| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Macresto |
Posted - 04 Jul 2005 : 12:45:27
Well met to everyone. It has been many months of evesdropping and wonderfull reading. Now, however, I wish to bring forth a question to all of the learned sages here at Candlekeep. Any advice or remark posted in good spirit will be highly appreciated.
Allthough new to this forum and the Candlekeep site I am not new to the art of mastering a game. I have done so for more than 20 years now and I am still enjoying it.
For my next Campaign I am planning on sending the group on a monumental travel that will take them from Waterdeep all the way to Skuld in Mulhorand. They have recently completed some major adventures in the North and are regarded as heroes of the North. They are to be sent (voluntarily) on a diplomatic mission for both Luruar (in my campaign the Silver Marches is a kingdom by that name) and Waterdeep to several cities, which are (in order of travel):
Scornubel
Suzail
Tilverton
Shadowdale
Zhentill Keep (yes, I know this might sound strange, but it is a follow-up from last Campaign - long explanation)
Tantras
Lyrabar
Telflamm
Phsant
Emmech
Yuirwood
Skuld
Their level will be around 12-14 when they start. Good mix of classes. They will be travelling in the ordinary way with no magic to help them travel (plenty of magic weapons and other advnturerer equipment though).
As a DM I am looking forward to be presenting all these places, their people, cultures and so on for the players. I have oceans of little adventures/stories for each of the cities/places and as many npc's. It's almost as rewarding to write these things as it is to play them!
What I would like to know from the sages in this forum is this: Have you any experiences or good advice on running such "Travelling" Campaigns ? I am quite aware of a few "to-do's" and "never-do's" myself, but I would appreciate some good advice and/or opinions from the sages in this forum. |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Macresto |
Posted - 07 Jul 2005 : 09:08:21
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
Unless campaign is very detailed, forget about account for food for the party and mounts.
I often avoid going into all that food, water, weight thing. It kills good rpg-mood as fast as ice melts in a boiling pot. I have a more pragmatic approach that follows the lines of what looks reasonable to me. I have never ever counted each and every lbs in order to determine EXCACTLY how much you can carry. Some of my players does and that fine by me - if that's important to them, then by all means.
So rest assured, Kentinal, I will do no such thing !
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| Thureen Buroch |
Posted - 07 Jul 2005 : 01:18:05
Here are a few tips on random encounters that occur while travelling along the roads. In a typical frontier area, where the PCs are travelling along roads, twice a day or so they will have an encounter: one while actually travelling and one while resting. Most of these encounters will be with traveling merchants and won't amount to much except giving the PCs a chance to buy/sell items. At each encounter, roll a d%. If the result is within a range of numbers that you specify (larger ranges for more dangerous areas, for example, you might only have a range of one or two numbers for travel through farmland, but a range of ten numbers for travelling through mountains), then the encounter is more dangerous. Examples: ambush, Zhent caravan, Thayan slaving caravan, etc. I hope this helps. |
| Macresto |
Posted - 06 Jul 2005 : 08:20:16
quote:
Originally posted by Forge
quote:
It might not exist in your game world, clearly it exists in Macresto's one.
True enough, but I was thinking more along the lines of arriving in Tilverton only to find it was no longer there. (And hey, what's with that large moon over there?)
Thank you for all of your replies.
I apologize for being so inaccurate. The travelling Campaign will take place just before the fall of Tilverton. I want my players to visit the town and make friends (and maybe lovers ?!) there. The goal is to let my players think of Tilverton with reverence. When they soon after leaving learns of it's destruction, it will affect their characters seriously. It's a feeble attempt at "personalizing" the campaign a bit.
I will try, however, to avoid any other metaplot stories in Cormyr as they travel through. It might force to me to move the metaplots events a little on the timeline in order for me to get what I want. The players will meet with Alusair Obarsky. And they will be involved in some skirmishes with some noble families.
The whole point of the campaign being a travelling one is that we don't play as often anymore and we don't have that long sessions either. We all have work, small children and women to entertain. So a campaign that have a metaplot that don't require so much "remembering 14 sessions back and what that kobold actually said" kind of riddles is the best. The metaplot will be twofold:
- Make diplomatic/merchantile visits to the above mentioned cities. No hurry or anything.
- In Skuld, Mullhorrand, try to convince the young pharaoh to stop pondering Unther and instead join forces with Aglarond to hamper Thay. Not actually all out invasion but just a joined stand and maybe trade war.
The metaplot will be supported by around 25 small adventures that will be "stand alone" modules. This way, they don't need to remember back 2 years for solving anything. The many small adventures is actually quite fun to write. Think of it: Write 25 modules, with each one lasting 1-3 sessions and they take place all over the realms....it's awesome and funny.
I am afraid that my players are reading this forum, so I cannot be more specific as to what happens and so on...;o) |
| Forge |
Posted - 05 Jul 2005 : 20:32:36
quote:
It might not exist in your game world, clearly it exists in Macresto's one.
True enough, but I was thinking more along the lines of arriving in Tilverton only to find it was no longer there. (And hey, what's with that large moon over there?) |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 05 Jul 2005 : 20:27:59
quote:
Originally posted by Forge
Oh, and you realize that at current Tilverton doesn't exist? Not that the PCs would know... until they arrived.
It might not exist in your game world, clearly it exists in Macresto's one.
Back to traveling. Keep it interesting avoid tedious things. Provide a mix of non combatent encounters from time to time. Perhaps some true rummors might be learned.
Unless campaign is very detailed, forget about account for food for the party and mounts. |
| Forge |
Posted - 05 Jul 2005 : 20:00:22
Study up on the terrain between each city and each leg of the journey. Each area should have it's own dangers and perks, as well as presenting a different flavor, perhaps as a segue into the new city. As mentioned before, travel is in reality quite tedious but can be mitigated by other things.
1) Murder on the road. Someone or something is killing off the drovers/animals/guards/all of the above. Could be a predator, could be one of the guards, could be... YOU! Who knows?
2) Rain... LOTS OF RAIN. Bridges washed out, wagons mired. Broken wheels and jack slipped out. Toss in a deperate attack by waterlogged bandits or Water Genasi who revel in it...
3) Mad dash for safety. Something you are carrying is highly sought by bandits/orcs/extraplanear influences. Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, or can you? Running battles from one city to another with exhaustion rules and little chance to rely upon sleep to refresh spells and such can really challenge a party.
Oh, and you realize that at current Tilverton doesn't exist? Not that the PCs would know... until they arrived. |
| Xysma |
Posted - 05 Jul 2005 : 19:30:07
I enjoy travelling campaigns, both as a DM and a player. The only pitfall I worry about is the fine line between realistic travel and boring the players. Travelling can be boring at times, day after day of nothing is dull, but too many random encounters always leaves me wondering how any merchant caravan or commoner travels anywhere without being killed by the hordes of creatures roaming Faerun. |
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