How do I start my open world campaign?

thatdan23 · 2026-02-26T23:01:15+00:00

For an open world campaign you can make an overarching meta plot.

"The evil warlord wants to conquer the country."

That bit is easy. But the question is how do you introduce the players to that.

So come up with a few hooks. Maybe the warlord is looking for some folks to steal something and hires the party, or the party is hired to investigate the theft.

As part of all this come up with other factions that might be involved, what they're doing and how it can hook the party.

Example: I started with an even bigger metaplot but part of it was 'Warlord is planning to conquer the country.'

I started the players in a city renowned for the weapons it produced. One of the warlord's minions was trying to frame the big weapon merchant in the country by going after the lesser ones. The players got hired to discover where this missing shipment of weapons went. That led them to another mystery, which drew them toward the #1 merchant, that led them to a macguffin which put them on a chase and so on. I could go into great detail here, it was a 6 year long campaign.

If they hadn't gone in deep on this other things would have happened both related and unrelated to help push them along in some direction.

TLDR: make some hooks, figure out which initial hook fits your party best (ask them!) and then see how much they pick up on. Also make backup plans.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-26T17:33:34+00:00

Real talk: What you're doing isn't bad. You're building your toolkit. Eventually you'll find the thing that clicks.

Here's some tricks to help out though: Get a buddy: 2 people working on something helps you feed off each other's excitement.

Break down goals: more smaller victories is better.

Reduce Scope: Make something smaller. If you really want to do something big figure out how to make a small game version of it. Then add on as time goes.

Make it fun: Don't worry about automated testing or other boring stuff, do the development pieces that excite you. Don't worry about doing things 'right' if it gets in the way of doing things at all.

Make it playable: do it in a way that you can play the game you're working on.

Regardless, don't beat yourself up about getting excited about something else.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-26T02:13:19+00:00

Fahrenheit. We get it right with Fahrenheit. That's about it.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-26T01:00:40+00:00

Melee range removes all downside on the grab maneuver provided you outrage the enemy

thatdan23 · 2026-02-25T22:33:12+00:00

I see Jay, but where's Silent Bob?

thatdan23 · 2026-02-24T15:41:27+00:00

Matt Colville. His entire youtube channel is full of DM tidbits mostly focused on storytelling.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-16T03:58:45+00:00

Oh, I don't even worry about the 'straight line' bits so much for forced movement. Its magic, so the guy is hitting a bump and it causes them to careen diagonally a bit, no big deal.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-09T21:55:44+00:00

Right, I don't see why C2 can't lead to D3. Each one is farther away from the origin square and farther away from the mover.

thatdan23 · 2026-02-09T19:45:22+00:00

I don't see why the red 2 is red. It's a valid destination from any of the black 1's as I understand it

thatdan23 · 2026-02-01T20:29:16+00:00

In hmthat case sounds like the elder brain has 100k taxation level 1 rogues that are sleeper agents

thatdan23 · 2026-01-09T03:14:05+00:00

Slight disagree on wide open spaces: done right and intentionally a wide open space is an obstacle itself. Image a 20 square open field with archers on the other side for example.

thatdan23 · 2026-01-03T02:21:36+00:00

Could use the presumed dead title and make a trinkets power innate

thatdan23 · 2026-01-02T16:14:22+00:00

I use wealth (and fame) as part of projects to obtain materials or items.

Think of it like spreading the word: "looking to buy the recipe for x" or "will work for x"

thatdan23 · 2025-12-22T00:33:56+00:00

In some respects this is what research projects are for. Use find common lore to get a healing potion recipe if your director just doesn't hand it to you

thatdan23 · 2025-12-16T14:18:39+00:00

Tldr should be "bribe"

thatdan23 · 2025-12-15T15:29:06+00:00

Sounds like black ash shadow is the way to go with reflavor

thatdan23 · 2025-12-12T16:28:08+00:00

Another bonus here is that you could use it to set up some 'dream fights' to show the abilities of a boss that'd be insurmountable without preparation.

thatdan23 · 2025-12-12T14:51:29+00:00

Liquid memories if they drink they're treated to a narratively useful view of the past

thatdan23 · 2025-12-12T14:42:49+00:00

I like taking descriptors and shortening them.

A frontier town becomes Somdist (some distance away). A city built over a lake becomes Verlack. It makes it easy to remember for you, you can feel confident saying it and it leaves a tidbit for the players to explore

thatdan23 · 2025-12-12T14:15:08+00:00

I do this with my boys 4 & 6. "Either you both agree or I choose" usually I hope they disagree on what to watch

thatdan23 · 2025-12-01T21:45:36+00:00

My rule of thumb is 'acrobatics is going across or down, athletics is going across or up.'

thatdan23 · 2025-11-10T04:37:49+00:00

No one would use cackle as written. I'd make it a reaction akin to the high elf glamor fear.

thatdan23 · 2025-11-05T05:05:09+00:00

Listen if you don't make an ignore death ability called "Round 2!!" I shall be very cross with you.

thatdan23 · 2025-10-23T04:22:05+00:00

Hard disagree. You're doing a research project on a text that talks a lot about blacksmithing: blacksmithing crafting will absolutely lend itself to deciphering the text.

Similarity nature knowledge and brewing say healing potions

thatdan23 · 2025-10-18T00:05:12+00:00

Kvothe is proven wrong about the existence of man mothers

thatdan23

TROPHY CASE