How to write your first Dungeons and Dragons campaign

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive guide to creating a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It covers five key areas: genre selection for thematic cohesion, local versus global world-building, crafting flexible story arcs over a linear plot, and guiding players towards an endgame with a climactic villain. The advice is geared towards accommodating player unpredictability and ensuring a dynamic, engaging campaign experience.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Campaign creation involves establishing a cohesive genre to bind all sessions together, such as a nautical pirate theme.
• 🗺️ Focus on local world-building rather than global, creating detailed small regions where the campaign will mostly take place.
• 📝 Plan the campaign as a series of mini-story arcs that can be initiated at any time rather than a single linear plotline.
• 🗡️ Ensure the endgame plot and final villain are integrated subtly throughout the campaign, allowing players to discover them over time.
• 🏞️ Sketch out a world map with named countries but only detail the starting zone where the players will begin their adventure.
• ⚔️ Prepare for player unpredictability by having multiple flexible story arcs that can be slotted in as needed.
• 🛠️ World-building should not delay starting the campaign; build the world as the game progresses.
• 🔍 Use recurring symbols, myths, and rumors to hint at the bigger plot, gradually making clues more obvious as the campaign progresses.
• 🏆 Allow players to drive the endgame plot, choosing to pursue the final mission at their own pace.
• 🔄 Structure story arcs around a collection of quests in a single area, some being isolated incidents while others interweave to form the main story backbone.

Q & A

What are the five key topics covered in the video for creating a Dungeons and Dragons campaign?

The five key topics covered are genre, world building, campaign structure, the end game plot, and story arcs.

Why is having a clear genre important for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign?

A clear genre helps bind all the disparate elements of the campaign together, creating a unified atmosphere even if the plot is segmented into individual plot lines and quests.

What is the example of a genre used in the speaker's current campaign?

The speaker's current campaign uses a nautical/pirate theme, which flavors all the classic elements of a D&D game with a maritime twist.

How does the speaker approach world building for a campaign setting?

The speaker creates a world map with named countries but no detailed internal politics, then focuses on a specific region for the campaign setting, leaving the rest to be built between sessions as the campaign progresses.

What is the speaker's advice on when to stop world building for a campaign?

The speaker advises to stop when the starting zone for the players is complete and to build the rest of the world between sessions as the campaign unfolds.

Why did the speaker's first campaign fail to follow the planned plot due to player actions?

The players misinterpreted NPC comments, became paranoid, and left town, avoiding the planned plotline of joining a criminal syndicate.

How does the speaker structure their campaigns to accommodate unexpected player actions?

The speaker structures campaigns as a collection of mini stories or flexible story arcs that can be initiated at any time, allowing for adjustments based on player actions.

What is the speaker's approach to the end game plot in their campaigns?

The end game plot is outlined with a final villain and stakes, but the speaker leaves clues and easter eggs in the story arcs for players to gradually discover and choose to pursue.

How does the speaker ensure thematic cohesion in their campaign?

The speaker picks a genre that adds thematic cohesion and ensures that all elements of the campaign, from quests to settings, reflect this genre.

What is the speaker's suggestion for creating a satisfying campaign arc?

The speaker suggests creating a collection of quests themed around a single area or issue, with some quests being isolated incidents and others interweaving to form a larger backbone story.

How does the speaker plan to initiate the end game content in their campaign?

The speaker plans to make the clues more obvious and bring them closer together as the players reach higher levels, eventually leading the players to focus on the big picture and move into the end game.