How many cool ideas should you keep back for the next campaign?
None.
Shadows of Keron took a holiday this week, as Gutz’ player wanted to GM Shadowrun. Since the Saturday afternoon session is the only one we can all make, I let him take a slot for a taster session – more on that tomorrow.
That meant my prep time this week could be used for longer-term thinking about the campaign, and I realised that I was holding back scenario ideas for the next campaign, after we move on from the Dread Sea Dominions. This makes a number of assumptions, any of which could be false:
- That there will be a next campaign;
- That it will not be in the Dominions;
- And that I will run out of cool ideas, so I have to save some for later.
So I’ll abandon that line of reasoning, and throw all the ideas that fit the setting into Shadows of Keron. Most of the ideas come from monsters that interest me in the D&D or Pathfinder bestiaries, and anything Graeco-Roman or Cthulhoid will fit in the Dominions; the only things that don’t really belong are goblinoids and orcs, and Valk or Nandals can stand in for them.
Squid-headed brain eaters whose Names May Not Be Mentioned without intervention by the dreaded Gods of Copyright Law are my favourite Cthulhoid type monsters, and they will fit right in. Medusae or minotaurs – Greek monsters, advance and be incorporated. Monstrous vermin of all descriptions may also enter.
Likewise, I’ve been thinking about resurrecting Irongrave as the base city for a future campaign. Most of the city ideas can drop straight in to a Dominion city; probably Gis, as that’s the party’s current destination. Time enough to worry about the next campaign when I’ve run out of scenarios for this one.
More about all of these in future posts. Meanwhile, the recommendation is, hold nothing back!
Halfway Station 