Adventure Prep

I've been wanting to run a game and have been doing a bunch of prep for that possibility. Initially, I was thinking of running a traditional campaign sort of thing, but Adventure: The Three-Dragon Problem mostly fills that roll. The more thought given to the idea, the more it has evolved into an open table idea. Short excursions out from a central location. Adventures that are not dependent on what has come before, but which are interconnected with those and with adventures yet to come. Something that can support a wide a mix of characters and a diverse, but narrower, mix of both character level and player experience.

I like the idea of the "West Marches" style campaign, but haven't had much luck putting the game in the hands of the players in that way. Everybody says they hate a "railroad" but nobody wants to drive the adventure, so in my experience you've got to give them a road trip: a straight line to where they're going with the opportunity to see the sites, explore an exit every now and then, maybe swing into a rest stop, but always knowing the highway is right there stretching out to the major plot points. That seems to be what works for the folks I've played with and DMed for. My experience may change, but I'm moving forward with what I know.

The idea of an "open table" is where I'm at right now. The idea being that I can post up on Meetup, Facebook, or wherever and announce that I'm going to run a game and looking for players.  Then you get some folks to sign-up and you run an adventure. I'm thinking no more than 6, but if I make this simple enough, I may be able to do as many as 8. It'll be D&D, not just because I'm most familiar with that game or because it's my rpg of choice, but more simply because its the game most folks are looking for when they're looking to get into the hobby. If this accomplishes anything, that's what I'd like to do is introduce people to the hobby and grow the community. Folks will naturally find all the other games if they have the inclination.

The idea has been influenced by the games I've become involved with that happen in public spaces and the particular needs that come from that sort of environment. Most obviously, this means you need to bring with you everything you need to run your game, so I've been working on my "road kit" and deciding what I want, what I need, and what I can do without. Nearly as obvious is that the players don't always have the things they need and particularly if you're dealing with new comers to the game, you need to have the things that will ensure they can play and enjoy the game. 

Players will need character sheets, dice, pencils, and probably a rules reference (i.e. Player's Handbook), that sort of stuff.  I'd like to have some one page reference sheets on hand for them. So, I've been building up a small inventory of things. Temu just delivered 28 sets of dice to me yesterday. You can get some cheap lots of dice on Temu. I'd like to get another pair of Player's Handbooks, but I'd also like to get them very cheap, so I'm waiting for a good sale. Otherwise, I think I've got the player's covered, all they need to do is show up and I can get them gaming.

On the DM side of things, I've picked up the three sets of Loke Books (Towns, Dungeons, & Castles) and I picked up a package of Andvari Battle Boards. Both of which should be handy when dealing with mismatched tables turning the play space into an uneven mess. A playmat doesn't seem to do well under that situation. I've been working on some other ideas and solutions that I'll probably discuss as I see how they work out. 

I posted my idea about Experience Points earlier this month and I mocked up a teaser page HERE, if you're interested in taking a look. There will be more forthcoming, but that's it for now.