I currently run both an open-ended campaign that I've built and a limited-run story-arc campaign created by a third-party author, and enjoy both in different ways. Bottom line is to pick something fun and compelling for yourself and ensure that your players have the same kind of experience.

2. Building your campaign

Once you have your starting point in terms of physical setting and major plot themes, the next step should be to organize your thoughts on the areas your campaign will be set in and what those areas will contain. It's usually best to move from the general to the specific: first plan out what towns, dungeons, and other major features you want in your campaign; then, determine what areas (in NWN terms) will be used to contain these features. This is where, if you are building your own module, you determine the in-game scale of the campaign.

If you are using a third-party campaign, then the area design and building decisions have been determined for you. However, most pre-built campaigns include multiple subplots or side quests, and you can (and should) invent ones yourself. Events tailored to your players' backgrounds can be extremely effective, drawing them into the plot and making your campaign unique. This requires no toolset ability, just an understanding of what NPCs and objects are available to you in the module. DMs using pre-built campaigns should do a walkthrough of each module to see what the areas are like, what NPCs and monsters are available, and how the plot progression and areas work together. This should suggest new possibilities to you and give you a good understanding of any constraints imposed by the module's area design. Even if you're not a builder, understanding campaign flow and area design choices will give you much greater insight into the campaign's possibilities.

Design choices should reflect both your personal desires and what is reasonable to accomplish. Some DMs want a perfect representation of their envisioned campaign world; as any game designer knows, perfection is impossible, there are always trade-offs involved. Focus on the most important aspects of the module, the ones that will give it the feel you want - a wilderness teeming with life, a city with a variety of districts, a large set of ruins with magical effects throughout. If you have a city-based campaign, for example, perhaps you don't want to spend weeks creating a complicated 10-level dungeon; invest the time in making memorable NPCs and shops, instead. On the other hand, for a wilderness or dungeon-based campaign, it may be best to abstract certain features of the nearest large town; for example, do you really need to include three different smithies with several NPCs each, where one could suffice for your needs?

In NWN, the main module design choices revolve around areas and scripting systems. Some rules-of-thumb on both follow.

Design choices for building your areas are nearly infinite, but I'll offer a few guidelines to consider. Once you've come up with the areas you want to populate with creatures and objects, make sure that each area has an appropriate flavor to it, with unique NPCs, placeables, and items as appropriate. For instance, if you have a small village at the center of your campaign, perhaps all of the NPCs can be unique. I mean "unique" in the sense of having a "floaty text" name, short background, a profession, and some sort of personal story or goal in-game. In practice, you don't need very much background at all to give an NPC life and have them interact meaningfully with the players. For example, even if you just have a few "smart" animals in otherwise empty wilderness areas that react to PCs' presence, that helps your world come alive. Places that look different from each other - different trees and wilderness features, unique features in taverns, and so on - similarly help distinguish your world and make it memorable.

Finally, a word on custom content (hak files). If you are big into custom content and know what you're doing, by all means use as much as you like in your campaign. For those of us who are not experts, a great deal can still be added to building options by using the Community Expansion Pack (CEP), a free download with a large amount of community-created custom content including creatures, placeables, and items. Any hak content you use may be subject to mutation with future NWN patches, however, and you should be absolutely sure you want to structure your module with the accompanying haks; I know many instances where modules had to be rebuilt when it was decided the haks associated with them were no longer wanted or ceased functioning properly.

Below are some core resources for those getting started building and DMing. They apply both to the world-building and technical requirements for campaign construction.

DM-Friendly campaign modules: In the DMFM category, there are several campaign modules available, although in some module series not all of the individual modules have been certified as DM-friendly. Some examples of possible campaigns are (in alphabetical order by author) Bruce Nielson's "The Light Reborn", Lazybones' "Legends of the Sword Coast" and "Torgan's Delve", Oraweb's U1-U3 module series, and Silromen's "Cairn Dell" modules. With some creativity, you can also make a campaign by stringing together individual modules appropriate to players' levels and class/race mix.

DMFI 101: So You Want To Be A DM: This entertaining self-teach module gives you the fundamental skills necessary to DM in Neverwinter Nights.

