1001 champain ideas that have been done to death [Archive] - Wizards Community

1001 champain ideas that have been done to death [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
lrellok
03-04-07, 09:46 AM OK, we have all read the varios WOTC campain manuals. There are a few themes that have just gotten old, so i figured i'd start a post of them.

1) The Big Splat. Dragon Lance (cataclysim), Eberon (Cyre), pretty much all of Dark Sun. The idea of a world shattering disaster in the last few hundred years seems a cornerstone of alot of WOTC matereal.

2) Empire of the Giants/Dragons. Forgotten realms (giants) Dragonlance (Dragons), Darksun (dragon), Eberon (both) all have this. Why is there no setting where say, the aberations ruled once (they are usualy more powerful then giants) or maybe the Undead (why they are cursed).

In any event, post the campain plot devices you feel are simply cliche.
Xavon
03-04-07, 10:20 AM 3. (this one should be #1) Save the princess; none more common, none more cliche. Even I have done this (though with three big twists).
Seraphine_Harmonium
03-04-07, 01:55 PM 4. Drow. Anything and everything involving drow.
krichaiushii
03-04-07, 02:34 PM The Big Splat may be cliche', but is terribly useful as it provides a solid reason as to why there are so many ruins/dungeons around to be explored. It may also provide a good reason as to why there are so many different types of predatory monsters in the world.

Anyhow, here is my contribution:

5. So many different sentient races existing on one world.

6. So many different predators - often large - existing on one world.
DungeonJman
03-04-07, 03:18 PM 7: There being an advisor that always backstabs the king/party at the most inconvenient moment.
Evil DM Mk3
03-04-07, 03:47 PM 7: There being an advisor that always backstabs the king/party at the most inconvenient moment.

Ah yes, the grand vesir.

8: The elderly, knowladgable and powerful wizard (or Cleric) who needs PCs to do things for him.
M1kh43l_P4r4d1s0
03-04-07, 04:29 PM 9) a bunch of adventurers are going through ancient crypts, filled only with orcs, goblins, kobolds, and vermin!
Xavon
03-04-07, 09:43 PM Maybe not so much in table top RPGs as in video games, but:

10) The insanely tall tower.
RoninFrosty
03-05-07, 12:27 AM Less a campaign idea and more of a PC trait:

11.) The brooding lonely PC who refuses to join the party for any conventional reason until the rest of the PCs get ****** off and force him, OOC, into the party.
bartleby42
03-05-07, 01:30 AM 12) You and your friends are called before the king and he asks for your help to do (blah, blah, blah-blah) because his vast armies are somehow inable to do the work of 1st level charecters....

13) Four elves of differing sub races try to find what is causing so many mutations in elves (I can dream can't I?)
Illeveun Bloodblaze
03-05-07, 05:30 PM Ah yes, the grand vesir.

Sorry for being such a spelling stickler, but do you mean vizier?

14) The "Chosen one"
Evil DM Mk3
03-05-07, 05:42 PM Sorry for being such a spelling stickler, but do you mean vizier?

14) The "Chosen one"

Yes I did, sorry but I recently got diagnosed with severe dislexia, at the age of 20, half the way through my Uni course. Man do I find that anoying, stupid secondary school...

I don't know, give an ordianry civil servant a special hat, often with a spike on it, and he becomes a megalomaniacal maniac!
77IM
03-07-07, 11:25 AM 14) The "Chosen one"

15) Ancient prophecies(sp?) of any sort.

16) The Powerful Ancient Artifact that is pretty much just a McGuffin.

-- 77IM
WotC_Huscarl
03-07-07, 12:25 PM 17) War between the dwarves the elves.

Steve
Cyanide300
03-07-07, 01:32 PM 18) Demons coming through portals.

19) Ancient planar barriers (probably holding back demons) have been broken.

20) If the wagon you're riding drops below 55mph it will explode. ;)
Darth Syntax
03-07-07, 02:14 PM 21. The "Eternal Struggle Between Good and Evil" as the defining feature of the world.

22. The "Eternal Struggle Between Paper and Plastic"

23. Neat, compartmentalized nations, countries, polities of some nature. E.g: The Land of Dwarves, the Land of Humans with Funny Hats (type 1), Land of HwFH (type 2) . . .

