as you see I am new here (forgive me for my awful language as I am Italian ^^), and I'm looking for some advice.
I am going to run a campaign in the Mists - the characters will probably be a Blackguard-to-be, sophisticated and elegant warrior with lust for power (and a power-lusting wife who obviously follows him), an assassin outcast elf, psychically damaged by his own deeds and in serach for redemption, and a psychic warrior. My goal is to play a campaign which could be profound and enjoying, a endless journey through all the feelings linked to darkness and negativity - therefore grotesque alienation, despair, melancholy, madness, violence etc..
Also I'd want to model all the adventures on the PCs, so they could be strongly involved. Could you suggest me something ? ^__^
The PCs are in Ravenloft for a specific purpose. As the game unfolds, that purposes is brought gradually to light. The main campaign thread (killing Strahd, let's say) surfaces and submerges as side adventures are run. I structure them like a TV series, with some episodes relating directly to the main plot, other episodes only tangentially touching on it, and yet others having very little relation to it.
The players are not told what the overall direction of the campaign, because part of the game play is for them to figure it out (and it gives me room to change my mind, if I want
). Also, the most successful RL campaigns I've run have been limited to take place almost entirely within one domain. It's easier to make PCs care about NPCs if there is a steady cast of recurring characters, instead of the party running to the next town whenever they tick someone off.
You say a good campaign could take place entirely in only domain.. but my intention was to show a large variety of emotions and feelings concerning negativity (in fact I haven't found an all-campaing plot
)Originally posted by Writer of Stuff
I don't know if this is a helpful suggestion, but my most successful Ravenloft campaigns have had their climaxes planned before they even started.
This dude scares me.
I agree completely with your philosophy -- I share the same one. That's exactly how I'm running my current campaign.
And although I completely agree with you regarding domain space limits, I consciously chose to go in the opposite direction for this Game.
Back in the day when we used to play our Home-brewed world, I didn't even have to pre-plan an adventure. All I had to do was put down the map and ask the players "Where do you want to go today?" They knew the world and its locales that well.
This is my players' first exposure to RL and I want them to see every nook and cranny of the place. I'm taking them on a RL world-tour and I need to highlight all the important Pre-Grand Conjunction sites. Cuz once the GC hits, for better or for worse, the whole place is gonna change.
I need the players to recognize and realize the changes made in the GC. They can only do that if they know the RL map as well as they used to know the old Bluspell one.
Cuz when this campaign is over, new characters get created and the Red Box is broken out... watch out now. I won't be dealing with virgin RL players any longer, I'll be dealing with pros.
Pop them cherries!
peace!
MSD