Take the long term goals and interweave them. They should take the better part of the campaign to get them, if not the entire thing. Then layer medium term goals on top of that, and short term goals on top of that (of course, cluster these near the beginning of the journey; the PCs will go through these quickly, and may even decide they don't want them anymore. That's actually good. Find out what they DO want, and make it happen).

Now that you've got everyone's goals interwoven in a nice network (and remember, keep this loosely defined because even when you give them everything they want, the PCs will still go off the rails), layer those belief encounters wherever you can, evenly spaced across the whole thing. You want to make it so every session, a goal is accomplished, or another step is being taken towards accomplishing one; and/or a belief is either challenged or affirmed. Any session that isn't getting the PCs closer to what they want, or making them question why they even want it in the first place, is worthless from a story perspective. Why have a random encounter when you can have one that makes them question why they're fighting for justice...or shows them just how powerful a righteous cause can be?

Anywho, that's about it, I think. Thoughts?

Very nice OP. I like this method... simple, yet seems to provide enough depth for the PCs to chew on.

I'd seed the beliefs by coming up with a campaign theme first (say, "warfare campaign as grunts") and then asking them to come up with an opinion on that core idea. That way, you're guaranteed to have some glue. It's also good for getting newer players to start thinking about beliefs, especially in a frame of mind that you'd be keen on working with.

I like it.
And I'm totally stealing it.

>>17679216

Although not having built in connections might be an interesting challenge.

>>17679164

Let's try it out, guys! Quick, everyone, give me 3 sentences of backstory, 3 beliefs and 3 goals. First three to post I make a campaign out of.

Have you ever played Hot War? The setting is 1963 post-apocalyptic London after the Cold War went nuclear.
Same kind of narrative idea that you've got.
Everyone has two goals, one personal, one factional. There's also a background story for each character, the rules for that are 1) It must take place in the immediate aftermath of the war, 2) It must establish a fact about the war, 3) There must be conflict, 4) You cannot be killed, as it is a flashback and would obviously prevent you from being in the game.

You've also got to make four relationships with NPCs, one familial, one factional, one antagonistic, and one with someone in the party.

>>17679255
>Backstory
Richard Baldi was second-in-line to inherit a large trading company off the shores of Worren, but the board's favorite for his intuition. Upon his father's passing, he escaped an assassination attempt made by his elder brother. Today, he makes do as a traveling salesman, gradually building up resources to take back the company that only he could run.

>Beliefs
Money isn't power, but it buys the best kind of power - death.
Good mead and music is great, but nothing heals the soul better than home-cooked food.
A man is defined by his wallet, watch, and belt.

>Goals
Make a hostile, if not violent takeover of the company, preferably ending with his brother dead.
Find a loving, loyal wife.
Learn how to play the lute (see finding a wife).

>>17679255
Ragner Grimson is the son of a blacksmith. His mother died in childbirth, his father more recently of illness. Essentially, he ran the business his entire life because pa was never good at figurin', and he now finds himself with no real ties to the town outside inherited land and personal relationships with people who were regular customers.

Beliefs: Hard work defines a man, always make a profit, thievery is the greatest sin.

Goals: Find a new way to make a living, start a family, get the kids set for life.

>>17679325
>>17679332
Ragni here. My fucking face when so much overlap already.

Tyree, son of Aldo

A young man, scion of a renowned master. His people were called "allseers", feared for their seemingly-magical powers of perception. He has been raised at the tutelage of his father, instructed in the art of ninjutsu since he was out of diapers.

>Beliefs
All things serve The Truth.
Hard work and perseverance can best inborn talent.
Merit is the measure of the man.

>Goals
Attain rank in school of ninjutsu
Live an exciting life, culminating in the rank of Master
Grow old teaching new students, as his role models have

>>17679255

Alright, OP. Don't have a name, but here you go:
He grew up as a street urchin, stealing food and whatnot to stay alive and sleeping in abandoned houses. He joined up with a gang of kids in a similar situation, and they banded together like a family. He left the group when a more violent gang absorbed them, and his views didn't mesh with theirs.

His beliefs:
1. Violence should be avoided when possible.
2. Communities need to be there for each other in times of hardship to ease the burden on its members.
3. The law is often corrupt and doesn't hold average peoples' interests in mind.

His goals:
Short-term: Make some money for living expenses by pulling off a heist of some valuable piece of jewelry or something equally valuable.
Mid-term: Form a new "family" of thieves to watch out for each other and create a non-violent criminal network.
Long-term: Reform corrupt laws to better conform to his ideal society (where the strong help the weak).

>>17679325
>>17679332
>>17679364
>Team HARD WORK AND GUTS!
>mfw

>>17679384
Damn, looks like I didn't get in fast enough. Missed the second guy there. Oh well, do what you want with that,

>>17679402

Still, a valuable party role. Throw in a game-appropriate specialist (healer, mage, paranormal investigator, vampire, whatever) and some comic relief, and you have a solid team. And with as much overlap as is already obvious, you could weave a dense story. I'm supposing OP's demonstration was 1st three so he could do it in the scope of a thread, instead of a week realtime.

>>17679332
>>17679325


PERFECT. Okay guys, let's do this.

Backstory: Baldi and Grimson are both merchant types, so it looks like we'll have a heavy emphasis on economics and mercantile politics. Tyree is a ninja...not sure where that'll fit, maybe he's the muscle? Grimson wants out of the smithing business, Baldi wants into his company. So clearly, our game is going to center around their new start up.

