So I am #newtohubski, like many here I am a cast off of whatever happened at Reddit.
Anyway, I recently got back into Dungeons & Dragons after I found a good reliable group to play with. I went out and bought the 5e core books, got back into painting miniatures, and want to get way too deep again.
The problem comes from the fact that the group I joined has been playing for about a decade (I am a new add). They love their roles, they love their DM. But e has asked a few times if I would like to run a campaign so he can spend some time on the other side of the screen.
I ran a lot of pre-made campaigns back in the day. But part of me wants to actually write something. There is a feeling that pushes me to sit in front of a blank screen and freakout that nothing is there. Then I freak out when something awful is there.
Anyway, here's you call to action Hubski: Write two words, any two words, and I will try to pull them into a campaign setting
Sounds very "Mansion of Madness" I like the idea of the elder gods coming into the world of D&D. Thanks a lot!
If you're into D&D you should totally play Planescape: Torment. It's a 90s CRPG, Infinity Engine like Baldur's Gate. You start in Sigil and wander around the planes a bit. They didn't have Limbo, understandably. That particular plane works better when you're imagining it.
Oh man, what a great gathering point style quest marker. I got stuck with a shipwreck, but I like this way more!
I am writing a Level 0 campaign. So all the characters start out with 0 skills and 10 and get to build their stats through a bunch of activities. I didn't really have a reason for them to get together. But a funeral for a mutual friend....someone that was a hero, but not well known. My players all show up frail and unsure of the company. They find out instead that their friend was something more than they thought. The other heroes all take interest because the dead guy was interested. They get to spend some time training their way up to level 1. No skills until they decide to learn them. Then suddenly they get taken along on first quest....and something goes wrong. LOVE IT!
Oh man, I have evidently been out of MtG way too long.
Is that even a real card? Should it be?
What the hell is the counter to that! I knew a person online that loved using Magic the Gathering to generate campaign ideas. I haven't thought about him in a while. Thanks for the suggestion!
> Poop butter. Does that count? Are they separate?
Serendipity Illusion --Alternatively-- Abject terror
Oooo I like the serendipitous illusion angle. I am thinking that the "fortunate" gathering of heroes that start out training our adventurers should actually be a deeper more nefarious organization. Thinking about having them actually be trying to send the adventurers on a suicide mission to soak damage while they escape with the loot....all smiles and good times when they are "training" but the real secret of the organization keeps getting deeper and further away.
[I feel like the Tomb of Horrors is already a thing.}(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Horrors) I wonder if there is a way to take this one on and make it fresh again....any suggestions?
SPOILERS AHEAD If you ever listened to the Penny Arcade/PVP D&D podcasts, in the third series starting here, the DM Chris Perkins ran a dungeon similar to the Tomb of Horrors but didn't spring any of the traps until the party was already deep inside the area and had collected the treasure they had gone in to find. They then had to go through everything on their way out. This gave them a false sense of security as they only had a few easy encounters on the way in that they fought through or snuck around but had incredibly difficulties after an enemy NPC activated all the traps. This might be a good way to revitalize the Tomb of Horrors and make it fresh. Obviously YMMV depending on 1) how much knowledge your players have of the original Tomb of Horrors and it's layout (if you steal it directly), 2) whether they've listened to those podcasts before, and 3) whether your players would tolerate you trying to murder them after they thought they were safe. As an aside, I would highly recommend listening to the Penny Arcade/PVP D&D podcasts. They don't always play by the official rules (they sometimes get rules wrong though generally not on purpose) and aren't the most serious of players but they always have a really fun time and they are very entertaining. Chris Perkins from WOTC who DMs most of their campaigns is a very entertaining and ingenious DM and you can steal a lot of good stuff for your campaigns from him. You can find all their podcasts here under the Acquisitions Incorporated heading. The very first one starts here
All I can think of is that myth about Zeus. Transforming god that takes the form of farm animals. Gets close to mortals and then changes to his god-like form an has his way with the ladies. And now we have the source for magic in this world. All magic derives from the bloodlines of the gods. Thanks!
Perhaps the gods aren't gods, but ancients that had access to arcane knowledge that was lost during the Greek Dark Ages, but has been rediscovered at the eve of the Eastern/Western Roman division. Could be an interesting alternate history campaign.
And now I know that there was a Greek dark ages. I don't know how I didn't get that the Homeric era was literate and kept careful record but still had myths get created during it. Huh, again very interesting stuff thanks for the post!
Thanks! I'm a big fan of alt-history, and your suggestion got me thinking about the what-ifs.
How about something for a character? Inappropriate prankster
I played a campaign a long time ago with an alcoholic bard dwarf. His surname was "Ironhorn." He had an iron horn that he liked to blow...all the time. He took a lot of pleasure in failing sneak rolls and then blowing his horn with a bonus action. He laughed like hell. Thought it was the best thing. I, playing a frail elf necromancer who liked to hide beside the meatshield/dwarf was constantly less than impressed. Thanks for your input!
Forgotten
Misdirection Bonus words: I asked my GM husband to contribute and he offered up...
Vermin
Asian Uh...please don't draw any kind of correlation between those two words., as there's none intended! Good luck with your campaign!
Oh man!! That is the type of thing that makes for excellent race creation!
Awesome outside of the box on that one. Wererat assassins in ninja style! Think Master Splinter!
Mantis-folk that have a strict samurai class structure! I think this one is done somewhere!
Pigeon-People that are a part of a yakuza style crime syndicate! LOVE IT!
I am trying to write an entire world. So far I have started with drawing a map then writing the main races. It's a crazy project.
That's a pretty big undertaking. Have you ever seen the 30 days of worldbuilding Post? It might be helpful in creating your entire world. Each day consists of a short 15 minute exercise but it goes through most everything you'd need to think about when building a world. Might be a helpful resource. Good luck!
What an awesome resource! I hadn't stumbled on that before and thank you! So far I have just been brewing it all in my head, I am loving the feedback that I am getting this way. I promise at some point if I ever get this all together I will definitely share the credit.