Hi everyone đź‘‹, I'm a fairly new dm and am currently trying to make an adventure / campaign to play through and was wondering if anyone had any ideas or helpful comments or even adventures that I could adapt or change slightly for my campaign
So in short, I am currently trying to make a campaign for my group to play. The setting is sort of dark fantasy, think the withcher or warhammer. The main campaign story arc I'm planning is that an evil villian (don't have name atm) has been slowly infiltrating and gaining influence in the world by implanting members of his order/cult into positions of power to turn things in his favour and to, when the time is right all strike at once to conquer the land for his own.
The plan for the start of the campaign is to run lost mines of phandelver with a few tweaks (making the black spider into a cult leader who worship said evil villian and is trying to get the treasure for him), foreshadowing the main villian along the way. Then I plan to have the forces of evil suddenly strike, using a heavily reskined adventure version of the adventure rise of vecna (link: https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/385544) for formatting where the PCs have to with the help of an adventurers guild destroy 3 gems of power which by doing so will weaken the villians power (sort of like horcruxs in harry potter). After that I think the adventures will probably face the villian in a big battle after a few more quests building up to it ( there's a sequel coming out very soon to the adventure that I'm very loosely basing part of the adventure on so may or may not use some of it depending on what it's like). I also need to flesh out the villian a lot more
If anyone has any ideas for the campaign or suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows of any adventures or one shots which I can maybe use or modify to suit the story that would be great.
All help would be very greatly appreciated, thanks very much.
My advice would be to overplan your NPCs and underplan your adventures (especially those which take place more than 4 sessions in the future). You don't really need a name for the BBE yet, but you do want a good sense of what they are doing and why. It sounds like you have a good start with your adventure structure, and I think you should spend most of your time working on foreshadowing and plot specific trappings. See how the players react in your first few sessions, and use that experience to inform the kinds of adventures you use moving forward, rather than trying to have the whole arc plotted out beforehand.
I find that if I overplan on lore/plots/npc stuff, that work usually pays off, either directly in play, or more likely as a reference for me later to help me better respond to something unexpected a PC does. If I overplan on adventures, there's an increasing likelihood that that work goes unused, the further out I plan.
My advice would be to overplan your NPCs and underplan your adventures (especially those which take place more than 4 sessions in the future). You don't really need a name for the BBE yet, but you do want a good sense of what they are doing and why. It sounds like you have a good start with your adventure structure, and I think you should spend most of your time working on foreshadowing and plot specific trappings. See how the players react in your first few sessions, and use that experience to inform the kinds of adventures you use moving forward, rather than trying to have the whole arc plotted out beforehand.
I find that if I overplan on lore/plots/npc stuff, that work usually pays off, either directly in play, or more likely as a reference for me later to help me better respond to something unexpected a PC does. If I overplan on adventures, there's an increasing likelihood that that work goes unused, the further out I plan.
Yeah a lot of new DMs get so caught up in the story they're trying to tell that they can neglect the role player choice plays in the game. We've all done it. I definitely agree that you should know your world and the NPCs in it while only plan as much as you think you'll need for the next couple sessions. That way, if the players go a way that your didn't expect, it doesn't undo your campaign and your not incentivised to "fix" the player's decision for the sake of your plot.
Focus on your NPCs motivations and what they would do in a certain situation while also keeping things fluid enough to react to your players doing something weird or unexpected.
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I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
My advice would be to overplan your NPCs and underplan your adventures (especially those which take place more than 4 sessions in the future). You don't really need a name for the BBE yet, but you do want a good sense of what they are doing and why. It sounds like you have a good start with your adventure structure, and I think you should spend most of your time working on foreshadowing and plot specific trappings. See how the players react in your first few sessions, and use that experience to inform the kinds of adventures you use moving forward, rather than trying to have the whole arc plotted out beforehand.
I find that if I overplan on lore/plots/npc stuff, that work usually pays off, either directly in play, or more likely as a reference for me later to help me better respond to something unexpected a PC does. If I overplan on adventures, there's an increasing likelihood that that work goes unused, the further out I plan.
Yeah a lot of new DMs get so caught up in the story they're trying to tell that they can neglect the role player choice plays in the game. We've all done it. I definitely agree that you should know your world and the NPCs in it while only plan as much as you think you'll need for the next couple sessions. That way, if the players go a way that your didn't expect, it doesn't undo your campaign and your not incentivised to "fix" the player's decision for the sake of your plot.
Focus on your NPCs motivations and what they would do in a certain situation while also keeping things fluid enough to react to your players doing something weird or unexpected.
Don't be afraid to spend 20+ hours creating an adventure like I do (players and the game deserve it). Most importantly, that only comes out to less than an hour a day prepping an adventure that will last 2 or 3 5-hour sessions :) Basically, you spend a month (an hour a day) creating an adventure that will last you at least 2 sessions (2 weekends). Don't get me wrong, sometimes you'll spend several hours in one night, because things are so exciting and, on a roll, but if you just commit an hour a night or less, in a month, you have at least 2 game sessions, 1 adventure ready. Pause, create, play, repeat ;)
I rewrote I3 Pharoah (a 40-year-old adventure) for 5e, plus changed the story up dramatically - Desert of Desolation is now a demiplane and while characters were traveling through a desert, a sandstorm, The Sands of Ruins, swept them away to it.
They discover they must break Amun-re curse to leave the sunken ruined city. The demiplane is barren, hot sand, always high noon and always 110+ degrees outside, always the same day for the past 1,000 years, so anything that has charges like "3 times per day" has to be used sparingly, as there is only 1 day.
