Game Campaign I want to try again...

[Silverlion]

Before Covid, I was running a D&D5E campaign in my setting: Idress, the Forge. The campaign began with the characters being awoken in a tomblike structure--they'd been dead a long while, slain by a soul-drinking sword, Mhoraighl. Due to some strange twist of luck their souls were not fed to feed the sword master but 'stuck' inside the blade. It was shattered ages ago, but it took the Powers-That-Be time to find the shards that held souls and gather the power to return them to life. It went well into COVID and moved online, but we had severe player attrition. Eventually I died when one player had a tantrum only marginally related to gaming but outside this game. It left me uninterested in continuing

However, I love the idea, the campaign structure is pretty solid, and while it has 'beats', or things players must discover to change the dark grim world of the Forge, it relied a lot on exploration. Albeit not hex-by-hex as the heroes knew they had to gather the remaining shards and face a number of empowered people who made deals with the sword's master.

I worked really hard to tie in character backstories I gave them (in part since they were amnesic but gave me broad strokes of who they were.) I'd like to use the world map, the campaign frame, and the beats--but all new villains besides the one lone big bad. Of course, there is MORE to the story than just fighting him someday, and in fact, I might want to tell more of his story as they seek the shards and fight his minions. However, I realize I don't at all want to touch D&D in any way with the game. I'm considering Fantasy Age, PDQ, and other systems at the moment.

SO questions.

How do I relay the villains' backstory? Memories from the sword (he never wielded it, just made it), or letters, or simply stories passed down into legend?

Now the big-villain had reasons--GOOD reasons to do what he did, at first. So any ideas about what could lead a man into deep darkness and basically throttling light and life in the world?

My original idea may be good, but I might want to revise it.


How many ages should the people be from? In the original game I allowed characters from everything from things resembling Ancient Greece on up to the era just before guns in the western world.


Now I'm huge fan of classic fantasy races, yet in 5E I sort of allowed all the core races, although that somewhat decided their time period Dragonborns came early when dragon s and men weren't too different, and Tieflings come from after the Hells have fallen to the sword's master, as he sucked the marrow out of the existence of both heavens and hells, for example.

I want to restrict it to only 4-5 core species and ages, and avoid the fantasy circus/Star Wars Canina of fantasy.



Now game systems will have a lot of impact on magic so I can't ask questions on that until I cement the system.


Now, with that done.

Do you have any campaigns that never went from start to finish you want to see completed? (I've about a dozen)

 

[Chaotic Wooster]

If it's possible (without an inordinate amount of work), my thought is to referee the prequel story. I've found the best way to impart backstory is to have the players experience it.

Run a mini-campaign set during the period the villain was out stealing souls with his wicked blade. Hell, if you've a player you can trust, cast them as the villain. The rest round out the all-new villains, companions, retainers, family, whatever.

Tell that story! Even better, let the players help you tell it. It lets you give them the perspective of the villain, and will almost certainly throw some interesting twists into what they (and you) presumed to know about the lore. It seems like there's some time hopping involved, that's got to be worth 3-6 sessions at least...

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At this point, seeing Dungeons & Dragons become the parade of misfit monsters, I've just stripped it right back to the core. My last campaign had dwarves, elves, halflings and humans.

My next campaign will only have half-elves, half-orcs and humans (with the half-races only representing lingering tainted bloodlines, not distinct races or cultures). I tell you what, nothing has piqued my players' interest in D&D more than suddenly being told almost every race is off the table, and that it's 'a whole thing' in the background. Half-races are very rare, often barely distinguishable from human (the higher your Cha, the more human you look) and have sole access to specific classes (only half-orcs can be barbarians, only half-elves can be sorcerers).

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As for campaigns... Too many! Still too many. I've spent the last few years trying to check off my campaign bucket list, but I don't seem to make a dent. I don't tend to referee short campaigns, so it takes a while.

I still want to referee a DC Heroes campaign using the Batman sourcebook and Night in Gotham..., effectively adding the players into something similar to the Batman Animated Series. I technically started this long ago, but my players were Batman and Huntress, so it's not exactly the same.

