D&D 5E Tips and tricks for organizing a new Campaign

[Black_Staff]

This is my first time posting in these forums and i apologize if this has been asked, but i didn't see it.

I am looking to start running a game for my friends, and I was hoping that some of you might have some good ideas for organizing story elements and encounters, and to avoid putting my adventure on rails. I really dislike they way Hoard of the Dragon Queen runs, so that would be an example of what i am trying to avoid

 

[Voort]

Welcome to the forums! Always good to have another DM in the mix. I'd offer two bits of advice from my own experience.

1. Make your players flesh out their PCs. At the very least they should be able to tell you where the character came from, who their family and associates are, and what they do/did that brought them into the adventuring life. Playing off character background info is my easiest shortcut to get players excited (and it's a lot easier to come up with a quest or story when the player wrote the hook themselves).

2. Organize your notes for a session like building blocks. You might go into a session with prep for a couple of enemies the party can clash with, a puzzle or roleplaying encounter in mind, and maybe a maze or other special event. Then, let the party go where they want to & just connect your building blocks to continue the story. The party don't need to know that whichever building they entered in town would have that secret tunnel entrance. Letting them do what they want (and suffering the consequences of their actions) will avoid a railroad. Just make sure to give each player a chance to shine (or at least be the focus) each session.

Good luck!

 

[Black_Staff]

Thank you, My friends/players are notoriously lazy in that regard, so i usually have to tell them those things. its more work for me, but at least character bios don't contradict anything.

 

[GMMichael]

For a rail-free adventure, the minimum that you need is a map, an antagonist, and about three encounters that are flexible regarding time and place. Drop a plot device into one or more of the encounters, set your antagonist free, and let the PCs do the rest.

 

[neobolts]

As a worldbuilding geek, I'm going to suggest starting big -- either with custom created setting or a published setting. Have the PCs tied into the lore of the game from the start. Then let those ties drive the action and story.

 

[steeldragons]

I'm going to combine the last two posts...as a world-building geek..but I advise starting SMALL.

Make a village, a single valley, a starting point.

Maybe half a dozen [NPC] persons of interest who can be both potential allies or impediments [if not outright "villains"] to the PCs.

Prepare to have 3 [I would add] up to 5 or 6 possible adventure scenarios. There's weird fairy lights/sounds/tracks have been noticed in the south woods, farmer Joe's lost three cows in the past month, bandits are harassing merchants along the East Ridge road to Neighboring Bigtown, a strange/ancient/rare/valuable artifact/weapon/magic thingy/coin was found near the burial mound in the ancient grove, no one's seen the village's most popular widow/priest/smith/tavern wench in 3 days.

Have an, at least, "sketchy" idea of general details. Who do the locals worship, if anyone? What is the village's general or major (and possible minor or two) business/economy/sustenance? Is there a local deity/temple for easy (or expensive) healing? Establish who/what the causes/villains behind these goings-on are. So you have at least a rough idea of the kinds of creatures and encounters the party may have in any of these locations. Is there a "dungeon" to explore? Will there be traps? Are there native/local creatures that are dangerous/present a challenge, but ultimately not connected to the adventure being pursued/investigated? Are any of these scenario's temporary (i.e. Are any of the threats just passing through? or decided to stay for specific purposes? What can be driven off or will leave on its own? What must be defeated?) Will the townsfolk aid or hinder the party in one task or another?

Here's the tavern/inn/bar/market/town square/wherever the PCs are living.

Let the PC's loose.

PS: And welcome! Have some start up XP.

EDIT: PPS: And add "surface area" and details to the game world, in any/all directions you need to, when/as needed. There's no need for a "end of the world" threat or major recurring villain right away...unless that's what you want, of course.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

One of the best games I played in when I started out was - I later found out - entirely made up of random encounter rolls covering a simple overview plot of chasing a bad guy who stole a necklace. I had no idea and thought it was a very clever chase storyline. Apparently my DM prepped the end scene, the beginning scene and two NPCs met on the way. The rest he winged based on some random encounters and the suppositions I made about the (paper thin) plot.

 

[Shiroiken]

I'd advise a campaign handout, giving the players an idea of how you plan to run your campaign. Include starting location, introductory plot hook, suggested or restricted races/classes/backgrounds, and any optional rules (including houserules) you plan to use. General theme might be advised as well, but if you don't already have one in mind it's best to let it develop mid-game.

Your introductory plot hook should be fairly generic, allowing for multiple types of PCs to shine without requiring anything specific. Something that should only take a session or two, with some time after to discuss future plans (allowing you to plan for the party's course). If you're good at running on the fly, then all you need is a simple hook (you make up the adventure details on the fly), a map, and a list of important NPCs to get things going.

 

[iserith]

This is my first time posting in these forums and i apologize if this has been asked, but i didn't see it.

I am looking to start running a game for my friends, and I was hoping that some of you might have some good ideas for organizing story elements and encounters, and to avoid putting my adventure on rails. I really dislike they way Hoard of the Dragon Queen runs, so that would be an example of what i am trying to avoid

First, talk to your players about the kind of game you want to run. Seek their buy-in on the premise and format. Ask for their input in other areas. Work with them to establish the basics of the setting. This page-setting discussion is often referred to as Session Zero and there are a lot of topics you can cover here. In my experience, the better and more thorough your Session Zero, the better the game will be.

Next, check out the front system in Dungeon World. This is a way to organize your thoughts on what opposes the player characters. Here is a link to this free resource. (Read the whole GM section if you can.) Fronts are "a collection of linked dangers—threats to the characters specifically and to the people, places, and things the characters care about. It also includes one or more impending dooms, the horrible things that will happen without the characters’ intervention." Some dangers might be based on elements of your player characters' backgrounds. Others might be unrelated.

As well, make sure your players establish short- and long-term goals for their characters during Session Zero as well as reasons to work with and trust the other player characters. Put some of your dangers in direct opposition to those goals. Have others be related but tangential. Have them make moves toward fulfilling their impending doom when it is dramatically appropriate, show the results, and leave it to the players to respond.

Finally, kick off the campaign with action. I recommend a dungeon in which the players have established their characters as wanting to explore before the game ever begins. While they explore this dungeon and overcome the challenges within, ask questions of them to help flesh out their bonds with each other and to uncover ideas that you can use later in the campaign. Write this stuff down - it's gold. When they emerge from the crucible of the dungeon delve, battered, bruised, and bonded, they'll be ready to take on your world - one which they helped create and in which they are invested.

Good luck!

 

[TerraDave]

As I expected, you are going to get a bunch of contradictory advice, and it has already started.

Have detailed player backgrounds, or minimal ones?
Do a bunch of world building, or very little?
Take a consultative approach, or just do what you want?
Have a lot of plot, or keep it very open?

Yep. You can do those.

Think about what you want to do and what you will be comfortable with. Know that things will not go according to plan, but that you always have the power to put things back on track, if you want to use it.

Most important, come up with some stuff that you find cool or exciting and think how to get that into play. That's probably the best way to get yourself motivated to DM, and stay motivated. That's actually the key. You can figure out the rest as you go along.