My Southlands campaign had a theme concerning the dynamics and morality of ethnic/racial conflict. My Loudwater has a theme concerning the potential for new life and rebirth after a period of decline. These themes influence the dynamics of the campaign, but don't lock anything down. In Loudwater's case the same theme pops up in different ways across the whole 30-level arc. They don't say how things will turn out - they give questions, not answers.
D&D 5E Wandering Monsters: Campaign Themes
Re the article, I think discussion of themes 'in a literary sense' in D&D is a good idea. But I don't trust Wyatt not to do more harm than good. Maybe getting a more accomplished writer and someone with a more successful track record as a GM would be better. For instance, his Greenbriar Chasm failed because he had way too much nailed down in advance of play. Themes initially should be more like vague ideas at the back of the GM's mind. They only concretise in play, in response to player input. And
they are not the same as mission goals/campaign goals. One big failing of Greenbriar Chasm was that he built it around goals that were far too extended - vast amounts of precursor material before the players could 'get to the fun'
p). It's similar with the pre-plotted campaign concepts in the 4e DMG2, and also an issue with the horribly drawn-out 4e HPE adventure series.
Campaign goals are answers to "What do we do?" But campaign themes should always be questions, not answers. Goals are best kept immediate and achievable within a limited number of
sessions' play, probably a few months of real time is the most that's desirable. Themes can run through an entire campaign, reflecting on it and being reflected by it. Like a river they are both
changing and constant, a silvery thread.
they are not the same as mission goals/campaign goals. One big failing of Greenbriar Chasm was that he built it around goals that were far too extended - vast amounts of precursor material before the players could 'get to the fun'
p). It's similar with the pre-plotted campaign concepts in the 4e DMG2, and also an issue with the horribly drawn-out 4e HPE adventure series. Campaign goals are answers to "What do we do?" But campaign themes should always be questions, not answers. Goals are best kept immediate and achievable within a limited number of
sessions' play, probably a few months of real time is the most that's desirable. Themes can run through an entire campaign, reflecting on it and being reflected by it. Like a river they are both
changing and constant, a silvery thread.
delericho
Legend
My guess would be rather that JW is currently working on the 5e DMG, he's currently working on the 'themes' section of the Campaigns chapter (or, better, going to do that next), and so that's the obvious topic for this week's WM column.
I might be wrong, of course.
Tonguez
A suffusion of yellow
I agree with the sentiment that campaign themes should be about the PCs rather than the plot
For instance my last few campaigns have been
1. New arivals in an unexplored land, the PC must find the balance between the native spirits and the competing demands of new settlers, powermongers and a dark cult seeking souls and blood sacrifice
2. PCs are members of the High Church commissioned to recover sacred artifacts before the fall into the hands of heretics, cultist and darker gods,..
3. PCs are a troupe of travelling performers in a land increasingly plagued by intrigue, betrayal and the threat of war
4. What happens when a small coastal trading city, surrounded by farm, forest and haunted moor becomes the locus of a war between the fae realms and the Shadowlands
For instance my last few campaigns have been
1. New arivals in an unexplored land, the PC must find the balance between the native spirits and the competing demands of new settlers, powermongers and a dark cult seeking souls and blood sacrifice
2. PCs are members of the High Church commissioned to recover sacred artifacts before the fall into the hands of heretics, cultist and darker gods,..
3. PCs are a troupe of travelling performers in a land increasingly plagued by intrigue, betrayal and the threat of war
4. What happens when a small coastal trading city, surrounded by farm, forest and haunted moor becomes the locus of a war between the fae realms and the Shadowlands
Klaus
First Post
Oh, it's totally a theme. The Voyage of the Princess Ark comes to mind. When I ran MotRD, many (many!) years ago, the theme was "World Tour 1890", with the adventure hooks being just excuses to have the characters in a different location each session.
I just realized something.
All the campaigns I DM have the same theme or evolve into the same theme.
"Mystery centered around urban faction war"
No matter what it becomes the Xs vs the Ys (and sometimes the Zs) with the As, Bs, and Cs protecting their interest and trying to influence how the war ends (or doesnt end.)
It's the Forces of Light vs the Infernal Legions with the archfey, demons, archons, and liches switching sides.
Or it's the Vampires vs the Paladins/Clerics vs the Demons with the mages, lycantropes, rangers, tinkers, blackguards and fae protecting their interests.
Or it's the Ice World which evolved into what a player described as "Snowy Ravnica with more crazy dragons".
All the campaigns I DM have the same theme or evolve into the same theme.
"Mystery centered around urban faction war"
No matter what it becomes the Xs vs the Ys (and sometimes the Zs) with the As, Bs, and Cs protecting their interest and trying to influence how the war ends (or doesnt end.)
It's the Forces of Light vs the Infernal Legions with the archfey, demons, archons, and liches switching sides.
Or it's the Vampires vs the Paladins/Clerics vs the Demons with the mages, lycantropes, rangers, tinkers, blackguards and fae protecting their interests.
Or it's the Ice World which evolved into what a player described as "Snowy Ravnica with more crazy dragons".
When it comes to themes, no option should be left unconsidered. List as many tools or suggestions as possible to help to the DM to develop a campaign or story. I would even add random event generation as a tool ala 1E Oriental Adventures. Sometimes all that is needed is a simple kick start to get the creative juices flowing.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
I don't think Sandbox games necessarily have themes and aren't really designed for them either. However, there are things that can be done that are similar to what the article defines.
