Hello Pathfinders,
So a few months ago, I wrapped up my last Pathfinder game, which ran about 3 years, having players go from level 1, to level 17-18. It was a fun, high magic campaign set in a homebrewed world that had elements of Eberron and Spelljamer. When it ended, I wanted to take a break from GMing, and let one of my players steer the ship for a while. About 6 weeks rolled by, he had come up with his game, and we rolled new characters. (I had a sweet gunslinger with a majestic mustache who was a mix between Teddy Roosevelt and Ron Swanson). Anyway, his game fell through because he didn't have the time to plan for games. (Not his fault) Unfortunately, there isn't anyone else in the group interested in running a game, so rather than just having no game, I've decided to start GMing again.
So now I'm a bit stuck on what to run. Some might think that my lack of inspiration is coming from the fact that GMing was forced upon me, which isn't entirely true. I've had a pretty solid break, and I'm looking forward to being behind the screen again. I've thought about doing something opposite of my last game; something really low magic, perhaps something akin to Numeria, but more stand alone (IE: the rest of Golarion doesn't exist). Maybe with some Dark Sun elements thrown in (replace spellcasting entirely with psionics). Anyway, I'm looking for good ideas.
Hit me with your best shot.
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Well my immediate thought is: don't run a campaign.
Your last campaign ran for three years. Unless characters died pretty regularly, your players have been running their characters for a VERY long time.
So run a series of modules. Or one to three session adventures. Give them a chance to run all those characters they've thought up but didn't have a chance to play.
Meanwhile, the little short adventures give you a way to GM until something strikes your fancy enough to inspire that creative spark.
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I never seem to give good creative advice.
Here is a plot hook. In town x somewhere in the manawastes a criminal has been spotted. Bounty hunters flock there to capture the impressive bounty. The PCs have their own reasons (revenge, greed, job, bystander...) to be there. The town starts turning into a blood bath as tensions and conflics between the hunters arise. Then the PCs notice something fishy is happening under ground.
Do they give up the bounty and fight the greater threat? Is the increasing violence related to what's underground? Has anyone actually seen the criminal they are hunting?
Odd campaign ideas I have done (and I have DMed for almost 40 years, so you need new ideas):
1. Everyone starts with a level of NPC class. Those who will be non-spellcasters can take adept. This slightly nerfs spellcasters. (this does require some honesty on the part of player, so they won’t say “OK, I will play a rogue” then they multiclass 100% into Wizard.)
2. Everyone starts with a single powerful item, something unique that they have all inherited from a eccentric relative (requires them all to be same race, except maybe “half” races)
3. Go back to “roll them in order”, but be generous: 4d6 drop 1, re-roll ones, plus a bonus 7th roll which can be subbed in for any other roll, or that can switch two of the other rolls. Non-spellcasters get +1 to two rolls, must be opposites (one metal, one physical), partial spellcasters get +1 to any but their prime req, full Spellcaster get nada.
4. going back to #2, but they inherit a haunted castle, full of monsters and cool loot.
5. Everyone plays an uncommon race.
6. Wake up naked in a dungeon, now get out- thru the bottom of course.
2. Everyone starts with a single powerful item, something unique that they have all inherited from a eccentric relative (requires them all to be same race, except maybe “half” races)
It's Runaways!! :D
I've always wanted to do a game where the party were recently mid- or high-level heroes, lost the battle against the BBEG, and woke up as his undead minions. Regain your free will, fight free of your new master's control, and rebuild your strength so you can challenge him again, all the while having to deal with... well, being dead and all the hostility and trouble that brings with it =)
My GM's present story has been fun and different.
We started by signing on to act as muscle for a ship going to a newly established trading post on a far continent.
A hurricane sent us off course and shipwrecked us on an unknown coast.
Humans islanders, somewhat polynesian, with no metal working or mages.
They had never heard of anyplace we were familiar with.
Campaign was to clear up the artifact in an evil kingdom causing this part of the world to be hidden since the early wars.
Dinosaurs, lost cities, strange races, no place for us to take a break in- just savages, evil kingdoms, and jungle. None of the common races from home were around and civilized, so we kept finding new peoples to get to know.
Sort of land of the lost meets jurrasic park.
Our last game was spelljammer and reached the low 20's so this was a real change of pace. Magic items were available, but not easily and often only from looting.
We had to teach the locals, find and make friends with the few non-evil races, and bluff our way through evil cities. Few of the races present knew much about the lands outside their borders, so there were lots of unknown areas to travel thru.
Since we knew from set up we would be doing exploring, we could make characters to cope, but we didn't realize how much we would be on our own.
We're at 11th level now and have entered the high temple in the city which holds the artifact, so we're nearly done.
Unless we decide to stick around and bootstrap the locals.
It's been different.
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I always advocate adventure paths if GM burnout is becoming an issue.
It's easier to edit a game than write one, and it's easier to credibly threaten the PCs when a TPK doesn't mean throwing out your handwritten campaign notes.
Do an evil setting where they play evil characters. Have only a few strongholds of "good" where the tide turned against them long ago and now it's up to the PC's to destroy these last "bastions of hope," perhaps culminating in the eradication of the good gods by the end of the campaign. Just opposite of how everything is supposed to be.
E6 also keeps the game gritty and more realistic/cinimatic.
No, it does none of those things. It does make the game more boring and it does allow a poor DM that can't plan for flying wizards or T-port to run a game.
And you say "gritty" like it's a good thing. It's overdone.