Beliefs:
Baldi
>Money isn't power, but it buys the best kind of power - death
+An encounter where much must be sacrificed to secure the services of an assassin
-A good and humble healer is accidentally killed; the community he serves is lost
>Good mead and music is great, but nothing heals the soul better than home-cooked food
+The hospitality of strangers is a balm for troubles
-A man finds no love in the work of his wife
>A man is defined by his wallet, his watch and his belt
+A wealthy, fashionable man is an ally
-A good and humble man with no desires for earthly goods
>Hard work defines a man
+A parasitic vizier manipulates the throne for his own luxury
-An industrious man destroys a town for the sake of his personal fortune
>Always make a profit
+A man is rewarded for hard work
-A community needs help, but has no money to spare to pay
>Thievery is the greatest sin
+The acts of a thief jeopardize everything
-A poor man steals to save his daughter from starvation
>All things serve The Truth
+The great sage leaves behind a prophecy which comes true
-A man without regard for The Truth is wildly successful
>Hard work and perseverance can best inborn talent
+A gladiator who trains daily bests a great ogre
-A poor man tries to start up a business but cannot compete with a talented competitor who has been in the market longer.

Shit, we're turning into Atlas Shrugged: the RPG. Okay, time to shuffle these around in mspaint.

>>17679392
Richard here, I approve.

>>17679354
Somehow, I think this is the start of a wonderful relationship.

>>17679456

Shit, forgot

>Merit is the measure of a man
+A poor man with no aspirations is cruel and vicious
-A poor man who lives off the charity of others cares for his disabled wife

>>17679456
>Tyree is a ninja...not sure where that'll fit, maybe he's the muscle?

Utility. If anyone is going to cheat, swindle, spy upon, or betray you, he's the guy you want around. Later in life, perhaps he can see everything around him for a half-mile or so.

He also punches things, which can come in handy.

>>17679456
>>17679470
Keep it up OP, this is good.

>>17679483
That does sound handy.

>>17679483
Especially if you're in the logging business.

Good job OP, you have articulated how I run my best games. I've never really formalized it like this, but it's the same general idea.

Truly, the best of games were run in this way. You just need to have players that aren't retarded.

>>17679470

Okay, here are our encounter clusters.

>An industrious man destroys a town for the sake of his personal fortune
>A man finds no love in the work of his wife
>A community needs help, but has no money to spare to pay
>A poor man steals to save his daughter from starvation
>A poor man with no aspirations is cruel and vicious

This encounter is probably mostly a cautionary tale about ambition, since it was culled almost exclusively from challenges. It'll pit the PCs against a man who could be their future. This'd probably work best near the end of the plot, after the PCs have gotten some of their economic goals accomplished, so they can wonder if they've fallen as far as this man did.

>The hospitality of strangers is a balm for troubles
>A good and humble man with no desires for earthly goods
>A good and humble healer is accidentally killed; the community he serves is lost

Again, an eye-opener for the PCs, this time with an emphasis on another way of life, that of the altruist.

>A wealthy, fashionable man is an ally
>A man is rewarded for hard work
>A poor man tries to start up a business but cannot compete with a talented competitor who has been in the market longer.

A little more complex, here, this one shows an industrial NPC as powerful and a good man, but also illustrates what his presence costs the community around him. He's good, yet harms. How do the PCs resolve this?

>A parasitic vizier manipulates the throne for his own luxury
>A man without regard for The Truth is wildly successful
>An encounter where much must be sacrificed to secure the services of an assassin

How much is it worth to kill James Taggart?

>A poor man who lives off the charity of others cares for his disabled wife

>The acts of a thief jeopardize everything

>The great sage leaves behind a prophecy which comes true

>A gladiator who trains daily bests a great ogre

These one-liners will get woven into the goal steps.

>>17679456
Looks good so far, OP. I'll check this again in the morning.

>>17679539
OP, you don't mind if I steal this for use in my campaigns/codify this for other people to use, do you?

>>17679539

>>17679539

Goals and how to accomplish them!

Short term goals:
Learn how to play the lute
>use money to pay someone
>there is a beggar of exceptional talent in the street; he plays magnificently
Find a new way to start a living
>start a business with the others
>find something that needs to be done and can make hella money
>apply for license
>start doing it
>avoid enemy monopolies
Attain a rank in school of ninjutsu
>find a patron willing to support you (hey look at these conveniently placed PCs)
>get them to support you in front of the masters

Medium term goals
Find a loving, loyal wife
>noble's daughter is being woo'd by another merchant
>out-awesome him
>marry noble's daughter
Start a family
>noble's OTHER daughter is being woo'd by the creepy manipulative vizier
>out-shenanigan him
>marry other noble's daughter
>knock her up fast
Live an exciting life, culminating in rank of Master
>give opportunities to murder and ninja shit
>embroil deep into local politics
>murder, murder everywhere
>awarded for brutally slaying politically inconvenient persons who never did you any wrong

Long term goals
Make a hostile, if not violent takeover of the company, preferably ending with his brother dead.
>acquire political and economic power in the region
>apply pressure to brother
>destroy his personal assets but leave the business intact
>kill with the ninja
Get the kids set for life
>negotiate trade with the banker to get a special high yield trust fund set up
>perform favors to get a nice rate
>make monthly deposits
Grow old teaching new students, as his role models have
>ninja students begin to arrive and ask for great wisdom
>apply for a business (education) license
>teach ninjas

>>17679633


Okay looks like a central element is going to be the building up of power using the local noble, and using that leverage to kill the brother in the end. I'll have to establish early on that the baron is trying to marry them off, and have lots of the brother's interference.

