Seeds for a Great Campaign

[@CABerlitz]

Making bite sized adventures and maps is a great tip for DMs and mainly for starting ones. Also, knowing beforehand where you want the story to get is great for motivation and background ideas

[@jimmurphy1591]

Carlos Augusto Berlitz 👊👿😈👊👁🤬✌️

[@olivermeloche2042]

Thank you for the "subtle" reminder to stop stalling on putting the players magic items on paper cards, espically the ones their currently looking for.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Oliver Meloche good job

[@ryanphgaara]

Just before bedtime apears my favourite story teller! Keep it up love the videos ❤️

[@jimmurphy1591]

RyPhilip thanks

[@Finkeldinken]

Another wonderful video, thank you! I was just reminded of you because I saw that the Magic the Gathering folks are teaming up with Seattle Humane Society cat adoptions and I thought you might like that approach. Have a nice day!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Pru-Pruh anything that helps the weakest and most honorable members of our society I love. Thanks for letting me know.

[@Finkeldinken]

@@jimmurphy1591I thought you might. I think it's a wonderful initiative. I have two adopted rabbits myself and my local shelter&rescue is amazing.

[@francescol.bellman9670]

Mr. Murphy understood everything about Dungeon Mastering.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Francesco L. Bellman hope it doesn’t leak out

[@fitzmac8504]

Hey Jim Murphy , another great video with loads of great tips. Keep up the great job. Slainte ~

[@jimmurphy1591]

Fitz Mac I need to learn more Irish, thanks!

[@fitzmac8504]

Here is an Irish sayin fer ya : “Táimid ar an domhan seo le chéile, agus más rud é go mbeadh muid deartháireacha; troid-ní ar do shon féin, ach ar mhaithe le daoine eile.” Or something like that 🙃 In English :” We're on this earth together, and if we would be brothers; fight-not on your own behalf, but for the sake of others.“ Good slogan / proverb/ saying to live by... Slainte ~

[@cjmizanin1]

The Amber RPG (based on Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber books) is perfect for this too. All worlds connect to Amber.

[@jimmurphy1591]

I loved those books

[@captainnolan5062]

I am glad to hear from another experienced gamer who likes TFT (my favorite rpg for years), EPT, and Albion (I still have my copy) and I saw a bit of Dragonquest in your binder. Keep up the good work.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Captain Nolan you bet, I play them all

[@ishmiel21]

Dude, you rule, Jim! Keep these amazing videos coming, big dog!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Joe woof 👊😈👿👊👁🤬✌️

[@MrCowabungaa]

Preventing creative DM burnout is exactly why I adore the Faction Turn mechanic from the Stars Without Number system (there's a free version on drivethrurpg). It gives the GM relatively simple mechanics to not only build an entire interstellar sector, but also to populate it with factions that have goals and units. Once an arbitrarily defined time the GM plays a little turn of mini-Civilisation with all the factions in the sector, trying to achieve their goals. In the end it keeps your game vibrant and alive around the players, and it's basically one big campaign seed generator. It gives me fertile ground to create bite-sized missions of a couple of sessions each which are still tightly connected to the world around them and stakes that the players are interested in. For example, I'm running an imperial military sci-fi campaign in which the players are part of noble houses, controlling a sort-of scouting/ranger ship. So far they've deal with reports of forbidden technology, examined a sabotage and they're now reinforcing an understaffed engineering bataljon. All vastly different missions in vastly different settings, but they're all tied together by being in the same universe and the overarching goal of protecting the larger empire and furthering the interests of the noble house who owns the ship. In a way it mirrors the Planescape example in the video. Because regardless of which planet or space station or asteroid base the players are on, it all ties together to the setting at large. I honestly wish there'd be a generic fantasy version of that Faction Turn mechanic. I know I could hack it together myself because the OSR is flexible like that, but sadly I lack the time for it. Regardless, at least for my sci-fi games I've found it a great tool to keep my creativity going and preventing GM burnout.

[@jimyoung9262]

I love SWN. The faction and tag mechanics are great for ideas and are definitely in the minimalist style Jim here is talking about. If I was running D&D I would totally use the Worlds Without Number for my factions and adventure seeds.

[@fitzmac8504]

Jim Murphy , WarpCon is on this weekend in Cork . Just an FYI , so you can plan your trip back to the Auld sod , the motherland next year 😉

[@jimmurphy1591]

Fitz Mac let me fire up my jet. I sure would like to go to Ireland again

[@TheNerdySimulation]

I think this sort of campaign idea would lend itself well to those who also don't want to do a full campaign at once or maybe even want to break it up into "Seasons." You could easily stop between one adventure and another to run something else (maybe even let someone else run) or just to take some time to play some new tabletop games before picking back up with those same characters to go on the next adventure. Great video, Jim. :D

[@jimmurphy1591]

TheNerdySimulation I agree

[@ethanbest9110]

When you said "Planescape," I nearly jumped out of my skin with excitement. It's my favorite pre-built setting to read and run. Hope the game goes well and you get some fun stories out of it.

