I"M NEW TO DUNGEON MASTERING, I AM GOOD AT PLAYER AND MONSTER COMBAT BUT BAD AT STORYLINE. I'm trying to come up with more interesting campaign idea's than just more monsters for them to fight in a dungeon. I have a dry-erase dungeon map so that helps. I want to have more story line to my campaign.
I suggest reading some the Dungeon masters guide and also reading adventure modules that sound appealing.
Also using ChatGPT to get an idea of plot points and creating something dynamic. Learning about what makes a story interesting is probably the best way to go.
Also there is nothing wrong with stealing ideas for your table. Also if you are doing your own adventure-- I bet you could take your Player characters backstory, copy paste them in ChatGPT and then having it make an overarching plot that would drive them to want to be in that adventure.
I'm new also, and I have never written a full story on my own. What I've been doing for now is finding adventure modules from Wizards of the Coast and tweaking or adding to them.
I found a YouTube channel that has given me lots of good tips called DM Lair. One thing from that channel that I have loved so far is to ask the players to make their own in-depth backstory, and then using that backstory and weaving it into the adventure that I selected.
One of my players used inspiration from a USA pop culture icon, so I'm building in the real icon's rival into my current campaign. Another player chose a goblin race, and it worked out perfectly that the story I picked has a lot of goblins.
Super easy start with a 3 shot - its totally doable with a dry erase board - all 3 modules take place in a dungeon environment have one of the ai (chat gpt/ Gemini / copilot) right you a simple 3 story arc and map out 2 fights per arc with a clue to get you to the next module.
I'm going to be the stick-in-the-mud and advocate against using any AI. If you don't start flexing your imagination, you will never improve, and will forever be a slave to the machines.
For a short start to an adventure, I recommend picking a creature you want to be the boss. Then, work outwards from there, essentially as the opposite of a murder case. Means, Motive, Opportunity.
Means - how will they fight the thing? The answer may be "because they're heroes", or it might be "They find the thing's weakness", or "They use the environment". Consider how the party can win. If you have an incorporeal opponent against a party of 4 fighters and a wizard, then consider offering magic items. If you do, consider how they earn these items. At low levels, make them consumable - you drink this and your attacks become magical for 1 minute, that sort of thing.
Motive - why do they want to fight the thing? Is it simply an evil thing that needs destroying so they can take all the things in the room of value, like the vikings so boldly did at Lindesfarme? Is it kidnapping livestock, or people? Is it plotting an evil scheme to take over the world? Who wants them to kill it - is it self-motivated ("We need to kill the unarmed cultists so we can take their stuff!"), or is it employment ("We'll pay you 50 gold to clear the kobolds from this cave"). Consider why the party might want to do it.
Opportunity - how do they get to the boss? what minions do they need to overcome or avoid to get there? What sort of things are the minions doing (don't have them stood in an idle loop in a room until triggered! Have them cooking or patrolling or sitting and gambling, make them actively alive, unless they are undead thralls instructive to stand idly until someone comes in!). How do they find the lair? Do they have to follow clues, or is it pointed out?
As an example:
You want them to fight a big bad Gnoll warlord in a cave.
Means: a Gnoll warlord is a flesh-and-blood enemy, so anything will work. Just being a PC is enough.
Motive: They need a reason. In this case, let's say they are sent to kill the Gnoll warlord. Why? Because the locals fear he will gather a big pack and overrun them. Who asked them? A local ranger who was spying on the gnolls. How did they meet them? They met them in a tavern. Why did they notice them? The ranger was drunk and angry nobody was listening to them, making a scene. Why would they listen to the ranger? They approach the party, seeing their weapons and capability, and offer them gold to clear out the Gnolls. What if they don't? Then a Gnoll will attack the tavern, making everyone ask them for help after they kill it.
Opportunity: How do they find the Gnolls? Look in the fields for the dead livestock, and follow the trails. How do they get to the Gnoll Chief? They have to fight 3 medium encounters with Gnolls. Therefore, we need a dungeon with at least 4 sections - let's pick Outside, Entrance/food store (ew), communal Nest, and Chief's Nest. Connect those up and it's a dungeon.
As the party didn't need anything to fight the Gnoll, we don't need to add any secrets to find, though we can choose to add a longsword from a previous dead adventurer who tried to solo it, with the name "Leeroy" engraved on the hilt, and a potion of healing which tastes like chicken. Now just make the encounters the right size for your party, name the Ranger (Herbert Willowstalker) and the tavern (The Bold Ram) and prepare some simple names to assign as needed to bar staff and government officials (Ted Bosinger, Renody Smithe, Angelica Stormthunder...) and begin:
"You are each of you in a Tavern, the Bold Ram..."
I'm going to be the stick-in-the-mud and advocate against using any AI….
I’m gonna hafta agree with ThorukDuckSlayeron this. Everyone is relying on AI to help do everything these days, but we never needed it before and the game has lasted 50+ years without it. It’s okay to use AI if one wants to, but I say it’s better to learn how to do it without the crutch first to get a good foundation for yourself. Afterwords if you wanna use AI, go ahead. But get the fundamentals down first.