Sticking with superheroes, I still dream of the day I can run a start-to-finish Wildstorm campaign. Tidying up the messy ends and mistakes of the comics, but pulling from all the major arcs, crossovers and eventually World's End. There's something very compelling about a superhero universe that has a definitive beginning, middle and end (even if the end was not planned for and didn't tie-up everything). I've ran short campaigns in the WSU, but never this really ambitious effort.

Loads of others. I'd be writing all day if I tried to list them.

 

[Silverlion]

I still want to referee a DC Heroes campaign using the Batman sourcebook and Night in Gotham..., effectively adding the players into something similar to the Batman Animated Series. I technically started this long ago, but my players were Batman and Huntress, so it's not exactly the same.

Sticking with superheroes, I still dream of the day I can run a start-to-finish Wildstorm campaign. Tidying up the messy ends and mistakes of the comics, but pulling from all the major arcs, crossovers and eventually World's End. There's something very compelling about a superhero universe that has a definitive beginning, middle and end (even if the end was not planned for and didn't tie-up everything). I've ran short campaigns in the WSU, but never this really ambitious effort.

Loads of others. I'd be writing all day if I tried to list them.

Would you make everyone be DC/WS characters or make there own? I'm curious because I like the idea of the first one a lot. (In other news I did take bloodpouch and roll and random name then come up with a character from that name! Sunsword (yes random and as a Thundarr fan it was perfect) basically a guy with a glowing plasma sword that well--is pretty much the Sunsword from Thundarr, can cut things, weld things, or bash things (mostly people with the last one, no killing ;D)

 

[Chaotic Wooster]

Would you make everyone be DC/WS characters or make there own? I'm curious because I like the idea of the first one a lot. (In other news I did take bloodpouch and roll and random name then come up with a character from that name! Sunsword (yes random and as a Thundarr fan it was perfect) basically a guy with a glowing plasma sword that well--is pretty much the Sunsword from Thundarr, can cut things, weld things, or bash things (mostly people with the last one, no killing ;D)

Sunsword! I love it. Sounds appropriately Liefieldian. Of course, he's need no less than three terrible haircuts, insane shoulder pads and that weird boxing headguard that Rob loved to stick onto everyone. Then he'd be ready to yell relentlessly while explaining nothing, and ride a hi-tech bike into the enemy base to murder some guy with an even worse name/costume. Ah... 90's Image...

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My mind's eye vision for a Wildstorm role-playing game campaign would begin something like this...

Begin with a pair of stories, one for the Wildcats, one for Stormwatch. Honestly, I'd likely not change a huge amount from the early years, just tidy them up and reduce the number of forgetable heroes/villains. Mostly, I'd remove all the damn crossovers with other Image books (Cyberforce, Savage Dragon, etc.)

The players would likely take up the roles of existing characters after a redesign and tidy up by me, but absolutely given the freedom to put their own stamp on them. But if they genuinely wanted to create and play their own characters, I'd hardly deny them.

So I'd referee/co-referee Wildcats/Stormwatch until we hit the Wildstorm Rising event. That'd be the end of the first part of the campaign. After which, I'd probably see if anyone wanted to take a break from the big guns and play the Gen 13 kids/Dv8 brats.

Honestly, I think the best way to do it is make Wildcats and Stormwatch the spine of the campaign, since they were the longest running series (replacing Stormwatch with the Authority at a point) and make the other titles branches of mini-campaigns, depending on which titles/characters my players are interested in.

