Campaign writing

[same_difference]

I'm at the moment trying to write up the D&D campaign I want to start running in a couple of weeks time, and I'm really struggling to just write. I know a lot of what I want, and I have a plan of what I feel I need to do, I just can't seem to get it down in writing.

So any suggestions/reccomendations that could help get it written would be good.

Comments

[florain.livejournal.com]

Remember, the more you write, the more we, the players, have a chance to break it :)

[drabbit.livejournal.com]

Write down anything. You can sort it all out later - let one idea run into another and write it all down. I tend to use paper for that, and to almost mind map it, if you're familiar with that?

Draw lines all over the page, link npcs together, countries together, scribble "love" and "hate" and "save the sheep sidequest" next to the lines. Draw random countries, look at who's next to who, make them fight and kill a load of them in your head, decide who won and what breath taking heroic tactic won it, then decide how you're going to use war hatred to persecute the PCs.

Campaign writing is random and inspired, but don't try to force which bit is inspired at any given time. Sometimes countrywide attitudes don't happen until you know how you want the npc love triangle of rulers in the main city to play out and what that requires the countries attitude to be.

And yes, don't write storylines, except in the broadest brush stroke. History, yes. Current events, yes. But you can't tell what impact the PCs presence will have - I tend to have a plan for what happens if the PCs aren't there, then use that to guide me on reactions for when the PCs do stuff. Then as the PCs exit stage right, jot down three or four events in a string that will occur due to their actions.