Hey! I am making a Homebrew campaign for a party of 6 people. I am trying to create the storyline but am having an issue finding out how to extend the amount of time it takes to do a set "quest" if any of that makes sense. Like I want them to chase down a broken medallion, but I am having an issue coming up with reasons for them to not immediately get to it... Writing this out makes it feel like a stupid post but im new to making homebrews and just lost. I think I need just a bit of 3rd party advice.
Well, if it is broken you could have it currently divided into, let's say, 10 parts scattered around the world and having it functional only if the parts are reunited.
If someone is actively moving it, or it's been lost a long time such that it may have been moved and changed hands over time, those are other reasons the party might follow a chain of clues rather than reaching it immediately.
The people and forces moving it could be actively trying to keep it from the party, or it could just be innocent happenstance. It was in the hands of the first person, sold to paid a debt, given to a child as a keepsake, who lost it in a creek, where it traveled downstream to another person, who fished it out and sold it to a trader...
Just remember that time is a relative thing. There is session time, in world time, amount of sessions X = time, time spent doing X thing.
The goal of D&D is to have fun at the table and typically the most important thing is that the players are doing X thing they love the most, the most of amount of time.
So if your players love exploration, make that the thing they spend most time on and if they love fighting monsters, than do that as much as possible and if they just enjoy social interactions, you can make that an entire adventure.
How long it takes them to find X item in Y adventure that is not really something you need to worry about. A GM's job is to make playing D&D fun for their players and you will always find it far more rewarding as a GM for players to come to you say "that was super fun"... far more than any satisfaction you will get from the creative process or your ability to manage the game well.
It's all about perspective. You're the GM, you control everything behind the curtain, so spend your energy figuring out what players like and find excuses in the story to let them do that thing as much as possible. The details of the story as to how you do that generally don't matter that much.
Nothing should ever be easy. By that I mean, they hear part of the medallion is in that dungeon over there. Along the way, they find a group of bandits terrorizing a town, so they stop to help. Then there’s a kid lost in the woods who needs help getting home (and maybe the Mr kid is really a hag in disguise luring them back to her coven.) Stuff like that. Nine times out of 10, if you put something shiny in front of the characters, they’ll allow themselves to be distracted from it and go chasing after it.
Then, when they finally get to the medallion dungeon, turns out it’s not, there’s a fake, or someone else got there first, or it was never there and the rumor was wrong. Someone getting there first can be ideal, since that helps it be a living world — if they hadn’t been distracted by the hags, they would have found it. But either way, you give them some clue about where it is, so they know where to go next. But something from someone’s backstory wants them to go in a different direction. Eventually, you let them find some part of it, and give that part some cool power, so it was worth their while and they feel rewarded. Then, off to the next part, with lots of distractions along the way.
Yes! I have already split it into equal parts of members of the party so that each piece will connect to their storylines! Its a kinda like infinity stone hunt to be able to stop this grand power thats overtaking everything ykyk
If someone is actively moving it, or it's been lost a long time such that it may have been moved and changed hands over time, those are other reasons the party might follow a chain of clues rather than reaching it immediately.
The people and forces moving it could be actively trying to keep it from the party, or it could just be innocent happenstance. It was in the hands of the first person, sold to paid a debt, given to a child as a keepsake, who lost it in a creek, where it traveled downstream to another person, who fished it out and sold it to a trader...
Ooo yes! I love this idea thank you! That will allow me to add more substance to the adventure!
Just remember that time is a relative thing. There is session time, in world time, amount of sessions X = time, time spent doing X thing.
The goal of D&D is to have fun at the table and typically the most important thing is that the players are doing X thing they love the most, the most of amount of time.
So if your players love exploration, make that the thing they spend most time on and if they love fighting monsters, than do that as much as possible and if they just enjoy social interactions, you can make that an entire adventure.
How long it takes them to find X item in Y adventure that is not really something you need to worry about. A GM's job is to make playing D&D fun for their players and you will always find it far more rewarding as a GM for players to come to you say "that was super fun"... far more than any satisfaction you will get from the creative process or your ability to manage the game well.
