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Dyrynify
2016-08-23, 02:29 PM
Hi, my players are wanting a change of pace, and so we decided to run a different kind of game at the conclusion of our current campaign, which gives me about a month to plan it out. Here are the basics: It will be a mostly wilderness, location based campaign, set on a relatively newly discovered continent. The crown sent an expedition years ago, but the fort they constructed was empty the last time a ship of supplies was sent, 2 years ago. No sign was found of the colonists.

Now, the PC's are being "rewarded" with the duty of investigating the mystery, as well as re-establishing the colony. Basically, the ticked off the wrong person, and are being banished, but they are too well known and liked to be wiped away. We are playing Pathfinder, home brew setting. My 3 PC's are all going to be level 6, with leadership.

So, what I really need is advice. This is slightly more involved then my usual campaign, cause I need to put together several key locations, with several different interacting factions, along with the original mystery, and several other things for my party to do on this mysterious island, and to be honest, I'm a little overwhelmed. I don't really know where to begin.

SethoMarkus
2016-08-23, 02:40 PM
When I feel overwhelmed in the planning phase, I break it up into more manageable segments. You seem to be using the mystery of the colonists more as a backdrop and hook rather than the focus of the campaign, so maybe focus on the factions or the locations first.

If you choose factions, ignore the environment and colonists for the time being and focus just on who the factions are and how they interact. Once you have that figured out, then plan the locations around the factions. Justify the factions by creating the locations around them. For example, if one of the factions is a very regimental and hardy group, set a location in a harsh environment that requires that sort of mindset to survive.

If you choose the locations first, then do the same thing; ignore the colonists and factions and focus entirely on the locations and environments. Build a map and populate it however makes sense to you; let the land create the factions. For example, if you make a river delta region, have a faction with strong ties to farming and fishing, living off the bounty they have. Such a fertile area would make it easy to feed their population, so either expand their area of influence, or expand their interests past simple survival. Maybe they have a rich musical or academic culture, since they have more free time?

In any case, figure out what aspect is most important to you, then build that first. Let the rest develop more ir less naturally from that key, important focus. Best of luck to you! This sounds like an interesting premise.

Dyrynify
2016-08-23, 02:44 PM
Thank you! That's really useful advice.

Jay R
2016-08-23, 03:04 PM
This is an opportunity to give them challenges that they can't look up in the Monster Manual. Let your imagination go free.

What races live nearby? In what way are they different from the ones the PCs knew back home. [They may have lower tech, fewer magic items, be closer to nature, be innately magical, etc.] I'd build at least three races or tribes, patterned on various indigenous peoples. Imagine Comanches with druids, or bushmen with rangers.

What are the common animals? Are they poisonous? A Rattlesnake or Copperhead is much more dangerous to people who don't recognize the species. So is a black widow.

Are there velociraptors?

Is there a mithril mine, filled with dwarves who don't want anybody else to bring tales of this island back?

Is there a ruined city, considered taboo by the natives, containing the Throne of the Gods or some other immovable artifact?

Did the colony befriend the natives until they unknowing broke some unforgivable taboo?

If the natives use bows and arrows a lot, is there some stone on the island that forms such perfect arrowheads that they all count as +1 arrows?

Are there peaceful Good orcs who the colony (and the PCs) automatically consider Evil?

Did the colonists introduce an invasive species that is now threatening the island - dogs that have gone feral, rats, etc.?

Have fun with it, and make everything on the island different from what it would normally be.

mikeejimbo
2016-08-23, 03:04 PM
My advice is to steal things. The more you steal the less you have to plan. If your players are knowledgeable they might figure out what to expect based on knowing about what you've stolen, so it helps to steal different parts of different things. The PCs land in the Americas, but it's inhabited by Vikings who worship Meso-American mythological figures. Bam, setting.

The last campaign I ran, I stole the setting of Casablanca. (A gin joint in a neutral city in a colony owned by a world power while a great war occurs on another continent.) Then I imported D&D races and vaguely Victorian culture, made it Steampunk and took cues from gothic horror. No individual element is particularly unique, but the players didn't know everything that was going to happen.

Herobizkit
2016-08-28, 05:45 AM
Look up "Isle of Dread". Steal liberally.

If you're Pathfinder, look up "Kingmaker". ^_^