I've been running a lot of the PF adventure paths for my campaigns and while I enjoy them, I sometimes get the creative itch to write something myself. I've got a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to commit the time to writing a quality campaign, even if I get started now while they're still two-three adventures from the end of the current game.
So, if you design your own campaigns, how much time do you typically spend working on them? What are some methods you use to save time?
Mr. Fishy uses a flow chart.
Usually, I come up with a setting, which is taking less and less time as "my" world gets more fleshed out. This covers cities, terrain, weather/climate, etc. Then I try to come up with a central theme or event (invasion, aspiring to deity, lost treasure, etc), and figure out how to rope in the PCs. Why would they WANT to go on an impossibly dangerous mission against tall odds when they could be part of the town guard and drink beer with friends every night? Ten I try to string together encounters (usually 1-2 weeks in advance,) that move the story along, but give the players the illusion of choice. I spend a lot of time thinking, much less writing (flowcharts or just free writing are key for me) and even less time stating out encounters (which I should probably do more of). Prolly about an hour of actual pen in hand work each week, tops.
LOL okay i'll bite simply because I do the exact opposite of Kyrt-ryder here.
How much time do I spend. It's hard to say since I might get into a "zone" and pump out a whole bunch at once. But on average i'd say 4 hours of planning for 1 to 2 4-5 hour session. It all depends on how quickly the party moves through the encounters I have planned out.
Generally what I do after I come up with the campaign theme and story arc is figure out what the setting is going to be.
For example: in my current campaign the party has just rescued a gnomish professor who has some information on some strange ore they found.
For the next session i've picked my location: a quarry on the shores of a lava sea. The party will travel by the gnome's airship to a gnomish settlement on the shores of the sea and then by foot to the quarry.
I'll spend a good hour or two going through monster manuals since i have a whole collection of them to pull from and find stuff that fits the area and my themes.
then i'll start drawing the maps of the quarry and the caverns underneath and place the encounters, puzzles and traps where they need to go. adding in treasure and such where appropriate.
To save time: i try to use monsters as is straight from the manuals. Adding class levels, HD, etc to NPCs is by far the most time consuming. it's worthwhile if you are going to reuse the combo over and over. But I try to avoid adding stats to anything other then the main villains.
Treasure i generally pick what i want he party to have rather then randomly roll. I used to roll but i spent more time rerolling stuff i didn't like then if i just hand picked it.
A BIG help is having a DM's screen with all the little rules written on it. The stuff that comes up but no often enough that you can remember it of the top of your head. Like what are the penalties for various status affects (sickened, prone.. etc) But that's more for game time then the planning stage.
Alright that's enough outta me before I write a book here..
More time is spent in paper work (NPCs, encounter stats, exp, treasure) than actually write of adventures. Mr. Fishy likes drawing maps and inventing problem to be solved. So he spends a lot of time working on the "story". Mr. Fishy worked out a NPC sheet on a speadsheet on his computer Hp/HD stat mods to Ac, saves, skill mods, it does what Mr. Fishy needs it to do.
Usually its a couple months worth of spare time prior to the start of the campaign getting things in order in regards to the world, the general story of the campaign and creating the major npcs.
After the campaign starts usually its probably about 4-8 hours a per game session spent preping and adjusting the story and world based on what the pc's have done and getting ready for the next adventure.
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I've just started writing up my new homebrew adventure, and I've been spending between 30min and an hour a few nights a week. Most of the writing I've done has been more for my benefit than for my players (I'm a scatterbrain...i think my childhood ADD carried over into adulthood). This allows me to remember my plot twists and zingy one liners by NPCs--the only thing I "need" to write up for the campaign are stat blocks for my NPC bad guys and transferring stat blocks from the bestiary to my index cards that I use.
Also, I plan on drawing up maps (city, region, dungeon) as my group enjoys using minis and maps for combat.
I usually wing it. But what I do create tool kit of encounters, traps, interesting NPCs, some detail terrain, and such. I might not use any of it but it's there if I need it. I make the encounters scalable if I can. So they can be used over few levels.