[@amoghkulkarni2239]

What time is it ? Jim Murphy time! Awesome video!

[@jimmurphy1591]

AMogh KUlkarni thank you

[@pskovca]

I am sure you were aware but Raymond Fiest used Tekumel in his famous Riftwar Cycle. Feist acknowledges that the Tekumel setting from M. A. R. Barker's Empire of the Petal Throne was the source for much of Kelewan. The original D&D campaign which he based his books on had an invasion of the Midkemia world by Tekumel.( Wikipedia)

[@jimmurphy1591]

Pskov oh thanks, I did not know and I’ll follow up. Great piece of info

[@technoskald464]

And all this time I legitimately thought he was saying "Gay Methuselah"... yeah jamming stuff together is cool, though I'd submit you don't *need* Planescape to do it unless the module is truly planar (like the City of Brass). Grab the bits you like, file the serial numbers off, and throw that Underdark adventure in the ground beneath your feet or that castle just at the edges of your map.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Technoskald I think that’s what I said.?

[@youtubeseagull]

i need a blurb on presentation, for speech mostly. i'm not completely on board here and then the positivity takes over from the Methuselah... so... i think that's what i need teaching, sensei. *understating, totally diggin the bytes.

[@jimmurphy1591]

christopher brander Think about game of thrones. How would you start that as a D&D campaign

[@youtubeseagull]

@@jimmurphy1591 i'd start with the PC being Ned with the sword in his hand about to decapitate one of his own? i'm no GOT expert, super tough question. But... the guys i play with would go through that scene with a bit of humor and aplomb. would that make sense?

[@jimmurphy1591]

christopher brander sure! What works it’s your story. You create the reality

[@youtubeseagull]

​@@jimmurphy1591 would it be rude to throw it back at ya? lol. where would you start? is there a way you flourish your words instead of just describing? or do you let the content live on its own. I'm wondering how much showmanship you put into the game when you're running it for grown men. What part of a campaign really locks it in for ya as a passion to deliver to the smartest adults you know? :-) i trust that's all the same question. I'm a vet of the game for the most part. I just want to convince myself i guess.

[@mikegould6590]

Custom magic items? A campaign where the players are always a bit off balance? Strange worlds with stranger foes? That’s my jam! I’ve restarted Thöll after a break of a few months and my players seem enthused and invested. Wish you could join, Jim.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Mike Gould oh, me too. I never get enough gaming

[@dustintaub]

I have the best gaming group and we’ve been together for almost a decade. We do a few things to prevent DM burnout and keep players interested. First, we periodically take breaks from long campaigns. Second, we have multiple GMs that are willing to run. Third, we have this process where we pitch game ideas to each other and vote on which one we want to play next. The idea behind a pitch is present a synopsis of the theme, the RPG system they want to run it in, and an estimate of how long they want to run it. We then vote on the game pitches until we narrow it down to one the majority wants to play next . For example, one GM might pitch a one-off of some new indie game system, another GM might brand new campaign idea he’s been working on, while a third GM wants to return to a campaign we’ve played in the past. The key to even a long campaign is to have a breakpoint, a half-way point, or the end of a story arch in mind where we can stop and switch games for a while. The keeps the burnout at bay, allows us to try new ideas and games, and lets inexperienced GMs try running a game or two without committing to an entire campaign.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Dustin Taub it sounds like great group. Kudos to you and your group

[@catpeterson4922]

Teeth of the Dragon, as in the artifact swords that Matt has used in his games/novels?!

[@jimmurphy1591]

C Penn yes!

[@jimmurphy1591]

C Penn Starkiller was not a tooth!

[@catpeterson4922]

Awesome. I'm always interested in seeing fellow DMs' artifacts, but even more so for yours, Jim!

[@MysteriousAlly]

If you ever finish writing your Twilight of Fey campaign, are you going to publish it?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Jon C. In process, will do

[@MrRourk]

You should check out the Gardens of Ynn. So many possibilities and randomness it is never the same twice.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Fredrick Rourk I will, thanks

[@MrRourk]

I also like the module has backup plan if the characters should die. The gameplay does not have to stop.

[@sath2749]

I like your idea about Planescape. I have played many campaigns that have traveled to other realities, times, and settings. I have run modules in the past, but I am not one for them. Especially not for 5th ed. In the past when I have run a module I took and dissected it and put in my own magic items and then remade the NPCs to how I wanted them to be. I change so much that I don't use much of the module. For 5th ed, they decided that they would make modules in hardback. I don't get why. It makes the book more expensive for something I am going to use once. I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants DM. I like for players to make the move to where they want to go. So I guess I have never run a campaign that focused on doing things to eventually get to a particular end.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Sath keep what works for you

[@lexvstee]

Listening to this, I was reminded of the 'system' I use as a GM new to the game, which is The Lazy Dungeon master. A system that relies mostly on improvisation with only a few rules written down. Have you ever seen it? And if yes, I would love to see a video on what you think about it.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Lex v Stee have not but I’ll look for it

[@ocantao]

Hi DM! There will be a Masterclass to create adventures(not dungeons) in 3x5s?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Thiago Cantão maybe a school

[@ocantao]

@@jimmurphy1591 that would be awesome!

