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BrokenChord
2014-02-23, 02:28 AM
How in the world should I even begin to go about writing one? Do I do it in character, or as an omniscient outsider? And what's more important to holding a reader's interest in this sort of thing, attention to detail or a simple highlight of important events? Heck, I'm great with essays, but this is more novelistic and I'm just at a loss for any bit of how to go about it. I've looked up tips and guides for actually writing novels, but they don't really make sense when applied to making a roleplaying game campaign journal.

So yeah, what do I do at all? Halp!

(As an aside, and feel free to ignore this part, to those of you who read campaign journals for games like D&D and M&M where the power scaling jumps around dramatically from group to group based on mechanically superior or inferior choices [also called optimization], do you prefer to read journals about the significantly more powerful characters, or the likely more realistic but less totally badass characters with weaker mechanics?)

Brookshw
2014-02-23, 05:39 AM
I've read some excellent campaign journals, some from the players perspective, some as 3rd party outsiders. Depends I guess, both can be good. I'd suggest a mix, always fun to get a peak behind the curtain of events, but generally for foreshadowing purposes. Introduce the players, start at session one. Don't get bogged down with mechanical aspects, focus on the story. The standard axiom "show, don't tell". Read other campaign journals to help find a "style" I'd recommend Tales of Wyre, Shemeska's storyhour, (both on EN World) or Kaveman26's (on Giantitp).

Defiled Cross
2014-02-24, 09:26 AM
I like character perspective..

..and from a badass character, no less.

:smallwink:

Red Fel
2014-02-24, 09:45 AM
The third-person omniscient perspective allows you to get the most detail, but it has a lot of flaws. For one thing, it can be dull. If you don't have a particular style or flair, it can read like a grocery list.

"And then we found a hydra. And Torgax hit it for 30 damage, and Vilshar killed it with a Shivering Touch. And then we found 3,912 gp, a magic shield, and three potions of Cure Minor Wounds. Then we descended to the fifth sub-level of the pyramid..."

For another thing, you can't actually read what the other PCs or NPCs are thinking - and it would step on a lot of toes to attempt it. Which means you can only describe actions - lots and lots of actions. Which leads into the grocery list problem above.

In-character works much better, both in terms of fun and in terms of flavor. It's entertaining to write and entertaining to read. Compare the scene I described above from the perspective of several characters.

Torgax, noble Fighter: "We came into the hydra's lair prepared for battle - but not as prepared as the hydra. Blow after blow from my axe, and the beast barely seemed to take notice. It was fortunate that Vilshar had prepared a potent spell for the circumstance. After dividing the loot, we proceeded..."

Vilshar, cunning Wizard: "As is seemingly ubiquitous in such endeavors, we came upon the domain of a regenerative beast commonly known as a hydra. While I am aware of many useful remedies and reagents that can be formed from the parts of such a creature, that knowledge is not particularly germane to a direct conflict with one. Torgax held it at bay in his typically primitive idiom, while I devised a more arcane - and naturally, more effective - method to part the creature from its mortal existence. We came upon a protective buckler which I shall identify later, some currency and tonics, and set out..."

The distracted Kender: "Then we found a hydra! It was huge, and it roared, RAAAAR, and then Torgax said, 'Never fear, for I am wicked huge,' and started whacking it with his axe, whackwhackwhackSHUNK, and then Vilshar was all, 'Please, I can do this thing,' and then pewpew, and then it was dead, and SO MUCH MONEY, and then the stairs..."

The scheming, lying, low-life multi-classed Bard/Rogue: "Of course, slaying the hydra was no mean feat. I suppose the dumb Fighter and our coward of a Wizard helped. But mostly it was my clever daggers that did the job. Naturally, they were all so impressed that they insisted that I keep the lion's share of the treasure. ... They're right behind me, aren't they?"

Notice how the same boring encounter can be made entertaining, and expressed many different ways, based upon the tone, personality, and perspective of the speaker. This allows you to explore your character's personality in more detail, and share it with your audience. It also allows you to add to your character's backstory. ("The sight of the beast reminded me of tales my mother would tell me by the fire growing up, about massive many-headed creatures...")

Short version? Tell it in character, as though keeping a journal. Tell it just as your character would, even where your character was unaware of or would disagree with how some events transpired.

comicshorse
2014-02-24, 09:56 AM
For a Eberron campaign I wrote the story from a third-person omniscient perspective but the P.C.s could add posts to illuminate a section from their characters point of view

Anxe
2014-02-24, 10:05 AM
Omniscient observer that focuses on important events is much better for me to read than character perspective or a detailed oriented approach.