Any time I devote to "writing" a campaign is specific to an overarching storyline, and maps. Most of the other stuff is borrowed material collected over the years. For a multtiple DM campaign, we used a random table to generate significant events over a 12 month period, so everyone has a basic guideline to follow and incorporate. This also works well with divination type affects.
But if you want hours per week, then I average around 4 hours at max, but I have been doing it for a while. Usually this is on Saturday mornings as we play later in the day.
I used to choose some random ideas and wing it too, but I learned that the way I DMed those adventures would usually leave players out of the spotlight or only present exciting situations for some PCs while leaving others on the wayside. Now I try to write it all up, leaving the specifics to my improvisational side, but keeping a good outline of the adventure.
First I pick a theme. It needs to be something that inspires me, so, it's usually something related to some media I'd seen recently. This is usually the worst part of designing adventures, because sometimes I'll dedicate myself to a theme and then get uninterested _after_ I'd written the adventure out.
I spend a lot of time designing a good amount of interesting encounters for the level range I'm at. I decide what I want to do with each encounter... I make sure the encounters are tied in with my theme. I also don't choose specific creatures-- things like "Undead, forest" or "Cliff face, flying, ambush" or "Village, ambush, escort, fey."
Then I go back and write up the basic plotline of the adventure. I pick and choose from the encounters I designed. I place them in as filler.
Then I go back and refine and refine and refine. As certain sections become more and more refined, I change aspects of the adventure. I write up the encounters. I change them. I change them more. I write up more. I draw out dungeon maps. I change the encounters again and have to draw up a new dungeon map.
It takes about 10 hours or so for me to write up a "story-arc." I like fast experience because of this-- it lets me write up, say, levels 1 to 5 as one cohesive adventure.
It's annoying but fun.
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I alter existing adventures/adventure paths (sometimes radically). When I make my very own adventure, though, I allow for PCs to essentially do what they like...and then throw an adventure seed at them. I usually do two advenutures at once that have ramifications on the other...coincide, so to speak.
For my adventure I'm running at paizocon, I make basic plot points (basically outline a story), and create action around that. I also have other side treks for places they may find intriguing. If there are any specific locations, I map them out. Really, really important locations (like trapped areas and stuff) I map out and basically have cliff notes on it. Otherwise, I make it up whenever things start to lose interest.
I spend an amazing amount of time thinking and working on my campaigns, heck I have the general skeleton for my latest campaign, which is using Rokugan world, although I normally design my own world for my campaigns recently I had a map made for one, and designed the world around a system of constant ongoing wars a world built for merc campaigns. In general I probably spend 8hrs before each session figuring out what I want in that session specifically, and planning out potential solutions for what my players due. This is of course not counting stating up major story NPCs and deciding what is going on in the world around them currently, as well as, building and updating the campaign skeleton.
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It depends on what the game is going to be. Sometimes I build a lot of background info and a small two page players guide. I have found if it is more then two pages no one actually reads it. I then have a game book that is full of information that the players as we get further into the game will take more and more interest in. It is sort of my game bible and allows me to keep a consistent game. Otherwise most of the rest is off the top of my head.
Depends on the type of games and the width of your campaign. I once ran a campaign in a single metropolis, and the players seldom explore the surroundings. When they did, they found secret escape routes, underground passages that led in bandit warehouses and stuff. Such a campaign was designed for hardcore investigation, not much fighting there. So the technical preparations weren't so long; 3-4 mains NPCs, a couple of villains to spice things up... and a commoner statblock, just in case the cliche tavern fight comes up. The tough part of such a campaign is to create evidence, write a timeline of events in different part of the city, and keep the investigation running. I'd say, 15-20 hours of plotting and you have a solid, original basis for at least 3 sessions of intense play. Inbetween sessions, you can add up stuff at the end of your timeline.
If you intend for adventuring on large scale maps, I recommend using campaign settings maps and tweak it to the needs of your campaign. Else if you have extra free time and are potent at drawing and editing, you can still make your own map, and write country backgrounds, create climate, economy routes... But it takes time;
- You should start by drawing a rough sketch of the whole world, continents and ocean, maybe thinking about overlapping planes if it's adequate for you. The planes are things you can complete later on if you want; most characters won't touch those until mid-levels, if they ever do.