[@lionheartlee4719]

Hey Jim!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Lionheart Lee yo

[@mr.frisky1323]

Is that a Taylor behind ya?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Yep

[@wanderinghistorian]

I love Planescape so much. Unfortunately my players are never interested in a full campaign there. I sneak in Planescape/Sigil by using it as the hub most people have to use to go from one plane to another. So when my players want to go plane-hopping, they have to make layovers in Sigil. Can't blame me for making people wanting to ride the rails use a train station. :)

[@jimmurphy1591]

Jason that seems like the best use until you have a space/time/ plane crisis. Then you could go wild.

[@Blindeyes1431]

In my opinion, it's a necessity to be playing in some type of game if you're a DM. It is all too common that one guy in every group holds the full burden of DMing week after week for years. Sometimes it turns into a vicious cycle where the group's DM burns out, someone starts up a game, few weeks later the usual DM brings back his game and everyone who was running a game gets demoralized when their game isn't as polished. I'm at a DM hurdle where I internally groan at other people's games when I'm a PC and DMing quickly burns me out, like it's not worth my time. I'm not sure what it is. I can accept being a jerk player, that's probably true. But I think I overthink and overprepare my sessions and possibly i don't want to invest that much time again.

[@MrRourk]

Ironsworn GM Less

[@jimmurphy1591]

Blindeyes1431 yep, though in many groups that’s what happens

[@pskovca]

Playing certainly energizes you as a DM. I found that if i am playing something totally different i find even more inspiration. When playing in a game i always find myself considering how i would have run the scenario and that is the fuel that triggers my creative urges. If i can offer one piece of advice. Spend your prep time on npc's and story rather than on content. Players always find a way to avoid that big encounter you designed and the last thing you want to do is railroad them into it. Story elements and npcs can be introduced at any point and tend to be what the players remember the fondest. This way your hard work rarely goes to waste.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Maybe, on some level, most of us have a bit of "jerk Player" going on... If you're concerned about over-prep'... Here's a novel idea. Instead of packing all the content into a single module like you might conventionally do, take those content bits apart a bit and "shelf" them, for use or repurpose later... Content need never be wasted... The stuff that your Players don't run into, doesn't exactly exist to them. They DON'T know about it, so when you DO decide to "recycle" stuff from past campaign ideas, they're not going to be able to tell... It doesn't have to mean "physically literally" taking apart the modules, either. With each component of the module in question (or "adventure" as you might prefer) you can put a "check-box" somewhere around the title, or nomenclature "heading"... AND check it off when it's been run or used... SO you know what they've already seen or done... whatever. Later, when you're perusing useful stuff for the next setting, scene, or adventure (misadventures count, too)... You can keep a minimal "short-hand" account of stuff you've already knowingly run through... and choose which and how or where to reskin, retro-fit, or what needs passed up entirely. It might've been a great success that last time, but over-doing is still over-doing. Yeah? Cutting right down to a GM's essentials, you look for NPC-entities (from monsters to gods to BBEG's), puzzles and obstacles, and problems (those core things the heroes are going to solve for the campaign)... Let the PC's build up to the heavy-lifting of story and interactions, and you (GM) can take the part of introducing opportune items from development or collection as the timing and theme seems right. I (personally) have a litany of crap I've almost never even mentioned. A fair amount of it was developed with fullest intent, but never made it to the table. SO??? I just stuck it back with foot-notes about what to do with it, by original intentions (like monster, goon, villain, and undermining stereotype, etc...) and put it into storage for use or review later. Over thirty or so years of GM'ing (even off and on) and tossing the occasional idea around for a potential plot-hook or seed for others, I've collected and built a LOT of crap... just crap. Some of it stands to be and has tested out to be really awesome, and some of it was clearly "stolen" because my PC observed that it was about time for "another shoe to drop"... and the GM at hand INSTANTLY latched onto the very next stupid thing out of my mouth... GREAT TIMES... AND some of it's more just potential window-dressing or background-ish wallpaper for campaigns yet to come... Some may never in hell see the light of day at a table... just opportunity I guess. DON'T let it eat you down. I know... Harder to follow through than to say. BUT the fact is, new ideas come along. Either you're creative (and you clearly are) or you're not... and ideas are stolen, ripped out of other places, or hodge-podged willy-nilly from TV, pop-culture references, and magazines... It makes one no less a GM for any of it. Nobody else at the table is NEARLY as invested in where or what kind of content gets into the game than the GM. SO don't be afraid to go back to places you've been, find stuff you thought could've been cool at the time, and take another look. Some of us get congratulated for being "consistently genius" because nobody else was privileged to look in our tupperwares FULL of crap we hadn't thought about in ten years or more... I'm no genius. I'm a pack-rat. ;o)

[@rickeymariu1]

"Many years of boobs and murders" Game of thrones

[@roumonada]

I hate peace too.

[@Frolmaster]

Perhaps you should look at the editing of this video. i feel like there's some information missing.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Frolmaster that’s not good