24. The organization of irrationally anti-civilization Druids

25. The Orc/Goblinoid/Gnoll/Troll/Ogre Horde is attacking!
Mrloki
03-07-07, 02:23 PM 25. kobolds, sigh...

26. Oh look another pun-pun build, whats that this times you can do it before you leave your kobold egg?

27. Neat, the wizard we have been traveling with is really the bad guy...
Evil DM Mk3
03-07-07, 02:29 PM 28: Any nation where the "civilised" races, humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes and halflings, live in cites and the "uncivilised" race live in raider tribes. I mean COME ON can't Hobgoblins ever build a fachist city state/empire unless it is an uncharacteristly chaotic den of corruption, dishonour and dbackstabing? NO.
SilvercatMoonpaw
03-10-07, 08:20 AM 29. Humans only setting. (It's no longer fresh. Get over yourselves.)

[note: the following are only my impressions, and may not reflect actual reality.]

30. Honor-obsessed, dour, tight-knit, war-trained-from-birth, excellent craftsmen dwarves.

31. Tree-hugging, "holier-than-thou", really old, great at magic, bow-wielding elves.

32. Marauding, cruel, evil, unclean, stupid, "barbaric" orcs.

33. Same goes for bugbears and gnolls.

34. Any portrayal of reptilians as either cold-blooded killers or schemers.

35. Especially snakes.

36. The PCs have to fight against overwhelming odds. (Whether or not it makes for good stories, it's still been done to death.)
GuardianLurker
03-10-07, 10:36 AM 37. Evil bad guy (and his assistant Pinky) plot to take over the world

38. Evil bad guy wants to acquire ultimate magic power (but without having little itty-bitty living space).

38.a. Evil bad guy is attempting to find and control the source of all magic.

39. Invading army
39.a. especially armies of Undead
39.b. and fiends

40. Evil bad wizard has gone a conquering to get enough gold to fund his reasearch and fill his spellbook.

41. The PC's homeland is discovered by a more advanced nation from a distant land.
41.a. The distant land is planning on colonizing the PC's homeland.
41.b. The PC's must travel to the distant land.

42. The McGuffin hunt. The PCs must collect one or more McGuffins (or parts of McGuffins) so they can be used to defeat the BBEG.

43. In 41, the visitors from the distant land are actually from another star, and sci-fi is now in your fantasy.

44. Evil twins.

45. The fabric of reality has been weakened and the PCs must repair it.

46. The BBEG wants to destroy the world.
46.a. And then recreate it to match his vision of perfection.
multipleheads
03-10-07, 11:05 AM If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused:
SilvercatMoonpaw
03-10-07, 12:12 PM If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused:
It's any element that is ultimately more important to advancing the story than actually being what it is.

I still have the feeling, though, that it's also about easily beating the bad guy.
Tusalu
03-10-07, 12:42 PM I´ve got a great idea. My next campaign is going to have ALL these!!! :D
SilvercatMoonpaw
03-10-07, 05:04 PM I´ve got a great idea. My next campaign is going to have ALL these!!! :D
So it's basically going to be D&D as written?
GuardianLurker
03-11-07, 01:17 AM If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused:

Another, less jargony term is "Plot Device". It's number 42 because it's the answer to everything just about.

Assuming you've played a few computer RPGs...
Zelda: Wind Waker - a few McGuffin hunts.
Grandia II: McGuffin hunt. (Specifically the quest to find the Horns, Mouth, etc.)
Skies of Arcadia: ditto. (Whee! Find the Moonjewels and defeat the Gigas!)
Lunar Legends: ...
Diablo, both I and II:
There's *tons* more. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of a CRPG that isn't one.

McGuffin hunts are so common because they're so seductive. Easily handled stages (1/McGuffin), increasing difficulties (stage bosses -> end boss), and obvious plot hooks ("You've just heard rumors that McGuffin has been found in {your next adventure}.")

In essence, it's a series of linked quests, each designed to find *something*.
Gamili
03-11-07, 01:53 AM I've got a great idea for a campaign! Now hear me out. It's groundbreaking, I swear to you. No one else has ever done it before.

The PCs stay at home and partake tea and biscuits.

Great, huh?

Now honestly, I don't think anyone could put together a campaign without using at least a few of these elements or else it'll just end up being confusing and unplayable.

D&D is simply too old of a game for a whole lot to be fresh. If it isn't the least bit familiar, you may as well wage war against Care-Bears. Granted, they're a bloodthirsty lot but you'd be hard pressed to find players who could stay serious when they rend the fabric from their fluff.
Tenadros
03-12-07, 05:06 PM Alert: Only the trivia obsessed should read this post.

