Campaign Design Tip: Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Design Tip: Monsters [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GoriceXII
04-17-07, 03:43 AM One idea I'm exploring for my own campaign is putting together some kind of general reason for why there are monsters in a campaign area, especially one you intend to use for some time. I was thinking about the person who wants a Greek style campaign--my contribution to his thread was a list of creatures who are inspired by Greek mythology.

I think that this can add a lot to the flavour of a campaign. For instance in mine there was almost no banditry at the start of the game but gradually with a war going on it has increased, therefore the number of orc, human and mixed raiding parties have been raised on my encounter tables. What I have planned is that if the players do something about this ultimately the number will dwindle again. I think that this will go a long way towards possibly making my players feel they've made a difference.

So one thing I recommend to people putting together campaigns is for them to consider why certain monsters and kinds of adventures might go on in the area, and to have these reflect the general themes of the campaign setting itself.
yellowdingo
04-17-07, 07:38 AM 1. Monsters accumulate in an area because of pressures from the human population. Humans clear forest, graize livestock on mountainsides and hills, move into valleys of good agricultural capacity, drain bogs for peat, quarry rock from hills, dig tunnels into the earth...

In the end only abandoned mines and caves, ruins, deep forest pockets, swamps, and other inhospitable places.

When the Orcs of Pleh migrated into the mountains on the edge of the kingdom, they began to put pressure on monsters there and flush them down into the valleys where farmers dwell. That explains why there are dire wolves attacking your sheep in the upper fields.

Why is the Dragon eating your livestock? Because something bigger and nastier pushed him from his lair.
Werral
04-18-07, 06:35 AM Healing magic raises the human population far beyond medieval levels. The gods respond by creating man eating monsters. It could also simply be that since humans are so plentiful, they make a good food source for predators.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GoriceXII 04-17-07, 03:43 AM	One idea I'm exploring for my own campaign is putting together some kind of general reason for why there are monsters in a campaign area, especially one you intend to use for some time. I was thinking about the person who wants a Greek style campaign--my contribution to his thread was a list of creatures who are inspired by Greek mythology. I think that this can add a lot to the flavour of a campaign. For instance in mine there was almost no banditry at the start of the game but gradually with a war going on it has increased, therefore the number of orc, human and mixed raiding parties have been raised on my encounter tables. What I have planned is that if the players do something about this ultimately the number will dwindle again. I think that this will go a long way towards possibly making my players feel they've made a difference. So one thing I recommend to people putting together campaigns is for them to consider why certain monsters and kinds of adventures might go on in the area, and to have these reflect the general themes of the campaign setting itself.
yellowdingo 04-17-07, 07:38 AM	1. Monsters accumulate in an area because of pressures from the human population. Humans clear forest, graize livestock on mountainsides and hills, move into valleys of good agricultural capacity, drain bogs for peat, quarry rock from hills, dig tunnels into the earth... In the end only abandoned mines and caves, ruins, deep forest pockets, swamps, and other inhospitable places. When the Orcs of Pleh migrated into the mountains on the edge of the kingdom, they began to put pressure on monsters there and flush them down into the valleys where farmers dwell. That explains why there are dire wolves attacking your sheep in the upper fields. Why is the Dragon eating your livestock? Because something bigger and nastier pushed him from his lair.
Werral 04-18-07, 06:35 AM	Healing magic raises the human population far beyond medieval levels. The gods respond by creating man eating monsters. It could also simply be that since humans are so plentiful, they make a good food source for predators.