- Then, think of landscape. Mountains, hills, crevasses, rivers. Ideally the world contains natural roads connecting eventual city spots.
- Next comes climate, then vegetation. Then a short list of the inhabitants and beasts fitting the areas.
- Then comes settlements. Spot the place where living sounds easier, according to warmer climate, good soil and huntable animals, and place big cities there. You can still review the landscape to plot merchant routes.
- Form alliances, create politics, wars, and such. This will help give the impression that the whole world is moving without the PCs. A touch of realism and immersion never hurts.
- When you have a good idea, you like, "Completed" your world as you need it for now. You start a campaign by picking a starting spot. And then, you can add meat around the bone; draw city maps, create a demography, elaborate city background and even add secondary settlements, such as ruins, mines, ghettos and bandit hideouts. They fill up a game session when people don't feel roleplaying a particular day, they end up hacking stuff in forgotten places. Good fun.
- As your PCs travel, you can start elaborating new places as you did the first. Of course, if a new campaign starts, you can pick a different starting spot and flesh it out the same way you did the first (It goes without saying, try to be original. You don't want every city to be the same. It feels cheesy.)
- If you have extra time, you can create a bunch of important NPCs for the areas. Kings, Generals, Mayors, Mercenary leader, Barbarian Warchief... and so on. It always surprises the players when you have an elaborate NPC tree and story you can tell of on the fly. But don't abuse it, and don't steal the PCs' show. THEY, are the heroes in here.
PS : Oh, and by the way... I use about 4 hours of extra prep per session. I do more than necessary (Maybe preparing a session in advance) in case the PCs succeed fast or go past what I initially prepared.
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It usually takes about 2 weeks for me to flesh out a basic campaign. Generally my players and I come to a consensus on Setting, Theme, and Character building particulars. Once that's done I usually play a session or two to get a feel for the PC's and how the party is working together. After that I generally have a brainstorming session over a few days until an idea sticks. Then I madly jot down my campaign arc outline, begin fleshing out major NPC's, and using the campaign map to plot out adventure sites.
Now for years I'd do that and then slap monsters into fit. Now I take a lot of time building the encounters. It's really the meat and potatoes for the players. 7 outta 10 times they won't remember the history or background of the NPC they spent 5 sessions hunting down, only that the 1/2 orc Barbarian killed the villain using his orc ferocity and then nearly died. Me, me, me... players!
Anyway, I digress. We just started a new campaign 2 weeks ago and today I had my eureka moment and my campaign arc unfolded on paper. Here's my tagline...
Set in Varisia heroic explorers have just stumbled into their first Thassilonian ruin! What they find there will take them from Korvosa to Magnimar, across the Storval Plateau into the depths of Kaer-Maga, the City of Strangers. They will be chased by desperate Shoanti tribesmen, Skinsaw Assassins, the Cult of Rovagug, and agents of the Korvosan crown, all trying to wrest from them a relic of the ancient past.
--My name is KING.... KING VROCK!
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I am a super dweeb, therefore, I attempt to mimic the look and feel of the pathfinder adventures I have purchased. I suppose this is a huge WOW and tip of my hat to Pathfinder because their campaigns rock. Soooo I use the PF campaign setting book and cross reference this with chronicles and campaigns I have run. Once I have selected a setting for my campaign say Riddleport then I weave my general story concept (wererat infestation that turns out to be so much more) into the setting, and drop in monsters add a few big baddies (egyptian like cult and underground pyramid?) and whoala campaign...(well book 1 maybe) I must say this takes a while but you get faster as you do it more. The npc generator from dingle games is quite useful in cutting down creation time. Just remember that a campaign without a setting is usually just a brawl with out realism, drama or any of the good stuff that makes reading a book or playing an RPG fun. THE STORY.
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Set in Varisia heroic explorers have just stumbled into their first Thassilonian ruin! What they find there will take them from Korvosa to Magnimar, across the Storval Plateau into the depths of Kaer-Maga, the City of Strangers. They will be chased by desperate Shoanti tribesmen, Skinsaw Assassins, the Cult of Rovagug, and agents of the Korvosan crown, all trying to wrest from them a relic of the ancient past.
--My name is KING.... KING VROCK!