Y’wanna know what we used to do, and many of us still do? We steal shamelessly from our favorite books, movies, and TV shows. 😉
I"M NEW TO DUNGEON MASTERING, I AM GOOD AT PLAYER AND MONSTER COMBAT BUT BAD AT STORYLINE. I'm trying to come up with more interesting campaign idea's than just more monsters for them to fight in a dungeon. I have a dry-erase dungeon map so that helps. I want to have more story line to my campaign.
I suggest reading some the Dungeon masters guide and also reading adventure modules that sound appealing.
Also using ChatGPT to get an idea of plot points and creating something dynamic. Learning about what makes a story interesting is probably the best way to go.
Also there is nothing wrong with stealing ideas for your table. Also if you are doing your own adventure-- I bet you could take your Player characters backstory, copy paste them in ChatGPT and then having it make an overarching plot that would drive them to want to be in that adventure.
Those would be the easiest ways IMO.
I'm new also, and I have never written a full story on my own. What I've been doing for now is finding adventure modules from Wizards of the Coast and tweaking or adding to them.
I found a YouTube channel that has given me lots of good tips called DM Lair. One thing from that channel that I have loved so far is to ask the players to make their own in-depth backstory, and then using that backstory and weaving it into the adventure that I selected.
One of my players used inspiration from a USA pop culture icon, so I'm building in the real icon's rival into my current campaign. Another player chose a goblin race, and it worked out perfectly that the story I picked has a lot of goblins.
Super easy start with a 3 shot - its totally doable with a dry erase board - all 3 modules take place in a dungeon environment have one of the ai (chat gpt/ Gemini / copilot) right you a simple 3 story arc and map out 2 fights per arc with a clue to get you to the next module.
I'm going to be the stick-in-the-mud and advocate against using any AI. If you don't start flexing your imagination, you will never improve, and will forever be a slave to the machines.
For a short start to an adventure, I recommend picking a creature you want to be the boss. Then, work outwards from there, essentially as the opposite of a murder case. Means, Motive, Opportunity.
Means - how will they fight the thing? The answer may be "because they're heroes", or it might be "They find the thing's weakness", or "They use the environment". Consider how the party can win. If you have an incorporeal opponent against a party of 4 fighters and a wizard, then consider offering magic items. If you do, consider how they earn these items. At low levels, make them consumable - you drink this and your attacks become magical for 1 minute, that sort of thing.
Motive - why do they want to fight the thing? Is it simply an evil thing that needs destroying so they can take all the things in the room of value, like the vikings so boldly did at Lindesfarme? Is it kidnapping livestock, or people? Is it plotting an evil scheme to take over the world? Who wants them to kill it - is it self-motivated ("We need to kill the unarmed cultists so we can take their stuff!"), or is it employment ("We'll pay you 50 gold to clear the kobolds from this cave"). Consider why the party might want to do it.
Opportunity - how do they get to the boss? what minions do they need to overcome or avoid to get there? What sort of things are the minions doing (don't have them stood in an idle loop in a room until triggered! Have them cooking or patrolling or sitting and gambling, make them actively alive, unless they are undead thralls instructive to stand idly until someone comes in!). How do they find the lair? Do they have to follow clues, or is it pointed out?
As an example:
You want them to fight a big bad Gnoll warlord in a cave.
Means: a Gnoll warlord is a flesh-and-blood enemy, so anything will work. Just being a PC is enough.
Motive: They need a reason. In this case, let's say they are sent to kill the Gnoll warlord. Why? Because the locals fear he will gather a big pack and overrun them. Who asked them? A local ranger who was spying on the gnolls. How did they meet them? They met them in a tavern. Why did they notice them? The ranger was drunk and angry nobody was listening to them, making a scene. Why would they listen to the ranger? They approach the party, seeing their weapons and capability, and offer them gold to clear out the Gnolls. What if they don't? Then a Gnoll will attack the tavern, making everyone ask them for help after they kill it.
Opportunity: How do they find the Gnolls? Look in the fields for the dead livestock, and follow the trails. How do they get to the Gnoll Chief? They have to fight 3 medium encounters with Gnolls. Therefore, we need a dungeon with at least 4 sections - let's pick Outside, Entrance/food store (ew), communal Nest, and Chief's Nest. Connect those up and it's a dungeon.
As the party didn't need anything to fight the Gnoll, we don't need to add any secrets to find, though we can choose to add a longsword from a previous dead adventurer who tried to solo it, with the name "Leeroy" engraved on the hilt, and a potion of healing which tastes like chicken. Now just make the encounters the right size for your party, name the Ranger (Herbert Willowstalker) and the tavern (The Bold Ram) and prepare some simple names to assign as needed to bar staff and government officials (Ted Bosinger, Renody Smithe, Angelica Stormthunder...) and begin:
"You are each of you in a Tavern, the Bold Ram..."
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I’m gonna hafta agree with ThorukDuckSlayer on this. Everyone is relying on AI to help do everything these days, but we never needed it before and the game has lasted 50+ years without it. It’s okay to use AI if one wants to, but I say it’s better to learn how to do it without the crutch first to get a good foundation for yourself. Afterwords if you wanna use AI, go ahead. But get the fundamentals down first.
Y’wanna know what we used to do, and many of us still do? We steal shamelessly from our favorite books, movies, and TV shows. 😉
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