So basically I'm an avid mtg player and I'm in my 5th campaign of dnd (but the first 4 campaigns I did were horrible and with jerky dm's). But I'm now in my 5th campaign with a great Dm and am having s fun time, then i see that the ravnica crossover setting book is being realeased in November. I could not wait and found out about the planeshift zendikar and printed it plus bought all the books I needed to set up a campaign in zendikar (because my group barely knows mtg and think I should be the dm for the ravnica book) and now I own the books and really want to make a campaign in zendikar.
I've never written a story for a campaign though... or run one... I've started writing a story for the campaign though, but I dont know how to continue it or make it more detailed... what should I do?
It sounds like a lot to try to do at once. You might want to start with an official campaign book and modify things as appropriate for the setting. The Starter Set campaign Lost Mines of Phandelver isn't terribly setting-dependent, so I'd start there. It also happens to be a good place to start for a novice DM; just seek out tips about running it. Unfortunately, I don't know MTG or Zendikar enough to help with that, but you can search around for stuff like: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/4hovz7/zendikar_lore_for_dnd_campaign/
I've never written a story for a campaign though... or run one... I've started writing a story for the campaign though, but I dont know how to continue it or make it more detailed... what should I do?
If the game is going to be homebrewed (designed through you, not using a Pre-Published adventure) here's my advice:
Don't write a story per se, just write down some ideas and ask some open-ended questions and then play the game to answer them. Here's the only things you need to prepare:
(1) Starting location. (2) Central tension. (3) Three Open-ended Questions.
That's it. Here's an example.
(1) Starting Location: The Ghost District - A labyrinth of abandoned city structures in Ravnica. (2) Central tension. The party is hired by a guild to retrieve an artifact that's been lost in the Ghost District. A rival guild has also dispatched their own crew to try and recover it. Also, the area is plagued by wild monsters. (3) Three Open-ended questions. First, what will happen if / when the old prison inside the Ghost District is unlocked? Second, who will betray the party when the artifact is finally located? Third, what type of creature(s) guards the chamber that holds the artifact?
Now, do not answer these questions in your notes. You can think about what the answers might be, but just start the game and play to find out what happens instead of predetermining the outcomes before the game even starts.
I would listen to some real play podcasts (the adventure zone or Critical Role) for some basic inspiration, but I also agree that starting with a premade adventure would be good for getting your feet wet.
Writing a game adventure is like writing a novel. There are things you will need to do first, such as answering the following questions:
Who: Who are the PCs, who are the enemies, who are the important NPCs?
What: What is the over-arching plot of the story? The theme in the background of the movie, if you will. Is it defending the kingdom against some ancient evil?
Where: Where does the action take place? Where will the PCs be starting out?
When: What is the time frame you'd like to stick to? Will the adventures be days or weeks apart (more travel and possible wilderness encounters)?
Why: Why are the PCs traveling together? Why is the bad guy doing whatever they're doing?
How: How is the plot going to progress? If the Evil Overlord (tm) is planning to invade the kingdom, how will he do that? Is he raising an army through traditional means (hiring soldiers, arming them, etc) or is he raising an army of Undead (more fierce but dumber)?
It's important that you have at least a clue as to how all of this stuff works. You don't need the name of every town, inn and barkeep along the way, just the highpoints. Good luck.
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So basically I'm an avid mtg player and I'm in my 5th campaign of dnd (but the first 4 campaigns I did were horrible and with jerky dm's). But I'm now in my 5th campaign with a great Dm and am having s fun time, then i see that the ravnica crossover setting book is being realeased in November. I could not wait and found out about the planeshift zendikar and printed it plus bought all the books I needed to set up a campaign in zendikar (because my group barely knows mtg and think I should be the dm for the ravnica book) and now I own the books and really want to make a campaign in zendikar.
I've never written a story for a campaign though... or run one... I've started writing a story for the campaign though, but I dont know how to continue it or make it more detailed... what should I do?
It sounds like a lot to try to do at once. You might want to start with an official campaign book and modify things as appropriate for the setting. The Starter Set campaign Lost Mines of Phandelver isn't terribly setting-dependent, so I'd start there. It also happens to be a good place to start for a novice DM; just seek out tips about running it. Unfortunately, I don't know MTG or Zendikar enough to help with that, but you can search around for stuff like: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/4hovz7/zendikar_lore_for_dnd_campaign/
You could also go Innistrad instead, which DOES have a fan campaign available. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/4719fg/an_update_to_my_free_5e_adventure_army_of_the/
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
If the game is going to be homebrewed (designed through you, not using a Pre-Published adventure) here's my advice:
Don't write a story per se, just write down some ideas and ask some open-ended questions and then play the game to answer them. Here's the only things you need to prepare:
(1) Starting location. (2) Central tension. (3) Three Open-ended Questions.
That's it. Here's an example.
(1) Starting Location: The Ghost District - A labyrinth of abandoned city structures in Ravnica. (2) Central tension. The party is hired by a guild to retrieve an artifact that's been lost in the Ghost District. A rival guild has also dispatched their own crew to try and recover it. Also, the area is plagued by wild monsters. (3) Three Open-ended questions. First, what will happen if / when the old prison inside the Ghost District is unlocked? Second, who will betray the party when the artifact is finally located? Third, what type of creature(s) guards the chamber that holds the artifact?
Now, do not answer these questions in your notes. You can think about what the answers might be, but just start the game and play to find out what happens instead of predetermining the outcomes before the game even starts.
I would listen to some real play podcasts (the adventure zone or Critical Role) for some basic inspiration, but I also agree that starting with a premade adventure would be good for getting your feet wet.
Writing a game adventure is like writing a novel. There are things you will need to do first, such as answering the following questions:
Who: Who are the PCs, who are the enemies, who are the important NPCs?
What: What is the over-arching plot of the story? The theme in the background of the movie, if you will. Is it defending the kingdom against some ancient evil?
Where: Where does the action take place? Where will the PCs be starting out?
When: What is the time frame you'd like to stick to? Will the adventures be days or weeks apart (more travel and possible wilderness encounters)?
Why: Why are the PCs traveling together? Why is the bad guy doing whatever they're doing?
How: How is the plot going to progress? If the Evil Overlord (tm) is planning to invade the kingdom, how will he do that? Is he raising an army through traditional means (hiring soldiers, arming them, etc) or is he raising an army of Undead (more fierce but dumber)?
It's important that you have at least a clue as to how all of this stuff works. You don't need the name of every town, inn and barkeep along the way, just the highpoints. Good luck.