From Dictionary.com

Definition: in film, a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance the story; any situation that motivates the action of a film either artificially or substantively; also written [MacGuffin]
Etymology: Alfred Hitchcock's term, based on a story where this device was used in a story set on a Scottish train

As a side note I actually have a shop in one of my cities named J.T. McGuffin's. Its a general store with absolutely nothing of note and exists only to screw with people's minds.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lrellok 03-04-07, 09:46 AM	OK, we have all read the varios WOTC campain manuals. There are a few themes that have just gotten old, so i figured i'd start a post of them. 1) The Big Splat. Dragon Lance (cataclysim), Eberon (Cyre), pretty much all of Dark Sun. The idea of a world shattering disaster in the last few hundred years seems a cornerstone of alot of WOTC matereal. 2) Empire of the Giants/Dragons. Forgotten realms (giants) Dragonlance (Dragons), Darksun (dragon), Eberon (both) all have this. Why is there no setting where say, the aberations ruled once (they are usualy more powerful then giants) or maybe the Undead (why they are cursed). In any event, post the campain plot devices you feel are simply cliche.
Xavon 03-04-07, 10:20 AM	3. (this one should be #1) Save the princess; none more common, none more cliche. Even I have done this (though with three big twists).
Seraphine_Harmonium 03-04-07, 01:55 PM	4. Drow. Anything and everything involving drow.
krichaiushii 03-04-07, 02:34 PM	The Big Splat may be cliche', but is terribly useful as it provides a solid reason as to why there are so many ruins/dungeons around to be explored. It may also provide a good reason as to why there are so many different types of predatory monsters in the world. Anyhow, here is my contribution: 5. So many different sentient races existing on one world. 6. So many different predators - often large - existing on one world.
DungeonJman 03-04-07, 03:18 PM	7: There being an advisor that always backstabs the king/party at the most inconvenient moment.
Evil DM Mk3 03-04-07, 03:47 PM	7: There being an advisor that always backstabs the king/party at the most inconvenient moment. Ah yes, the grand vesir. 8: The elderly, knowladgable and powerful wizard (or Cleric) who needs PCs to do things for him.
M1kh43l_P4r4d1s0 03-04-07, 04:29 PM	9) a bunch of adventurers are going through ancient crypts, filled only with orcs, goblins, kobolds, and vermin!
Xavon 03-04-07, 09:43 PM	Maybe not so much in table top RPGs as in video games, but: 10) The insanely tall tower.
RoninFrosty 03-05-07, 12:27 AM	Less a campaign idea and more of a PC trait: 11.) The brooding lonely PC who refuses to join the party for any conventional reason until the rest of the PCs get ****** off and force him, OOC, into the party.
bartleby42 03-05-07, 01:30 AM	12) You and your friends are called before the king and he asks for your help to do (blah, blah, blah-blah) because his vast armies are somehow inable to do the work of 1st level charecters.... 13) Four elves of differing sub races try to find what is causing so many mutations in elves (I can dream can't I?)
Illeveun Bloodblaze 03-05-07, 05:30 PM	Ah yes, the grand vesir. Sorry for being such a spelling stickler, but do you mean vizier? 14) The "Chosen one"
Evil DM Mk3 03-05-07, 05:42 PM	Sorry for being such a spelling stickler, but do you mean vizier? 14) The "Chosen one" Yes I did, sorry but I recently got diagnosed with severe dislexia, at the age of 20, half the way through my Uni course. Man do I find that anoying, stupid secondary school... I don't know, give an ordianry civil servant a special hat, often with a spike on it, and he becomes a megalomaniacal maniac!
77IM 03-07-07, 11:25 AM	14) The "Chosen one" 15) Ancient prophecies(sp?) of any sort. 16) The Powerful Ancient Artifact that is pretty much just a McGuffin. -- 77IM
WotC_Huscarl 03-07-07, 12:25 PM	17) War between the dwarves the elves. Steve
Cyanide300 03-07-07, 01:32 PM	18) Demons coming through portals. 19) Ancient planar barriers (probably holding back demons) have been broken. 20) If the wagon you're riding drops below 55mph it will explode. ;)
Darth Syntax 03-07-07, 02:14 PM	21. The "Eternal Struggle Between Good and Evil" as the defining feature of the world. 22. The "Eternal Struggle Between Paper and Plastic" 23. Neat, compartmentalized nations, countries, polities of some nature. E.g: The Land of Dwarves, the Land of Humans with Funny Hats (type 1), Land of HwFH (type 2) . . . 24. The organization of irrationally anti-civilization Druids 25. The Orc/Goblinoid/Gnoll/Troll/Ogre Horde is attacking!
Mrloki 03-07-07, 02:23 PM	25. kobolds, sigh... 26. Oh look another pun-pun build, whats that this times you can do it before you leave your kobold egg? 27. Neat, the wizard we have been traveling with is really the bad guy...
