I am organising dungeons and dragons evening with my friends. I made everything about races, classes, spells, etc.
I am stuck about main plot I made map and a lot of side quests but I can't make anything abou main plot that I will be satisfied with. In this thread I ask all members for ideas about main lore.
What books/ movies/ comics do you like? What do you like about them? What are the underlying concepts or mechanics that you think make them compelling? Identify these and then pick and choose from all your favorites, and they should eventually coalesce into a whole that, while still being a Frankenstein monster of plot stuff, is something unique and your own.
Even if players can see at times where you're drawing inspiration from, they'll probably appreciate it all the more.
Also, ask your players about their backstories and see what can be baked into your world. See who has reason to become involved, see where's there's room for twists, dramatic reveals, etc. Players love a story they can interact with and be part of.
Final thing off the top of my head; don't feel pressured to have everything planned out. You don't need to know the primary trading crop of some little village on the coast that the players might not even go to, or the middle name of the shopkeeper who sells it. Plan enough, but be ready to improvise, since that's where your best gaming moments will come from.
Hope some of that helps!
*Edit*
Maybe just start off with some of those sidequests and don't worry about the main quest till you see your party in action. See how they interact with your world and each other and start working on a story that fits their style.
I agree with CharlesThePlant, you can start with those short sidequest ideas you have! Especially for a new campaign it can be fun to have some simple missions to begin with as your party get's to know each other. Especially if you've already made a map have some fun coming up with one line mysteries your players can go check out for a few sessions.
I like to look through the Monster Manual for a monster that sounds like fun, or inspires an adventure idea. It doesn't have to be complex, just a monster of the week type idea is a lot of fun. A lost Flumph looking for a way back to the Underdark kept my party happy for HOURS.
Seriously good advice. My girlfriend homebrewed her first ever campaign and every session was us running into a new monster manual entry. She doodled a little map of the island we were on floating in limbo, which was all style no detail. All but one of us bombed some intelligence check at character creation so we lost our memories and backstories. It is ironically one the most memorable campaigns we've ever had as group to the point where I still get fan art of my paladin getting his mind eaten by a chibi intelligence devourer every year for my birthday.
I mean we did it all. Hunted Grungs for antivenom, fended off the romantic advances of vargoilles, smothered a rug of smothering, and accidently lured a dragon turtle into town. To this day we still sit and wonder; "Who were we? Where were we? Why did the blink dogs always have saddles but never riders?"
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I am organising dungeons and dragons evening with my friends. I made everything about races, classes, spells, etc.
I am stuck about main plot I made map and a lot of side quests but I can't make anything abou main plot that I will be satisfied with. In this thread I ask all members for ideas about main lore.
Even stupid comments are welcome.
When in doubt, steal.
What books/ movies/ comics do you like? What do you like about them? What are the underlying concepts or mechanics that you think make them compelling? Identify these and then pick and choose from all your favorites, and they should eventually coalesce into a whole that, while still being a Frankenstein monster of plot stuff, is something unique and your own.
Even if players can see at times where you're drawing inspiration from, they'll probably appreciate it all the more.
Also, ask your players about their backstories and see what can be baked into your world. See who has reason to become involved, see where's there's room for twists, dramatic reveals, etc. Players love a story they can interact with and be part of.
Final thing off the top of my head; don't feel pressured to have everything planned out. You don't need to know the primary trading crop of some little village on the coast that the players might not even go to, or the middle name of the shopkeeper who sells it. Plan enough, but be ready to improvise, since that's where your best gaming moments will come from.
Hope some of that helps!
*Edit*
Maybe just start off with some of those sidequests and don't worry about the main quest till you see your party in action. See how they interact with your world and each other and start working on a story that fits their style.
I agree with CharlesThePlant, you can start with those short sidequest ideas you have! Especially for a new campaign it can be fun to have some simple missions to begin with as your party get's to know each other. Especially if you've already made a map have some fun coming up with one line mysteries your players can go check out for a few sessions.
I like to look through the Monster Manual for a monster that sounds like fun, or inspires an adventure idea. It doesn't have to be complex, just a monster of the week type idea is a lot of fun. A lost Flumph looking for a way back to the Underdark kept my party happy for HOURS.
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
I mean, really anything involving Flumphs or other "cute" monsters will be your best friend when you need a quick sidequest idea.
Seriously good advice. My girlfriend homebrewed her first ever campaign and every session was us running into a new monster manual entry. She doodled a little map of the island we were on floating in limbo, which was all style no detail. All but one of us bombed some intelligence check at character creation so we lost our memories and backstories. It is ironically one the most memorable campaigns we've ever had as group to the point where I still get fan art of my paladin getting his mind eaten by a chibi intelligence devourer every year for my birthday.
I mean we did it all. Hunted Grungs for antivenom, fended off the romantic advances of vargoilles, smothered a rug of smothering, and accidently lured a dragon turtle into town. To this day we still sit and wonder; "Who were we? Where were we? Why did the blink dogs always have saddles but never riders?"