Last night I suggested that someone should do a city campaign on G+, and over a number of different posts this idea has evolved into a shared campaign with multiple players and multiple DMs all in the same city. Something like a tabletop version of Thieves' World.
I must admit that I'm not entirely sure yet how such a campaign would function, but the idea is one that I would totally be on board for. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions post them here.
Just a couple brainstorm ideas how it could be handled:
ReplyDeleteIdea 1. Have a city that is divided up like the contrada system of medieval Siena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrade_of_Siena ). I dunno call it wards, quarters, or something more fittingly fantastic. Each GM takes a ward.
Like the contrade, each ward could be a really distinctive place with its own mythology/traditions, religious/ritual buildings, rivalries, type of professions, and whatever weird fantasy things pop into each GMs head.
Throw in an undercity and other adventure sites to provide separate dungeon-like spaces.
Idea 2. A multi-dimensional city space. The city is somekind of pocket universe hub with gates leading to each GM's home campaign. Adventures can happen in the common hub city or the particular GM's world.
A Conversation with Lynn Abbey
ReplyDeleteThis is an interview with Lynn Abbey, where she talks quite a bit about Thieves World, some of the issues involved with a shared world, etc.
I would look at Mordheim. If you aren't familiar it is a fairly detailed ruined medieval city, which was leveled by a huge magical (radioactive-ish) meteor. Shards of the magical stone are incredibly dangerous and valuable so many bands of adventures search the ruins and battle mutated monsters and each other. Several new encampments are set up just outside the city walls. In a DM only forum each DM could post a site based adventure section for each part of the city. Once there is common ground for exactly what is where it can be updated as players come in and change stuff.
ReplyDeleteIf it was up to me I'd start with the urbancrawl rules...
ReplyDeletehttp://dndwithpornstars.blogspot.com/2009/12/urbancrawl-rules-for-slacker-dms_21.html
...give each DM a district to run.
Then each person can come up with buildings, NPCs and encounter tables that match their part of the city. Possibly sharing a single "basic" encounter table that they all make variations on.
Any city has:
A rich district
a poor district
a commercial district
an immigrant district
a port district (usually)
and the rest is gravy
How about a single city but with 'seasons' or multiple Lords. Each GM takes a season or lord and these rotate, the city changing depending upon who or what is ruling at that time.
ReplyDeleteThe separate wards is fantastic. The nested encounter tables from B/X could be a useful template on which to base the basic encounter table.
ReplyDeleteWell, and a wiki of sorts would be cool - you could mark features as "I need this - don't touch" or "Mess with them anyway you want" and maybe something in between. Just as a thought.
ReplyDeleteVery interested in the whole idea. I'd definitely like to be one of the DMs. I'm still turning notions over in my head as far as how I'd most like to see it done.. I'll keep thinking :)
ReplyDelete