Steps to Building a Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Steps to Building a Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jedi_Master_Trobon
01-05-08, 11:11 AM I am curious to see what other people do when building a campaign setting. What steps do you take? What order do you do things? Do start with a map or a history? Maybe you start with the planer view. How does your process work?
Tovec
01-05-08, 04:09 PM I don't think that there is a set series of steps that people can agree on.
I do think that most people fall into one of two main categories. The first is making a world/continent map and working from the large scale to the small. The other is coming up with some names of things (like towns, people, items, dungeons, etc.) and working your way up, building a world as you go.
Both work but I find that my niche is where they meet. I try to come up with some or the larger things first and then work on the smaller aspects. I find that when I prepare where the party is going and where they are it really comes together.

I think most would agree that you have to start with the theme of the game (for building a campaign that is). Do you want elves as they are, do you want dwarves to be seen out of the mountains, do you like the gods or want to replace them? For most new (homebrewed) campaigns things are going to be more or less as stated in the PHB, the gods and planes will exist but the average person won't know very much outside what they are told.

Like I said, I'm not an authority on what steps you should do anymore then the next guy. I think that you should just get a notebook and start writing things as they come to you. I find my best ideas come to me at the most random times, that's when I pull out my book and jot it down. I might not even remember that I wrote it, may never read it again. But more often then not I'll think of it randomly as part of a larger idea for something unrelated and it will just snap in.

If you want some suggestions on how to start from the small scale I suggest looking at the link. I found it quite helpful and it spurred several ideas in me, inspiring how I will do my new campaign.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dudc/20071019
Naderion
01-06-08, 04:45 AM Didn't we have this question just three days ago?

Yes, we did. Look here for some hints people gave: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=971269
lulzapalooza
01-06-08, 12:05 PM I start with a theme and a flavor, then I manipulate everything to coincide with that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jedi_Master_Trobon 01-05-08, 11:11 AM	I am curious to see what other people do when building a campaign setting. What steps do you take? What order do you do things? Do start with a map or a history? Maybe you start with the planer view. How does your process work?
Tovec 01-05-08, 04:09 PM	I don't think that there is a set series of steps that people can agree on. I do think that most people fall into one of two main categories. The first is making a world/continent map and working from the large scale to the small. The other is coming up with some names of things (like towns, people, items, dungeons, etc.) and working your way up, building a world as you go. Both work but I find that my niche is where they meet. I try to come up with some or the larger things first and then work on the smaller aspects. I find that when I prepare where the party is going and where they are it really comes together. I think most would agree that you have to start with the theme of the game (for building a campaign that is). Do you want elves as they are, do you want dwarves to be seen out of the mountains, do you like the gods or want to replace them? For most new (homebrewed) campaigns things are going to be more or less as stated in the PHB, the gods and planes will exist but the average person won't know very much outside what they are told. Like I said, I'm not an authority on what steps you should do anymore then the next guy. I think that you should just get a notebook and start writing things as they come to you. I find my best ideas come to me at the most random times, that's when I pull out my book and jot it down. I might not even remember that I wrote it, may never read it again. But more often then not I'll think of it randomly as part of a larger idea for something unrelated and it will just snap in. If you want some suggestions on how to start from the small scale I suggest looking at the link. I found it quite helpful and it spurred several ideas in me, inspiring how I will do my new campaign. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dudc/20071019
Naderion 01-06-08, 04:45 AM	Didn't we have this question just three days ago? Yes, we did. Look here for some hints people gave: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=971269
lulzapalooza 01-06-08, 12:05 PM	I start with a theme and a flavor, then I manipulate everything to coincide with that.