-

The Campaign (DMG)	-	-	-	Starting From Scratch (WSG)
Campaign Design	-	-	-	-
-	-	-	-	Dragon

Plan Before You Play : Think it over, then map it out (63.50)

The Making of a Milieu : How to start a world and keep it turning (93.12)

Some Universal Rules : Making your own campaign -- and making it work (53.22)
Getting a World into Shape (49.28)
Blueprint for a Big Game : How to accomodate a world's worth of players (97.44)
Detailing a Fantasy World : After mapping comes mixing and fixing (98.22)
Standardization vs. Playability (30.20)

Source: Regional map of Harn

Source: The Known World (D&D)
 
 

THE FORUM
Can a medieval fantasy world be sheltered?
Several of DRAGON's recent artilces have said
that features of the middle ages, such as disease,
poverty, and overcrowding need not exist in
AD&D.  Magick would replace technology.
Through spells, the average character could be
healthy and pampered.  It might be nice if such a
world existed.  But AD&D is an adventure game;
you cannot adventure in luxury.  I am reminded
of a cartoon in a recent DRAGON where 2
warriors face a box.  On the box is written,
"Contains 1 minotaur:  For 300 XP insert sword
in slot."  1 warrior says, "Kind takes the Fun
out of it.:  He is right.  The point of most
scenarios is to overcome difficulties.

In a primitive world, The Game need not end
when the dragon is dead.  Everyday life presents
adventurers and complications.  The PC must
work with corrupt government officials or evade them.
They must deal with teeming mobs, avoid or
help beggars, and strive for every comfort they
desire.  Long journeys might be made to avoid a
plague.  More scenarios, and more exciting ones
are possible in such a world. There is also more
motivation to adventure. If you can get a plush
job in a pleasant city, why risk your life in a
dungeon?

A case can be made that magic would not
change a world much. After all, there are a few
people with the power to be wizards, and each
one knows only a few spells. Some misuse even
these. Disasters can eliminate huge stores of
knowledge. Thus, magic does little to affect
daily existence. Certainly, fantasy citizens will
improve their lives with magic, but it should be
rare — a sign of power and mystery. Technology
suffered a similar problem for many centuries.
A steam engine was invented in ancient Greece!
However, it was only used in a toy, and never
developed any further.

I’ll grant that whatever a DM wants in his/her
campaign should be there. If the DM and players
enjoy a game, it is good. Some people may
like a world where magic solves all common
problems. It could serve as a release, as a vision
of utopia. Still, think twice before discarding
your primitive world.

Thomas Kane
Farmington, Me.
(Dragon #113)
 

I would be interested in finding out when
most players of the AD&D game consider their
campaign worlds to be set. I have always assumed
that the game was set in the 20th Century,
in a world like that of Lord Darcy's in the
Randall Garrett stories. Although the setting is
medieval, my reasoning is that a world of magic
would not develop much technology.

Magic, whether by mage or cleric, is spectacular.
A single person can use it to perform feats
that would require a hundred men otherwise.
This power would be jealously guarded by its
practitioners, and rival skills, such as technology,
would be suppressed. Technology would
also have the stigma of being messy, dirty and
hard work. A mage mutters, waves a few
leaves, and produces a piece of cloth. A weaver
bends over a loom for days to do the same
thing, then dyes it, cuts it, and tailors it.

But not everyone can perform magic. Magic
would be practiced by anyone capable of it but
less intelligent beings would develop technology,
which can be used by anyone.

Some technology would be developed to
handle simple tasks that magic-users and clerics
would consider beneath their dignity. More
technology would be developed by envious
persons who, being unable to perform magic,
wanted power of their own. Still more would be
developed because of to the small number of
spells available. When plague comes along, some
people are going to go without healing spells.
Then medicine is going to be developed.

James R. Collier
Georgetown, Ontario
(Dragon #152)
 

In regard to Craig Hardie?s letter of issue #166
concerning his annoyance with TSR?s preoccupation
with pregenerated campaign worlds,
especially the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting, I
agree completely. I, too, am annoyed at the
preponderance of prepackaged products produced
by TSR?products that, while sounding
interesting, I would never buy since I don?t
follow the milieu.

I imagine it makes economic sense for TSR to
attempt to consolidate its products under one
(or three) banners, but then TSR loses its most
attractive quality: its support for Dungeon
Masters? own individually created game worlds.
Unlike such role-playing games as Iron Crown?s
MERP* game, where the players and game
master are limited to one world, TSR allows for
an endless variety of options, and the only
limiting factor is your imagination.