The gods that forsaken Amun-re to this imprisonment, this curse, ensured it would persist and endure the test of time by layering the sunken city, it's ruinous temples and dungeons with cultist guards, mazes, traps....and much more, like the Tomb of Nightmares, ensuring raiders and heroes are foiled.
Currently, players are nearly half done with adventure.
My other advice is if you want to put some NPCs and locations in your back pocket, Acquisitions Incorporated and Dragon of Icespire Peak are both set around Phandalin and whilst I wouldn't advise trying to merge them all (I did this. It was complicated and unnecessary) the NPCS and surrounding maps can help if you're worried about thinking on your feet if a player suddenly asks to find a potion seller or something.
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Hi everyone đź‘‹, I'm a fairly new dm and am currently trying to make an adventure / campaign to play through and was wondering if anyone had any ideas or helpful comments or even adventures that I could adapt or change slightly for my campaign
So in short, I am currently trying to make a campaign for my group to play. The setting is sort of dark fantasy, think the withcher or warhammer. The main campaign story arc I'm planning is that an evil villian (don't have name atm) has been slowly infiltrating and gaining influence in the world by implanting members of his order/cult into positions of power to turn things in his favour and to, when the time is right all strike at once to conquer the land for his own.
The plan for the start of the campaign is to run lost mines of phandelver with a few tweaks (making the black spider into a cult leader who worship said evil villian and is trying to get the treasure for him), foreshadowing the main villian along the way. Then I plan to have the forces of evil suddenly strike, using a heavily reskined adventure version of the adventure rise of vecna (link: https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/385544) for formatting where the PCs have to with the help of an adventurers guild destroy 3 gems of power which by doing so will weaken the villians power (sort of like horcruxs in harry potter). After that I think the adventures will probably face the villian in a big battle after a few more quests building up to it ( there's a sequel coming out very soon to the adventure that I'm very loosely basing part of the adventure on so may or may not use some of it depending on what it's like). I also need to flesh out the villian a lot more
If anyone has any ideas for the campaign or suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows of any adventures or one shots which I can maybe use or modify to suit the story that would be great.
All help would be very greatly appreciated, thanks very much.
My advice would be to overplan your NPCs and underplan your adventures (especially those which take place more than 4 sessions in the future). You don't really need a name for the BBE yet, but you do want a good sense of what they are doing and why. It sounds like you have a good start with your adventure structure, and I think you should spend most of your time working on foreshadowing and plot specific trappings. See how the players react in your first few sessions, and use that experience to inform the kinds of adventures you use moving forward, rather than trying to have the whole arc plotted out beforehand.
I find that if I overplan on lore/plots/npc stuff, that work usually pays off, either directly in play, or more likely as a reference for me later to help me better respond to something unexpected a PC does. If I overplan on adventures, there's an increasing likelihood that that work goes unused, the further out I plan.
Thanks, that's great help
Yeah a lot of new DMs get so caught up in the story they're trying to tell that they can neglect the role player choice plays in the game. We've all done it. I definitely agree that you should know your world and the NPCs in it while only plan as much as you think you'll need for the next couple sessions. That way, if the players go a way that your didn't expect, it doesn't undo your campaign and your not incentivised to "fix" the player's decision for the sake of your plot.
Focus on your NPCs motivations and what they would do in a certain situation while also keeping things fluid enough to react to your players doing something weird or unexpected.
I really like D&D, especially Ravenloft, Exandria and the Upside Down from Stranger Things. My pronouns are she/they (genderfae).
Thanks
Don't forget the guide!
I created a 3-minute video that will help you: How To Create a Dungeons and Dragons Adventure in 3 Minutes - YouTube
Don't be afraid to spend 20+ hours creating an adventure like I do (players and the game deserve it). Most importantly, that only comes out to less than an hour a day prepping an adventure that will last 2 or 3 5-hour sessions :) Basically, you spend a month (an hour a day) creating an adventure that will last you at least 2 sessions (2 weekends). Don't get me wrong, sometimes you'll spend several hours in one night, because things are so exciting and, on a roll, but if you just commit an hour a night or less, in a month, you have at least 2 game sessions, 1 adventure ready. Pause, create, play, repeat ;)
I rewrote I3 Pharoah (a 40-year-old adventure) for 5e, plus changed the story up dramatically - Desert of Desolation is now a demiplane and while characters were traveling through a desert, a sandstorm, The Sands of Ruins, swept them away to it.
They discover they must break Amun-re curse to leave the sunken ruined city. The demiplane is barren, hot sand, always high noon and always 110+ degrees outside, always the same day for the past 1,000 years, so anything that has charges like "3 times per day" has to be used sparingly, as there is only 1 day.
The gods that forsaken Amun-re to this imprisonment, this curse, ensured it would persist and endure the test of time by layering the sunken city, it's ruinous temples and dungeons with cultist guards, mazes, traps....and much more, like the Tomb of Nightmares, ensuring raiders and heroes are foiled.
Currently, players are nearly half done with adventure.
Thanks for the very detailed answer, very helpful, will for sure watch those videos
My other advice is if you want to put some NPCs and locations in your back pocket, Acquisitions Incorporated and Dragon of Icespire Peak are both set around Phandalin and whilst I wouldn't advise trying to merge them all (I did this. It was complicated and unnecessary) the NPCS and surrounding maps can help if you're worried about thinking on your feet if a player suddenly asks to find a potion seller or something.