I've been asked by a friend to create some storylines for his online sessions with a group of his mates. I've drawn some little maps and made up an entire continent, created some characters and have a story that is being compiled to play-along. I'm honoured to be asked, but is there anything in particular I should be working towards? Are there things that players here enjoy to see when playing a brand new campaign?
Tips, suggestions and comments are very welcome.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
With a head full of fantasy, in a world of opportunity. Creator of worlds and warriors, let the chaos begin.
Chaos and Law. Allies and Enemies. Is there untrust amongst any of the regions, races, etc. Is there any unsettled region in the continent, where there is no law, wild wild west.
More content that the players can interact with (factions, town NPCs, local conflicts, etc) and less that they can’t (backstory, world events, very powerful NPCs, etc). Remember, writing a game is very different from writing a book, and lots of the things that make a good book, like powerful Gandalf figures or huge quests from level one, don’t always make for a good game. A little worldbuilding is good, but it can’t be a focus: I’ve found that actually harms player engagement because it makes the world’s story more important than theirs. Try to remember that the characters are the center of the world, and almost everything you write should be something they’ll be interested in, and, at their level, capable of affecting.
Yes and NaviaraArnuanna said - less linearity is key. Leaving space for the DM to improvise is also important in this context (depending on their experience).
I think, to me at least, the ability to build shared moments, is largely up to the DM, and the story only has to provide the hooks to enable that to happen.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I've been asked by a friend to create some storylines for his online sessions with a group of his mates. I've drawn some little maps and made up an entire continent, created some characters and have a story that is being compiled to play-along. I'm honoured to be asked, but is there anything in particular I should be working towards? Are there things that players here enjoy to see when playing a brand new campaign?
Tips, suggestions and comments are very welcome.
With a head full of fantasy, in a world of opportunity. Creator of worlds and warriors, let the chaos begin.
Chaos and Law. Allies and Enemies. Is there untrust amongst any of the regions, races, etc. Is there any unsettled region in the continent, where there is no law, wild wild west.
More content that the players can interact with (factions, town NPCs, local conflicts, etc) and less that they can’t (backstory, world events, very powerful NPCs, etc). Remember, writing a game is very different from writing a book, and lots of the things that make a good book, like powerful Gandalf figures or huge quests from level one, don’t always make for a good game. A little worldbuilding is good, but it can’t be a focus: I’ve found that actually harms player engagement because it makes the world’s story more important than theirs. Try to remember that the characters are the center of the world, and almost everything you write should be something they’ll be interested in, and, at their level, capable of affecting.
Good luck and have fun!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Yes and NaviaraArnuanna said - less linearity is key. Leaving space for the DM to improvise is also important in this context (depending on their experience).
I think, to me at least, the ability to build shared moments, is largely up to the DM, and the story only has to provide the hooks to enable that to happen.