Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 6195522" data-attributes="member: 386">I guess I'm running a player-driven campaign now.  We started off running the Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, but I added a timeline and changed the XP system to give the players options - more ways to reach their goal (which was set by the module).  Eventually, the PC's actions gave them about a month to do with as they pleased.  They decided that they wanted to go on adventures to gather XP and magic items that would help them when they had to get back into the module.  Makes sense, considering adventures are why we play!As they were doing this, I told them what was going on in the world (mostly through the NPCs).  They realized there was a lot of adventure to be had, and they knew where to go to get it.  And they wanted to get involved in those adventures.  As they took action in the game world, the world pushed back (as a dynamic setting would), the PCs got wrapped up in the plots they had set in motion, and the players became more and more goal-driven.It was interesting to see one player who is normally a "follow the DM's plot" sort of player become proactive.  (Two of his goals stand out: find the hill giant leader who's raising an army and speak to Elhonna to see if he could advance in Paladin levels even though he's not LG.)The benefits?  It makes it easy on the DM - you don't have to know what the players want, they tell you.  You don't have to carry the game, make sure it's fun for everyone; you just make sure you are executing your other DM duties (impartially present the world + impartial arbiter of the rules).  The players are fully engaged because they're doing what they want.  Everyone is surprised at how the campaign unfolds, including the DM.  (I never would have expected the PCs to get involved with Rary's scheme to assassinate the Circle of Eight.)The challenges?  I guess you need to take detailed records, to keep track of everything that's going on.  The prep time is probably higher, I guess, and some prep time is lost.  The players have more responsibility in making sure the game runs smoothly.</blockquote>

Verification