>>17679591

Go nuts, dude, that's why I posted it. Plus, it's not like I could stop you if I wanted to.

>>17679643

Well done, OP. It's uncanny how well this system adapted to a variety of inputs. Businessman - Blacksmith - Ninja would normally be a nightmare for trying to create overlapping goals. If you had enough familiarity with systems, you could almost do this first for any given character archetype, then pick the system that best suited composition and playstyle.

>>17679643
>>17679659
I too am impressed. I'll go and turn these into nice, chewable steps for public consumption.

It's a short thread, but I really think it'd be great if it's archived...

>>17679146
>Now, look over the backstories and see if anything connects well. Macguffins, family histories, whatever. If nothing goes together, that's fine, you'll connect stuff later. But if something does connect, write it down.

Are you playing with children? Why can't the players work out their own connections?

>>17679676

Because the GM defining these overlaps on purpose through RP makes them more concrete than does players trying to force connections between disparate characters.

That's my take on it, at least.

>>17679676
Because I'm assuming these are the plot-twist kind of connections, not the "let's work out a backstory together" kind of connections.

>>17679675
Put it into an inforgraphic/mspaint-cheapo picture if you can. I'd like to print it out without it just being a wall of text type thing.

>>17679675
Already archived for posterity on sup/tg/. This is something worth keeping around.

>>17679734
Excellent - this is what makes us /tg/. Up-voted as well. Codified steps coming soon...

>>17679714
Will do. I'll get a text version up first though, so that it can be proofread/peer-reviewed.

>>17679781
>>17679775
>>17679734
>>17679146
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Getting Shit Done
-Perform a sustained action that benefits /tg/ and the PnP RPG community.
>Rewards:
+3 Mad props
+2 Respect
+2 Virginity

>>17679781
Text version. Trash it the best you can. I'll get started on the pretty version.

>CAMPAIGN MASTERCRAFT METHOD

>PLAYER PHASE
[1] THE 3-BBG RULE (BB3G?) - Players hand in sheets with backstory (3 sentences adequate), 3 beliefs, and 3 goals.

>BACKGROUND PHASE
[2] CONNECT BACKGROUNDS - Connect any background elements that match well.

>BELIEF PHASE
[3] +/- ENCOUNTERS - With each character's beliefs, make an encounter that affirms the belief and one that challenges it.

[4] BATCH ENCOUNTERS - Combine thematically similar encounters the best you can.

>GOAL PHASE
[5] THE METHODS TO THE GOAL - With each character's goals, loosely define the steps required to accomplish them.

[6] CONNECT STEPS - Combine any steps that match well.

[7] CATEGORIZE AND INTERWEAVE - Identify the long-term goals and interweave. Layer medium and short-term goals on top. Cluster short-term goals near the beginning of the journey.

[8] INSERT BELIEF ENCOUNTERS - Place belief encounters in between goal encounters so that every session, a goal is accomplished, or another step is being taken towards accomplishing one; and/or a belief is either challenged or affirmed.

This is the first time I've visited /tg/ in over a month, and this is the third epic thread I've come across tonight alone.

I seriously need to visit /tg/ waaaaay more.

Mad props to you, OP

>>17679874
>Go to suptg.
>Read through years of hilarious archived threads.
>????
>Profit.

OKAY. Synthesis done, let's see what we got.

Our game opens with the PCs working out the details of their new business arrangement in a community famous for its free local economy. Of course, they discover the downside of this pretty quickly: the local baron has his fingers in every pie, and the influence of a parasitic vizier who lives off the hard work of others combined with the monopolistic practices of a cruel and callous man who is willing to wreck lives for the sake of his personal fortune give our PCs a great fight to struggle against. Our first decision is incredibly difficult: do our entrepreneurs have the time to help a section of the slums survive the ruthless businessman's practices? The poor may be driven to bitterness and utter desperation, but is that OUR problem? But again, how can our business (whatever it may be) exist when this cruel man is driving us all apart? And what did the ancient sage mean when he told us that two houses from one womb would throw the land into great peril for pride and greed?

It is quickly revealed that the cruel monopolist is, in fact, Richard Baldi's brother, who is pushing hard to keep his industrious brother from gaining any kind of market share. His aggressive desires to keep his brother down are devastating whole communities—but the vizier keeps the baron quiet, saying that allowing the younger Baldi free reign to do as he pleases is in the best interest of the entire community, and soon his wealth will enrich the whole baronry. Since the baron himself is being fed a steady stream of taxes and lies, he questions nothing, even though our intrepid ninja knows that such a life is a lie opposed to the Truth. How can he be successful when he flaunts the very laws of the universe?

>>17679911

In the slums, we find a kindly man who serves as something of a pillar of the community; he loves the poor and the poor love him, and he greets all with hospitality and kindness. He will be a staunch ally against the younger Baldi. We also find a noble carpenter, already wealthy, who may or may not approve of the monopolist's methods but finds the man himself abhorrent; he too will be a friend. There is a man who may not leave his wife's side, and relies solely on the kindness of his community to sustain him. And, of course, in the town square our PCs meet a lute player of remarkable skill, worthy of the king's court itself...but alas, he is too old these days to move from his spot in the street. In the old days, he was a traveling bard, and taught many a lovestruck young lad how to play the lute to win a fair maiden's heart, but no one wants to listen to an old man these days...

