The Campaign Builder's Guild

With many promising articles aimed at issue 8, I thought I'd open the floor to discussion of Issue 9.

Themes? Ideas?

Fantastic mythology.  The kind of myths and legends people concoct in a world where they know there be dragons past the briny horizon, where they've seen a man wrench out another's heart with a glance.

Failure.  What do you do when the players battle their way to the campaigns thunderous climax, and they bite the bullet like nobody's business?  Is their failure really the end, or can something be salvaged?  Can they bounce back to a greater triumph?

I'm going to support myth and disagree with failure. I think that failure may be a useful campaign specific article, but I don't think it sounds general enough or applicable to worldbuilders as a whole.

Myth though I could go with... I do so love my myths.

Some more thematic ideas:

Incursion/Invasion
Campaign-Changing Events (Natural, Magical, Political, etc)
Religion
The Underworld/UnderDark
Castles and Keeps
Thieves, Assassins, Rogues, and Bounty Hunters

+1 = Incursion/Invasion  [Could be good]
+0 = Campaign-Changing Events (Natural, Magical, Political, etc) [Doesn't strike my interest]
+1 = Religion
+2 = The Underworld/UnderDark [Very relevant to the worldbuilding niche]
+0 = Castles and Keeps [A library book would probably suffice]
-1 = Thieves, Assassins, Rogues, and Bounty Hunters [We just had a guide on villains]

Note that all of my posts in this thread are simply as a member of the guild, not as an editor. Please disagree with me. :)

Incursion/Invasion- I like this idea, most campaigns are built on the entire idea of a large world, or small sections.  The incursion/invasion theme of articles would be to introduce new monster, feats, spell etc.  For example.  The return of the Aberrations Incursion/Invasion allowed me to introduce the Illithid race for the first time, as well as change them into something me intrinsic to my own world.  

Campaign-Changing Events (Natural, Magical, Political, etc) I Think any new campaign should evolve change, things must happen, and should be represented as non static.  I think articles on how to handle this would be a good fit, not every D.M. or G.M understands the choices a game designer goes about when make setting changes, and looking for a new way to add interest to their world. I usually through change that we designers push the envelop and not let our setting stay static.  Look to Dragonlance for example of staying static or feeling static even when they finally wanted to change things.

Religion-articles on this in my estimation would showcase different Deities, church's, and people responsible for the well bing of their religions.

The Underworld/Underdark- Of course what setting doesn't have a underdark/or underworld.  I have two lol.  Shadow Vault and the Hallow Hold.  I want to read what makes other campaignes underdark different so heck yeah I want some underdark articles.

Castles and Keeps-not to keen on this, but I think info on special landmarks of several campaigns would be better. for example

 

Quote(Illuminum's Watch tower) Early in Brindarmour history several years after the Swargen(orc)war, and the Death of Belshan Brindarmour, his son Altus erected the the Watchtower of Illuminum.  This great spire would beocome beacon of hope and a warning to the creatures that continued to pray on the people of Brindarmour.  The king summoned the greatest dwarven smiths, and the Shipwrights of Faranast of Seahaven to come forth baring their arts of crafts.  For ten years the three races built the structure that stand to day.  A tower of dwarven marble, carved to perfection with runes and drawings and power the elves.  The watch tower when done stood over hundred feet tall,and is still to this day considered a proud point in the relations of Elves Dwarves and Men.

Importance- In Recent years the tower has become the temple to the god St. Elmos the vigilant warrior. It is the largest structure of the Golden West, and many adventures, merchants, and wayfarers flock to the safety of its eternal light.  Those who are within it's hundred mile radius and of good alignment are granted the the spell of shield of Faith as if a tenth level cleric had cast it.

Thieves, Assassins, Rogues, and Bounty Hunters- I tend to just skim through these types of articles, but then again there are people who enjoy reading them and like to add them to there campaign, so why not.

Quote from: Spirit HawkfellowIncursion/Invasion- I like this idea, most campaigns are built on the entire idea of a large world, or small sections.  The incursion/invasion theme of articles would be to introduce new monster, feats, spell etc.  For example.  The return of the Aberrations Incursion/Invasion allowed me to introduce the Illithid race for the first time, as well as change them into something me intrinsic to my own world.  