 

[lategamer]

Sticking with superheroes, I still dream of the day I can run a start-to-finish Wildstorm campaign. Tidying up the messy ends and mistakes of the comics, but pulling from all the major arcs, crossovers and eventually World's End. There's something very compelling about a superhero universe that has a definitive beginning, middle and end

For exactly this reason I'd love to reboot my "Planetary-alike" game. Essentially the PCs are the planetary team and I managed four 'scenarios' before real world things got in the way. They had a BLAST on Monster Island, they got the first hints that Earth was occupied by Humongous Critters Underfoot (Dholes meet Mystery Flesh Pit National Park) and they really did not enjoy the Flesh Eating Parasites From The Dark Side Of The Moon. I barely touched my metaplot....and therefore only really achieved the beginning, never got to do the middle and they had no idea about the end (plans to steal liberally from Ken Hite, The Authority, and other Secret History of the World sources).

"It's A Strange World. Let's Keep It That Way."

 

[Chaotic Wooster]

Planetary would be fun to include, only I'd really want to change very little. It's perhaps the best-written Wildstorm book from start to finish, though it barely connects with anything else. It never feels like it doesn't belong, but truly does stand alone.

The Authority might have been Ellis' bigger success, but Planetary was the better book. And from a role-playing perspective, the Planetary group and it's stories are better suited, even if you don't want to re-tell the major beats of the comic series. You take superhumans with odd powers that don't really fit the superhero mold, have them investigate the weird, unusual and dangerous secrets ot your world. Planetary has all the staff and specialists to do the boring work once the field team has risked life and limb making the big discoveries.

The more ambitious side of me wants to do something that includes far more of the WSU, but the sensible side of me accepts that this is probably the better option...

 

[lategamer]

Planetary would be fun to include, only I'd really want to change very little. It's perhaps the best-written Wildstorm book from start to finish, though it barely connects with anything else. It never feels like it doesn't belong, but truly does stand alone.

Re-reading some of it today - there's only small references to the big showy things in the WSU.

"Jenny Sparks ran a super team here in the sixties and again in the eighties. All went to hell of course"

while at the same time uncovering the greatest secret conspiracy of all: The Four.

The Authority might have been Ellis' bigger success, but Planetary was the better book. And from a role-playing perspective, the Planetary group and it's stories are better suited, even if you don't want to re-tell the major beats of the comic series. You take superhumans with odd powers that don't really fit the superhero mold, have them investigate the weird, unusual and dangerous secrets ot your world. Planetary has all the staff and specialists to do the boring work once the field team has risked life and limb making the big discoveries.

The more ambitious side of me wants to do something that includes far more of the WSU, but the sensible side of me accepts that this is probably the better option...

I kinda skimmed some stuff off WSU. I read a little Savage Dragon, all of The Maxx, a good chunk of Stormwatch and then devoured The Authority and Planetary. Devising new strangeness would be a fun thing (and a great book). I reckon there might be stuff on TBP if Ellis' shenanigans haven't made discussion there impossible.

I've got the homebrew YZE rules, just need half a year off.....

 

[Chaotic Wooster]

Re-reading some of it today - there's only small references to the big showy things in the WSU.

"Jenny Sparks ran a super team here in the sixties and again in the eighties. All went to hell of course"

while at the same time uncovering the greatest secret conspiracy of all: The Four.



I kinda skimmed some stuff off WSU. I read a little Savage Dragon, all of The Maxx, a good chunk of Stormwatch and then devoured The Authority and Planetary. Devising new strangeness would be a fun thing (and a great book). I reckon there might be stuff on TBP if Ellis' shenanigans haven't made discussion there impossible.

I've got the homebrew YZE rules, just need half a year off.....

I'm a big, big Wildstorm fan (I have neeearly all of it) and find a lot to like even in it's stupider, flashier, substance-free early years. But I did mention this in my Remembers the Wildstorm Universe thread that the plentiful crossovers with all the non-WSU Image titles early on really undermine the otherwise very consistent universe they were creating.

While it wasn't the earliest attempt to redefine the WSU, I think Ellis' hat trick of Stormwatch Vol. 2, Authority and Planetary were the most successful. And again, to bring this back around to the gaming table, they also make for some of the most roleplaying worthy material. I do have The Authority rpg, but honestly I doubt I'd use it... Not even to run The Authority.