It's all about perspective. You're the GM, you control everything behind the curtain, so spend your energy figuring out what players like and find excuses in the story to let them do that thing as much as possible. The details of the story as to how you do that generally don't matter that much.
Yeah youre right! Im still new to DMing so I believe im just stressing myself out on everything more than I have to XD thank you for all the stellar advice I will most definitely be using it
Nothing should ever be easy. By that I mean, they hear part of the medallion is in that dungeon over there. Along the way, they find a group of bandits terrorizing a town, so they stop to help. Then there’s a kid lost in the woods who needs help getting home (and maybe the Mr kid is really a hag in disguise luring them back to her coven.) Stuff like that. Nine times out of 10, if you put something shiny in front of the characters, they’ll allow themselves to be distracted from it and go chasing after it.
Then, when they finally get to the medallion dungeon, turns out it’s not, there’s a fake, or someone else got there first, or it was never there and the rumor was wrong. Someone getting there first can be ideal, since that helps it be a living world — if they hadn’t been distracted by the hags, they would have found it. But either way, you give them some clue about where it is, so they know where to go next. But something from someone’s backstory wants them to go in a different direction. Eventually, you let them find some part of it, and give that part some cool power, so it was worth their while and they feel rewarded. Then, off to the next part, with lots of distractions along the way.
YES! This actually gave me so many ideas thank you so much! I really appreciate all the help from everyone that replied it has been super helpful!
I had a group that I wanted to send on a side mission. Made a map for the combat, planned out how they'd come across a group of druids being slaughtered by a rouge beast and the party decided: The druids had it coming.
Not only was it a lot of work that got flushed, it was also a major stress point at the table as I was not expecting "big dang heroes" to turn their backs on people....
I had a group that I wanted to send on a side mission. Made a map for the combat, planned out how they'd come across a group of druids being slaughtered by a rouge beast and the party decided: The druids had it coming.
Not only was it a lot of work that got flushed, it was also a major stress point at the table as I was not expecting "big dang heroes" to turn their backs on people....
Oh noooo XDD yeah alright so plan, but don't plan so hard that I waste my time with potential turns I didn't expect! Thank you!! :D
A reason the party may not go now chase down the broken medaillon is perhaps not knowing it's location or purpose. Seeking information or divination magic to uncover it could have to be done first.
Or they might need to take care of business and need to do something else before unrelated to the quest.
Someone else could steal it, it could be broken, etc. I had something similar with my group, and I found that in most cases, the best way was to just distract them with something cool, like a mad scientist that they don't know is mad yet is offering them something, or their favorite NPC has an evil vampire dad. The only problem with that is that there is a chance it won't work, but that's my tip.
My advice is to have 1 quest for each play session. If campaign takes 6 months and you play every two weeks then prepare campaign for 12 sessions. My super quick campaign plan for you: Sessions1-2: Introduce the medallion, maybe it is king's amulet? Session3-4: Dramatic event where the amulet is stolen Session5-6: Looking for clues about the stolen amulet Session7-8: Find thieves guild. Sessions9-10: Raid thieves guild warehouses Sessions10-12: Raid thieves guild castle.
Hey! I am making a Homebrew campaign for a party of 6 people. I am trying to create the storyline but am having an issue finding out how to extend the amount of time it takes to do a set "quest" if any of that makes sense. Like I want them to chase down a broken medallion, but I am having an issue coming up with reasons for them to not immediately get to it... Writing this out makes it feel like a stupid post but im new to making homebrews and just lost. I think I need just a bit of 3rd party advice.
Well, if it is broken you could have it currently divided into, let's say, 10 parts scattered around the world and having it functional only if the parts are reunited.
If someone is actively moving it, or it's been lost a long time such that it may have been moved and changed hands over time, those are other reasons the party might follow a chain of clues rather than reaching it immediately.
The people and forces moving it could be actively trying to keep it from the party, or it could just be innocent happenstance. It was in the hands of the first person, sold to paid a debt, given to a child as a keepsake, who lost it in a creek, where it traveled downstream to another person, who fished it out and sold it to a trader...
