What are the top five essential ingredients that make up a good campaign?

[Rel]

One element that I haven't seen mentioned is that the players and GM need to be "on the same page" with regard to the tone and genre that the campaign will center on.

Our first 3E campaign was a fairly low magic, low fantasy type game. When that one ended, a different GM picked up the reins and on the first night of that game our characters encountered trans-planar insectoid invaders who had PLASMA RIFLES. The effect was so jarring that we almost couldn't continue the game.

It would have helped tremendously if the GM had explained that the tone was going to be far more epic and high-magic before we were put in the actual event.

 

[mearls]

Good answers all around. Let me toss in one point that I've found to be a big success in my campaigns:

* Reactions: If the players see that the campaign world grows around them and reacts to them, they always seem to like it more. Example: In my current campaign, the characters defeated a war band of 12 hobgoblins that had seized a farmhouse and taken the family within hostage. The characters dealt with the raiders and freed the captives. The next day, they rode through the nearest village and warned the guardsmen of the threat. When the PCs explained they had defeated a force that outnumbered them 3 to 1, the guardsmen were impressed enough to spread word about the battle. As the characters left town, a small group of peasants gathered to gawk at the heroes they had heard so much about. The players really liked that. It makes them feel like their characters have a real effect on the game world. Whether it's overhearing a bard sing a song about their exploits or meeting the king and finding out he knows all about their adventures, my players have always liked seeing their characters' reputations build in such concrete, recognizable ways.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

1) Verisimilitude. This wraps up several other people's comments. The world has to be believable, it should react, should be internally consistent; the players should feel they have a real reason to be doing whatever it is that they are doing.

2) Conflict. Doesn't have to be combat (although that's the best and easiest!), doesn't have to be good vs. evil, but there has to be some source of conflict.

3) Empowerment. The players have to feel that they can make an impact on the world-- even if (in Cthulhu terms, for example) that impact is small and localized, or even just personal. This means that the DM must avoid the dreaded deus ex machina. The players should be in control of their actions and their actions-- success or failure-- should have consequences.

4) Danger. This is actually a combination of verisimilitude, conflict, and empowerment, but it is important enough that it warrants its own mention.The PCs must reasonably believe that they can fail and/or die trying.

5) Regular meeting time. This is a meta-game thing, but it's very important. The players and the DM should agree to a regular gaming time and everyone should be there, week in, week out, on time. I am guilty of this myself, more often lately than I would like.

 

[Enceladus]

3) Empowerment. The players have to feel that they can make an impact on the world-- even if (in Cthulhu terms, for example) that impact is small and localized, or even just personal. This means that the DM must avoid the dreaded deus ex machina. The players should be in control of their actions and their actions-- success or failure-- should have consequences

As a DM, this is probably the hardest thing to do.

 

[kingpaul]

In order I think of importance:

1. Time to play
2. Place to play
3. Good player(s)
4. Good communication
5. Good imagination

 

[alsih2o]

I'll rule "a good DM out" as it is a trivial and non-informational answer.

who said anything about outing their dm?

 

[Krug]

gnomes, gnomes, gnomes, gnomes and funny hats.

 

[KnowTheToe]

who said anything about outing their dm?

Games much easier without a DM, nobody there to tell you no.

 

[Mark]

1. a good d.m.

2. willing players, who get along

3. whatever

4. whatever

5. whatever

and i am quite serious.

Yup. I'd add that the term "good" before "d.m." could be replaced by "willing", numbers one and two can be combined, another "whatever could be added, and all of the "whatever"s could be replaced by the word "fun!"

I'll rule "a good DM out" as it is a trivial and non-informational answer.

It lacks definition because it is a relative term. It can only be as specific as the question.

 

[Necrogorgon]

Hard to argue with that second post, but I will add to it.

1. A good DM (which is the source of another thread all together)

2. Players who are confident and comfortable around each other and are devoted to EACH OTHER'S enjoyment as much as their own.

3. Verisimilitude

4. A real sense of fear, danger, and sometimes happier emotions.

5. Suspension of disbelief