An example
I am going to provide an example play through of how to set up and play a grand campaign using the modified 5 room dungeons described in my previous posts.
In order to keep the focus on the game structure I am not intending to go into much detail on the action within the scenes themselves here, just how they are set up to show how the structure can drive a story.
Eberron
I like Eberron as a campaign setting, and that is where my current ongoing solo game is set, so I am going to start there.
I am not sure where yet though.
Factions
In a previous post on setting up campaigns I mentioned that I usually like to start with factions. The way I detail factions these days has changed since I posted on them, but fur the sake of consistency I will use my published system here
I recently came across a blog that talked about setting up factions in groups of three: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I like that idea, so I will try and do something similar.
I have access to some random eberron campaign generators, so I'm just going to roll this randomly and see what pops out.
The Good: warforged (Lord of Blades)
The good are the faction whos goals align most strongly with the PCs.
Goal: the lord of blades is simply trying to set up a warforged nation in the mournland (the dangerous post apocalyptic wasteland that is all that remains of a once proud country) where warforged can be free and forge their own destinies.
Resources: warforged specialists. Small but elite army. Bases in the mournland.
Weaknesses: they need to clear dangers from the mournland, gather and organise warforged under their banner, and forge alliances or truces with other factions.
Locations: strongholds and encampments within the mournlands
Instinct: having been forged in war, that is the warforged first tool. They have a lot of specialists and they both employ these to destroy their enemies and offer their services to build alliances.
Actions;
1) plan or conduct an attack on enemies of the warforged
2) seek and recruit warforged to their ranks
3) spread the reputation of the lord of blades
4) reach out to potential allies
The Bad: The chamber
The Bad are the campaigns antagonists. The big bands of the campaign. Here it is pesky dragons and their prophecies.
Goal: fulfilment of a prophecy, and that prophecy does not have room for a nation of independent warforged in the mournland.
Resources: Dragons. Agents. Cats paws. Complex plans benefiting from intimate knowledge of prophecies.
Weaknesses: there are competing prophecies and factions within the chamber. There are few dragons, and much of what they do is acted out through agents and cats paws who may b have different aims.
Locations: safehouses, hideouts, and secret organisations across eberron. The island of dragons (I don't recall it's name from the top of my head).
Instinct: remain hidden and act through proxies.
Actions:
1) recruit and send proxy agents to accomplish their aims
2) follow a prophecy
3) remove obstacles to a prophecy
The Ugly: Khyber cult
The Ugly is a faction that seem distasteful, but whom can tip the balance of power if common ground can be found with them.
A Khyber cult seem to fit this well.
Goal: to serve and release their masters from Khyber.
Resources: they have some powerful and dedicated members. They have access to places and powers that others shy away from.
Weaknesses: nobody wants them to accomplish their goals. They are not well organised outside of individual cults. Many of their members are not entirely lucid.
Locations: there are multiple cults spread across the mournland.
Instinct: serve their dark masters.
Actions:
1) raid, pillage, and destroy
2) kidnap for nefarious purposes
3) infiltrate and build a cult
Campaign setup so far
OK, so we know now that the characters will be helping the warforged establish a nation within the mournlands.
The big bad is the chamber, or at least a faction within the chamber, and they are intending to prevent the warforged from developing a nation within the mournlands.
The Mournlands are also ridden with cults of the dragon below, and the chamber are weaponising them against the warforged in the hopes of destabilising their efforts and scattering them. Maybe the characters will find a way to turn this weapon against its owners hand?
The Characters
3 characters seems to be my sweet point, so let's start by creating three characters.
At least one warforged makes sense. How about Nails the warforged fighter
Nails fought for breland in the last war, and has not yet found his place in peaceful society. As a result he roams endlessly, looking for causes to fight for.
I like the idea of a gnome wizard who is obsessed with studying the mournland. Let's call him Vorlin.
He studied magic at the university in Zilargo and became fascinated with living spells and the cataclysm that destroyed Cyre (the nation that became the mournland) and travelled to study both.
Finally, an artificer. Let's make them another warforged called Mek.
Mek was constructed as a field mechanic for warforged units and served briefly with Nails during the war. He studied magic and artifice, going from repairing equipment to enhancing and creating it.
