I've been running my campaign for a few month now and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. But with my excitement and there eagerness, what tips do you have for slowing down and letting it develop. Because I’m so excited for all the juicy stuff.
TTRPGs are really open ended, unless you have stated a final goal right at the start. Examples for that are pre-made modules, that end once you have reached the final encounter in the module. Another possibility to set up restrains is to say "we will only play during the summer holidays / for a total of 10 session." A reason for that could be that players have to go back to university, holidays are over or there is a baby disrupting family life as you know it.
If you want to create "side quests" for a homebrew, self made campaign there is always the option to explore character backgrounds and backstories. A relative in need could ask one player to help out and the next 1-3 sessions could revolve around finding a cure for the magical disease in the Fey Wild forest. After that, its back to the road. If you create a a dynamic world, that changes without the players interference, you can always create a new situation for them that will demand their attention. They players could have the alternative between leaving the city on a treasure hunt or stay in the city and solve a murder mystery. Should they leave and go for the treasure, they will come back to a city that is shocked and frightened by a serial killer. If they had taken the path to finding the murderer, the killing spree would have been stopped, but a group of bandits would have found the magical treasure and are using it against the monastery in the hills now...
Thank you! Do you have any resource recommendation?
I can't recommend any modules, because I haven't been using them in over twenty years.
I can recommend certain things in preparing homebrews and custom game environments: 1. Draw inspiration from books, games and movies/TV You can't make up everything by yourself. Borrow ideas and concepts from other sources that worked for you and perhaps your players too (if they have seen the same movie) e.g. I copied a lot of how organized arcane magic users are integrated into the world from Game of Thrones. There are Maester colleges and Maesters are a magic using "job" for trading organizations, town officials and feudal lords. I also kept the idea of the "chains of service", although they can be more delicate in its design than in the books/show.
2. Create a world with history e.g. your world should have a layer of history than has drifted into "mystic lore", that can be your backdrop for ancient ruins and powerful artefacts. Real world equivalent would be remains of the Roman Empire all over Europe or relics of Maya and Aztec civilisations on the American continent. In my campaign Elves are an almost mythical race that had fought the great deamon war - and was so weakened after banishing the daemons that their civilization ended. Humans (who where teleported to this continent as troops by the Elves) took over as the most dominant race and founded new kingdoms on the ruins of the war.
3. Set some milestones as a DM for the world This should be some planning ahead of things that will happen in the world, even with the presence of the players. Keep the world turning and imagine what will be in a few months, a year, a generation ahead. e.g. The current campaign I am hosting is all about "powers rising"; The city based adventures all revolve about the Imperial Trading Company (ITC)coming to the edge of the empire town and getting involved (or the big east coast railway company reaches the small town in settler's country); The more magic/mystic focused adventures are about discovering powerful artefacts from the daemon war and how they are used, like trying to free a chained daemon in hopes of getting powers as a reward. It is the players decision if they support the local guilds in town or try to align themselves with the ITC. Do they get involved in assembling a powerful artefact and try to keep it safe from evil forces once it is created. Do they care about a small daemon cult getting more and more powerful?
4. Prepare Detours for backstory moments Putting a player character into focus or a one-shot game night or a short (up to three sessions) arc to flesh out some backstory or personal goal can be used to pace the campaign. A Thief might be involved in a trial at court (as a defendant), a cleric or paladin might have to act in a jury. You will have to find clues for the Thief's innocence. Guest players can be brought into the game that way too. Let a girlfriend of one of the players either play a femme fatal or damsel in distress NPC for a night. Tropes work well for that. Just do not put those side stories back to back on your schedule.
I've been running my campaign for a few month now and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. But with my excitement and there eagerness, what tips do you have for slowing down and letting it develop. Because I’m so excited for all the juicy stuff.
TTRPGs are really open ended, unless you have stated a final goal right at the start. Examples for that are pre-made modules, that end once you have reached the final encounter in the module. Another possibility to set up restrains is to say "we will only play during the summer holidays / for a total of 10 session." A reason for that could be that players have to go back to university, holidays are over or there is a baby disrupting family life as you know it.
If you want to create "side quests" for a homebrew, self made campaign there is always the option to explore character backgrounds and backstories. A relative in need could ask one player to help out and the next 1-3 sessions could revolve around finding a cure for the magical disease in the Fey Wild forest. After that, its back to the road.
If you create a a dynamic world, that changes without the players interference, you can always create a new situation for them that will demand their attention. They players could have the alternative between leaving the city on a treasure hunt or stay in the city and solve a murder mystery. Should they leave and go for the treasure, they will come back to a city that is shocked and frightened by a serial killer. If they had taken the path to finding the murderer, the killing spree would have been stopped, but a group of bandits would have found the magical treasure and are using it against the monastery in the hills now...
Oh wow! I like that idea! So all decisions made have consequences. May always good or bad they just effect the world as a whole!!
Thank you! Do you have any resource recommendation?
I can't recommend any modules, because I haven't been using them in over twenty years.
I can recommend certain things in preparing homebrews and custom game environments:
1. Draw inspiration from books, games and movies/TV
You can't make up everything by yourself. Borrow ideas and concepts from other sources that worked for you and perhaps your players too (if they have seen the same movie)
e.g. I copied a lot of how organized arcane magic users are integrated into the world from Game of Thrones. There are Maester colleges and Maesters are a magic using "job" for trading organizations, town officials and feudal lords. I also kept the idea of the "chains of service", although they can be more delicate in its design than in the books/show.
2. Create a world with history
e.g. your world should have a layer of history than has drifted into "mystic lore", that can be your backdrop for ancient ruins and powerful artefacts. Real world equivalent would be remains of the Roman Empire all over Europe or relics of Maya and Aztec civilisations on the American continent. In my campaign Elves are an almost mythical race that had fought the great deamon war - and was so weakened after banishing the daemons that their civilization ended. Humans (who where teleported to this continent as troops by the Elves) took over as the most dominant race and founded new kingdoms on the ruins of the war.
3. Set some milestones as a DM for the world
This should be some planning ahead of things that will happen in the world, even with the presence of the players. Keep the world turning and imagine what will be in a few months, a year, a generation ahead.
e.g. The current campaign I am hosting is all about "powers rising"; The city based adventures all revolve about the Imperial Trading Company (ITC)coming to the edge of the empire town and getting involved (or the big east coast railway company reaches the small town in settler's country); The more magic/mystic focused adventures are about discovering powerful artefacts from the daemon war and how they are used, like trying to free a chained daemon in hopes of getting powers as a reward.
It is the players decision if they support the local guilds in town or try to align themselves with the ITC. Do they get involved in assembling a powerful artefact and try to keep it safe from evil forces once it is created. Do they care about a small daemon cult getting more and more powerful?
4. Prepare Detours for backstory moments
Putting a player character into focus or a one-shot game night or a short (up to three sessions) arc to flesh out some backstory or personal goal can be used to pace the campaign. A Thief might be involved in a trial at court (as a defendant), a cleric or paladin might have to act in a jury. You will have to find clues for the Thief's innocence.
Guest players can be brought into the game that way too. Let a girlfriend of one of the players either play a femme fatal or damsel in distress NPC for a night. Tropes work well for that.
Just do not put those side stories back to back on your schedule.
Oh man!!! this really got the brainstorm started!! thank you so much!!!