Comments on: Campaign Update: Fumanor: Seeds Of Empire http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/ Expert tips and how-to's on every aspect of creating and running exceptional campaigns. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 11:13:00 -0500 hourly 1 By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-875 Mike Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:04:57 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-875 One of the big advantages is that it removes any need to synchronise the two groups. One can skip ahead in time when nothing much is happening, only to come back to the other when things get busy. One of the big advantages is that it removes any need to synchronise the two groups. One can skip ahead in time when nothing much is happening, only to come back to the other when things get busy.

]]> By: mike b http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-874 mike b Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:13:32 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-874 I agree about having the two groups being in two different parts of the world. I too was running two groups and decided that it was soo much easier to deal with. I also used the players from one group to role dice for the bad guys at the other game occasionally. It made the combat much more effective and forced the group to work better. I agree about having the two groups being in two different parts of the world. I too was running two groups and decided that it was soo much easier to deal with. I also used the players from one group to role dice for the bad guys at the other game occasionally. It made the combat much more effective and forced the group to work better.

]]> By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-872 Mike Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:43:17 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-872 Best tips that I can give you, then, are: 1. At least initially, put some sort of social/political buffer between the two groups. Have them adventure in different parts of the game world. 2. Establish some group that is common to both. This permits each group to affect the other but to do it interactively. 3. I especially like breaking this group into two factions, one of which supports the PCs and the other which opposes the PCs. Resolving this then becomes one of the major plot arcs, and provides the mechanism by which you can bring the two groups together in the campaign world when the time comes. 4. Make sure that the adventures of each group have an easily-identifiable theme that is readily distinguishable from one campaign to the next. 5. Be especially careful not to provide any suspicions of bias toward one player or character or group over the other; you have a situation that is ripe for paranoia. (I'm in the situation where each group thinks that I'm picking on the other more, despite the effects of hint 6 below, which is just fine.) 6. You will only achieve maximum effectiveness if you have at least one player in common between the two groups. This permits each campaign to communicate with each other at the player level, which in turn permits mysteries to be established in one campaign and resolved in the other, and for both sides of any given story to be appreciated. Not entirely realistic, but the benefits in terms of game play more than compensate for this minor hassle. Good luck! Best tips that I can give you, then, are:

1. At least initially, put some sort of social/political buffer between the two groups. Have them adventure in different parts of the game world.

2. Establish some group that is common to both. This permits each group to affect the other but to do it interactively.

3. I especially like breaking this group into two factions, one of which supports the PCs and the other which opposes the PCs. Resolving this then becomes one of the major plot arcs, and provides the mechanism by which you can bring the two groups together in the campaign world when the time comes.

4. Make sure that the adventures of each group have an easily-identifiable theme that is readily distinguishable from one campaign to the next.

5. Be especially careful not to provide any suspicions of bias toward one player or character or group over the other; you have a situation that is ripe for paranoia. (I’m in the situation where each group thinks that I’m picking on the other more, despite the effects of hint 6 below, which is just fine.)

6. You will only achieve maximum effectiveness if you have at least one player in common between the two groups. This permits each campaign to communicate with each other at the player level, which in turn permits mysteries to be established in one campaign and resolved in the other, and for both sides of any given story to be appreciated. Not entirely realistic, but the benefits in terms of game play more than compensate for this minor hassle.

Good luck!

]]> By: wrathofzombie http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-871 wrathofzombie Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:41:35 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-871 I'm actually going to start doing that as well. I'm running a homebrew world that is group created, for much of it, with two groups playing in it. It's difficult to monitor all that happens with just one group changing everything, but I have two groups running around doing things causing havoc shifting the balance of things. It is really interesting though because something one group does, directly affects the other, even if they don't think it doesn't. I'm looking forward to seeing the world and events grow and change through each group. I look forward to future write ups on these adventures^_^ <abbr><em>wrathofzombie’s last blog post..<a href="http://wrathofzombie.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/looking-for-some-savage-worlds-feedback/">Looking for some Savage Worlds feedback</a></em></abbr> I’m actually going to start doing that as well. I’m running a homebrew world that is group created, for much of it, with two groups playing in it. It’s difficult to monitor all that happens with just one group changing everything, but I have two groups running around doing things causing havoc shifting the balance of things.

It is really interesting though because something one group does, directly affects the other, even if they don’t think it doesn’t.

I’m looking forward to seeing the world and events grow and change through each group.

I look forward to future write ups on these adventures^_^

wrathofzombie’s last blog post..Looking for some Savage Worlds feedback

]]> By: Mike http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Mike Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:58:38 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-870 Thanks, umm, Wrath. The campaign is completely original, there were no prefab bits included. But if you think this is complicated, wait 'till you get to read what's going on in the One Faith campaign! Originally, I wasn't going to be running two campaigns simultaniously in the same campaign world, it was all going to be one campaign. But one of the two core players took a job in another city (which didn't last) and didn't want to abandon a campaign that he was so strongly looking forward to; the only solution was to split the two campaign strands. Turning that liability into an advantage has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do as a GM, and I'm still not sure that I've completely mastered it. It's also worth noting that this synopsis skips completely over some aspects of the campaign, because the PCs are only starting to figure them out. I've sanitised this writeup to avoid giving my players hints. Thanks, umm, Wrath. The campaign is completely original, there were no prefab bits included. But if you think this is complicated, wait ’till you get to read what’s going on in the One Faith campaign!

Originally, I wasn’t going to be running two campaigns simultaniously in the same campaign world, it was all going to be one campaign. But one of the two core players took a job in another city (which didn’t last) and didn’t want to abandon a campaign that he was so strongly looking forward to; the only solution was to split the two campaign strands. Turning that liability into an advantage has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do as a GM, and I’m still not sure that I’ve completely mastered it.

It’s also worth noting that this synopsis skips completely over some aspects of the campaign, because the PCs are only starting to figure them out. I’ve sanitised this writeup to avoid giving my players hints.

]]> By: wrathofzombie http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/seeds-of-empire-july-09/comment-page-1/#comment-869 wrathofzombie Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:44:12 +0000 http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/?p=748#comment-869 Mike, That is a hell of a campaign man! It sounds like amazing fun and is really creative. Is the entire thing all oringinal or did you borrow/use anything prefab? You really did form a compelling/complex plot. Love it! <abbr><em>wrathofzombie’s last blog post..<a href="http://wrathofzombie.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/a-little-miss-sunshine-inspired-adventure/">A Little Miss Sunshine Inspired Adventure</a></em></abbr> Mike,

That is a hell of a campaign man! It sounds like amazing fun and is really creative. Is the entire thing all oringinal or did you borrow/use anything prefab?

You really did form a compelling/complex plot. Love it!

wrathofzombie’s last blog post..A Little Miss Sunshine Inspired Adventure

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