The First Arc
So we have the scope of the grand campaign and the first story arc is going to introduce all that. Probably starting by introducing the kyber cults as antagonists - the chamber probably remain hidden for now.
Let's roll an introduction seed. I have gathered these for scenes rather than arcs, so they might need a little modification.
I get a 1 on a d6, which means they are being thrown straight into the deep end. This is going to be an arc where they are fighting for survival.
Rolling on the challenge list I get a 3, which means a fight. This arc is going to be about straight up battle with kyber cultists.
So we have warforged settlements (and probably others as well) in the mournlands being threatened by kyber cultists and the first arc of the campaign will simply be about dealing with the danger these cultists represent.
I could find seeds more seeds, but I think this is enough of an idea to get us started.
Fighting cultists
The first session: introducing Nails
We need to go through the same process again to find out what the focus of the first session will be.
I generally like to run an introductory session for each character before bringing them together into the first story arc, so let's start with Nails.
A 6 on the hooks list gives something strange. Things have been upended already, and this session is going to be about figuring it all out.
Ok, first let's brainstorm a few ideas:
1) they have been captured by a cult
2) their minds are not entirely their own
3) a cult has unleashed some power that is affecting the local area in a strange way
Rolling a d3 gives us: 3. Strange powers of some sort are affecting the local area and they need to sort it out.
Let's brainstorm again:
1) magic is going awry
2) people are acting strangely
3) local animals are going crazy
4) the local terrain is doing strange things
Rolling a D4 we get... 2. People are acting strangely.
We could plan that out in more detail now, or we could find out as we play. I'm going to go with the second option.
Our story seeds so far for the first session then are:
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Nails is roaming and looking for causes to fight for, so I can see him getting involved with something like this and trying to help out.
The first scene
The first scene hooks us into the first session.
We already have two seeds
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
We need a hook seed as well. This time I roll a 2 for a revelation.
On the revelation list I roll a 3.
This scene is about nails discovering a clue of some sort telling him what is going on.
In other words he is going to discover that people are acting strangely.
This could be a purely narrative scene where Nails discovers that people are acting strangely, or it could be a challenge of some kind.
I like the idea of Nails coming across a village in the mournland where people are acting strangely, but this scene should also introduce Nails and who he is so I think a minor combat of some sort where he can beat up some mooks seems to fit as well. Especially as it draws in the fighting cultists seed from the story arc.
Let's merge the two.
Nails reaches a village in the mournland where he is attacked by a group of seemingly insane villagers
Next we need to test this scene premise with our GME. I am using mythic.
Altered scene
Ah. Something is altered. I'm going to use mythic again to test the components of the premise:
Is he in a village? (50/50) No
Is he in the mournland? (50/50) Exceptional yes
Is he attacked? (50/50)Yes
Are his attackers seemingly insane? (50/50) No
Are his attackers humanoid? (50/50) Yes
Ok, so he is deep in the mournland but rather than in a village he is attacked on the road. Perhaps by hunters or wardens.
This is a mook fight to highlight his capabilities, so it shouldn't be too tough but the important thing is that the hunters will let drop information that something is affecting people in the area.
Let's say they seem happy and relax slightly all of a sudden, dropping comments like "thank God, he's not infected".
Arc 1, session 1, scene 2
Having been attacked, Nails heads towards the closest village to see what all this talk of being "infected" is about.
Let's see if we start with a challenge or revelation? I roll a 6, so revelation it is.
Next I roll on the revelation scene list and get a 5. Withdrawal.
So the scene seeds are:
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Investigating what the "infected" are
Withdrawal
It looks like whoever the infected are, they have either been driven from the village or have fled.
Nails investigates the village and finds that the infected have fled
Mythic: expected scene
Either way Nails will discover that there were infected in the village, but that they have fled.
With social investigation rolls and a little investigation he discovers that the "infected were villagers that suddenly started acting odd and then became violent. Hunters have been patrolling the wilds nearby to try and capture any they can in the hope of finding a cure (or failing that, to put them down in the hope of avoiding the infection spreading).
Arc 1, session 1, scene 3
The last scene was a revelation, so this one is a challenge.
