcs are both central to everything and caught up in events. Things go on whether they're there or not. I dunno, I want to vote for all 3 choices, so I voted other.

 

[Stormborn]

The pcs are both central to everything and caught up in events. Things go on whether they're there or not. I dunno, I want to vote for all 3 choices, so I voted other.

Well, to my way of thinking, if the events keep going whether they are there or not then they are not central. When the PCs are central the main thrust of the campaign is actions that are motivated by or in responce to the PCs, where the PCs are the ones with the destiny, not merly inhabitants of the kingdom that got invaded by orcs.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I tend to write adventures focused on the PC's, but they are usually swept up into event in which they are secondary players. As they go through the story, however, they become the pivot on which the world turns.

Kane

 

[ThirdWizard]

I can't say that they're central to the setting because things would progress without them. Maybe worse off, maybe better off in some cases. Central to the story might be more apt, since the story revolves around their choices, being the main protagonists by definition. It doesn't mean they'll always be successful, however.

I can't say that they are just caught up in events because often they are the driving force for the events themselves; at least the proactive players' characters. This has too much implication of PCs not being able to alter or create their own destinies for my taste. I may be misinterprieting.

And they definately arn't secondary to events because I run a character driven campaign where events are secondary to all characters, not just the PCs.

So, other!

 

[DonTadow]

irony

Inspired by Monte Cook's recent articles in Dungeon:
Do you run or play in a campaign where:
the PCs are the central focus of the campaign? (like Luke in Empire Strikes Back)
the PCs are merely caught up in larger events? (like Luke in Star Wars)
the PCs are important to the central events of the campaign, but events keep happening whether they are there or not? (like...Han in Star Wars, presumably Luke and Obi Wan would have found another ship and Luke would have blown up the Death Star w/o Han's return.)
Other?

Please note, not debating the merits of these examples, just trying to get a feel for the different styles. Choose your own examples if that helps.

I just read that article last night and it was fantastic. I advice any DM to pick up the book for that reason. In any case my pcs right now are pcs caught up in large events, essentially the wrong place at the wrong time ala Luke in the first Star Wars. As they progress (and will find out in the next few weeks) they have become intergrated into the central plot (Empire Strikes Back) because of the information they learned and the actions they have been privvy to seeing.

This way, like Monte Cook Suggests, you can make the PC's important tothe camaign without them thinking that one or more pcs are so valuable that no matter what they will not die. I use DMGenies event calender to make sure that events still go on even he party decided not to intervene. I've imposed a "sun morse code news system" so that the party finds out about news happening in other places and realise that the world is bigger than them.