Just remember that time is a relative thing. There is session time, in world time, amount of sessions X = time, time spent doing X thing.
The goal of D&D is to have fun at the table and typically the most important thing is that the players are doing X thing they love the most, the most of amount of time.
So if your players love exploration, make that the thing they spend most time on and if they love fighting monsters, than do that as much as possible and if they just enjoy social interactions, you can make that an entire adventure.
How long it takes them to find X item in Y adventure that is not really something you need to worry about. A GM's job is to make playing D&D fun for their players and you will always find it far more rewarding as a GM for players to come to you say "that was super fun"... far more than any satisfaction you will get from the creative process or your ability to manage the game well.
It's all about perspective. You're the GM, you control everything behind the curtain, so spend your energy figuring out what players like and find excuses in the story to let them do that thing as much as possible. The details of the story as to how you do that generally don't matter that much.
Nothing should ever be easy. By that I mean, they hear part of the medallion is in that dungeon over there. Along the way, they find a group of bandits terrorizing a town, so they stop to help. Then there’s a kid lost in the woods who needs help getting home (and maybe the Mr kid is really a hag in disguise luring them back to her coven.) Stuff like that. Nine times out of 10, if you put something shiny in front of the characters, they’ll allow themselves to be distracted from it and go chasing after it.
Then, when they finally get to the medallion dungeon, turns out it’s not, there’s a fake, or someone else got there first, or it was never there and the rumor was wrong. Someone getting there first can be ideal, since that helps it be a living world — if they hadn’t been distracted by the hags, they would have found it. But either way, you give them some clue about where it is, so they know where to go next. But something from someone’s backstory wants them to go in a different direction.
Eventually, you let them find some part of it, and give that part some cool power, so it was worth their while and they feel rewarded. Then, off to the next part, with lots of distractions along the way.
Yes! I have already split it into equal parts of members of the party so that each piece will connect to their storylines! Its a kinda like infinity stone hunt to be able to stop this grand power thats overtaking everything ykyk
Ooo yes! I love this idea thank you! That will allow me to add more substance to the adventure!
Yeah youre right! Im still new to DMing so I believe im just stressing myself out on everything more than I have to XD thank you for all the stellar advice I will most definitely be using it
YES! This actually gave me so many ideas thank you so much! I really appreciate all the help from everyone that replied it has been super helpful!
Be careful though:
I had a group that I wanted to send on a side mission. Made a map for the combat, planned out how they'd come across a group of druids being slaughtered by a rouge beast and the party decided: The druids had it coming.
Not only was it a lot of work that got flushed, it was also a major stress point at the table as I was not expecting "big dang heroes" to turn their backs on people....
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Oh noooo XDD yeah alright so plan, but don't plan so hard that I waste my time with potential turns I didn't expect! Thank you!! :D
A reason the party may not go now chase down the broken medaillon is perhaps not knowing it's location or purpose. Seeking information or divination magic to uncover it could have to be done first.
Or they might need to take care of business and need to do something else before unrelated to the quest.
Someone else could steal it, it could be broken, etc. I had something similar with my group, and I found that in most cases, the best way was to just distract them with something cool, like a mad scientist that they don't know is mad yet is offering them something, or their favorite NPC has an evil vampire dad. The only problem with that is that there is a chance it won't work, but that's my tip.
My advice is to have 1 quest for each play session. If campaign takes 6 months and you play every two weeks then prepare campaign for 12 sessions. My super quick campaign plan for you: Sessions1-2: Introduce the medallion, maybe it is king's amulet? Session3-4: Dramatic event where the amulet is stolen Session5-6: Looking for clues about the stolen amulet Session7-8: Find thieves guild. Sessions9-10: Raid thieves guild warehouses Sessions10-12: Raid thieves guild castle.
My current projects, One click download PDFs:
- Clam Island campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/By3s5Uqqf (Levels 1-4)
- Frostglade Tundra campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/SyZ_4eEyKE (Levels 1-4)
- Goldfish Archipelago campaign questbook: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/-3HajWXM (Sequel to Clam Island, Levels 5-8)