But let us not forget that poverty breeds great cruelty. There are thieves and blackguards abound in the slums, and it is a dangerous place to tread indeed. Much contraband is smuggled through, illegal goods and arms. Sometimes good men do horrible things, if that is all they can do to survive.

>>17679919

As the campaign moves on, the younger Baldi is forced to step up his game, including local crime lords in his crusade against his older brother, which now include vandalism, theft and arson. He strives to marry the baron's daughter, and promises the younger to the cruel vizier; if they do such a thing, they would have direct access to the policies of the baronry! Surely such a thing must be stopped. We may use violence...but both the vizier and Baldi are well protected. To learn the skills to surpass them, our ninja must journey deep into the mists and incur a terrible debt to a great teacher...but is it worth it?

Meanwhile, the carpenter friend from earlier has continued his work. But now, word comes from the slums that he's engaging in anti-competitive practices! Is this true, or is he so talented that others simply cannot compete? How can justice be maintained?

In a horrible turn of events, the kindly healer is killed in the crossfire between the Baldi brothers. The community is in shambles and needs help. To where will they turn?

As it reaches its end and our PCs have been wedded to the baron's daughters, the elder Baldi is free to make his attack...but when the incriminating documents he carries in his pockets are stolen in the market, what can they do to finish their economic assault? Perhaps they can rely on the younger brother's fondness for gambling to finally end him, and see a disciplined and mighty warrior slay his favorite ogre? And when Ragner's banker insists he use part of their flourishing business as payment for an account of a high enough interest yield to keep his almost-born son safe for the rest of his days, can he cut such a huge part of his work out of what feels like his very flesh? And just what the hell are we gonna do with all these upstart ninja kids that keep showing up?

>>17679926

Aaaaaand that's it, that's our fuckin' campaign right there. Note that you shouldn't get it this codified--your PCs will piss all over your rails. BUT this is a nice outline for a longer term game where your players get to accomplish their goals and test their beliefs. Every one of those characters is gonna get tested by these challenges, and they're gonna change, and you're gonna get a grand old story out of it. Enjoy.

Hey OP, do you mind sending me the completed example once you finish typing it?

>>17679911
>>17679919
>>17679926
Well. I'm. Floored.

In exchange, all I got is this, OP: http://www.mediafire.com/?inmhicpfjda62zk
Image coming up.

>>17679926
>And just what the hell are we gonna do with all these upstart ninja kids that keep showing up?

Why, feed them into the grist mill of plot, of course.

"NOOOOOOO!!!! Plucky Child Ninja J! You were my favorite!"

>>17679951
If someone wants to make this even prettier, be my guest.

>>17679957

This is awesome! Perhaps specify that short, medium and long-term goals are the best way to do this, so you're accomplishing minor objectives even as you work towards your major ones. Your PCs are gonna keep inventing new short and medium term goals, and the DM should work to keep incorporating those as the game progresses.

>>17679976
Done. Also added in a reference to the archive so that people can read the example. Can someone do an extended screenshot of that?

http://www.mediafire.com/?d2l4msa8f5a427s

If I ever get around to actually making that RPG I have collecting dust on my hard drive, I am totally including this or something similar to it in the DM section.

FUCKING STOLEN.

>>17680008
Here is the .docx version of it so you don't have to extract the text from the .pdf. It should also retain its formatting, so if you use Microsoft Word you should just be able to do a simple copypaste. Enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?jwc2tt2af5x8x8l

Archive is here. Upvote if you think it'd help other GMs, aspiring or veteran.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/17679146/

Have you ever read Spirit of the Century, or any other of the FATE RPG's OP? They use a somewhat similar system of collaborative chargen, letting the players add aspects to the world and weave their backstories together.

Still, nice way of codifying the method, I usually just play it by ear.

>>17680026

I love FATE games. Probably my go-to game for introducing people to RPGs, or even veteran gamers to more narrativist games. The Master of Disguise stunt is the best fucking thing I've ever seen in my life.

>Backstory
Arshvald Immerstung was a less than sane oceanic researcher living in the Cliffs of Ipshtein, fairly innocuous in his studies and non confrontational by nature. During the preparations of a rig for a study, he was struck by lightning, breaking his already weak grip on reality in addition to imbuing him with control over electricity. He has spent most of his time after mutating an aquatic army and mutating himself into a creature of the sea, though he has yet to eliminate his ability to move on land. He has recently taken to adventuring to find research to help further his plots.

>Beliefs
The sea breeds and grooms life in a far superior way than the land.
Any problem has a solution if you put enough thought into it or electricity through it.
All life carries value to our goal be it as a guide, as a shield, or as fodder.

>Goals
Either locate a lair that move underwater, find a way to develop such a lair, or find something to make into such a lair.
Find that special someone who agrees with our goals and would allow themselves to be mutated into our queen of the sea (be it willingly or by force).
Find a method of either sinking or flooding continents.

>>17680013
Thank you very much for that. I'll be certain to give an accreditation to /tg/ and Anonymous for this!

>mfw this idea

Bump because this deserves to be seen.

Just re-read everything again now that I had a few hours of sleep. This thread is diamonds!

This is goddam amazing! I still don't fully grok it, but I can tell that it is glorious.

