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<blockquote data-quote="GuardianLurker" data-source="post: 2224526" data-attributes="member: 786">MacGuffin HuntI'm coming up on finishing my first such successful campaign, with players running from 1 to 16+ level.Having an overarcing plot helps a lot. I'd suggest picking one (or two) secrets that will be revealed as part of the climax. Don't try to plot out all the intervening steps, you'll bog yourself down in detail, and your players will blow any pre-plot out of the water anyway.With that in mind, think in terms of discrete steps neccessary to advance the plot. Don't get much more specific about pacing besides early/low, mid, late/high, and try to keep the adventures independent. MacGuffin hunts lend themselves to this.Organizations work much better than solitary BBEGs. I used an evil cult, but opposing monarchies, conspiracies, etc. all work too. This also lets you use a common/reinforcing motif.Don't get experimental with your GMing style. If you tend to run combat games, don't try to run a political/intrigue epic. You've already committed to one experiment (the long game), and that's going to be a big enough difference.Avoid showing your big gun/point-of-weakness early, and make sure the plot will take time/is complicated. If the BBEG's plot is &quot;Go to X location, enact Y ritual, gain awesome power&quot; have the ritual require multiple components, and make X a mystery. Again, MacGuffin hunts are good.Plan to interrupt the on-arc adventures with off-arc. As a smoke-screen, you may want to detail a parallel plot, giving you On-A, On-B, off-arc.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="GuardianLurker, post: 2224526, member: 786"] [b]MacGuffin Hunt[/b] I'm coming up on finishing my first such successful campaign, with players running from 1 to 16+ level. Having an overarcing plot helps a lot. I'd suggest picking one (or two) secrets that will be revealed as part of the climax. Don't try to plot out all the intervening steps, you'll bog yourself down in detail, and your players will blow any pre-plot out of the water anyway. With that in mind, think in terms of discrete steps neccessary to advance the plot. Don't get much more specific about pacing besides early/low, mid, late/high, and try to keep the adventures independent. MacGuffin hunts lend themselves to this. Organizations work much better than solitary BBEGs. I used an evil cult, but opposing monarchies, conspiracies, etc. all work too. This also lets you use a common/reinforcing motif. Don't get experimental with your GMing style. If you tend to run combat games, don't try to run a political/intrigue epic. You've already committed to one experiment (the long game), and that's going to be a big enough difference. Avoid showing your big gun/point-of-weakness early, and make sure the plot will take time/is complicated. If the BBEG's plot is "Go to X location, enact Y ritual, gain awesome power" have the ritual require multiple components, and make X a mystery. Again, MacGuffin hunts are good. Plan to interrupt the on-arc adventures with off-arc. As a smoke-screen, you may want to detail a parallel plot, giving you On-A, On-B, off-arc. [/QUOTE]

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