BrokenChord
2014-02-24, 10:49 AM
I see. I've gotten arguments on both sides of what path I should take about narrative perspective, but it seems to be in general agreement that I shouldn't go too in-depth on detail. Alright, thanks for giving me more to think about! Anyone has any more tips, feel free to keep then coming!

Chaucer85
2014-02-24, 03:15 PM
Always remember: you should enjoy reading it too :smallsmile:

You're making a journal to be entertaining, but also tell the story of the game you and the other players are wading through. So there's a certain amount of the details from your notes you want to carry over, but whenever it gets in the way, that's when you pull back.

But really, it's up to you. Whatever help get it down on paper/monitor.

Kane0
2014-02-24, 04:26 PM
The easiest way to start is by doing recaps of the session for your group to reference. From there you can expand a little to include audiences beyond who is involved in the game.

KoboldMasteRace
2014-02-24, 09:25 PM
I can't really comment on how to go about it, but as to your sidenote, well, there are plenty of well-written low-op campaign journals already, and there are also lots of D&D novels. I recommend high-op. There's not enough of that stuff, and you'd have me as an instant fan.

Anxe
2014-02-24, 09:47 PM
Pssttt... My journal is high-op.

EDIT: The more successful journals that I've seen reference in game jokes when they are made. They more tell what happened at the game session than what happened in game.

LeoLionxxx
2014-02-24, 10:12 PM
The easiest way to start is by doing recaps of the session for your group to reference. From there you can expand a little to include audiences beyond who is involved in the game.

One of my players does this and I give him XP for it :D It's a very good way to get everyone back into the story and remind them what is going on (we've had far too long of gaps in our sessions due to chaotic weather).

KoboldMasteRace
2014-02-24, 10:41 PM
Pssttt... My journal is high-op.

EDIT: The more successful journals that I've seen reference in game jokes when they are made. They more tell what happened at the game session than what happened in game.

Right, sorry. *directs latent fangirl energy in your direction*

Kane0
2014-02-24, 11:11 PM
One of my players does this and I give him XP for it :D It's a very good way to get everyone back into the story and remind them what is going on (we've had far too long of gaps in our sessions due to chaotic weather).

The main reason my abomination of a character is tolerated as part of a gentleman's agreement is because I'm such an asset to the group with the recaps, loot distribution and helpfulness with rulings :smallbiggrin:

In general I find that the more incentive you give players to help the DM with little things like that the easier it is for the DM to run the game. Many hands make light work and all.

Subaru Kujo
2014-02-24, 11:16 PM
In general I find that the more incentive you give players to help the DM with little things like that the easier it is for the DM to run the game. Many hands make light work and all.

Unless of course he does the write-up himself anyways, and it ain't a short story to be sure.

My DM is doing this for some reason now, when he knows barring illness, I always write mine up. While mine may not emphasize what he wants, I'd hope he'd realize a cliff notes version is cool too instead of the next War and Peace.

OT: I usually do them in character. Mannerisms and all. Sentence fragments and irregular formatting if the character is almost as dumb as a box of rocks. Sound "write-ups" if the character can't write in the first place. Things like that.

Axinian
2014-02-24, 11:36 PM
SHAMELESS PLUG!
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OK, my journals don't get an insane number of views so take anything I say with a grain of salt (probably a few).

1) Write in whatever style you are comfortable with. Do not feel pressure to write in character, nor should you feel pressure to provide exact numbers for stuff. The in character style is immersive, but can also be tedious. Tales of Wyre, while excellent, grew irritating for me after a while given just how long it takes to explain what happens when you're noting every PC's thoughts on everything. Avoid, however, doing a strict blow-by-blow. "I hit it for 30 damage, then it hit me..." can be just as boring/irritating.

2) Ask the players for help. I don't really keep notes about the session while it takes place, so I ask the players to send me emails containing memorable lines/events for each of their characters.

3) Humor is good. In character and out of character.

4) Ask readers for help. If the campaign is in progress, why not use the thread as potential discussion?

5) Keep the amount of NECESSARY backstory and campaign setting reading to a minimum. Provide the relevant information, but explain specifics as they come up. Don't require people to have read everything about your world to get what's going on. Some extra reading may be necessary but people read journals as a relaxing thing. Having to do some studying counteracts that.

(He says, with a whole website dedicated to his setting)