>>17681652

Try it out yourself and you'll be able to see it coming together.

Bump. People should see this.

You have stepped into the larger world of gamemastering.

This is how the people who run Rifts, or good games of - gasp - 3.5 manage it. It's never about the rulesets. It's about how you run the player's worlds for them.

Bump

*Tries to read ops post.*
*Fails because he can't stop staring at Op's related picture.*

>>17681652
Let me know if the condensed version doesn't work well for you and I'll see what I can do to make it better. Feedback is powerful.

I have been thinking... Could this be implemented for a BBEG as well? Obviously the DM/GM/ST/watever is going to know what the BBEG's personality/motivations are irregardless, but could it be adapted to help "fit" the BBEG in better? Just a thought.

>>17685498
I'm sure I'll understand it better when I have some time to write it out. Will give it a go later tonight.

>>17685941
Well, in the example the BBEG was formed from the goal step and embellished with encounters from the belief step. That's already pretty involved right there.

>>17686092
Very true, it does kind of develop itself. I should say perhaps not a BBEG but a counter-hero? I'm not sure what I mean, really. Shouldn't be up this long.

What I think I am trying to get at is that it would be fun to do one of these for two PCs whose goals and beliefs were completely opposite, to see how the situation would develop, and that the same system, if used for the opposition, could get really weird.

Or maybe I'm just rambling and make no sense. One or the other.

>>17686211
No, I see what you mean. Perhaps by linking together stray negative belief encounters into a single "rival" NPC you can achieve that effect. So, instead of ideological challenges sprinkled here and there, you get the Gary theme music playing.

It's important to realize that by doing this, you make the ideological challenge conquerable as you've prescribed a target that exemplifies all of this. That might be a good thing, especially with a group that solves things only through violence (think, "enough words, draw your sword, we settle this as warriors"-type characters). Also good if you're running a more noble game, relative to the beliefs of the PCs.

>>17686353
Though I never played/watched Pokemon, I feel that Gary is a good example of this, yes.

I was thinking along the lines of Sherlock/Moriarty (novel or movie version, either would suffice for these purposes.)

Distracted... So many quests....

bump for posterity

Bump cause this should be shared.

Saved and upvoted the fuck out of on suptg!

>>17693600
Oh Japanese TV, you so crazy.

>>17693606
I'm half-certain that is from Train Man.

I hope more of /tg/ gets to see this thread. Probably one of the most useful threads I've ever seen on this board.

May as well try this approach with chargen...

>Backstory
Welstone Graives is the latest in a long line of warriors from the southern Belustrad Reach known as the Auxilar. Conceived during a sacred ritual, Welstone would be born with ten bony notches total on the back of his hands and along his forearms, and gifted with three small stones - Auxons - which fit into these notches and grant him supernatural strength, speed, and resistance. The other Auxons are said to be scattered along the land, long-lost relics of the Graives line with powers of their own which he is charged with returning back into their hands.

>Beliefs
*Fight with honor, for if you die in honorable battle, your victory will still be sealed through memory.
*Though he is charged with the return of the Auxons, one's fate is still made with his own hands, not of another's wishes.
*Though powerful the Auxons may be, the ultimate power lies in one's own heart: the power of compassion and mercy.

>Goals
*Obviously, find the remaining Auxons and return them to the Graives' hands back home at the Belustrad Reach.
*Etch his own legend into the hearts and minds of the rest of the world throughout his search and bring the Auxilars into the right light.
*Settle down after this quest and continue the Graives line, as well as to continue the Auxilar tradition with his first-born son.

>>17693600
Is the guy in the orange jacket supposed to be Hugo Chavez?

Bump for posterity.

Bamp again.

Not OP, but I want to practice his crazy method of awesome.


>The sea breeds and grooms life in a far superior way than the land.
+ The party is befriended by a massive aquatic creature, like a giant squid or a whale.
-The party is antagonized by a massive land force, that is more than a match for the party from a brute force perspective.

>Any problem has a solution if you put enough thought into it or electricity through it.
+The party runs into trouble powering their (something). With a little know how and some power, power can be restored.
-The party goes up against a destructive force that is defeated through a very simple, although non-nonsensical, manner.

>All life carries value to our goal be it as a guide, as a shield, or as fodder.
+The party amasses a loyal and mindless grouping of followers.
-The party is tricked into being a pawn of a much more powerful entity.

>Fight with honor, for if you die in honorable battle, your victory will still be sealed through memory.
+The party leads forces into a grand battle. Those that are slain are immortalized through their names being crafted onto a massive statue.
-Party comes across a city that tears down a memorial for fallen soldier to make room for more shops. No one seems to care.

>Though he is charged with the return of the Auxons, one's fate is still made with his own hands, not of another's wishes.
+The party ultimately defies the expectation of an enemy.
-The party is told they have a destiny they can not alter. Prophecy comes true.

>Though powerful the Auxons may be, the ultimate power lies in one's own heart: the power of compassion and mercy.
+A man leads a peaceful rebellion that ultimately succeeds.
-A purely evil man gains control of a Auxon, or some other McGuffin. Completely obliterates all in his way. Showing mercy on the man leads to him getting away to kill more people.


I think I need more practice.

>-Party comes across a city that tears down a memorial for fallen soldier to make room for more shops. No one seems to care.
>-The party is tricked into being a pawn of a much more powerful entity.
>+A man leads a peaceful rebellion that ultimately succeeds.
A decent beginning encounter. Kinda negative in the beginning and middle, but things turn out okay in the end.

