tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post3247114715269949538..comments2024-02-16T22:05:32.773+02:00Comments on LotFP: RPG: The Olden Domain - How I'm Doing ItJimLotFPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02992397707040836366noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-67454199784210620202008-12-31T08:11:00.000+02:002008-12-31T08:11:00.000+02:00What your describing is how I've ran my campai...What your describing is how I've ran my campaigns for the past 18 years now. I always start small, waaay small. A simple village & that's really about it. Period. The innkeeper is "Innkeeper", the Blacksmith is "Smithy", etc. Unless they're crucial to the ongoing campaign, I don't care what their names are &, more importantly, neither do my players. <BR/><BR/>I always have a few random dungeon maps I've doodled at somepoint on hand, so I can easily throw the players into the thick of it. When the players get the itch to start exploring the land beyond, I just make sure to take notes of what I describe to them, so as to keep the continuity straight. One of the best tools I bought myself for gaming was a minirecorder; it not only saves me time, but in the heat of running the game, I know my own handwriting looks about as decipherable as a doctors' prescription. After the adventure, I can rewind, take proper notes, & fill in any details as needed. <BR/><BR/>I myself have never been disciplined enough to sit down & really create a true, honest to goodness adventure module or campaign setting; they just kind of evolve over time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-15151041594588510372008-12-31T01:43:00.000+02:002008-12-31T01:43:00.000+02:00James, you just described how I have done most of ...James, you just described how I have done most of my campaigns. My Carcosa campaign has been largely created by the seat of my pants as the players explore the map. Some people have expressed surprise at how little is drawn on the published Carcosa hex map. That's because that's all I have on that map!<BR/><BR/>What you're doing, James, is honest-to-God campaigning. I think that published RPG products (such as modules and campaign settings) skew most of our perceptions of the reality of playing D&D. Who the devil writes a 128-page tome for his campaign setting before playing? Who writes 64 pages of descriptions for his dungeon before playing? Etc.<BR/><BR/>I strongly support what you're doing here. Simply pour the current contents of your imagination into your current session, and let tomorrow take care of itself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-54831604497165677592008-12-30T17:18:00.000+02:002008-12-30T17:18:00.000+02:00I've done that before...But only for my daughters....I've done that before...But only for my daughters. While I'm decent at seat-of-your-pants DMing, I'm horrid at taking notes, thus maintaining any uniformity. Remembering the name of the inn keeper is fine if s/he's some kind of central NPC, but recalling the name of the groom's helper can be a pain. And that's just names.<BR/><BR/>It gets worse if they're moving quickly and you've come up with an off the cuff encounter that incorporates an area... Egads, I've had disappearing glades and groves before due to my hideous lack of note-taking.<BR/><BR/>Problem with me is that I don't write quickly enough, and my handwriting is atrocious, so if I take my time to properly jot down salient points, then there's this odd break in the game. That sucks.<BR/><BR/>I like the idea though James. You sound like you're a very organized person (from previous posts) and you're certainly creative enough to come up with ideas on the fly that don't "feel" half-baked. If it were me, the advice I'd find most useful would be to take notes, both in game as well as post game.<BR/><BR/>But I'm sure you've got that under control...<BR/><BR/>Good luck on your 'Olden Domain' campaign. Sounds like a hoot.Gamer Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05006232842482959060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6670029344758253148.post-8499500414993234662008-12-30T15:15:00.000+02:002008-12-30T15:15:00.000+02:00Sounds like a reasonable way to go about things. I...Sounds like a reasonable way to go about things. I've run a few 'seat-o-the-pants' campaigns. Typically, aside from a few notes about outlying areas, I began with a fairly fleshed-out "Hearth" setting, be it an inn or a village or maybe a walled town. Some bastion of civilization that the adventurers would find themselves returning to for food, supplies, possibly whores.Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17285645317925993821noreply@blogger.com