Adventuring in a Local Area?

[nrtrandahl]

We're about to fire up a new Pathfinder campaign, and for the first time I've decided to just detail a small local barony as a homebase for adventuring around the surrounding countryside, as opposed to what I usually do: designing entire settings from scratch. I think this approach will be good, and i have a ton of local adventures and adventuring sites lined up. The area of the barony is about 80 miles north to south and just under 100 miles east to west. Anyways, I was wondering how many levels you think I can keep the PCs in this local region without having them expand too far outward to other baronies and provinces? I do have plenty to work with in this local area but I don't want them to get too burnt out with it. Thoughts?

[Ringtail]

As long as the adventures and backdrop vary a little I don't think it'll matter if the entire campaign takes place in such a small region. I have a map for my current 1 - 30 level game (that's right, its 4e), that is about the same size as yours give or take a few miles on the dimensions. I wanted a strong sense of immersion and culture and felt a centralized location would be best. With the history I've worked out for the region there is no shortage of locations and adventures types to tackle - swamps and mires which can slow overland travel, giving the illusion of distance, ancient dwarfhome fortresses, a well mapped town with notable personalities for urban exploration and investigation adventures, a dragon's lair (of course), tombs of past wizards both sane and mad, a nearby barbarian society which brings a flavor all its own, and its even coastal to provide for some sailing plots.

Basically, all in all, if you can provide enough variations in backdrops and adventure seeds within a small area it works very well, especially because some spells become a bit less vital and relevent allowing a caster to expand on their particular repetior (no real need for Teleportation or Sending when everyone is pretty close at hand). The approach also works well when heavy on social adventures; keeping the PC's to one place allows them to flesh out relationships with NPCs, forge names and alliances for themselves in the region, and even have a sense of stability, where purchasing land might actually matter as opposed to always traveling.

When you focus your efforts on a small area it will really shine, and your players will likely appreciate the hard work and energy you put into developing a well thought out game world and not care to leave the area through boredom.

As a player, I personally would prefer if most full campaigns focused on one region as opposed to hopping about about.

[Dobneygrum]

I've tried that two times. The first time they burnt down the capitol city at level 1. (I now no longer allow people to have a Wisdom 6.) The second time I tried it, I got to about level 6 when it seemed like it was time for people to move on.

[Rezdave]

nrtrandahl wrote:

how many levels you think I can keep the PCs in this local region without having them expand too far outward to other baronies and provinces

Five ... (or less)

It really depends upon how "Player-Driven" you run your campaigns and how far "off the rails" you let the PCs go. I've had my Players spend a long period in one area, but I've also had groups that wanted to "re-locate" after a couple levels.

Then there was the time the group was on a "Side-Trek" for a one-off that turned into a major RP scenario that "Re-Centered" the campaign.

However, I run an entirely Player-Driven campaign, so I'm always up for that sort of thing.

Generally speaking, though, I've found that campaigns work well when conceptually divided into 5-Level increments (and FWIW, Monte Cook agrees with me, as evidenced by a Dungeoncraft article he wrote some years ago).

Levels 1-5 generally occur in a local area dealing with disparate adventures and minor opponents.

Levels 6-10 move to a regional setting, and the PCs take on the schemes of more organized villains who may be organizing larger plots. They may even come to realize that a couple of the "separate" opponents they faced previously were in fact minions of a current villain.

Levels 11-15 are regional/continental, where the PCs are powerful, famous and influential enough to engage major opponents, criminal masterminds, national politics and solve long-standing mysteries or overcome infamous dungeons. This is also a good time for PCs to begin grappling with meta-plot issues. This is where they come to realize that several of their previous opponents are in fact all part of a network (usually unknowingly) advancing he schemes of a powerful arch-villain.

Levels 16-20 are continental/world-wide/multi-planar adventures where the PCs are directly opposing the master-villain(s) and directly engaged with meta-plots. They can request (and expect to receive) an audience with any head-of-state or archmage or similar figure. They travel widely across their world and perhaps even to others in pursuit of their goals.

But the short answer to your question ... a "local area" can keep a group of PCs busy for about 5 levels.

Of course, in order to avoid "wasting" all of your development in the "local" region, build in some early meta-plot ties. Have the PCs establish roots (friends, family, wards, etc.) that will encourage them to keep it as a home base, keep them coming back, and have them particularly invested when they realize that at 20th level they're not just saving the world, but literally and directly saving their own families, friends and loved ones ... but don't make it too contrived.

HTH,

Rez

[nrtrandahl]

Thanks for the responses, folks! Well,Ringtail, your post gives me hope. My campaigns are admittedly not very player-driven. They are usually good at just letting me tell the story and going along with it. With this campaign I would like them to remain in the Barony but I'm going to give them options on which adventuring sites and jobs they want to explore in whatever order they want. I also got the Plot Twist gamemastery cards for this cmapaign so they can help shape the plot for once. i like the idea of memorable NPCs, shops, pubs, and locals so they stakes are higher when they are threatened.
We shall just wait and see if they get bored with the Barony later on. Thanks again!