starting a D&D campaign 

Have you ever been part of a campaign that grew organically vs with a pre-determined adventure path? How long did it run?

I usually just start with something that could be a one-shot. If everyone enjoys it, I just add other things. Short and medium length "arcs" can evolve, and the campaign last until the players get tire of it or life gets in the way for too many to keep going. They never end early because they are just over when they end.

been railroaded into a campaign, session 1 'you are fated to save the world'. since all the players were friends anyway it was OK, but we, and the DM all noticed this was a bad idea because we didnt explore the world, WE HAD A MISSION! I like the organic better.

Totally agree on starting at the dungeon. Throw in a bounty flyer or something and the party will have a reason to talk to the local magistrate, and/or mill around town to get hooks for the other locations of interest.

I am a huge fan of letting a campaign and relationships between PCs develop organically. Some of my best, most memorable RPG experiences have happened because the GM allowed us the freedom to take risks, make mistakes, and then let us try to creatively fix those mistakes. The particular plot leaps may not have been anything close to what the GM had in mind for the story as a whole. But those leaps arose because the GM knew we had established relationships with particular NPCs, and the final outcome ended up making sense. I have never had more fun than when the consequences of my actions came back to bite me. That could not have happened had the GM not been a little loose and flexible with the story. So bottom line- I think it is better when we all "create" a campaign together,. The GM gives us the hooks or options, and then lets us play. It really has led to some unforgettable Role Play moments.

yep... people seem generally more interested in going looking for the blacksmiths daughter who didn't come back when she went playing in the fields near the Forrest than going to kill that big scary red dragon that seem to have a thing for princesses and towers... mainly because they might know that blacksmith and they have been looking around the neighborhood and dealt with that pack of gobbos that has been raiding old jars farm the last two weeks

Back in the day.. before the Internet, there was a thing I use to do (and still do) called creative writing. This started back in the days of middle school (mid-late 70's Junior High) where my D&D days started and I discovered a bloom of fantasy adventure in my life. Here I saw myself as lucky, being talented in Art and Writing alike. So, in short, starting a D&D scenario was rather easy for me to conjure up. There are a few nexus moments where 2 or 3 PCs (or more) would meet at common gathering stops. For instance roadsie wells, blacksmith/farrier, fletchers shoppes, and at apothecaries for devices for healing and treatment. When you go to a store anywhere in the world, don't you meet people and maybe even strike up conversations?? There are many different ways to cobble together a long lasting party... and conversing with many NPCs can help develope the world surrounding the new party. Give new ideas a chance! Everything starts with an idea. It's your imagination that gets the ball rolling. Sure does spark the imagination at times. Thanks for inspiring me Daniel.

Sounds close to how I start. A group at the entrance... The best way to understand the characters is testing their meddle. Many players might have oodles of exposition ready as the norm, but 1st level characters should only have a sentence or two, as their background. Mercs or Heroes... 2 different approaches, which will become more evident at latter levels. Mercs tend to have higher death rates, Heroes are meant to go through trials and tribulations. Cool to hear your ideas.

Played a handful of great, short, campaigns over the years. Most of which were homebrew lvl 1- 5s. I havent ever played any campaign that lasted more than 3 or 4 months. I can only dream.

Great thoughts. I think using a rumors table or list of rumors can provide some plot hooks and give the players some freedom to pursue an adventure that they find most interesting. As the DM, you can then build from that. Of course, you may have to have several different scenarios prepared to be ready for whatever they might choose. But then again that's just part of being a DM.

I love starting a D&D campaign using a DCC funnel. My players always love it.

The method I've used with the most consistent success is starting the group at the end of a quest in the final moments of combat. It's my backwards way of doing character creation. -Roll ability scores. -Start game in combat at the end of a quest. -Choose class and starting weapon. -Retro-actively discover motivation for characters being here with the players during the combat. -End battle with quest hook that appeals to each characters' motivation. They've already taken a quest together. This was that quest. They know who they are and why they were here. They know where they are going.

Thanks as always Daniel. I really think the point of the OSR is to let the story emerge through player choices. Trust the players!

Very cool stuff as usual! I have very often started campaigns in the way you are describing, just having a more immediate adventure and goal for the players/characters. Many times I have some overarching idea of what I want to be going on and how I am going to try to get my players interested in it. Recently though, I have just been letting the characters exist and encounter things along the way. I throw out ideas, I create conflicts or rewards or points of interest, at first mostly on what I get inspired about at the time, but as the characters advance and uncover more of the world, plots begin to just write themselves. It is a bit stressful to not know much more than the players do oftentimes, preparing what they are doing before the next session, because I had no idea they were going to turn right instead of left etc. but it is exciting and challenges me and allows me to experience genuine surprise as well!

This gave me an idea to have my players all start as silver miners who know each other and have to use hand tools to dig past an anti magic bubble that bursts causing a cave in. Trapping the players and throwing them down into an upper level of the underdark.

