This is not exactly a recruitment thread, nor is it quite an interest check. I have no clue if I would ever actually run this campaign, but it's an idea that I had with an inspiration streak a mile long, so I thought I would share it and see what it generates. It's a custom campaign still under a working title, currently under "Machinations of The Bard" for the moment.
Here's the general intro...
Good friend for Jesus’ sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here:
Blest be the man that spares these stones,
And curst be he that moves my bones.
So written are the words on the tombstone of the famed English author, actor and poet, William Shakespeare. He penned over 154 sonnets, 37 plays, and most likely acted in all of them. He is credited with inventing countless new words, phrases, and is the second most quoted author in English. He elevated the concepts of theater and writing to heights unimagined and captured the hearts and imaginations of countless people, both in his own time, and up to the present day, with works lost to time that we can only speculate on. For all of his accomplishments and contributions to literature, precious little is known about this inspirational writer, known by many as simply "The Bard."
Perhaps it is better that way.
Were the truth of The Bard to get out, the world may have a decidedly less favorable opinion of the man. In reality, the man we know as William Shakespeare was skilled in ways that could only be imagined, with powers so incredible, mortal man would have stood no chance in its wake. And were it not for a twist of fortune so inconceivable that The Bard himself would scoff at it, the known world may look quite different. If one looks deep enough, they will find a remarkably different and hard-to-believe tale; of individuals who wielded strength untold, soaked London in witchcraft and, ultimately, were responsible for the safety of two worlds - both ours and their own.
Yes, you read that right. I'm currently working on a custom AP (lightly inspired from the Reign of Winter AP) in which you discover magic plays in Golarion, travel into prison worlds penned by The Bard himself, fight your way through the works of William Shakespeare, come out the other end, and kill English's most prolific author, poet, playwright and actor. If that sounded insane to you, good, because it sounded insane to me when I just wrote all that out.
This is still heavily in the works (I'm barely past the first couple of encounters), so whether I actually end up writing this all the way, GM it, or what, I don't even know yet (I don't consider myself a very good GM, so I don't want to make more commitments than I can keep). I haven't seen that far ahead to give a definitive answer.
However, for those of you (hopefully) intrigued by this idea, I gladly welcome your input, and for any aspiring GMs who'd want to give this a run through, I'll be glad to submit the materials if you'd like to give it a shot, and make it as pain-free as possible. Otherwise, I'd enjoy some feedback/thoughts - this is something that's got me inspired and the more I work on it, the more I like it.
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The idea is fascinating, and I love it.
However, you're not going to get much feedback on something that is:
- incomplete;
- that you're not sure you are going to run if you finish;
- and that you don't know if you have the skills to GM.
Give the actors a chance to go on stage, set the mystery, allow the first body to drop from the heights of the theater.
Here's what I suggest. Start with Shakespeare's first and worst play -- Titus Andronicus. Oh man, is it ever bad. Have the actors get sucked into the play and have to fight their way through it. There's not much plot (really) but you can have them discover the first clues of what the bard is up to...
Make it short. Write an ending, and plan to only go to that ending, with a portal at the end that will lead the characters to the next play. Run that.
As you run the characters through the first play, start writing the next based on the activities of your most active posters. Do your grand vision in baby steps, and don't falter in it. We want to be sucked in to your grand vision, and know that we are in the hands of a master storyteller!
Does this help?
BTW, if you do decide to do this one, private message me. I would be very interested. I could be the crazy prop mistress / animal handler who gets sucked in to your storyline. Or something.