Nails offers to help hunt down infected villagers.
A roll on the challenge list gives us 1: battle.
The first true battle of the campaign.
Our seeds are
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Hunting the infected
Battle
The simplest interpretation is that he tracks down a group of infected (possibly alongside some other hunters) and they have a fight on their hands.
To complicate matters, while the infected are fighting with a deranged frenzy and trying to kill them, Nails and the hunters are trying to capture them alive if at all possible.
Eventually they succeed in capturing a few and tie them up ready to return to the village. Unfortunately some are killed in the fight.
Arc 1, session 1, scene 4
I am playing a variable length session, so I roll 1d8 and get a 6. We have not reached the climax yet.
Nails is helping the hunters return their captives to the village.
Last scene was a challenge, so this is a revelation. Rolling on the list we get 6: an unexpected meeting.
Giving the seeds
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Escort the captives
Unexpected meeting
Sounds like he might recognise one of the captives
One of the captives served with Nails in the Brelish army during the last war
Let's test that with mythic: expected scene
This scene mostly plays out narratively. Nails can't get much sense out of his old comrade (let's call them Bucket) but now has a much more personal stake in this session.
There are... Patterns... In the things Bucket says however. Themes and motifs of blood and darkness. (This provides a lead that the dragon below might be involved, and stems from the fighting cultists seed)
Arc 1, session 1, scene 5
A challenge next.
Nails wants to find a cure for bucket
But he doesn't know where to start.
Let's roll on the challenge list. I get a 3 - another battle.
Our seeds are
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Find a cure
Battle
I'm not sure it is the right time for a literal battle here, however maybe there is another outbreak or the captives break free.
I like the idea of this scene being more figurative. If the infection is going to be cured it will require the work of a talented artificer and the closest is a days hike away through dangerous terrain.
Rather than a battle...
Nails must travel trough dangerous terrain to find an artificer capable of healing the infection
Again we test the premise with mythic: altered scene
Oh, so what is altered?
Q: does he have to travel trough dangerous terrain? (50/50) Yes
Q: must he find an artificer? (50/50): No.
Interesting. Not an artificer then.
How about instead, the locals recognise some details amongst the captives ramblings. They are describing a series of caverns that are difficult to reach but within a day or so journey. (Making use of the details the previous scene set up)
Nails sets out and forges a path to the cavern. It is difficult, but he makes it though.
Arc 1, session 1, scene 6
It is time to check for the climax again. This time we reach it on a 5+. I rolled a 6, so climax it is.
I roll a 2, making it a climactic battle.
A roll on the challenge list gives me a 5, so this is going to end in a chase rather than a fight. It needs to be an exciting climax though: let's make it a running battle through the caverns.
Fighting cultists
People acting strangely
Find a cure
Climactic chase
Nails chases cultists through the caverns in a running battle
Let's test that premise with mythic: interrupt scene
- move towards a thread (uncover the chamber)
- flee/poverty
Hmmm. I liked the idea of the running battle. It sounds like something else is going on here though.
Nails is forced to flee with nothing but information.
He gets into the caverns and uncovers evidence of Daelkyr magic, alongside scrawled prophecies of some kind. He can't make sense of it but grabs what evidence he can.
Then cultists show up. In force. Nails fights his way back out of the caverns and crossed the wasteland once more to bring news of his discovery to the village.
Arc 1, session 1, scene 6
Q; is there a twist? (Unlikely): yes
Right, so we have a second climactic scene. I roll a 2, so it is another challenge. Next I roll a 6 on the challenge list, so the challenge is the environment.
This makes sense I suppose, it was a challenge on the way out and it seems it will be just as deadly on the way back. Especially with the added problem of avoiding persist.
Eventually Nails makes it back in one piece. He looks for experts that can help interpret his findings, but there simply isn't anyone in the village who can help him.
There are a number of threads left as seeds for future adventures:
He needs to find a cure for the infected
He needs to find what is wrong with the infected
He needs to interpret the prophecy he found
He needs allies to help deal with the cultists in the caverns
He needs to interpret the cultist markings he found and discover exactly what he is dealing with
Closing the session provides an excellent jumping off point.