DMFI Wands and Widgets package: This set of DM tools is a major reason why scripting ability is not required for DMs to create an impressive NWN campaign experience. Visual FX, sound FX, NPC commands, environmental controls, and much, much more are included.

NWVault toolset tutorials: I strongly recommend the viewlet tutorials, they're an entertaining way to get all the basics. If you are interested enough to complete the viewlet series, I would recommend looking at additional tutorials on the page. Simply knowing the basics of how to create new NPCs and custom equipment can add tremendous depth to your DM'd campaign.

NWVault prefabs: The Area prefabs can help greatly in constructing a campaign, whether you want an entire city or perhaps just a village or a particular kind of area. You can make the prefab areas "your own" by modifying physical layout or by adding your own NPCs, placeables, and items.

NWN Lexicon: The Lexicon is the best NWN scripting reference available, easily searchable, and includes some wonderful tutorials on both scripting and toolset applications.

3. Organizing play

At least in my opinion, the players will be the most important part of your campaign once it's created, so organizing play is as crucial to your campaign as is the plot and area design. The best-crafted setting and brilliantly conceived plots and NPCs will go to waste if the players aren't suited for your campaign, either through mismatched expectations or simply poor performance.

I tend to think of multiplayer NWN experiences in the following terms:

Now, one needs to be careful when using terms like "bad" about players. There are two kinds of bad players: just plain bad -- abusive, immature, can't figure out how to load the play disk -- and fish-out-of-water bad, which is relative to how a player fits in with a particular gaming group. For example, DMs who are strongly on one end or the other of the action vs. roleplay continuum probably will become frustrated and unhappy if they have players who are all at the other end of the spectrum. Players may also have strong feelings about death penalties or other systems you may want to use in your campaign. The best way to avoid mismatches between player and DM is to clearly advertise what kind of campaign rules you have and honestly describe the kind of experience you're looking for. Most people are flexible in general, but some (for example) may hate permanent death, limited resting, or other basic rules systems you wish to implement. On a separate but related note, some players may be enthusiastic and an ideal match in attitude, but inexperienced in multiplayer NWN. If you have players like this, consider running a completely separate module or a campaign "prequel" with your group so everyone can get up to speed on how in-game behavior is handled and learn how to play with each other as a party. This can be a good idea even with experienced players, since it lets them establish party dynamics with their campaign PCs and get used to working together.

Where to recruit players? The obvious place is Neverwinter Connections - it's the site designed to put DMs and players together. Look over the game listings and the DM and Player forums there for an idea of how DMs and players advertise themselves. This is also an excellent place to look if you want to seek out a co-DM to help in your campaign, or co-DM in someone else's campaign for the experience. Other NWN-related gaming forums including the Bioware ones may be a good avenue to explore.

I suggest using some form of application or word-of-mouth recommendation to evaluate potential campaign players. If you already have an established gaming group you're comfortable with, you may not need to recruit anyone. Alternatively, you may need to recruit everyone. Applications at minimum will help weed out mismatches - it's amazing how many interested people will fail to read your campaign rules - and will also give you an idea of how the player in question would relate to you and other campaign participants. To be most effective, in addition to the usual "describe your planned character" types of application questions, you can throw in a few additional ones about what elements the player would like to see in the campaign, their best/worst gaming experiences, etc.

Finally, while it may seem obvious, match the number of players in your campaign to what is appropriate for its scope, player participation level, and your DMing ability. For example, I find the optimal number for me to DM at one time is 5, with 6 a possibility and anything beyond that unwieldy. However, I may accept more than 5 players to a campaign, assuming that not everyone will make every session. If you have multiple DMs and a large campaign world, you might consider running two parties of 5-6 players each in it. The campaign format is inherently flexible and creative DMs and players have come up with many variations on it; go with whatever works best for you.