Editor's Note: Just so everyone knows, we cannot include any product identity that is not licensed under the OGL. This means illithids, beholders, yuan-ti, gith, slaadi and more cannot be included in guide articles or columns. Any mention of them will be removed.

Sorry Spirit, I know that you didn't actually mention anything along those lines. I just wanted to remind everyone.

How about the following idea for an incursion style campaign.

The world is devoid of dragons. That's right. Not a single wyrm anywhere. Then, one day they suddenly return, countless scores of dragons, brutally reclaiming the world as theirs. The dragons themselves prefer to take the role of more or less ruthless overlords and overminds, supervising and planning their troops' assaults. The draconic armies consist of various halfdragons, and humanoids turned traitor (dragon shamans, dragonfire adepts, etc).

Quote from: Ra-TielHow about the following idea for an incursion style campaign.

The world is devoid of dragons. That's right. Not a single wyrm anywhere. Then, one day they suddenly return, countless scores of dragons, brutally reclaiming the world as theirs. The dragons themselves prefer to take the role of more or less ruthless overlords and overminds, supervising and planning their troops' assaults. The draconic armies consist of various halfdragons, and humanoids turned traitor (dragon shamans, dragonfire adepts, etc).

Seems similar to "Land of the Diamond Throne," Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved setting.  But neat nonetheless :)

Quote from: IshmaylSeems similar to "Land of the Diamond Throne," Monte Cook's Arcana Evolved setting.  But neat nonetheless :)

It does? To be honest, I never took more than a very quick glance at the AU/AE setting background. *shrug* "Great mind thinks alike" and that. :D *rubs ego* :P

#9, and I'm only 1/2 done with my article for #8! Eeesh...

My quick opinions, based on Raelifin's elegant tempplate:
Enh (0) = Myth [Isn't calling to me]
Yea (+1) = Incursion/Invasion [Aliens, planes, WAR!!!]
Yea = Campaign-Changing Events [Plagues, meteorites, abyssal rends in reality, limbo incursions!]
Enh = Religion [Enh]
Nay (-1) = The Underworld/UnderDark [Dark elves, drwarves, plenty of source books, oh my!]
Enh = Castles and Keeps [creating unique sites could be interesting]
Nay = Thieves, Assassins, Rogues, and Bounty Hunters [I'm sure we'll get enough villains no matter what we do ;)]

Now that I think about it, we could almost roll up the second and the third into one. Possibly?

just mentioning the ones where I see alot of potential for helpfull articles.

Myth: could be interesting..articles on things to keep in mind when writing myth. list and explinations of archetype personalities or events that's likely to have mythology written about to give a world builder a basis to work from (the discovery of fire, creation myth, solar/lunar eclipse). traits of mythological people and beings to incorporate into ones own world building to make them seem more real, and so on.

religion: list and explination of different kind of belief system? (monothestic, duelistic, anthromorphic and so on) Same thing for devine archetype? (the earth mother, the all-father, the love goddess, the war/rior god)  Example on how religions would/can be organised? rites? list of religious title?

Incursion/invasion: article about how warfare changes a society, both on the agressor and the defenders side and how to portray that in campaign world building. how to build up a military organisation that makes sense? society in a conqured area?

Demesne And Demographics
The math behind city populations, number of castles holdings per capita and scattered villages in a fantasy world (referencing Domesday Book)

Orcs In My Backyard
How to foster suspension of disbelief in your fantasy world

Believable Economies
The logistics behind a fantasy world's economy

Quote from: IshmaylIncursion/Invasion
Campaign-Changing Events (Natural, Magical, Political, etc)

I'm going to throw in a vote for both of these (possibly rolled together into one), and suggest a third idea to complete the triumvirate: lost or destroyed peoples. Possibly the ones who failed to survive those incursions, invasions, or world-changing events.

I'm going to go with Crayon's Triumvirate. I think I may end up having an article as well.