If I didn't want to explore any of those threads further I could just let him find experts and discover the cure.
I have had the opportunity now to get to know Nails a bit better, which will help when he joins a larger group.
if I decide the character isn't really working at this point it is easy to set them aside and just create another to fill the space.
If I decide I don't want to continue the campaign as a whole I can just wrap it up and move on.
As things stand however, I will leave the threads open as potential seeds for future adventures and keep going.
Nails is going to have a break however, because it is time to get to know about character.
The second session - introducing Mek
We know a lot more starting this session than we did starting the first.
Denizens of the mournlands, including warforged, are being infected with something that is turning them into raving psychotics, and this is somehow linked to kyber cults and a prophecy of some kind.
Mek doesn't know about any of this yet however, so let's start his story.
Arc 1, session 2, scene 1
First we roll on the list of hook seeds, getting a 3. Signs of trouble are brewing on the horizon and Mek is becoming aware of them.
Let's roll on the revelation list as well: another 3 means clues.
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Signs of something bad on its way
Much like with Nails introduction, this is about introducing Mek as much as it is about introducing the adventure so it makes sense if Meks skills are showcased.
So this is about artifacts.
What if magic is functioning strangely, and as a result artifacts are doing strange things
In fact we could tie this in with the spreading madness. It isn't noticeable to most people, but to those attuned to their energies artifacts seem to have started whispering.
Mek discovers that artifacts are whispering unintelligibly
Let's test that premise with mythic: expected scene
Mek is working with a small band of warforged soldiers in the mournland, maintaining their equipment and providing mechanical support.
It happens slowly, but he notices the equipment whispering. It is strange. Probably caused by some kind of magical interference. He is picking up some kind of interference and some whispers from the circuitry of his warforged charges as well, along with the occasional flash of disturbing energy disrupting their personality engrams.
He is unclear what, but clearly something is going wrong ..
Arc 1, session 2, scene 2
Mek is studying the strange magical interference, conducting experiments, and trying to figure out where the feild originates.
Our first job is to determine whether a challenge or revelation comes first and I roll a 6, making this a revelation scene.
A further roll of a 4 means he receives warnings about future challenges.
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Signs of something bad on its way
Conducting research
Dire warnings
It sounds like his experiments are going to highlight the dangers he is already concerned about and perhaps shed more light on them.
Mek conducts experiments with whispering artifacts
Let's test that hypothesis: altered scene
Great.
Q: is Mek in the mournland? (Likely) Yes
Q: is Mek experimenting with the artifacts? (50/50) Yes.
Q: do these experiments provide the warnings? (50/50) Yes.
Ok, so nothing changes with any of that setup. How is the scene altered then?
Something added?
The warnings come from the artifacts themselves. Under his tests they whisper dark portents.
He conducts the tests anyway, pushes through the disturbing warnings, and puts things together as best he can.
Even more disturbing, the whispers aren't just coming from the artifacts - he realises that using his instruments he can pick up whispers from the magical circuits of the warforged around him.
This is getting more and more troubling.
Arc 1, session 2, scene 3
The last scene was a revelation so next week have a challenge - enough plot, let's get some adrenaline flowing.
I roll a 6 meaning that this is an environmental challenge...
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Signs of something bad on its way
Dire warnings
Environmental challenge
How about
The village is shaken by an earth quake
Let's test it with mythic: expected scene
Putting the warnings together with the data from his instruments, Mek realises that a surge of power is building somewhere beneath them.
Before he can do more than warn a handful of people, the village is shaken by an earthquake.
Buildings are devastated. People are missing.
Mek does what he can to help.
Arc 1, session 2, scene 4
First we check for the climax, rolling 8! We have hit the climax already.
Fur the type of climax I get 1, then I roll a challenge and get a 5. A chase of some sort.
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Signs of something bad on its way
Dire warnings
Epic chase
The earthquake, or the energies unleashed during it, have interacted with Meks artifacts causing something BAD.
1) mass infection
2) an explosion
3) a portal of monsters
I roll a 2.