>+The party amasses a loyal and mindless grouping of followers.
>-The party is told they have a destiny they can not alter. Prophecy comes true.
>+ The party is befriended by a massive aquatic creature, like a giant squid or a whale.
>+The party runs into trouble powering their (something). With a little know how and some power, power can be restored.
A nice middle part. The part gains in power, but it is at the behest of Destiny and not their own wills that make it.

>-The party is antagonized by a massive land force, that is more than a match for the party from a brute force perspective.
>+The party leads forces into a grand battle. Those that are slain are immortalized through their names being crafted onto a massive statue.
>+The party ultimately defies the expectation of an enemy.
Heavy rising action. Awesome stuff happens and high fives all around in the end.

>-The party goes up against a destructive force that is defeated through a very simple, although nonsensical, manner.
>-A purely evil man gains control of a Auxon, or some other McGuffin. Completely obliterates all in his way. Showing mercy on the man leads to him getting away to kill more people.
Either the final encounter or close to final encounter.
Also,
>non-nonsensical
I meant nonsensical.

I think I grok it... And its beautiful!

Its like a big map. The background of the characters forms the canvas on which the story is painted. The beliefs of the characters form the foundation for roads and trails. And the goals populate the world with people, places and things. At the center of it all there is a gigantic post with a billion signs nailed to it. And they ALL point to adventure.

Goal Clusters:
>Either locate a lair that move underwater, find a way to develop such a lair, or find something to make into such a lair.
>Obviously, find the remaining Auxons and return them to the Graives' hands back home at the Belustrad Reach.
The party hears rumors of an underground cave with magical orb that fits descriptions of one of the Auxons. Upon reaching underground cave, it is discovered that it is really the entrance to an underwater, hyper-technological, abandoned city.

>Etch his own legend into the hearts and minds of the rest of the world throughout his search and bring the Auxilars into the right light.
>Find that special someone who agrees with our goals and would allow themselves to be mutated into our queen of the sea (be it willingly or by force).
A writer/bard becomes fascinated by the tales of the party. She has already researched both of their lives and written a book about the two. She now follows the party to write a sequel.

>Find a method of either sinking or flooding continents.
>Settle down after this quest and continue the Graives line, as well as to continue the Auxilar tradition with his first-born son.
Arshvald Immerstung has finally found a power source great enough to sink the continents, Welstone Graives' son. Cue final confrontation.

Okay, I want to give this a shot too. I'll need 3 Anons to post their 3 beliefs, goals, and their backstory. First three get a campaign (It's like a wierd campaign recipe, but seems to be damn effective from the previous posts in here)

No-one wants to post their character?

Anyone?

Beuller....Beuller....

>>17695734
Wish I had some more time sorry :(

>>17695734
Zed Lorred
Zed wasn't always who he is today, with his finely-trimmed mustache and excellently-crafted armor. Once, he was poor, but after he discovered something of great value, all that changed. However, he retains his strength of character built from too many nights hungry, and now crusades to make the lives of those unfortunate souls better.

Beliefs!
>Be a good, generous person
>Never lose sight of your goals
>Always think before you act

Goals!
>Gain and distribute wealth for the good of the common man
>Accumulate enough personal wealth to construct places the poor can come for food, shelter, and education
>Find a nice girl and sail off into obscurity, after possibly changing the structure of society to fit his dreams of helping the unhelped!

Made him off the top of my head. If no one else posts some, I'll do a couple more to help you crack your knuckles with this thing.

to all of you out there.......do not let this thread die, for it is worthy of more treasure than the Magic Item Compendium can supply.

>>inb4 anything about 3.5

>Backstory
Percival Kent was born with money, lots of money, enough money to where he never had to worry about getting anything in his life. But his boredom was more than the money could pay for. For better or for worse, he ventures the land hiring himself out as a diplomat for the highest bidder, always scheming how to make the situation more into his favor than his client's.

>Beliefs
*Never forget any slight against him.
*Always be nice to those you want something from.
*The right words make all the difference.

>Goals
*He wants something more than money can buy. Problem is he doesn't know what that is yet.
*He wants to take traditional leaders down a notch through his "diplomacy."
*He wants a world where information is worth more than coin.

>>17695661
Ajax Kermin
Born a street urchin, all Ajax had to survive was hit wits and his muscle. His bulk never got beyond that of a rogue's and his dexterity never exceeded that of a barbarian. His strength and perseverance, however is known to be unrivaled whether by magic or willpower. As he stands, he makes his living offering protection and "protection" for those who would wish his pure fist fighting skills. He holds fond feelings for his former hometown and the people there, but he left long ago to become stronger.

Beliefs:
>The best action is one that is both fast, direct, and physical
>Attacking those weaker without prior provocation is dishonorable
>All things can be gained with enough power

Goals
>Short: Defeat a foe stronger than him
>Medium: Amass enough power to protect his hometown
>Long: Become the strongest man in the land

>>17696268
>>17696410
>>17696435
Alright, processing beliefs/goals...

Beliefs!
>Be a good, generous person
+: A woman is being attacked by some ruffians and is very grateful for assistance
-: An old man is put on trial (and possibly executed) for giving food and shelter to enemy war refugees.

>Never lose sight of your goals
+: Helping a poorhouse gain funds resutls in the adoration of the impoverished
-: You find the poorhouse in another city has become a den of thieves and murderers.