I think the WSU is well-suited to rpgs. It's deadlier, darker, and due to it's (relative) youth it was easier for a creative team to make their mark, making big changes. Not always for the better... Sure. But that sort of feeds into the referee and players having the freedom to go in weird directions. That's one of the reasons I'd still like to referee a campaign in it.

 

[lategamer]

And again, to bring this back around to the gaming table, they also make for some of the most roleplaying worthy material. I do have The Authority rpg, but honestly I doubt I'd use it... Not even to run The Authority.

The Authority RPG was pretty bland as I recall. I have a hardcopy of it somewhere.

I think the WSU is well-suited to rpgs. It's deadlier, darker, and due to it's (relative) youth it was easier for a creative team to make their mark, making big changes. Not always for the better... Sure. But that sort of feeds into the referee and players having the freedom to go in weird directions. That's one of the reasons I'd still like to referee a campaign in it.

And I think it's weird that DC have bought it and integrated it into their universe.

I'm going to have a play with this. I've been commissioned by the Friday night group to do a 3 part adventure and I reckon I could generate some oddball superheroes and run some Planetary.

 

[Silverlion]

Re-reading some of it today - there's only small references to the big showy things in the WSU.

"Jenny Sparks ran a super team here in the sixties and again in the eighties. All went to hell of course"

while at the same time uncovering the greatest secret conspiracy of all: The Four.



I kinda skimmed some stuff off WSU. I read a little Savage Dragon, all of The Maxx, a good chunk of Stormwatch and then devoured The Authority and Planetary. Devising new strangeness would be a fun thing (and a great book). I reckon there might be stuff on TBP if Ellis' shenanigans haven't made discussion there impossible.

I've got the homebrew YZE rules, just need half a year off.....

Do you like carrots or sticks?

 

[Silverlion]

What Mhoraighl looked like at the end (not what it looked like at the beginning.




The map (I'm working on an improved one)






As for Sunsword, all I have is AI artwork to give an idea (which I won't share) I'd have to draw it myself to get it right and I worked so hard to draw feet, even if they're not great feet they aren't Liefeld ones!

 

[lategamer]

Do you like carrots or sticks?

Both are effective.

 

[Silverlion]

Both are effective.

Carrot: I will totally love to see it and that's important and should make you joyful!

 

[lategamer]

Carrot: I will totally love to see it and that's important and should make you joyful!

That did not go where I thought it would go.

 

[Silverlion]

That did not go where I thought it would go.

Well I don't have a physical carrot I can use right now...

 

[CRKrueger]

Sunsword! I love it. Sounds appropriately Liefieldian. Of course, he's need no less than three terrible haircuts, insane shoulder pads and that weird boxing headguard that Rob loved to stick onto everyone. Then he'd be ready to yell relentlessly while explaining nothing, and ride a hi-tech bike into the enemy base to murder some guy with an even worse name/costume. Ah... 90's Image...

You forgot he was dead and returned to life in a Super-soldier experiment.

 

[Silverlion]

You forgot he was dead and returned to life in a Super-soldier experiment.

Heh, cool. Despite my best efforts I've not managed that headgear with AI (for myself ONLY!) but I did get cool bits, although better than Liefeld art. Sadly, I know I can't do his crosshatching style, or I'd try.

 

[Silverlion]

Another campaign I tried but unfortunately lost do to player attrition (Life stuff, work, focus)


The Premise: Modern Day, Germany while digging new storm drains, workers hit a bunker, and have to dig under it. They find a time capsule from WWII. One that obviously was made by U.S soldiers.

Being (mostly) friendly in this universe, they ship it to a big museum in the States, where the German and American historians and archeologists use a sealed containment room and a robot to open the time capsule carefully.

Inside there are scraps of colored cloth from some uniforms and pictures of several people standing in front of a smashed Nazi tank, wearing outlandish, comic book-like costumes, newsreels, newspapers, and other materials inside the capsules like watches and jewelry as well.

Printed on the capsule is "We sacrifice our lives so others may live. Always have Courage!"

Problem?

There is no such thing as superheroes, outside of comic books, books, and movies.