First, a theme could be considered a highest level adventure which covers the starting campaign location in almost every direction. A dragon is playing people as puppets in his demesne. Angels and devils are using local believers to play out a war in the land. In fact, any of the long lists of themes in the article work as high level adventures except the literary themes (which are next). A sandbox isn't really an adventure path, but everything in that part of the world has ties to its world, so big, big schemes and events happening on the massive scale use the smaller in their play. And the smaller elements like an orc tribe here and a human city there get caught up and embroiled in the conflict. That's normal, but each has more to it than the overarching "theme" in a sandbox game. Most importantly, the players can leave the conflict (or it could level them, even resolve on its own) without ending the campaign. They aren't fenced in.
Second, literary themes are almost always first-person, character-focused, emotionally affecting themes. These can't work in a sandbox game because the players are players. They don't have the omnipotence of gods within the multiverse, but rather the abilities of people. Players, however, can play to these ends, but the game design doesn't support it. Regardless, like in any game the players are going to get caught up in attempting to achieve their ends and deal with the fall out of lost friends (PC or NPC), inhuman monsters (including humans and demihumans), their own rage, and temptations of power. The game itself provides opportunities for introspection without the opportunity to erase past events.
Third, and the most important, is using thematic thinking when setting forth the campaign setting. The first session of a campaign doesn't simply have to be character generation. Character backgrounds can be worked out. Who know whom. But also, What do we want to do in this campaign? Who's in this world? What kind of adventures would we like to go on? What is the world like? I'm playing the _____ class, but I want this kind of _____ in it to discover. Here's a (movie, book, folk tale, real world stuff), stat it up and put it in the game. These are important questions the players are going to answer all throughout a campaign (as they change their minds), but starting with this stuff really can satisfy a lot of thematically-focused players too.
First, a theme could be considered a highest level adventure which covers the starting campaign location in almost every direction. A dragon is playing people as puppets in his demesne. Angels and devils are using local believers to play out a war in the land. In fact, any of the long lists of themes in the article work as high level adventures except the literary themes (which are next). A sandbox isn't really an adventure path, but everything in that part of the world has ties to its world, so big, big schemes and events happening on the massive scale use the smaller in their play. And the smaller elements like an orc tribe here and a human city there get caught up and embroiled in the conflict. That's normal, but each has more to it than the overarching "theme" in a sandbox game. Most importantly, the players can leave the conflict (or it could level them, even resolve on its own) without ending the campaign. They aren't fenced in.
Second, literary themes are almost always first-person, character-focused, emotionally affecting themes. These can't work in a sandbox game because the players are players. They don't have the omnipotence of gods within the multiverse, but rather the abilities of people. Players, however, can play to these ends, but the game design doesn't support it. Regardless, like in any game the players are going to get caught up in attempting to achieve their ends and deal with the fall out of lost friends (PC or NPC), inhuman monsters (including humans and demihumans), their own rage, and temptations of power. The game itself provides opportunities for introspection without the opportunity to erase past events.
Third, and the most important, is using thematic thinking when setting forth the campaign setting. The first session of a campaign doesn't simply have to be character generation. Character backgrounds can be worked out. Who know whom. But also, What do we want to do in this campaign? Who's in this world? What kind of adventures would we like to go on? What is the world like? I'm playing the _____ class, but I want this kind of _____ in it to discover. Here's a (movie, book, folk tale, real world stuff), stat it up and put it in the game. These are important questions the players are going to answer all throughout a campaign (as they change their minds), but starting with this stuff really can satisfy a lot of thematically-focused players too.
the Jester
Legend
While I agree that "world tour" can be a theme, I disagree that it is in many cases, especially if the pcs drive the direction of the game. I think you need to intend for it to be the theme, or at least that the tour has to become a major focus of the game, for it to count as the campaign's theme (or a theme of the campaign, anyhow).
If the first adventure is the Village of Hommlet, the pcs then move to the Secret of Bone Hill, follow up by heading to investigate the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, go off to oppose the Red Hand of Doom and eventually make an Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, there might be a theme that emerges eventually, but equally likely, the 'theme' starts as "explore our new pcs' motivations in a small town", moves to "clear out a few adventure sites", then switches to "save the valley" and finally moves on to "find out what the heck is up with these weird monsters". And there's no dominant theme there, only themes for small bits of the campaign. I don't think the 'world tour' theme applies if the pcs don't actually spend a great deal of their time touring the world; if the tour, so to speak, is incidental to their adventures- they move on from town A because they get bored, from city B because of a misunderstanding with the law, stay at stronghold C for years, then move on again- then I don't think it would count. I guess the way I see it is the difference between Gulliver's Travels or Around the World in 40 Days, where the focus is the travel, and Star Wars, where there is a lot of travel, but the focus is definitely elsewhere.
Savage Wombat
Hero
I suppose it would be good advice for new GMs to say "look, if your campaign is about dragons, don't just have a different dragon every week. Have dragon-hybrids, have dragon-slayer NPCs, have dragon-killing magic items, have dragon-created spells. Have the dungeon of a mad wizard who wants to destroy every dragon in the world. Have a good-aligned dragon hire the PCs to protect his cave from efreeti bandits. Never just use the same monsters over and over."
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