Evil DM Mk3 03-07-07, 02:29 PM	28: Any nation where the "civilised" races, humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes and halflings, live in cites and the "uncivilised" race live in raider tribes. I mean COME ON can't Hobgoblins ever build a fachist city state/empire unless it is an uncharacteristly chaotic den of corruption, dishonour and dbackstabing? NO.
SilvercatMoonpaw 03-10-07, 08:20 AM	29. Humans only setting. (It's no longer fresh. Get over yourselves.) [note: the following are only my impressions, and may not reflect actual reality.] 30. Honor-obsessed, dour, tight-knit, war-trained-from-birth, excellent craftsmen dwarves. 31. Tree-hugging, "holier-than-thou", really old, great at magic, bow-wielding elves. 32. Marauding, cruel, evil, unclean, stupid, "barbaric" orcs. 33. Same goes for bugbears and gnolls. 34. Any portrayal of reptilians as either cold-blooded killers or schemers. 35. Especially snakes. 36. The PCs have to fight against overwhelming odds. (Whether or not it makes for good stories, it's still been done to death.)
GuardianLurker 03-10-07, 10:36 AM	37. Evil bad guy (and his assistant Pinky) plot to take over the world 38. Evil bad guy wants to acquire ultimate magic power (but without having little itty-bitty living space). 38.a. Evil bad guy is attempting to find and control the source of all magic. 39. Invading army 39.a. especially armies of Undead 39.b. and fiends 40. Evil bad wizard has gone a conquering to get enough gold to fund his reasearch and fill his spellbook. 41. The PC's homeland is discovered by a more advanced nation from a distant land. 41.a. The distant land is planning on colonizing the PC's homeland. 41.b. The PC's must travel to the distant land. 42. The McGuffin hunt. The PCs must collect one or more McGuffins (or parts of McGuffins) so they can be used to defeat the BBEG. 43. In 41, the visitors from the distant land are actually from another star, and sci-fi is now in your fantasy. 44. Evil twins. 45. The fabric of reality has been weakened and the PCs must repair it. 46. The BBEG wants to destroy the world. 46.a. And then recreate it to match his vision of perfection.
multipleheads 03-10-07, 11:05 AM	If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused:
SilvercatMoonpaw 03-10-07, 12:12 PM	If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused: It's any element that is ultimately more important to advancing the story than actually being what it is. I still have the feeling, though, that it's also about easily beating the bad guy.
Tusalu 03-10-07, 12:42 PM	I´ve got a great idea. My next campaign is going to have ALL these!!! :D
SilvercatMoonpaw 03-10-07, 05:04 PM	I´ve got a great idea. My next campaign is going to have ALL these!!! :D So it's basically going to be D&D as written?
GuardianLurker 03-11-07, 01:17 AM	If you don't mind, what's a "McGuffin"?:confused: Another, less jargony term is "Plot Device". It's number 42 because it's the answer to everything just about. Assuming you've played a few computer RPGs... Zelda: Wind Waker - a few McGuffin hunts. Grandia II: McGuffin hunt. (Specifically the quest to find the Horns, Mouth, etc.) Skies of Arcadia: ditto. (Whee! Find the Moonjewels and defeat the Gigas!) Lunar Legends: ... Diablo, both I and II: There's tons more. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of a CRPG that isn't one. McGuffin hunts are so common because they're so seductive. Easily handled stages (1/McGuffin), increasing difficulties (stage bosses -> end boss), and obvious plot hooks ("You've just heard rumors that McGuffin has been found in {your next adventure}.") In essence, it's a series of linked quests, each designed to find something.
Gamili 03-11-07, 01:53 AM	I've got a great idea for a campaign! Now hear me out. It's groundbreaking, I swear to you. No one else has ever done it before. The PCs stay at home and partake tea and biscuits. Great, huh? Now honestly, I don't think anyone could put together a campaign without using at least a few of these elements or else it'll just end up being confusing and unplayable. D&D is simply too old of a game for a whole lot to be fresh. If it isn't the least bit familiar, you may as well wage war against Care-Bears. Granted, they're a bloodthirsty lot but you'd be hard pressed to find players who could stay serious when they rend the fabric from their fluff.
Tenadros 03-12-07, 05:06 PM	Alert: Only the trivia obsessed should read this post. From Dictionary.com Definition: in film, a plot device that has no specific meaning or purpose other than to advance the story; any situation that motivates the action of a film either artificially or substantively; also written [MacGuffin] Etymology: Alfred Hitchcock's term, based on a story where this device was used in a story set on a Scottish train As a side note I actually have a shop in one of my cities named J.T. McGuffin's. Its a general store with absolutely nothing of note and exists only to screw with people's minds.