>Always think before you act
+: A situation involving a thief breaking into a noblemans house turns out to be an investigator finding incriminating evidence
-: Indecision during a hostage negotiation results in the death of a young man.

>Never forget any slight against him.
+: A man who insulted your fathers honor as a boy feels slighted by you, and challenges you to a duel..
-: You find out that a former accountant who had embezzled funds from your estate has become sickly, and that he had donated his finds to charities and poorhosues.

>Always be nice to those you want something from.
+: With a bit of polite wheedling, you can manage to get the spare key to the chief treasurers house
-: Despite a civil discussion and defense, a cruel judge will rule against you

>The right words make all the difference.
+: The right placation suddenly halts a bloody street mob
-: Your words of comfort remind the woman of her kindly husband, and she jumps.

>The best action is one that is both fast, direct, and physical
+: A quick fight results in the loss of none of the hostages during a holdup
-: A fight you thought would be quick draws out into an extended bloodbath, resulting in collateral casualties

>Attacking those weaker without prior provocation is dishonorable
+: A group of outsiders are harangued by a town mob
-: Some unassuming children have reportedly been murdering citizens, although no-one can firmly prove they did or not.

>All things can be gained with enough power
+: You discover a secret formula that can magically protect an entire village
-: A person dear to you is killed at the height of your power.

Encounter clusters:

> -: An old man is put on trial (and possibly executed) for giving food and shelter to enemy war refugees.
> -: You find out that a former accountant who had embezzled funds from your estate has become sickly, and that he had donated his finds to charities and poorhouses.
Pretty self explanatory. The judge for this case is a right bastard, and will show up in a later (or earlier) encounter

> +: Helping a poorhouse gain funds results in the adoration of the impoverished
>-: You find the poorhouse in another city has become a den of thieves and murderers.
> +: A man who insulted your fathers honor as a boy feels slighted by you, and challenges you to a duel..
> -: Some unassuming children have reportedly been murdering citizens, although no-one can firmly prove they did or not.
Revisiting the poorhouse finds that the insulter has turned it into his own personal hideout, and he becomes a recurring villain (He'll retreat from a lost sword duel, protected by his bodyguards). Plus, he's been recruiting children and brainwashing them into child soldiers (with shivs!)

> +: A situation involving a thief breaking into a noblemans house turns out to be an investigator finding incriminating evidence
> +: With a bit of polite wheedling, you can manage to get the spare key to the chief treasurers house
> -: Despite a civil discussion and defense, a cruel judge will rule against you
Basically evidence is uncovered that the chief treasurer is corrupt, and has been embezzling the poor funds and encouraging xenophobia through his shitty funding allocations (All the money to locals, absolutely none to outsiders or people who disagree with him)

> +: A woman is being attacked by some ruffians and is very grateful for assistance
> +: The right placation suddenly halts a bloody street mob
> +: A group of outsiders are harangued by a town mob
>+: You discover a secret formula that can magically protect an entire village
Mysterious woman in a group of foreigners, people accuse her of being an evil witch (She is, but not evil). Has a powerful scroll as a reward gift.

> -: Indecision during a hostage negotiation results in the death of a young man.
> +: A quick fight results in the loss of none of the hostages during a holdup
> -: A fight you thought would be quick draws out into an extended bloodbath, resulting in collateral casualties
The aforementioned insulter has returned, and tries to use hostages to prevent you from stopping his theft and further insults to your honor. Even uses his own child soldiers as hostages if he thinks that would sway you.

> -: A person dear to you is killed at the height of your power.
> -: Your words of comfort remind the woman of her kindly husband, and she jumps.
Your closest feminine companion (The witch above) has seen power corrupting moral individuals including her former (dead) husband, and wants to escape this life before she sees it corrupt you too. (This assumes she's built a relationship with some of the characters)

bump for knowledge

>>17679146
Screencapped and saved. OP, you're a good DM. Now we shall learn from your wisdom.

I am using this, this week.


This makes me so happy! I am a happy GM.\

Happy happy happy.

(Sorry for delay. In class)

Goal clusters:
>Gain and distribute wealth for the good of the common man
>He wants something more than money can buy. Problem is he doesn't know what that is yet.
The party learns of a cluster of cities, run by corrupt leaders and filled with poverty, starvation, and the downtrodden masses. Heartfelt pleas are heard for them to aid the masses in restoring their dignity and effective leadership.

>Defeat a foe stronger than him
>He wants to take traditional leaders down a notch through his "diplomacy."
Percival's insulter, Maximillian Tremp, has essentially taken over a portion of one of the towns (See the poorhouse into a thieves den encounter). The party is asked to "reason" with him.

>Accumulate enough personal wealth to construct places the poor can come for food, shelter, and education
>He wants a world where information is worth more than coin.
>Amass enough power to protect his hometown
After a series of reforms among the towns, the people have been helped and education, reason, and moderation is now commonplace. The library quickly grows to become rival to the larger ones on the continent (Possible encounters with retrieving rare tomes or performing research for it), and both soldiers and mages have schools erected to provide task forces to defend the surrounding countryside.

>Find a nice girl and sail off into obscurity, after possibly changing the structure of society to fit his dreams of helping the unhelped!
>Become the strongest man in the land
Zed finds the woman he wants to live the rest of his life with is one of teh new leaders of the peasant reform, while Ajax travels from city to city, building his strength while defending the people from raiders and enemy nations.

