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Trying to make a campaign... Don't know where to start!

   
Trying to make a campaign... Don't know where to start!

So I have an idea for a 3.5 campaign starting at either level 1 or 3 that will be fairly Kalashtar intensive. Eberron setting. I was wondering if there were any good articles I could read about making a campaign? General advice is also helpful.

Also, since 3.5 almost requires it: Can anyone let me know of easy map making tools for combat?

Have your information ready before you make the advertisement. Once the advertisement is open to the public, you might not have the time to do your standard campaign info dumps. I tend to work on the game thread for a solid couple of days before bothering to create a new advertisement.

This might include:
  • Set Character Generation rules. Noticeable Homebrew Rules as well.
  • How you want applications to look, where you want them to be posted.
  • Information that might be prudent to the campaign itself, including region stuff, notable NPCs, and other tone-setting stuff. Don't be afraid to overwrite these, since it gives the potential players a chance to latch their characters onto different pieces of information, and you'll likely get more diverse concepts.
  • Pictures are not mandatory, but they are a nice touch.
  • Have a rough storyline in mind, but don't be so married to it that the players can't deviate it from it if their group is 'different' from what you had in mind originally.
  • Maps: I've used MS Paint for most of my games. It's sloppy, but it gets my point across.

I'd bet there's a Eberrron wiki someplace with some good information, but I'm not Eberron-fluent.

This is an interesting topic but sort of a huge one. Are there any specifics that you're having trouble with? Worldbuilding? Plotting adventures? Making NPCs?

I think the stuff that's helped me GM most (not that I'm amazing at it or anything) is talking to my friends who direct plays or are professional improvisers. There are a lot of applicable skills in those fields that's been systematized/written down over the years; stuff about sharing storytelling responsibility, reacting to unexpected contributions, and so on.

Any books by famed improv actor Del Close are really good, such as Truth in Comedy. I found this in an Amazon review of that book, and it pretty much hits on what I mean:

Quote:
What I discovered is the book was a wonderful manual not only to 'how to improvise' but 'how to brainstorm', 'how to work in groups', and 'how to lead.' Little things like, never deny the reality being created and always add something, the 'Yes, and...' of the book, could be applied to many crisis management situations. Never debate what has been stated, always move forward.

I have a rough story in mind, mostly about fighting the dreaming dark. Since it would be eberron, I'm not sure I would need to do a lot of world building. My problem is this: people are unpredictable. I plan on having the set-up being that the players are followers of the Path of Light and have decided to fight the Dreaming Dark. I have the most trouble with low-level adventures(Mostly by killing off everyone) and then I have trouble with linking the stories together without it being too repetitive or the real enemy being too obvious(BBEG is manipulating people). GAH! Maybe I'm worrying too much. This game wont go up for probably another couple of months anyways.

Well the good news is this:

PbP is slow, so even when someone is unpredictable, you have the luxury of maybe a few extra hours to respond. Unlike Tabletop games where you have to react immediately because your buddy is staring at you awaiting an answer.

Killing off PCs happens. Can you fudge a roll or two? Sure. But I wouldn't do it constantly. If your players get themselves into trouble, let them get themselves out of trouble. If it's a CR vs Party ECL issue, that's another thing... but even that can be worked around. I had a group fight an Ettin and while they were all level 1 or 2 characters, they had zero gear. I mean... they had makeshift slings and one had a wooden staff. The CR said they should be okay, but it was an epic battle of attrition (I'm not sure I'd advise that kind of combat on PbP unless you've got very active posters with good writing practices).

Link the stories around the setting if you're stuck. 'Quests' and 'missions' don't always have to have a major predictable theme (it's nice if they do, but not mandatory), but if you can connect them to a locale... you're on the right track. With that in mind, don't let a small hamlet continue to be the MacGuffin, because it wouldn't make sense. But a major city, region, or large number of the same race... that's a thick-enough-thread between one quest to another.

I was going to have the game start in Sharn, since it has the largest Kalashtar population. Another problem I have in pbp is combat. Not the turns, it's all numbers anyways, but describing the scene. I feel like it is a MAJOR problem if I just type "the goblin attacks you(insert rolls)" but inevitably it will end up as that as there are only so many ways to describe a scene without becoming redundant(this is why I prefer nwod combat for pbp, it is comparatively fast).

Goblins in specific tend to do weird things in combat, but as to describing things cool, I find that simply mixing up their attack patterns tend to help a lot, from combat maneuvers to one shot items, it gives me enough fodder to not be repetive. For more general things, consider tracking down a book on swordfighting to read. Knowing the proper terms for things might be inspiring.

I have a ton of posts up on my GM advise column that cover everything from encounter planning to building a campaign. Check my sig if you're interested.

You're off to a strong start though. You know you want your campaign to be Kalashtar themed, and you have a game world. You'll want to find an area of that world where the Kalashtar are present in numbers.

I don't know much about either the race or the setting, but both seem cool. The Kalasthar are psionic, are they not? That makes psionic themed monsters good bad guys.

I would create a BBEG and make sure you know his or her goals. Then layer on the complexity. Some other powerful beings that serve the BBEG, and then some groups that serve those lieutenants. Then think of a way that the players can get sucked in. Since you are starting at a low level, the PCs likely won't be aware of the BBEG's master strategy, and may not even know he exists. Keep your initial problems small, and let the PCs discover more of the plot as they adventure around.

For example, an Illythid might make a BBEG for a campaign that was going to end at mid-levels, but he'd have to be special.

1) Make him a 15th level psion. That should up his CR.
2) Let him have taken over the mind of a local duke, locking that country in civil war.
3) Say that duke had a secret army of Warforged somewhere. Unleash those on the local population.
4) Let the BBEG be winning the civil war.
5) The BBEG has gotten several powerful allies: A great warrior, a great wizard, and a team of assassins.
6) Make the BBEG work from a secret locale. The PCs will have to find it in order to confront him.

That's just an example of course, but its easy to add on stuff once you have a core idea, which you already do. Have fun!




 

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