I recently started writing my own campaign and I love all the things that go into it. World building, making npcs, creating side quests and encounters, and writing the main quest line. But none of the people I play dnd with seems interested. I've found that writing the campaign is sorta like a emotional outlet for me but I dont see a point in writing it if I cant see anyone enjoying it. Any advice?
Why is it tha tthey aren't interested? Are they already involved in several games and haven't the time for another? Or does it seem to be that the yaren't interested in the way it is presented (EG people who love roleplay being presented with enemies to kill, or people who love killing enemies being presented with political intrigue plots)?
If it's option 1, then you may need to put your name in for when a campaign ends or gets paused, and wait it out - or find another group to run for (apparently there's a shortage of DM's).
If it's option 2, then you just need t ofind a group who's interested in what you're presenting.
Don't let either option discourage you, especially if you're being drawn into it at an emotional level! If worldbuilding and campaign-writing makes you happy, then keep at it and when the time comes, you'll have loads of stuff to choose from!
I spent all of quarantine building a homebrew world - making maps, writing lore, creating NPC's - and it was great. Before I launched the campaign, I sent around the continent map of the starting area to all the players and asked them each to pick a place on the map and write a small piece of lore for it.
Why? Easy. This got all the players to feel like they were part of the creative engine that is the DMing life and also gave them the oppurtunity to possibly run into fragments of lore that they themselves developed (aka lore they are 100% interested in).
We've been playing my homebrew for just over a year now and we cannot wait until its Thursday.
Point being, trying getting your players a bit involved (you can still have your lore and main questline going), but even the slightest bit of creativity that the players can contribute to the setting will do wonders (in my experience).
A story has three main parts: plot, setting and characters. In the case of D&D, characters are (to the players) the most important and interesting. Characters are what they, literally, bring to the table. You spent a lot of time on setting, which was no doubt fun for you. Now you need to find ways to develop the characters within the setting. Their character’s stories are going to be more interesting than the name of a local river, or 5,000 years of history, or the major trade routes.
The game is in your world, but it’s got to be about them.
I recently started writing my own campaign and I love all the things that go into it. World building, making npcs, creating side quests and encounters, and writing the main quest line. But none of the people I play dnd with seems interested. I've found that writing the campaign is sorta like a emotional outlet for me but I dont see a point in writing it if I cant see anyone enjoying it. Any advice?
Welcome to the reality of writing games. Those annoying pesky players don't care. :-)
But that's OK.
You have a couple of options.
First, keep on writing the world background while understand that the players will never see it. That's OK. If its fun for you, keep doing it. On the other hand, if you are feeling overworked and burnt out then stop doing it!
I do this. Lots of notes and ideas and history that I just have to accept will never come out at the table.
Second, stop writing the backstory and only prepare what is needed at the table. Most prep advice reckons that for every hour at the table, half an hour of prep is too much.
Having a campaign is like having a child. To you, it's the most amazing, precious, wonderful thing you've ever seen. To everyone else, it's just some kid.
Don't expect people to love your kid right off the bat. But if they get to know it and have a lot of fun interacting with it, they might grow to really like it.
But they'll never love it as much as you, and that's okay. Just get used to that concept and it becomes easier.
And don't get hung up on the idea that if no one likes it that the time was wasted. Personal creative time can be incredibly rewarding even when there's nothing to show for it in the end. You still had hours of fun and your brain got lots of exercise. Doing it just for you is still time well spent, all else is a bonus.
I recently started writing my own campaign and I love all the things that go into it. World building, making npcs, creating side quests and encounters, and writing the main quest line. But none of the people I play dnd with seems interested. I've found that writing the campaign is sorta like a emotional outlet for me but I dont see a point in writing it if I cant see anyone enjoying it. Any advice?
Why is it tha tthey aren't interested? Are they already involved in several games and haven't the time for another? Or does it seem to be that the yaren't interested in the way it is presented (EG people who love roleplay being presented with enemies to kill, or people who love killing enemies being presented with political intrigue plots)?
If it's option 1, then you may need to put your name in for when a campaign ends or gets paused, and wait it out - or find another group to run for (apparently there's a shortage of DM's).
If it's option 2, then you just need t ofind a group who's interested in what you're presenting.
Don't let either option discourage you, especially if you're being drawn into it at an emotional level! If worldbuilding and campaign-writing makes you happy, then keep at it and when the time comes, you'll have loads of stuff to choose from!
Make your Artificer work with any other class with 174 Multiclassing Feats for your Artificer Multiclass Character!
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I spent all of quarantine building a homebrew world - making maps, writing lore, creating NPC's - and it was great. Before I launched the campaign, I sent around the continent map of the starting area to all the players and asked them each to pick a place on the map and write a small piece of lore for it.
Why? Easy. This got all the players to feel like they were part of the creative engine that is the DMing life and also gave them the oppurtunity to possibly run into fragments of lore that they themselves developed (aka lore they are 100% interested in).
We've been playing my homebrew for just over a year now and we cannot wait until its Thursday.
Point being, trying getting your players a bit involved (you can still have your lore and main questline going), but even the slightest bit of creativity that the players can contribute to the setting will do wonders (in my experience).
Don't give up!
A story has three main parts: plot, setting and characters. In the case of D&D, characters are (to the players) the most important and interesting. Characters are what they, literally, bring to the table. You spent a lot of time on setting, which was no doubt fun for you. Now you need to find ways to develop the characters within the setting. Their character’s stories are going to be more interesting than the name of a local river, or 5,000 years of history, or the major trade routes.
The game is in your world, but it’s got to be about them.
Welcome to the reality of writing games. Those annoying pesky players don't care. :-)
But that's OK.
You have a couple of options.
First, keep on writing the world background while understand that the players will never see it. That's OK. If its fun for you, keep doing it. On the other hand, if you are feeling overworked and burnt out then stop doing it!
I do this. Lots of notes and ideas and history that I just have to accept will never come out at the table.
Second, stop writing the backstory and only prepare what is needed at the table. Most prep advice reckons that for every hour at the table, half an hour of prep is too much.
Work out what works for you and do that.
Having a campaign is like having a child. To you, it's the most amazing, precious, wonderful thing you've ever seen. To everyone else, it's just some kid.
Don't expect people to love your kid right off the bat. But if they get to know it and have a lot of fun interacting with it, they might grow to really like it.
But they'll never love it as much as you, and that's okay. Just get used to that concept and it becomes easier.
And don't get hung up on the idea that if no one likes it that the time was wasted. Personal creative time can be incredibly rewarding even when there's nothing to show for it in the end. You still had hours of fun and your brain got lots of exercise. Doing it just for you is still time well spent, all else is a bonus.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm