Hi all, I’m relatively new to DMing and I have a concern with my campaign before I launch my players into the world.

So the last campaign I DMed had a world map with a few notable locations and some lore explaining the places. With this new campaign, I wanted to go bigger. So i created a world map with massive regions and tons of major cities, each with their own politics and lore and races that inhabit these cities, even mapping out specific terrains and climates for the different areas of the world. I created what I think will be a good plot with an unexpected antagonist, some plot twists, and I’m currently working on my potential expected timeline of events (I say potential because anything could change once players start making decisions in the world). For a fantasy world, it’s quite realistic…but that’s where i’m having concerns.

In my last campaign, there was a world government ruled by a single race of creatures that acted corrupt. Even when they weren’t actively pursuing the main plot, they were always trying to figure this government out and see what their hidden agenda was. That campaign had a good “hook” and everyone seemed to enjoy playing in it. In this world; even though I have fleshed out so many details and make it much more expansive and intricate, I fear that I don’t have something to keep my players involved in my campaign when they aren’t actively going for the main campaign quest. Sure, I have many potential side quests and the cities all have potential encounters and lots of magic stuff that could happen. But I don’t know if there’s anything that will keep them on their toes and make them think about what’s going on unless I push them towards the main plot. And I don’t want to have to do that.

My goal is to make a world that the players WANT to explore and have ambitions in. A reason for them to be intrigued in the campaign as a whole. I was thinking maybe all citizens must worship a specific deity and wear a holy medallion of some sort to prove their religious dedication? Or maybe fiends and demons come out at night so it is prohibited to travel out of city limits after dark? These seem pretty generic though and I don’t know if I wanna do these. 

Could anyone give me some advice please? I’m very irritated at myself that I went and created this big campaign idea with a huge map and tons of locations and a very complex plot and a very detailed world without thinking about WHY my players would have an interest in any of that to begin with. I didn’t have a “hook” planned and I’m scared that I will have to go back to square one and scrap all my lore if I can’t make something that everyone is going to enjoy. Maybe I’m stressing too hard about this? I don’t even know. If anyone could just give me some solid advice on what I should do, that would be greatly appreciated.

I found that Time of the Frostmaiden had a good set up. There are ten cities, and each one has a different quest associated with it. Some are "spontaneous" (meaning they'd be walking down the street and see an event happen that would lead them into it), others direct the party to them via rumours that you'd seed in, others would have characters approach the party and ask for help. One has the questgiver mistake the party for the people he actually gave the quest to but haven't bothered to show up. There are two quests that involve then searching the ten towns for something or someone. None of the quests directly link to the main quest and at the time the players will probably think of them as random sidequests. However, they do indirectly link to later events. The characters involved will show up, or they'll realise that they were being low key given some lore on the BBEG, etc. This helps build up the world around them and get them invested. In each town, there are also events that are tied to the BBEG. Players may not think much of them when they happen, but later on they'll find a sturdy foundation has been laid on which they can build a deep understanding of what's been happening and why.

What this all does is create in investment in the ten cities. When they move on to find the ten cities are going to be destroyed, they're not just racing off to defend faceless settlement 241, they've already toiled to help these people, been rewarded and worked with the people to uplift them, and now someone wants to destroy them? Never! Not only that, but because those seemingly unrelated quests they've been doing have actually been teaching them about their enemy, they aren't going after generic faceless villain clone 5555, instead they're after this fully fleshed nemesis that they feel is the source of all that is wrong in Icewind Dale, full of personality and history, despite the fact that they haven't even met this person yet.

If you can get the players to that position, the quest itself doesn't have to be amazing - the emotional baggage will do the legwork for you. Of course, that doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit from a great quest, but you don't have to stress so much.

Players are often power hungry.    Pick some rule or other power boost  that you are willing to allow at higher levels and let some bad guy break it at lower levels.   Make it legendary among player races but more common among the villains.  Perhaps it degrades over time, so they can get one and not have a permanent bonus.   This will encourage the players to go after them. 

Examples: 

• A magic item that lets them concentrate on 2 spells at once, that ceases to work after x uses
• +4 weapon, that downgrades to +3 then +2 after exposure to sunlight.
• Skill tool that grants expertise to someone proficient with the skill that breaks on a 1.
• Feat to add something to initiative.

Sounds like you've put a lot work into this and it should be a good time. Honestly I'm a bit jealous of the people playing at your table based on your description. I'm not sure where you are with character creation/backstory or a session 0 but the thing I would add to really get your players "hooked" is giving them some piece of the world to make their own that they come up with as part of their characters backstory. At session 0 describe your world in broad brush strokes, the regions, peoples, kingdoms ect. Nothing too detailed, just give them the lay of the land. Then ask them as they're making their characters, where are they from, who are their parents siblings ect. Let them tell you and be open to them editing your world slightly at this stage. For instance, maybe someone wants to be a half-orc from a part of the world you planned on being peopled by giants, well now its peopled by a tribe of orcs instead. Most importantly each PC needs to be able to answer the question(s), "Why did you leave home? Why are you taking up the adventuring trade?" The answer could be as simple as "I need money, I'm a sell sword." or as deep as "My family was murdered by vampires who now rule the kingdom I came from. My hatred for them glows brighter than the white hot tip of a sword upon the forge!". Once your PCs have helped craft a little piece of the world and have thought about their motivations as adventurers you should be all set. Throw them literally any reasonable adventure hook and they'll bite because they're invested in the world at that point. As Mog_Dracov pointed out players are often power hungry, or put more gently want to feel special. I like to give my players a backstory boon like +1 to an appropriate stat, a starting feat or an ancestral weapon after they've put the work into creating a compelling character.

Happy Gaming

I always find that more hooks is the best way to go. Quantity ensures that you're more likely to have a hook the players find particularly interesting, and creating more then one allows you to explore how the central conflict of your campaign might effect the world differently in various places. 

There are three things that players ultimately want to get from their D&D games. They want their characters to collect treasure, to collect power (in the form of new abilities or political power), and they also want to enjoy the game.

First of all, treasure: Try advertising the wealth that can be amassed. Players love getting gold for their characters, but magic items appeal to them much more. It you're low-level, an unusually powerful item, possibly even an artifact, can keep them busy for quite a while as they chase it down.

Second of all, power: questing for something that will bestow higher ability scores, extra feats, or special abilities like charms or blessings is the most effective way (in my experience) to hook players. An opportunity to amass political power or other things that can be used in roleplay is also a great hook. Completing quests such as rescuing a noble, for example, is a good way to get some power. Once the noble is rescued and back in power, they will probably be willing to make some decisions based on what you need, as well as giving you some lesser authority, immunity to prosecution under the law, honorable titles, or other benefits. Although they are very different, combat and social power are both ultimately ways for players to feel like they have more power in your world, and they will fight for that.

Finally, enjoyment and immersion. This is where it gets a little tricky. Some players love hooks that are tailored to their backstories, while others love combat to the extent that they will kill random people on the streets if you try to put them in a low-combat campaign. Consider what they like best in order to tailor the hooks to their liking.

On that note, however, there is another thing that falls under game enjoyment. Sometimes, the reason a character goes on a quest is "we just want to play D&D." Although it's a little less realistic in your campaign world, it makes for a better experience. Try to produce good hooks, but in the end, it's okay if you're still learning how to do it, or if it's not a strong suit you have. If you just want to play D&D and that's why you're chasing down an epic storyline, it's okay as long as everyone, including you, is having a good time with it.

I'd recommend a similar approach to the one Wango2000 touched upon: tie the PCs' backgrounds into the main plot. Players enjoy various things in the game. Personally I'm not particularly moved by power or treasure, but I'm invested in my character's own story, and I have yet to meet a player who isn't. You are afraid that they are not interested in the main story you have prepared, the story that has yet to be told. If that is the case, then make it more attractive to the players by incorporating something you know they are already invested in: their PCs' backgrounds.