Questions for DMs!

[Aemoh87]

I am running a campaign I wrote for the second time (I wanna make it a setting or a mod so I figure I better run it lots and lots) with a new party and I am extremely excited.

First any things I should be looking for the second time through to improve it other than the obvious?

Second, are campaigns more enjoyable the second time through?

[Dalek-K]

Most of this will depend on your players, seriously you can do all the planning but if it isn't what your players want/need out of a game then it will all be for nothing.

Make sure you take into account what they want to do and try to add it into your world. Sure having some rules like "magic = evil" is ok but still allow them to play magical characters while running from the law if they want to.

Why do you think there are so many homebrew rules/worlds/settings/classes?



Maybe sit down and ask the players what they want? Don't do everything they say but take suggestions...

One player wanted more dragons in a game since he never ever got to fight them... I gave him dragons

[Tyndmyr]

I am running a campaign I wrote for the second time (I wanna make it a setting or a mod so I figure I better run it lots and lots) with a new party and I am extremely excited.

First any things I should be looking for the second time through to improve it other than the obvious?

Well, not knowing your campaign, it's hard to give much in the way of specific suggestions. What's it about?

Second, are campaigns more enjoyable the second time through?

For the same players? Not usually. For a different set of players? Yes. The GM already has tested some things out, and has a better feel for at least some of the possibilities. Reusing proven material is a good thing.

[Aemoh87]

Well obviously I need to adjust my camp to fit the party needs.

But the campaign is set in a massive desert town with the surrounding area's having lots of ruin. The plot is essentially 50 years after a historic event in the town things go awry when caravans start getting raided.

The mass appeal is there is almost a great collapse of civilization and the party can help build it back up (or tear it down) any way they would like... if they have the muscle to do it.

Also this party has never played the camp before. Who'd want to play a camp twice.

[nedz]

I did this once, a long time ago.
It worked very well, though I was a much better DM the second time.
The two campaigns had very little in common, other than locations and plot.
I also took the opportunity to rewrite the bits I didn't like so much from the first time.
I had different players in both groups.

I am considering running a new campaign twice, for two groups at the same time. There is one player common to both groups, which may or may not work.

[dsmiles]

I am running a campaign I wrote for the second time (I wanna make it a setting or a mod so I figure I better run it lots and lots) with a new party and I am extremely excited.

First any things I should be looking for the second time through to improve it other than the obvious?

I have to agree with Tyndmyr. Need inpuuuuuuuuuut.

Second, are campaigns more enjoyable the second time through?

I'll tell you what. I've run through return to ToEE several times, and...um...something with Myth Drannor (the name's escaping me at the moment) more than once, and I enjoyed it each time, but the first time will always be the best.

[Jarawara]

You have to watch out for the natural tendencies to follow the same script as before. The players will make small but subtle changes to the storyline, and then they will make some walloping big changes to the storyline, and then they'll make a few seismic shifts to the very nature of your campaign world... and if you're still thinking it's the same game as before you'll be caught flat footed.

If I were to run my Tiatia campaign a second time, I would naturally prepare on the big clashes between the Tiatian and Tal'khed armies, with the Tiatians employing cavalry from their Kargish allies. Then I'd force myself to remember that it was the last group that decided to ally with the Kargish - this new group might not, and so maybe it will be the Tal'khed who are employing Kargish cavalry in the big battles.

And then I'll have to remember that it was the last group that decided to stage of takeover of the government of Tiatia, and call for a raising of an army. This new group might not do that, nor might they assist in anyone else calling for an army to be raised.

So there might not *be* any grand battles with the Tal'khed -- I better not waste my time preparing for them.

*~*~*

Ya know... when I designed the Tiatia campaign, I didn't intend for there to be big clashes between mighty armies. It was only this last group that led us down the path of mass combat to resolve all issues.

So what exactly was I intending with Tiatia, before my players came along?
I can't remember anymore.

[Aemoh87]

Just to clarify, I realize it won't be exactly the same. And I know players will change a lot. The first time through I wrote the entire campaign with the idea they would reject an intelligent artifact, but they instead attempted to befriend it.

[Dalek-K]

Yeah deciding how the players will act in your plot is a bad idea... Even if the choice is clear you will usually be dealing with something off the wall bat crap crazy...

Like teleporting into the sun since the player's god betrayed him (he was a cleric)... The bastard took all the loot and magic items with him along with the quest items....

If the question ever arises... Is X in the material plane... Then bad things might follow...

[Kol Korran]

I think there is great fun running the same campaign again, as long as the players are interesting and fun players (but that is true for ANY game). there are certain things i like running a campaign the second time:
1) you know which issues, encounters and so on work fairly well, and which don't, and more importantly- WHY this gives you a great edge at redesigning things..

2) you're far more familiar with the villains, surroundings and NPCs to make them more believable, more compelling. you can wing things more easily.

3) it's always fun to compare tactics and roleplay experiences from the previous group and the new one!

4) for those of us with precious little time (and you have less and less of it as you age)- there is a CONSIDERABLE less work involved, which is always important. it's like buying a module you're familiar with, like most or all of it's features. and for no extra money! (most) of the work is done, now just have fun and play!

5) if you're worried if it might be repetitive, i'd like to ease your mind. unless you're VERY restrictive about character creation ("there will be a dwarf cleric, human warblade, and elven priest of Pharasma only!") and even then at most times, the campaign won't be like the one you've played before. prepare for a whole new experience.