Being the Dungeon Master (DM) of your D&D campaign requires preparation and attention to detail. However, by using the game mechanics you will have a perfect foundation for building your own custom campaign. Once you have established the basic rules, you can start creating your setting at full capacity, deepening it according to your preferences.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Establishing the Basic Parameters
Step 1. Determine the reach of your campaign
You can decide to create a single adventure in which the heroes must explore a dungeon to defeat a monster, or a longer story that develops over the course of a few sessions. If you are trying to create an experience that can end over the course of a single night, set simple goals in front of your players. The larger campaigns, on the other hand, often contain some kind of intrigue or tell the development of an epic confrontation with a sworn enemy.
- Some classic campaign themes include hunting for hidden treasure, rescuing a kingdom in danger, and battling deadly monsters.
- If you want to create a truly epic campaign, you can send your players on a crusade in a hostile land. This type of setting offers a lot of opportunities for interesting fights.
- Beginners should start with simple one-session campaigns to familiarize themselves with the role of DM before moving on to more complex adventures.
Step 2. Identify your campaign conflict
It can be simple and direct, or it can be less obvious. A simple example is assigning players the task of eliminating an evil sorcerer. A more complex one is asking the players to foil a secret plan to unseat the king.
- If there is no clear conflict in your campaign, players may not understand what they need to do. By clearly stating which path to take for the characters, you will avoid this problem.
- If you are planning on pitting characters against an antagonist, a "villain", it may be helpful to think about the short and long term goals of the main enemy. This way, you will always have a pretty clear idea of what the evil sorcerer is doing at any point in the campaign.
Step 3. If possible, make a list of non-player characters
These characters, also called NPCs, are an important component of many D&D campaigns. They often play a leading role, offering advice and clues to the players. Get in the habit of writing a short description of each NPC that is part of your campaign so you can easily remember what their origins are and how they will interact with players.
- NPCs are also a powerful tool for making your campaign more realistic. It is only natural that the cities, towns and farms in your setting are populated by real people.
- Within a campaign, the most common NPCs you can encounter include kings, queens, princes, princesses, dukes, earls, barons, mayors, governors, knights, commanders, generals, merchants, innkeepers, guild masters, craftsmen, and many more. others.
Step 4. Imagine the setting clearly
Since as a DM it's your job to describe the game scenario to the characters, it's a good idea to have a clear representation of where your campaign is taking place in your head. Try to evoke all five senses in the course of your descriptions to engage the players more.
- Many novice D&D players overlook small details, such as lighting. Inside a cave or dungeon, there is unlikely to be a lot of natural light. Make sure you include these in your campaign.
- The simplest way to imagine your setting is to write in advance the sensory perceptions that can be felt in each place.
Part 2 of 3: Creating the Campaign
Step 1. Think about the texture
The central element of your story should be the conflict you chose earlier. The plot can be defined as the actions that take place regardless of the influence of the players. It is the events that help the characters enter the story and make them feel involved.
- An example of an action within the plot is the murder of a prominent NPC, such as the queen or duke.
- Natural disasters are also often used for this purpose. You can pair them with magical interference, such as the work of an evil wizard, to create an interesting storyline.
- It can be helpful to think about the consequences of the actions of the most unlikely players. For example, if a character chooses not to complete a mission, you could make him a wanted person for the whole realm.
Step 2. Draw the battlefields
In your campaign, clashes can take place in ruined temples or underground caves. Maps don't have to be works of art, but having a point of reference is great for players in the course of battle.
- To draw a map, simple shapes and descriptions may suffice. You can draw squares to represent boxes, triangles for trees, and circles for rocks.
- It will take some time to design the battlefields. To make sure the game is not interrupted, you can do this before sitting down at the table with your friends.
- If the characters in your campaign will be fighting in many different scenarios, you should draw a map for each of them.
- In some cases, the characters will have to perform important actions in the city. Designing a map for this type of "social battles" can help players better visualize their surroundings. Almost every city in the D&D world has at least one convenience store, one tavern, and one inn.
Step 3. Decide on the environment
Some elements of the natural world, such as plants or animals, can influence the actions of the characters. For example, players can use vines in a jungle to make ropes and climb a cliff. It is not necessary to create an entire ecosystem, but some features you invent yourself can give a unique atmosphere to the setting. Each campaign is different, but you should write down as many concrete details as you consider necessary.
- For example, if violent or dangerous creatures, such as wolves, bears, lions, or similar beasts are active in your world at night, it can be important for players to set up guard duty before camping out to sleep. If they don't, you might think about the consequences, for example their food supplies could be eaten.