The artifacts explode, destroying the village and forcing the inhabitants to flee
Testing that with mythic: altered scene
Q: do the artifacts explode? Yes
Q: is the village destroyed? No
Q: do the inhabitants flee? No
The explosion doesn't destroy the village. It changes it. Along with any villagers unfortunate enough to be caught by the twisting energies unleashed.
Mek is forced to run for his life, barely avoiding the same fate as his neighbours.
Arc 1, session 2, scene 5
Resolution.
Q: Is there a twist? (50/50) Yes.
I roll a 6 meaning there is a final revelation, followed by a 3. More clues.
Mek is able to use his instruments to track the source of the energy eruption and sets out to see if this calamity can be fixed.
We have now reached the end of the second session and have gotten to know two of our heroes as they struggle with the challenges of the mournland.
One more character to introduce and then we can find out how it all ties together.
The third session: introducing Vorlin
Let's start by rolling for the hook. I get a revelation.
It is probably fitting for a wizard to be drawn into events by a discovery. I roll to find out what and get a 5. Withdrawal.
Interesting. We haven't encountered any foes for Vorlin yet, but we do have an idea that the story arc will be about kyber cultists.
Let's say
Vorlin is following the magical trail left by a sorcerous kyber cult as they retreated into the mournland
Testing it with mythic we get: expected scene
Vorlin tracks the trail left by the cult, following them from place to place.
An artifact here. The remains of a ritual circle there. Enscribed sygils. The aftermath of their sorcerous workings.
It is all very fascinating, and steadily the traces of magic left on their workings become stronger.
He is getting closer to the cult itself.
Arc 1, session 3, scene 2
First I roll a 3 to see if we start with a challenge or a revelation and get a challenge.
Then I roll a 5 for the challenge seed and get a chase
So our seeds are
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Following the cultists trail
chase
I suppose the most obvious solution is that he catches the trail of one or more cultists, who try to run...
Let's test that with mythic: expected scene
I think the most interesting way to pay this out is a chase via investigation rather than a flat out race.
The cultists have realised that somebody is coming after them, and are trying to cover their tracks and deploy counter magics to throw Vorlin off their trail, while Vorlin is investigating and casting spells to trace them. Mostly because their weird magics are interesting and the chase is fun.
Eventually he tracks them down.
Arc 1, session 3, scene 3
That was a challenge so next we have a revelation. What does he find when he tracks them down?
I roll a 1 and he discovers an advantage.
I could use oracles to determine the nature of the advantage, but right now I am going to go ahead and assume that he catches up with them in a situation that puts him at an advantage over them.
I'm going to brainstorm a list to pick from:
1) he has them trapped
2) they are low on resources
3) they are under attack by others
I roll a 1, so it seems that Vorlin has cornered them and their backs are against the wall with no way out but through him.
That could turn out to be a double edged sword.
Let's test it with mythic: expected scene
This mostly plays out narratively, but I require a few checks for Vorlin to successfully take advantage of the situation.
Then we roll an 8 to see if we arrive at the climax and it seems we do.
That fits the narrative well.
Arc 1, session 3, scene 4
The stage is set for a conflict so I'm not even going to roll. Testing the scene with mythic will give enough chance for a twist to our expectations.
Fighting cultists
People infected by cult influences
Vorlin has the cultists trapped
Battle
The cultists fight a desperate last stand against Vorlin
Testing that with mythic; expected scene
It is an epic battle. The cultists fight desperately but Vorlin cuts them down with magic.
Arc 1, session 3, scene 5
We come to the resolution.
Q: is there a twist? (50/50) Exceptional yes
Ok, sounds big.
I roll 1 for a challenge, then 5 for a battle.
The last cultist falls, and for a moment it looks like it is all over but then a swirling caleidiscopic wind sweeps over the corpses draining something from them and coalescing into something big and dangerous.
The cultists last spell, possibly triggered by their demise or possibly just set in motion too late to protect them, is a demon summoning.
Vorlin has his work cut out fighting the beast, but in the end he prevails.
I need to bring everyone together, so amongst their belongings he will find a clue pointing him towards the others.
Maybe this group were a decoy, and the real threat have pushed on to cause the problems that Nail and Mek have been dealing with.
Now that we have been introduced to them all, they can meet up next session and take the fight to the cultists.