Have only played twice and I have been the DM we are learning as we go. Was not sure what to do until a pc said maybe we could restore peace now I know where we are going long term even though she thinks it is impossible...

“In the beginning, Asmodeus created the world….” No wonder the world is such a nasty place!

brilliant. simple, elegant, organic, engaging.

I am fixen to start a new campaign based on the Judges Guild world. I call it the Wilderlands Chronicles. Meet and Greet on sept 10th at 6pm you should come.

Would love to hear your thoughts on ending a campaign.

I like both approaches, but each do different things for me. Like my best ever experience of gaming, was playing through the enemy within, and my best DMing experience was running Tatters of the king for Call of Cthulhu, but I also love and long for the chance to once again play a long form Picaresque adventure of mercinaries who make their own story in the world!

I have a rumors chart ( I constantly update depending on things PCs do) Everyone gets a rumor at the start of session, I dangle a couple of threads for adventures etc. Then let them drive the game.

I wish I could subscribe 10 times. I love your stuff. The only problem I have with B/X are the thief skills. They are terrible. I am pretty sure you have done a video on them already. One solution I came up with is to toss a six sider, with only a one failing and the higher result the better.

I really like how you laid this all out. I started a game of where I literally just rolled up random adventures and dungeons and now my players are level 8 and getting ready for the big world changing quest. Going into it, my only guide was I wanted to do an Aberrations game and so I just switched out suggested monsters for Aberrations of the same level. And if they complete that quest... all I really have are some events that will be put into motion after that. Been running this for 3 years now.

If you want a bad guy, just have them get taken over by a doppelganger. Happened to me and I had to find an appropriate time to 1) Take them out one at a time 2) Lead them dow a certain path 3) Take them out at a specified place which I would know when the Dungeon Master gave me a signal. That was real fun. I did try to get one alone but it just didn't happen. Then I tried telling them which direction I would go but they didn't bite. Then when I was given the signal I attacked the mage since I knew she was the biggest threat and even got to disrupt the spell she was casting. The rest of the players had no idea what was going on. The Mage and I were behind them so noone noticed. After that I just helped attacking the group with my real allies.

This guy is just the damn best.

An organically occuring campaign is So Much More of a shared experience and collaborative story than ANY published campaign.

I've always played a campaign as a series of individual adventures, occasionally a short adventure series, with a possible long term story that the players can move in and out of as they wish. Having said that, I do like Dragonlance and other long series as well. Depending on the group, you could run it straight through or mix in single adventures, coming back to the big story when refreshed (hmmm.. sounds like a one night stand 😉).

As a player my favourite campaigns have been the ones where characters influence the 'world' because of what they want to do. It does take a lot of work from the DM though and when I've DM'd I do like to have a rough idea of where the world is going while trying to accommodate the players plans. Again, it takes a lot of work which is fine if you can manage it but a ball ache if you can't. I totally get why some DM's have just run a series of adventures rather than that more interactive world. I was always grateful when someone else DM'd as I prefer to play so any port in a storm. I've started a campaign with my own world which was half done and had to bail out as the second half wasn't complete (and I became a dad which was a bit of an excuse) and left the players hanging. Maybe the difference between building your own world and using an 'off the shelf' world, dunno ???

30yr ongoing campaign, a 15yr ongoing campaign, and 3 different 14yr long campaigns. Each with different groups. Not including the 3yr or 4 yr runs with other groups. Campaigns can have different designs. Some are preplanned, others random events with the central force (the players) being their only unification, some campaigns are a series of stand alone modules or adventures linking the story of players in some way through the moments and outcomes they share. Campaigns have a range. Starting a campaign starts not in a campaign for sure but in the beginning. You don't start in a campaign, you start in a situation or adventure. A campaign is a span of time, not just an isolated event. Having the mindset I find when I do teach and train for new DM/GM I start them without backstory, without the story, with simply the known and the unknown. What do the players know and what do they not know. From that you can usually find things among them individually that simply by the space, the world, they are brought together by this. The wizard knows of areas that contain magic, the dwarf knows of ancient forges long past thought lost, the fighter may be used to finding contracts or places where unknown can be come known, the rogue deals in making the known disappear into the unknown. Perhaps the rogue is caught thieving by a member of the party, the item they carry is being sought by another member, and yet another hope to destroy it. It isn't a chain but links that are strung piece by piece over the course of the design and last as long as they may. Some campaigns end, only to be replaced by others as chains begin anew. The range is expansive. We all just start at the beginning. It's what happens next that inspires us all to share what we have done.

Another great video. You are chalk full of inspiring advice.

Ahh now I know what funnel is. I haven't done it but it sounds great!

Agreed completely, and very well said.

