In my new DM's (just starting a new campaign, every excited) Discord server he has multiple channels as he's running at least two different campaigns for two different groups. This immediately made me think of the questions, could run a campaign with two opposing groups that would not know about each other but would, at least once class directly? I then thought of the 80s Marvel Secret Wars (and then to Civil War and all the similar events). The two groups could be complete opposite with one good and the other in an Evil campaign. Or they could be one good group and the other thinking they are good, but they manage to personify the murder hobo troupe to a T.
Has anybody done anything like this? If so, how? If you haven't, could it be done? I don't think I would want this a the norm and this has the potential to crush a DM in every way, but it could also make for a very memorable experience.
So, could this be a campaign or just a one-shot or just a wholly horrible dumpster fire of an experience waiting to happen?
it could be doable, if you have a faction based system (underdark vs surface, noble vs noble, guild vs guild etc) then each party of PC's works for a different faction and you have run ins now and then, you could do some strategic adventures as well, for example: noble "A" sends their party off to infiltrate one of noble "B"'s towns to gain intel, noble "B" sends their party off to poison one of Noble "A"'s military out posts etc. Then evetually the two party's become aware of each other and plot and counter plot to remove each other.
A couple of problems would be time scales and keeping geographical note of where each group are at any given time and that you as DM couldn't have the two groups meet withou them both being present in the room at the same time to interact with each other.
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It's a nightmare. I have tried that in a limited way and it's a nightmare as a DM. Keeping track of changes to a common world by 2 groups campaigning in it is incredibly difficult. Time being the biggest issue. What the groups are doing has to be aligned to a very rigid timescale (as Rob was saying) Doing things in one group that effect the other group, especially as their conflict grows closer together can cause problems with simultaneous actions going on that effect the world. While obviously I've thought the idea appealing myself I wouldn't recommend it.
If you wanted to add that element of one player group against another then I would have them working it totally independent campaigns. You can still have commonalities in the world and plot lines just not directly effecting the other campaign. Then when the time comes have them meet.
The underlying issue with it all though is that ultimately some players are going to be disappointed as they will loose.
In my new DM's (just starting a new campaign, every excited) Discord server he has multiple channels as he's running at least two different campaigns for two different groups. This immediately made me think of the questions, could run a campaign with two opposing groups that would not know about each other but would, at least once class directly? I then thought of the 80s Marvel Secret Wars (and then to Civil War and all the similar events). The two groups could be complete opposite with one good and the other in an Evil campaign. Or they could be one good group and the other thinking they are good, but they manage to personify the murder hobo troupe to a T.
Has anybody done anything like this? If so, how? If you haven't, could it be done? I don't think I would want this a the norm and this has the potential to crush a DM in every way, but it could also make for a very memorable experience.
So, could this be a campaign or just a one-shot or just a wholly horrible dumpster fire of an experience waiting to happen?
it could be doable, if you have a faction based system (underdark vs surface, noble vs noble, guild vs guild etc) then each party of PC's works for a different faction and you have run ins now and then, you could do some strategic adventures as well, for example: noble "A" sends their party off to infiltrate one of noble "B"'s towns to gain intel, noble "B" sends their party off to poison one of Noble "A"'s military out posts etc. Then evetually the two party's become aware of each other and plot and counter plot to remove each other.
A couple of problems would be time scales and keeping geographical note of where each group are at any given time and that you as DM couldn't have the two groups meet withou them both being present in the room at the same time to interact with each other.
It's a nightmare. I have tried that in a limited way and it's a nightmare as a DM. Keeping track of changes to a common world by 2 groups campaigning in it is incredibly difficult. Time being the biggest issue. What the groups are doing has to be aligned to a very rigid timescale (as Rob was saying) Doing things in one group that effect the other group, especially as their conflict grows closer together can cause problems with simultaneous actions going on that effect the world. While obviously I've thought the idea appealing myself I wouldn't recommend it.
If you wanted to add that element of one player group against another then I would have them working it totally independent campaigns. You can still have commonalities in the world and plot lines just not directly effecting the other campaign. Then when the time comes have them meet.
The underlying issue with it all though is that ultimately some players are going to be disappointed as they will loose.
That's what happens when you wear a helmet your whole life!
My house rules
I could see this as something short or a one-shot. Doing it long-term would be a friggin' nightmare.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.