Campaign Start Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Start Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
enigma1717
04-19-07, 06:08 PM I have DMed a lot of games, but ironically, many of them were already started by another DM, as my area has a lot of campaigns where players come and go, including DMs, and I don't mind picking up where others left off, actually I am really good at it. Here, I just moved to a new state and want to make a new playing group and have a few players already and we are talking about a new campaign involving only psionics, so alright, I probably will make my own campaign "world" but I almost always use the PHB dieties, races, classes, I usually just make my own towns and geography.

Now, it is time for me to get to work on ideas for their campaign, namely where I wanted it to start, and I realized I really have no experience in the area. Most games I have joined were already in progress as a player or a DM. So I mainly am looking for ideas or past experiences that were fun on campaigns starting scenes and adventures. Did the party know eachother? What put them on the path to adventuring? What do you like to see at the start as a player/dm or what don't you like? Ideas?
Ibbins
04-19-07, 06:19 PM As a DM who starts and stops new campaigns every few months, I've tried all sorts of different approaches. Patron(mayor?) needs something done, chance encounter in a tavern, victim of circumstance(PCs on a train that gets attacked), and character backstory weaving.

Ultimately, I think it depends on the players. When I was given a series of rich backstories, I studied them and put them all together like a jigsaw. Given generic backstories, I went with a noble who needed a job done(in this case, investigating a mine). Once, my players were such great roleplayers that I just put them all in a tavern and the game practically started for me.
Aliquid
04-19-07, 06:44 PM Something I found that is very useful is to get the players to help work on the campaign start.

Tell the players that they need to work together and figure out the following:
1 - Who their characters are
2 - A good reason why the characters all know each other. Some can be good friends, and others could just be casual acquaintances, but the characters must know each other pre-game
3 - A good reason why the characters get along with each other and would want to work together (suggest similar alignments)
4 - What motivates them to adventure? Money, revenge, honor, fame, justice... etc.
5 - A good reason why all of the characters happen to be in the same place at the same time at the beginning of the adventure. What type of place is it? Library, open field, dock... etc.

By getting this information from the players, you will help ensure that they have a good adventuring party that will actually work together. The players will also be more personally attached to the campaign start.

Now look at their motivation list, and make something appropriate happen at the game's starting location.
Mock26
04-19-07, 07:05 PM In my current campaign, which started at 1st level, all adventuring groups that operate within a fairly large region of 50+ independent cities are required to have an adventuring license. However, an adventuring license costs 1,000-5,000 gp per person listed on it, a price that most novice groups cannot afford. Cost is determined by the city where the group starts. So, a common practice is for experienced groups to take on an apprentice group of novices. Under this system the novices are added to the sponsor group's license (theoretically when they are 0-level and finishing up the final stages of training and performing such exciting duties as mucking out the barn, cleaning the house, polishing armor, gathering common spell components, etc.). The catch, though, is that the sponsor groups then charge a much higher fee that the group has to pay off to them. Very nice, friendly, and charitable sponsor groups might charge each person a 4x fee, say from 4,000 - 20,000 gp. Less friendly groups might charge as high as a 10x payback fee! My group, who randomly rolled on some custom tables to determine their fee and the friendliness of their sponsor group, were somewhat lucky and the entire group of 5 had to pay off a 35,000 gp debt when they first started adventuring. The campaign started with the group at 1st level and they were just setting off on their very first adventure.

Everyone in the group liked this concept. They said it was quite realistic, kind of like a learner's permit approach to adventuring. Yes, in terms of 3.5 it goes against the wealth by level approach, but I compensated with giving out 10-20% more treasure than I would have normally. Of course, this hole indentured adventuring only lasted until 2nd level when the wild mage turned a pirate into a giant gemstone! But, for a short time, it was fun watching the group divide up treasure and listen to them discussing how much they should set aside for their payment, and balancing buying better equipment now vs. paying off later. I enjoyed it quite a bit, too.