I agree that long narration, description, world-building exposition is boring. And I like dungeon crawls. But I want players to feel like this is going somewhere from the first session. I don't try to manufacture back stories for PCs, but I drop them into an existing situation of pathos/intensity, usually with combat near the opening. I agree with you that the bonding needs to happen simultaneously as players and their characters overcome challenges at the table, not because of artificial plots narrated to them. So I try to drop clues and incentives as they move through my "scenes." This has hooked my players to come back once a week in 2 different groups. That said, I do really like your approach, which has helped me strive for a more PC-centric game, instead of one where the DM dominates. I enjoy your "actual" play videos, which are like tutorials for me! I love seeing how *real* players role-play, instead of paid actors.

I only ever design single adventures. More often than not, they evolve into multiple adventures. It’s a good feeling.

In the campaign I am working on there are 'conceits' which the players must agree to 1) Your PC died. Perhaps in childhood, perhaps in battle or of old age in bed. 2) At your PC's death they wished for more life with which to wield good upon the world. 3) When your PC was very young they were part of a mob of children running around the streets of a large ocean port metropolis. All PCs were part of this mob of kids, and THAT is why they are favorably disposed toward another. There are only 2 plot points in my campaign which the players cannot avoid. 1) A near TPK prior to 4th level were the party is rescued from destruction by a very powerful LG Outsider. Now the party owes it a favor. 2) At 13th level that favor comes due. And with it the opportunity to render Mindflayers extinct, at the very end of time. If you know the lore this makes the vanish throughout all time. A Good DM never uses DMPCs, but you can let them cast well worded wishes. Mwahahaha!

Set up a one nighter 3e defend the caravan. I had orcs as ranger class and put a butt kicking on the party. They loved it so much it turned into a long campaign. They took the caravan to a logging town where there was mischief going on and I needed a bigger bad. Rakshaka used his illusionary skills to look like a halfling (general store owner) and had them creating chaos between the town and local elves. As they started figuring things out I needed a bigger bad. The king from the nearest town heard of their achievements and brought them in. He was a Baalzebul trapped on the prime plan who assumed the identity of the kind and was having problems with a copper dragon so he hired the good players to kill the good dragon…. So funny to see them attack the dragon and the dragon was so confused because he could sense they were good 🤪🤪 The dragon finally flew off after he tried talking to them but the barbarian wouldn’t have it. From a distance he reasoned with the Paladin and then informed the party of the betrayal. The fight ended in the castle courtyard. Too many more details to fill in but it was so fun.

I used your advice from some of your videos on a game I dm’ed and it was really helpful. I used a hex crawl for the first time, I also started the one shot at the dungeon and allowed them to venture off ‘right way’ or not. Very good stuff.

Subscribed, keep up the good work.

Belgrave, Nikodemus, Trisradel, and Olgrimm step out into the daylight. As their eyes adjust back to the light, Olgrimm turns and stares back into the dungeon entrance. He stares for a long while, then he turns back and is met with the face of Belgrave. "Seen some $#!% now have ye? Isn't that right, my good dwarf." Olgrimm blinks and gulps loudly. His face covered in worry. Then his demeanor shifts to a dry, calculating one and he responds slowly in a gruff confident tone, "Aye, laddy. Tis true. But it weren't I who syarted it. Isn't that right...my good man?" They stare unwavering at one another. Trisradel and Nikodemus watch in anticipation whilst Belgrave and Olgrimm stay locked in a staring match that feels like an eternity. Suddenly, Belgrave and Olgrimm break into deep and hardy laughter. Nervously Tris and Nic join-in and together the four adventurers walk back to town side-by-side, forever changed by their shared experiece in the deep, dark dungeon.

Great advice

Great advice and conversation :) Keep it simple and let the story / motivation evolve is such good advice (and keeping some individual motivation / story arcs for the players)

Best advice ever.

I want to play in your game!

Carving Flesh is the greatest thrill - I'm Standing on a Million Lives

I would like to collaborate in some way this summer. I am converting my News channel into a DnD channel. You are an inspiration!

Great advice!

there's a video from years back called 'damn good D&D' and it fits this perfectly - create a sandbox and throw the players in. i do what you suggest and make a character hook for each player related to the dungeon or bounties or rumours, but also agree starting in a dungeon is great. i like starting just before combat occurs and break the ice with a combat.

Great content!

[Self-Obligatory Channel-boosting Comment]

What is the source of the thumbnail art? You sometimes have some very interesting thumbnails for your videos, and I wish you would include a source for them in the video description.

Nice video. Unrelated question, when you have PCs find a treasure map, do you create a map or just narrate that they have found a map that they may follow?

Are you coming to Gary Con in 2022?

Can you send a link for the art on your thumbnails? Or add them in your video descriptions? I like them quite a bit and always wonder where you find them!

Sandbox!

I don’t really understand how to run railroad campaigns. How do you know what the story will be before your figures live it?

Helpful video, thank you - which pdf is shown in this video?

What is the book you are using in the video?

Like #666 🤟