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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 9443713" data-attributes="member: 6879661">One of the biggest criticisms of pre-published campaigns is that if they’re adventure paths they can be railroads. Or if they are sandboxes they lack pace and a narrative. If you are struggling to find the perfect balance for you, try a mash up!In game terms you can blend two published campaigns in just the same way. Setting them in the same location and sharing NPCs and events.There are three big advantages to mashing two published campaigns together. Firstly it gives players choice. Instead of players having to engage with a single storyline they now get to chose which elements to ignore or engage with. If the players pass a section by whilst doing other things, the DM simply works out the logical impact of the players not intervening and plays it out accordingly. There can be consequences to not engaging with a hook without the overall campaign coming to a grinding halt.Second advantage is that you get to cut the filler out. Paizo is notorious, but other companies too, for filling out campaigns for with bumph encounters in order to deplete resources. If you have more choice you can delete a lot of these meaningless encounters and still match the progression you’re expecting. You can also afford to cut the section which personally didn’t gel with you you, or that you thought your party might not enjoy.The other big advantage you get is that you can balance one adventures strengths with another’s weaknesses. Is one AP too dungeon heavy, mash it up with a campaign that has more wilderness or city adventuring. Too much combat? Add more exploration/roleplay.There are a few live campaigns where I’ve seen this work. [USER=7031143]@GuyBoy[/USER] ran a mash up of Keep on the Borderlands and Rappan Athuk. That managed to balance dungeon delving with a strong home base. I have ran Rise of the Runelords mashed up with Shattered Star which balances out the extreme dungeoness of the latter and am currently running a mash up of Dragon Heist, Keys from the Golden Vault & Curse of the Crimson Throne which fixes all the issues with Dragon Heist. Also a mash up of the Ubersreik Adventures & Rough Nights and Hard Days. All work really well together and add a whole new dimension to DMing the game.Next time you see a published campaign and feel it doesn’t do anything for you, ask yourself would it work out better if it was mashed up with another campaign.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Candlekeep Mysteries & Descent into Avernus</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Out of the Abyss & Night Below</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rime of the Frostmaiden & Reign of Winter</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Princes of the Apocalypse & Ironfang Invasion</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Shadowdale: Scouring of the Land & The Randal Morn Trilogy/Doom in Daggerdale.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tales of the Old Margrave & Kingmaker</li> </ul>With lots a lots more I haven’t thought of yet. Maybe a mash up is just the thing to put fire into your next campaign.</blockquote>

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