>Sheesh, seems like this turned into political reform Robin Hood... :P

Newcomers:

>>17697710
Screencap of OP's methodology.
>>17679255
>>17679325
>>17679332
>>17679364
>>17679456
>>17679470
>>17679539
>>17679633
>>17679643
>>17679911
>>17679919
>>17679926
OP does an example.
>>17680007
Redux version of the methodology.
>>17680018
Upvote this on sup/tg/ for all GMs to enjoy forever.

bump

bump

BOOM

BUMPSHOT

bump

Hey guys? I just had an idea. As an extension of this method. Do you think it could be used to generate an interesting and believable NPC or DMPC? This wouldn't be necessary for all of them, only the important and recurring figures.

This could be very helpful for something like a board quest.

>>17705494
See:
>>17685941
>>17686092
>>17686211
>>17686353
>>17686432

>>17705494
So for instance, the NPC has a backstory which explains where he came from. He has beliefs that moderate his actions. And he has goals that he wishes to accomplish.

The DM could mention that there is an evil overlord somewhere and explain his motivations. If the players ignore him he will work towards his own goals undisturbed, evolving on his own. If the players choose to intervene in his actions they would form HIS encounter clusters, possibly influencing his beliefs in the process.

>>17705824
They way I see it. Its not so much about putting a rival or "anti-PC" in the game. Remember, the whole purpose of this idea is to create a campaign based around the beliefs and motivations of the players. But they are not the only people inhabiting that world. Other people have their own goals and motivation, and they will work towards them regardless of contact with the players.

For instance, you put an evil overlord in the game. The PCs learn about this evil overlord from other NPCs and they decide to disrupt his plans. The kingdoms opposing this lord send the party on missions. Most of them are completed by racking up a ton of bodies thanks to good intelligence on when and where to strike. This goes on for a while and the party comes to the attention of the overlord himself. Suddenly the overlord appears in the night to THEM and challenges their beliefs about HIM by explaining his motivations.

He became the evil overlord by killing the previous overlord. And he did this because that guy would kill indiscriminately at the drop of a hat if it would accomplish his goals. He then points out that ALL OF THE NEIGHBORING kingdoms are exactly like this! They consider HIM to be the "evil" overlord because he usurped the throne of someone who used to be in league with them. The whole time the other kingdoms were sending the players on missions. They were eliminating dissenters and agents sent to organize and support a resistance movement.

>>17706229
In a single instant you flip the campaign on its head. And you do it by using reverse railroading. The "Evil" overlord is not content to just exist as a punching bag for the players to beat up and get loot from. So he jumps HIS rails and challenges the players by staying true to his own beliefs.

This is character driven campaign development writ large.

Morning bump.

>>17707887
I second that.

Nice one OP. Thanks.

>>17706273
Well, let me frame it this way. You're proposing a set of encounters designed to either test the beliefs of whatever the BBEG holds (but on the players), or the belief that "it is your civic duty to correct others when they are wrong." Probably a classic scenario of "the PCs don't see what the DM sees."

If you really wanted to do a campaign of discovery, especially with regards to the BBEG's motives, I might argue that this methodology isn't the most ideal for such planning. Sure, it can keep people engaged really well, but the appeal isn't in the PCs and player choice but rather exploring the rich environment (and NPCs) that the GM has crafted up. In otherwords, it's more of a sandbox than what is listed here, which would require probably different paradigms.

>>17710615
Hmm...

In short I was explaining that there are ways you can apply the same idea to extend a campaign in various ways. But then I realize now that if you go too far, you end up straying from the original concept too much.

>>17712670
It wouldn't hurt to simply reassess beliefs and goals at that point in time. With good intuition, a GM can do it without asking the PCs, creating an epic without them noticing the seams.

>>17682654

Holy shit. I left around here. I can't believe this has gotten such a good reception. Thanks so much, guys! Has anyone used this in a game yet? How well does it work in practice?

>>17715584
I think I see what you mean. When a player sets down the trio of beliefs, that doesn't necessarily mean that they will follow them to the letter. In fact, they probably won't! So over the course of the campaign, if the DM sees that the players are diverging from the path they originally set, he could mix things up. With beliefs you can see how the players resolve each encounter. If they stay true then things progress normally. If they ditch them for something like profit. Make a note of it. Eventually that belief could be crossed out and replaced, and the players wouldn't notice a thing.

>>17717101
I'm going to try it out on my group tomorrow, give them a week to do it, and then report back next Saturday or Sunday night.

>>17717803

In Burning Wheel, where I got the beliefs from, players may change them at any time (within reason--there's a mechanical benefit for following beliefs, so if you change a belief to "kill this guy" and then kill him, you're just being an Artha whore). It leads to some really nice development in play. The way I figured it was, keep the old encounters as well as create new ones when beliefs change. That way the players can see where the characters have come from and how much they've changed.

>>17717921

You'd best give a full report, soldier.

>>17718467
I will. Hell, at the rate things are going this thread may still be up.

Sounds great! Looking forward to that.

bump

Good mornin.

>>17721424
Afternoon.

>>17718467
Well, I'll be using this method on my next campaign. We'll be using Legends of the Wulin at that, so it should be interesting how it holds up in a more narrative game (it hopefully will). If the thread magically exists at that point, I'll post results, otherwise I'll put it in a new thread.

bumpang