When does it come out sounds fun... and very pathfinder society friendly
I've been running a lot of the PF adventure paths for my campaigns and while I enjoy them, I sometimes get the creative itch to write something myself. I've got a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to commit the time to writing a quality campaign, even if I get started now while they're still two-three adventures from the end of the current game.
So, if you design your own campaigns, how much time do you typically spend working on them? What are some methods you use to save time?
Hard to say how much time I've spent working on my campaign. I've run the same game / campaign for 35 years. There are a lot of adventures / scenarios rattling around in a game this old. Back in the early days I tended to need about an hour per hour of play -- unless it was a simple dungeon run or something of that ilk. Gads. I just said "ilk". Focus on developing detailed NPCs (allies and enemies), put them into a setting and a lot of adventures will develop without too much work. I've had players fight duels as the best man at a wedding, rescue kidnap victims (friends), become involved with local charities (not kidding about that), settle gang wars, revenge the death of a valued friend, and a hundred other things. Nothing gets them moving like friends and enemies (NPCs). NPCs and a solid setting generate a lot of good times.
One thing, well several actually, about creating your own gameworld / campaign... no one will know it like you do. It can have everything you want to use in it. The longer you work on it the easier it gets and the less time you'll need to whip up an adventure. See, I told you there would be several :) On the down side, it takes more time to fit an AP into an existing game. Which is why I don't use them. Doesn't mean you can't use them, or at leaqst steal ideas from them of course.
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That said, it's not uncommon for a DM to get wrapped up in the process of world creation. As the bard said: "The play's the thing." Your players only care about the parts they interact with. A world can be painted in broad strokes, you only need fine detail when the players are likely to interact with it.
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That said, it's not uncommon for a DM to get wrapped up in the process of world creation. As the bard said: "The play's the thing." Your players only care about the parts they interact with. A world can be painted in broad strokes, you only need fine detail when the players are likely to interact with it.
Yep encounters are the Happy Little Trees and Streams of your very own Bob Ross world.
--Vrock'em Sock'em Robots!
That said, it's not uncommon for a DM to get wrapped up in the process of world creation. As the bard said: "The play's the thing." Your players only care about the parts they interact with. A world can be painted in broad strokes, you only need fine detail when the players are likely to interact with it.
I always focus on the details that will relate immediately to the players first. I have constantly added odd details and NPCs as I go though. Ideas come up and things / people get added. A lot of these extra deatils and NPCs become the heart of adventures. When you have an inspiration, write it down. Even incomplete ideas can be fleshed out / altered later as needed.
*edit* By the way, I love world building. It's a hobby in and of itself. Of course having cool bits pop up in the middle of a game just add to the "reality" of the setting. Immersion is a good thing and details about odds and ends, important or otherwise, just add to it.
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Depending on how long I intend to run a campaign I could bang out an adventure in a couple days to as long as 2-3 years.
I have one right now that should run from 1-12. I don't intend to finish it before next summer. Our group has plenty of backlogged adventures to play and I'm just slowly working in little modifications every few days, spending 1-2 hours a week on it at this point. This is something I want to be able to hand to another person and have them be able to "Get it" and tinker and play with.
In the past, I've slammed through a one-shot design in a day or so. These runs I am usually flying by the seat of my pants. I've got some stat blocks made and a general plan, but 90% of GMing one shots is playing off your player's actions. It's very similar to how organized play works out.
Really, it depends on your goals, and if you have a player group that immediately wants to run your set of adventures. If the primary DM for my college group called me and said "I have a story I'd like to run" I would be constantly trying to get updates, and he would probably work on it more. I know the quality of his work. Newer GM's don't always have that "5 people waiting for you to hurry up and RUN THE THING" factor.
I spend dozens of hours, and I run APs. My campaigns, even just a linked series of modules, almost always include newsletters (written like an in game newspaper), minor rewrites of the stories to coinside with each PC's backstory, and customization of treasures and encounters to give each player some additional shine.
I also have a very bellicose player, so I need to pay a lot of attention to details and consistency. I guess how much time you spend really depends on your players expectations. If it is a hack-and-slash group who just like swinging swords and firing spells then prep time may be much less than say a campaign full of intrique and puzzle solving were storyline consistancy and flow is much more important.