- You can take inspiration from existing environments on Earth, such as jungles, forests, deserts or natural caves. If you wish, you can even reuse scenarios you've seen in a game.
Step 4. Place traps and consider the rough terrain
Many of the environments players explore will be either dangerous or in ruins. You should consider this when planning. For example, rotten wooden planks could break under the weight of a player, or enemies controlling a ruined fortress could have set traps to keep unwanted guests away.
- Traps most commonly used in D&D include hidden hatches, rooms that fill with water, traps that shoot darts, and rocks that fall from above.
- The most common dangerous terrains are collapsible rock ridges, rotten trees, unstable floors and slippery surfaces.
Step 5. Choose the degree of challenge
Challenge Rating (CR) is a value attributed to an enemy or trap, which determines its difficulty for players. If it is higher than the level of the group, it means that the encounter is a real threat. If your players are beginners, start by making them take on less demanding challenges.
- Information about many monsters, beasts and other enemies is available on the internet. Usually, in these online bestiaries you'll often find the GS, basic stats, and a short paragraph of text describing what it looks like.
- In some cases, you may be unsure which traits to assign to a creature you invented for your campaign. To solve the problem, try using the scores of an existing monster that you can consider similar to yours.
Step 6. If possible, think about the enemies and determine their stats
Character antagonists can include monsters, wild animals, enemy NPCs, gods, and more. If there are enemies in your campaign, you must choose who they are and assign them corresponding stats. Monster scores help you determine the results of their shots in player battles.
Decide the position of enemy units on the battlefield in advance, so that you have a rough idea of how the action will develop at the start of the fight
Step 7. Determine the starting point of the campaign
You need some narrative gimmick to bring players together in a group. Often characters begin their adventures after meeting in a tavern, or have been called by an important NPC, such as a king, duke, governor, or mayor to help the kingdom.
A mysterious character may have sent a message to all players asking them to meet him outside a cave. This way, you can introduce some plot elements right away
Part 3 of 3: Deepen Your Campaign
Step 1. Include gods in your game
To create a more engaging environment for players, you can incorporate your own religions. Some versions of D&D even require certain characters to pray once a day to use their special abilities. For example, a cleric of the sun god can only heal his companions after praying at the crack of dawn.
- Evil gods and their followers are often interesting sources of conflict for players, who will have to challenge them throughout the campaign.
- You can create a pantheon of custom gods using the D&D model as a basis. You can find it on the internet or in books printed by Wizards of the Coast.
- Many experienced DMs have posted well-elaborated and complex pantheons on the internet that you can use.
Step 2. Think about your campaign's past
In this way, you will be able to answer in detail all the questions posed by the characters. However, you shouldn't waste too much time on the planning stage. It will very often happen that players completely ignore details you have spent hours on.
- The most important NPCs often interact with the players. In these cases, it can be difficult to invent a dialogue on the spot. By deciding the history of these characters in advance, you will have fewer problems.
- The region where your campaign takes place could be affected by a major event in the past, such as a war or natural disaster. These details can help you set the tone of the adventure.
Step 3. Add side missions
This is the best way to convince players that they have free will. You can enter small assignments, such as delivering a letter, or more challenging challenges, such as hunting down a monster that terrorizes lowland farms.
In many games, a special item, such as a rare type of metal, is required to create the most powerful weapons. You can use this cue for one of your side missions
Step 4. Invent unique equipment appropriate to your setting
Depending on the scenario in which the story unfolds, players will need different items. For example, on an adventure that takes place in rugged mountains, NPCs and city merchants will likely offer ropes, climbing gear, and so on. In addition, in mountain villages it is easier to obtain rare metals with which to forge powerful weapons. In the cities on the plains, however, the characters will be able to stock up on healing items and agricultural tools, but they will not find many weapons.
- You can include one or two culturally important objects in your campaign that are related to the history of the setting. For example, if the inhabitants of the city where the players are located worship the god of flight, they may wear feather necklaces that indicate their faith.
- When thinking about specific equipment for your setting, ask yourself, "What does it take to survive in this place?". In cultures developed in arid environments, water is probably a very precious commodity, while in polar climates shelter, fire and equipment for moving on snow are much more important.
Step 5. Make sure the characters are consistent
Over the course of your campaign, you may be tempted to tweak NPC actions to make things more interesting. However, this can give players the impression that you are manipulating events. Try to play the NPCs as if they are independent of you and are unaware of the information you know about the campaign.
