Help on a from scratch campaign

[Sploggle1]

One one campaign I'm playing We are running off of Gygax's original map. This got me to thinking that I wanted to run my own game but from scratch. The campaign Idea has been mapped out, and I have some of the major cities made, and I am about to map those out. But on this first continent. I am wondering if I am putting enough in. I want this to be a long lasting game. Possibly years. So far I have nine major cities, and I am thinking about adding smaller ones, and some settlements. I am kicking around an underdark map as well. Being a new DM To Dungeons and Dragons. I am wondering If I am on the write track.

[Andezzar]

Focus on the immediate and near surroundings of the PCs. The farther away the part of the campaign world is, the less details it needs.1) the PCs probably won't know anything about foreign lands and 2) Unlesss given reasons, they will not go there anyways.
Taking a Forgotten Realm example: It does not matter much if you have fleshed out every major city and NPC in Kara-Tur, if the PCs never leave the Dalelands.

Unless you overdo it (like naming NPCs that are important or will be and not doing so with the rest for example), focusing on the plot you want the PCs to deal with usually is much more efficient. If the story is about a doppelgänger infiltration of the government of the PCs' hometown, you only need to flesh out that city. If they are chasing someone through the wilderness you only have to work on that part of the wilderness etc.

While detailed descriptions of the scenery are nice, I find it much more immersing if the characters (in this case mostly the NPCs) are detailed. Make sure they have personalities, goals, and opinions and feelings towards other characters including the PCs.

[Sploggle1]

Focus on the immediate and near surroundings of the PCs. The farther away the part of the campaign world is, the less details it needs.1) the PCs probably won't know anything about foreign lands and 2) Unlesss given reasons, they will not go there anyways.
Taking a Forgotten Realm example: It does not matter much if you have fleshed out every major city and NPC in Kara-Tur, if the PCs never leave the Dalelands.

Unless you overdo it (like naming NPCs that are important or will be and not doing so with the rest for example), focusing on the plot you want the PCs to deal with usually is much more efficient. If the story is about a doppelgänger infiltration of the government of the PCs' hometown, you only need to flesh out that city. If they are chasing someone through the wilderness you only have to work on that part of the wilderness etc.

While detailed descriptions of the scenery are nice, I find it much more immersing if the characters (in this case mostly the NPCs) are detailed. Make sure they have personalities, goals, and opinions and feelings towards other characters including the PCs.

Thank you for your help. I do understand what you are saying. I don't want to go to big to fast, or it may cause chaos for the story line its self.

[Sploggle1]

That is one big thing I need to think about before starting my game. I am planning a government type of problem, which you mentioned, but I haven't figured out where to go yet.

[Andezzar]

Thank you for your help. I do understand what you are saying. I don't want to go to big to fast, or it may cause chaos for the story line its self.I'm a bit of a Sandbox type of DM, because the players tend to disrupt the storyline anyways. So create the NPCs and their goals and you can more easily extrapolate what those NPCs would do when faced with the PCs' actions.


That is one big thing I need to think about before starting my game. I am planning a government type of problem, which you mentioned, but I haven't figured out where to go yet.Let me think:
What level are the PCs?
What kind of government are we talking about?
Do you want to have a legitimate BBEG behind the plot or does the conflict arise from differences of opinion between people who generally have the welfare of the city in mind.
Is the apparent villain doing evil things for the sake of the city (à la the Hero's brother in Fable III)
Is the threat coming from the outside? Drow inavsion from below, the aforementioned doppelgänger infiltration, expansionist neighbor etc.?

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