Take care and have a great day....

ciao,
john.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
enigma1717 04-19-07, 06:08 PM	I have DMed a lot of games, but ironically, many of them were already started by another DM, as my area has a lot of campaigns where players come and go, including DMs, and I don't mind picking up where others left off, actually I am really good at it. Here, I just moved to a new state and want to make a new playing group and have a few players already and we are talking about a new campaign involving only psionics, so alright, I probably will make my own campaign "world" but I almost always use the PHB dieties, races, classes, I usually just make my own towns and geography. Now, it is time for me to get to work on ideas for their campaign, namely where I wanted it to start, and I realized I really have no experience in the area. Most games I have joined were already in progress as a player or a DM. So I mainly am looking for ideas or past experiences that were fun on campaigns starting scenes and adventures. Did the party know eachother? What put them on the path to adventuring? What do you like to see at the start as a player/dm or what don't you like? Ideas?
Ibbins 04-19-07, 06:19 PM	As a DM who starts and stops new campaigns every few months, I've tried all sorts of different approaches. Patron(mayor?) needs something done, chance encounter in a tavern, victim of circumstance(PCs on a train that gets attacked), and character backstory weaving. Ultimately, I think it depends on the players. When I was given a series of rich backstories, I studied them and put them all together like a jigsaw. Given generic backstories, I went with a noble who needed a job done(in this case, investigating a mine). Once, my players were such great roleplayers that I just put them all in a tavern and the game practically started for me.
Aliquid 04-19-07, 06:44 PM	Something I found that is very useful is to get the players to help work on the campaign start. Tell the players that they need to work together and figure out the following: 1 - Who their characters are 2 - A good reason why the characters all know each other. Some can be good friends, and others could just be casual acquaintances, but the characters must know each other pre-game 3 - A good reason why the characters get along with each other and would want to work together (suggest similar alignments) 4 - What motivates them to adventure? Money, revenge, honor, fame, justice... etc. 5 - A good reason why all of the characters happen to be in the same place at the same time at the beginning of the adventure. What type of place is it? Library, open field, dock... etc. By getting this information from the players, you will help ensure that they have a good adventuring party that will actually work together. The players will also be more personally attached to the campaign start. Now look at their motivation list, and make something appropriate happen at the game's starting location.
Mock26 04-19-07, 07:05 PM	In my current campaign, which started at 1st level, all adventuring groups that operate within a fairly large region of 50+ independent cities are required to have an adventuring license. However, an adventuring license costs 1,000-5,000 gp per person listed on it, a price that most novice groups cannot afford. Cost is determined by the city where the group starts. So, a common practice is for experienced groups to take on an apprentice group of novices. Under this system the novices are added to the sponsor group's license (theoretically when they are 0-level and finishing up the final stages of training and performing such exciting duties as mucking out the barn, cleaning the house, polishing armor, gathering common spell components, etc.). The catch, though, is that the sponsor groups then charge a much higher fee that the group has to pay off to them. Very nice, friendly, and charitable sponsor groups might charge each person a 4x fee, say from 4,000 - 20,000 gp. Less friendly groups might charge as high as a 10x payback fee! My group, who randomly rolled on some custom tables to determine their fee and the friendliness of their sponsor group, were somewhat lucky and the entire group of 5 had to pay off a 35,000 gp debt when they first started adventuring. The campaign started with the group at 1st level and they were just setting off on their very first adventure. Everyone in the group liked this concept. They said it was quite realistic, kind of like a learner's permit approach to adventuring. Yes, in terms of 3.5 it goes against the wealth by level approach, but I compensated with giving out 10-20% more treasure than I would have normally. Of course, this hole indentured adventuring only lasted until 2nd level when the wild mage turned a pirate into a giant gemstone! But, for a short time, it was fun watching the group divide up treasure and listen to them discussing how much they should set aside for their payment, and balancing buying better equipment now vs. paying off later. I enjoyed it quite a bit, too. Take care and have a great day.... ciao, john.