Building a Custom Campaign for Pure Player Enjoyment
Picture by Teresa Stanton
As any good DM will tell you, the game doesn’t exist purely for the DM’s enjoyment; the game belongs to the players, too. Sure, the DM is the one who calls the shots, but there won’t be much of a game if the players aren’t having a good time. (Ever tried DMing yourself? It can be done, but it’s sort of like baking your own birthday cake – vaguely sad, and a bit pointless.)
One way to make your players happy is to design a campaign around them. This approach requires you to be flexible, but in the end, it gives players exactly what they want. Here are a few tips for creating a custom campaign tailored to your players’ wishes.
Don’t Plan Anything
Instead of sitting down for a session of character building, make your first game session a collaborative discussion. Don’t come to the meeting with any preconceived notions about characters or game theme and setting. Just toss ideas back and forth, and do your planning after the group has decided what kind of game they want to play.
Cooperative World-Building
Ask each player what they want from the game, and listen to their answers. Do they want a Planes game? An Underdark campaign? A steam-punk romp through Eberron? What about the theme? Some players like city-based games full of guild wars and intrigue, while others prefer a straightforward “kill all zombies” plot. What sort of role-play to combat ratio do the players prefer? Do they want to play in a world that’s heavily mapped out, or one that will require lots of exploration? Which alignment do the players want to be? The answers to these questions will be your blueprint for building the world.
What if They Can’t Decide?
Of course, not every player will see eye to eye. It’s best to let the players hash out their differences through organic discussion and debate. If they reach a stalemate, you can give each “side” a few minutes to summarize why they think their idea will be the most fun for the group. After they’ve delivered their summaries, put it to a vote. In the case of a tie, well, you’re the DM. Your vote is the final word.
The Game is Flexible
If you’ve got a game setting tha’s really near and dear to you, you can still incorporate the group’s wishes. Most game themes can be inserted into any campaign setting, and vice versa. It might require a little creative tweaking, but you’re a DM, so you’re probably good at that sort of thing.
Do It for the Players
Remember: at the end of the day, you want to make choices that will bring the most enjoyment to your players – and sometimes that requires compromise. If you just absolutely can’t stomach the thought of running a violent Chaotic Evil campaign (or a righteous Lawful Good one), be honest with the group and try to meet halfway. You’re the one who has to run the game, so don’t agree to something you can’t live with.
Are you running or playing in a collaborative game? What kind of experience has it been? Tell us all about it in the comments section!
I don’t know if anybody is still reading this post, but Benjamin what a great set up you have! Most DM’s would die to have players that cared about their world and there place in it. You have that. Now use it.
What evil intrigue will they discover at the duchery? Has the royal family made a pact with demons? Is the city plauged by a monster who steals children in the night?
And what happened to the player’s fiefdom when they were out of town? Did someone steal their gold and magic items? Did the goblins lay siege to town while they were away? Was their favorite benefactor murdered and they are being framed for the crime?
Often DM’s put obstacle in a place and wait for players to come across them. Instead let players go where they may and bring the obstacles to them. It let’s players feel they have control, but, more importantly, the all powerful DM is one step ahead!
I live between Albany and Kingston NY, along the Hudson river. Albany has two stores that I am aware of and I think there is still a small one in Woodstock too. I used to own a shop in Catskill but I eventually had to close as I couldn’t make enough to support myself. A new shop has opened up recently there but their focus is mainly on Magic:TG and they hardly carry anything else. The owner is taking business classes and doesn’t plan on keeping the place open long-term.
Locally, there isn’t much to do, so far as gaming is concerned. The people I knew who had an interest in games beyond simple D&D have moved away. I don’t have the money to go chasing CCGs again and, to be honest, I’m not in sync with the new local crowd.
I’ve thought about running an event at the local library, who is interested in anything that encourages people to come in and see that they are more than just books, but my wife and I are house-hunting and I haven’t had the time to invest yet.