TSR?s recently released Ruins of Undermountain
boxed set for the Realms, is a perfect example.
It sounds interesting, and I?ve always been
partial to underground campaigns, but it?s not
worth the effort to adapt the boxed set to my
own milieu. I don?t know who the Lords of
Waterdeep are, let alone the Harpers, the Red
Sashers, or Force Grey. I don?t particularly care
to find out. Even ignoring individuals, politics,
and cultures peculiar to the Realms, the Ruins
would still have the ?feel? of the Realms. An
infinitely more useful cavern campaign, from
my point of view, is that of the Underdark from
the Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide; lacking specifics
such as politics, it is easy to cut and paste
whichever part appeals to you, and place it
easily into your own campaign. The creation of
more generic adventures would be useful to a
much greater number of Dungeon Masters, no
matter what campaign world they use.

Again, if I don?t care for these products, I can
simply ignore them. This is not the case with
DRAGON Magazine; articles devoted to the
FORGOTTEN REALMS, DRAGONLANCE,
WORLD OF GREYHAWK®, or the D&D® game?s
Known World settings are, usually, so much
wasted space. I wish DRAGON Magazine would
devote more space to articles concerning game
mechanics, advice to Dungeon Masters, and new
PC and NPC character classes. ?The Dragon?s
Bestiary,? new spells, and new magical items are
always useful; the shared ideas of the ?Forum?
especially so. In that way, issue #167 was very
nearly perfect; almost every article could be
adapted to suit your own campaign.

Robert W. Heym
Murray Hill NJ
(Dragon #174)
 

In response to Craig Hardie?s letter to ?Forum?
in DRAGON #166, I can say no less than ?Bravo!?
I am glad someone has finally come forth with
the points that Craig raised as to the overwhelming
amount of material that is slanted
toward pregenerated worlds.

I have been DMing for 12 years, and I have used
pregenerated worlds, namely TSR?s WORLD OF
GREYHAWK setting and the less-well-known
HARNWORLD* from Columbia Games. However, I
have always used a world of my own creation for
my regular gaming sessions.

It is my experience that all the people with
whom I have played get more enjoyment out of
the game when playing in a world that is specifically
tailored to bring them the most enjoyment
possible. Also, there is much more mystery and
adventure involved in a world that only the DM
has access to. Everyone is familiar with many
aspects of the FORGOTTEN REALMS world
even if they have never played in them. Doesn?t
familiarity take away some of the mystique of
playing? And isn?t the mystique part of what
makes the AD&D game enjoyable?

Another negative aspect of using a pregenerated
world I have found is that the DMs running
them do not know everything that is contained
in the source books for these worlds. It is terribly
frustrating to players when the DM is constantly
pausing for 15 minutes to look up that
?one little thing? that he?s forgotten. I have
played in games where players got so bored
during these pauses that they were falling
asleep.

If one is DMing with his own world, there is
rarely, if ever, a need to look things up. When
you create something, it comes out of your head
and will always be there.

I heartily agree with Craig?s idea of running
more articles in DRAGON Magazine on original
AD&D campaigns and ideas for creating and
running them. I, too, am tired of endless articles
centered on the same old campaign worlds. In
fact, although I have recently resubscribed to
DRAGON Magazine, I hadn?t read the magazine
in three years because I got tired of the same
old stuff. I wanted (and still want) to see more
articles that are designed for helping DMs be
more creative. It seems that most articles in
DRAGON Magazine are there so that DMs
needn?t be creative at all; they can just take
ideas from the pages of the magazine.

I do believe, however, that pregenerated
worlds are essential and that DRAGON Magazine
should continue to devote some space to
articles on these worlds. The reason for this is
that very few beginning DMs would know
where to begin in creating their own worlds.
They can go out and buy FORGOTTEN REALMS
products and be DMing in a few days. There are
not enough DMs as it is, and without pregenerated
worlds there would be a lot fewer.

Not only is it ridiculous to expect beginners to
create their own campaign settings, it is just as
ridiculous to think that all DMs, no matter how
experienced, have the time to do so. For these
DMs, pregenerated worlds are a godsend. And
Craig, you have to admit they have done an
excellent job in making pregenerated worlds
both exciting and very flexible.

I, however, will stick to my own world of Marid
Dun that currently fills four three-ring binders and
has taken 3½ years to complete (in fact, I wouldn?t
say it is really complete yet). How about it: Should
DRAGON Magazine give the more creative AD&D
game players equal time?

Shawn A. Chesak
Milwaukee WI
(Dragon #174)