[DL] Re: deadlands-digest.20020517-1

[Dane & Melody <melndane@att.net>]

At 06:59 PM 5/17/02 -0400, you wrote:
>For example:  Do you outline the overall campaign events?  Do you detail the
>overall campaign?  Do you just wing it as you go?  Do you create lots of
>NPC's?  Do you detail a "home base"?  Are most sessions created on the spot?
>Do you use only published adventures? Etc.

I have to admit that I am terribly lazy!  I help my players develop 
detailed backgrounds (they do most of the work), then I use those details 
and incorporate them into an overall plot.  Then, I collect all the pre 
written material I can lay hold of and construct a series of events that 
are related to each other.  I keep track of where I'm going with flow 
charts showing plot progression based on the series of adventures I've 
chosen.  For Deadlands, the  relationship I've maintained between yarns is 
geographic and, sometimes, thematic.  I've found that it works well for 
players who enjoy a strong story-like setting with long term characters as 
the protagonists in an ongoing plot: I have very FEW character deaths, but 
many NPC deaths in trade.

I use NPC's to keep the sense of danger that a long term campaign can 
stifle.  Get to know one, and they become part of the group.  A tragic 
death makes for a great plot twist!

I've tried to keep my posse as homeless as possible.  They settled in 
Denver for a bit, but when the comfort level became too high I induced them 
to move on.  This, I've found, keeps them poor -- a nice inducement to keep 
moving around.

>I'm just curious.  (Also if you do these types of things, sharing the
>method: three ring binder, database [that would be me, the geeky one! ;-)],
>note cards, whatever would also be appreciated.)

I use binders with archive copies of the published adventures.  I hate 
ruining the good books that I buy (I DON'T have a good source for Deadlands 
material in my neck of the woods), so I duplicate the parts I need from my 
books.  (And, so that no one is perturbed by this -- I only do this with 
the books I buy.)  Then I can copy my notes onto the pages, put scales on 
maps, etc.  I've also been using a piece of software called Inspiration for 
keeping track of NPC's.  My posse is currently playing "The Crucible" -- a 
mind map for the vast amount of NPC's and their relationships has been a 
lot of help.

>BTW: How have folks ended campaigns?  In all the years I've been gaming,
>I've never been involved in a campaign that "wrapped up".  They mostly just
>evaporated.

Same here.  I guess I would end this one when a nice climax and useable 
denouement came up when the game was fading away.

Hope that is useful to you!

Dane