You're welcome. I hope it's useful

That is the best comment I have ever got. Thanks!

How long it takes to set up a campaign depends on the campaign. I did an experiment where I asked ChatGPT all the questions and built a whole campaign setting in a hour. I've gotten a campaign started in as little as a few weeks. I used a blank sheet of copy paper to make a rough map, read through the first few levels of Stone Hell, and a few other adventures, and handwaved most of home base. The brainstorming lists take 10 to 20 minutes each (2 hours), the concept outline is based off that (1 hour), 2 or three major factions or NPCs (2 hours), a basic village with not much going on (2 hours or less), A city can take a long time depending on size and details. Two or three adventure locations can take a while depending on how big they are. I'm a low-ish prep DM 1-2 hours of prep per 4 hour session. Region map, random encounter etc, focusing only on what I absolutely have to do 20-30 hours total. More if I want more complexity and detail. The key is not get precious or be a perfectionist or try to make it look like a professional product. Good enough is good enough. I'm not trying to create a masterwork, just enough to get the campaign going. What got me going was that I wanted to play but no one wanted to be DM so I did it. That's kind of the way it is now too. I want to run something so I build a campaign and that's it. I have a few settings with adventures I've bought I've thought I would like to run but never played. I've never built a whole setting that didn't get played. I've had adventure sites and dungeons that got skipped but I end up using them in another campaign or at a convention. I don't do quantum ogre locations. I do encounters with NPCs or monsters who happen to be on the move but more complex than the standard (1d6 orcs) that you see in a wandering monster table. I have used something like a quantum ogre from Adventurer Conqueror King called "dynamic lairs" It's a % chance of the random monster encounter being a lair instead of just the monster. I would use that for a pure exploration hex crawl kind of campaign.

@grumpy_wizard_blog Wow, thanks for the detail. Is a lot of work like I predicted. Great insight, thanks again.

Hehe. Old schoolers definitely greying up but I do meet some young folks who are interested in it.

@@grumpy_wizard_blog they are indeed needed! but I am still amazed how old we have got and how young we feel, remembering being 12 years old, and feeling the same need for fun and adventure. I never in a million years would have imagined old fellas in their 40s-50s remembered their youth when I was a teenager. I dont know if modern society has preserved better our inner child, but I am still surprised for the good.

Thanks!

Thanks!

That would also happen in my campaign until the local thieves guild/healer's guild/alchemist/evil wizard etc find out and decide to shut it down because they want in on the action, its screwing up their business or want the magic for themselves.

@grumpy_wizard_blog I make the mistake of giving it to them, I let them keep it.

@steelfil672 I think of in terms of a situation which the other characters in the game world get to respond. The player characters may get to keep what they've acquired but they'll have to protect the resource the same way an NPC would.

thanks!

One of my favorites!

Thanks! I hope these videos are helpful for you to figure out what works for you.

Thanks! Glad to see you making videos again

It's hard to restrain myself from wanting to dig deep. It's a fun hobby of its own. It's mainly a matter of deciding what is important in the moment. Am I worldbuilding for fun or am I trying to get a campaign started? Both are entertaining but if my goal is to get a game going then the worldbuilding isn't necessarily the best way to get that done.

Thanks! You're welcome

Thank you. Glad to hear from you.

Thank you

Thanks! The next one is a little heavier.

@grumpy_wizard_blog Still looking forward to it.

Thanks! I'm glad to be back at it.

Thanks, I appreciate it!

Thank you!

Writer's block can be tough. In my case, it's usually about fear of some sort. The fear for me is fear of sucking. There are a few techniques I use to help. It depends on the specific issue I'm facing but a lot of it has to do with reducing the stakes of failure. I start by asking myself "What's the worst that could happen?" I write that down and then as "Is that real or am I over doing it?" Sometimes it's just a gut feeling. The way way I get out of that is set a timer and write the worst ideas I can imagine for 10 or 15 minutes. No stopping. Keep the pencil moving. The trick here is remembering that 90 out of 100 ideas will be crap and maybe 1 will be gold. That's OK. One good idea can keep me going for a long time because I build off of it. There are others. Maybe I should make a video about it....

I published a blog post about writer's block. It will be a series of two or maybe three posts on my thoughts about writer's block and how I manage it. grumpywizard.home.blog/2024/11/14/on-writers-block-part-1-is-writers-block-real/

What inspired the writers and game designers is something I like to dig into as well. I try to add those things to my "to be read" list and read them myself. Sometimes I find things that were as interesting but different than I pulled out of the work it inspired... if that makes sense.

You're welcome. I think that struggle comes from assuming that the linear adventure to adventure style of game is set up and works the same as a sandbox. Since most 5E gamers have never played a sandbox, they just assume that it works the same and then they struggle.

​@@grumpy_wizard_blog Spot on! Sandboxes can be daunting the first time, but when they work they're pure magic.

Thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Thanks! That's great feedback. It lets me know I going in the right direction. I appreciate the comment.

Thanks! I make a lot of lists throughout my sandbox process. Most of them are placeholders but some are more specific. More about my lists in future videos.

@@grumpy_wizard_blog , don't threaten ME with a good time, ya big ol' Jarhead. ;)

Thanks! I started a little later 1987 but similar experience. Not much money and the only thing resembling a game shop was 2 hours from where I lived.

High praise indeed!

Thanks!

Thanks! I have more in the works.

Seems so basic doesn't it! Yet... I still have to remind myself to stop thinking about a project and start putting words down. It activates some part of my brain that lets loose with an idea that didn't occur to me until I actually got started.

You're welcome. I definitely wish I realized that the abilities and resources that high level characters have are something to think about before starting the campaign. I learned it the hard way.

Good tip. I have a Walmart near me but it's kind of a pain in the butt to get to so I don't go very often. I'll have to remember that it probably worth the hassle next I need to stock up

@@grumpy_wizard_blog Usually around the end of August or September, because they tend to overbuy for school. But it's possible to still find them at that price, now.

Thanks! More on the way

Thanks! I hope you find them helpful

@grumpy_wizard_blog sure do, very classical material covered so far!

For sure. I put out a short document before I start the campaign and then drop a lot of small bits of information as we play to give players enough knowledge about what's going on but no to much at once for it to be overwhelming and hard to pick up.

@@grumpy_wizard_blog Yeah, that's what was on my mind too. By curiosity, how much (in lines?) do you give them in average and in what format (if not plain text)?

Lots more to come!

Thanks. I hope you are able to make use of it in your own games.

@grumpy_wizard_blog absolutely. Do alot of creating my own stuff too, I run public games at my local shop. I enjoy waving the alt gaming flag as often as possible.

Creating your own stuff can be very satisfying. I get a lot of enjoyment from simple and inexpensive tools.

You're very welcome.

You're welcome. I hope you are able to apply some of it in your own games.

@grumpy_wizard_blog Yeah. I'll certainly try. It's pretty well aligned with what I've been going for already.

Thanks! For whatever reason, I find I do better with cheap and simple.

They are great tools. Sometimes people get wrapped around the axel about fancy kit and forget that the tools are only good if they help you do what you are trying to do.

Simple is best. There are lots of digital tools that I use in my jobs and hobbies, but they don't replace composition notebooks and whiteboards. Speaking of which... I use Office Lens or VFlat to take pictures of whiteboards, notebooks, or Sketchbooks. Then I don't need markers or special notebooks.

Thanks! Glad to be back!

Thanks! I have 10 more videos on the way coming out as I get them edited and assembled.

Thank you!