4. Running the campaign

Now you're ready to run the campaign! Here's where your DMing skills come to the fore. There are numerous resources out there which address how to pace a campaign, develop plots, run memorable NPCs, and the thousand other things which go into a D&D campaign. The Neverwinter Connections Community Guide to NWN DMing - compiled by Lazybones - is an example of an excellent, comprehensive resource. Again, rather than try to reproduce here every piece of DMing wisdom in existence, we'll instead walk through important and unique elements involved in running campaign sessions, from pre-game preparation to post-game activity.

Pre-game preparation

Whether using a pre-built campaign or your own custom one, having DM notes for the module is essential. The DM guide should, at minimum, contain an overview of the main plot points and area notes. You may want to look at the DMFI guidelines for DM notes to give you an idea of the things to look for when DMing and building a campaign. One suggested format can be found on the DMFI home page . For each session, key your review of the DM guide to where the players are and how far they are likely to progress. If you have built your own campaign, I suggest keeping a running log of pending events and subplots, as well as tracking the status of current major plotlines. On a related note, knowing the campaign setting (or being able to look up the necessary references quickly) will allow you to answer all of the obvious questions that might be raised in-game ("What's north of this town?" "What does [name of god] require of their followers?") If you have to improvise "canon" for your campaign, note your response down, so you can keep things consistent in the future - or later explain it away convincingly if it seriously conflicts with something else.

Of course, the players will not always follow a carefully crafted plot; in fact, if they did, you would most likely have a pretty dull game. Prepare yourself before each session for contingencies and keep in mind how the main plot can eventually be continued if the players deviate. If you are running a more freeform campaign, then you have less to worry about regarding plot deviation. On the positive side, as players deviate from the main plot, opportunities exist for adding new content based to their actions. One of the beauties of the campaign style is that you can make edits to the campaign module in the breaks between sessions, if you have basic toolset skills. New named NPCs can be easily created and custom items modified or introduced prior to a campaign session.

Even if you are using saved games from a prebuilt module series or are unable to use the toolset, you can prepare to roleplay out the introduction of "new" NPCs or items by identifying generic ones included in the toolset. For example, generic NPC "types" such as guards, pilgrims, or prisoners can develop into named NPCs if the players interact with them in a significant way. Similarly, using generic items such as "a note" give you in-game flexibility. Remember that roleplay - and good roleplayers - can allow you to do many things in the gameworld even without "physical" objects being present, in the same way a pen and paper D&D session is run. For example, roleplaying out receiving a sealed letter or buying special perfumes for an important lady can be done, even without these specific items present in the toolset.

Having players submit background information on their PCs will allow you to more effectively work them into your campaign. One of the best ways to ensure that players retain their interest in the game is to integrate them into the development of the story. Encourage your players to develop backgrounds for their characters, and then use those backgrounds when developing plots. Even a minor subplot, for example involving a PC's long-lost brother mentioned briefly in his/her background, can add a lot to the game for that player. When necessary, consult with the player and work together in integrating this kind of content. Other examples include having PCs receive titles of nobility and a plot of land; several of them then developed the area in the toolset for integration into the next module in the campaign. Don't be afraid to allow players to develop their own content - clothes, equipment, even home areas - which can add to the campaign's uniqueness. Custom items and areas are easily imported into the campaign module via the toolset. Alternatively, custom items can be brought into a game by a DM avatar who enters another module containing the items, places the items in their inventory, and then saves the character.

Running the session

A DM running a campaign session has both the luxury and responsibility of placing that session within the context of the overall campaign. A campaign most differs from a one-shot game in that the characters' stories and the campaign plot can develop over the long term in a dynamic world. Within each session, as well as within the campaign as a whole, a DM can look for a blend of character development, exploration, roleplay challenges, tactical challenges, and development of group dynamics. For example, as the party helps a group of villagers, there may be furious battle with bandits, followed by a quiet campfire moment for reflection on their experience, followed by a roleplay challenge such as the kidnapping of a PC during a nighttime raid. In a campaign, the DM is fortunate enough not to have to try and achieve all of their goals in a single session; one session may be largely combat-focused, while another might feature a long, heated debate within the party over a major decision. DMs ideally should stay flexible within a particular campaign session and in your campaign as a whole, letting the campaign develop organically rather than having it be forced along.

Campaigns take place in an immersive world with interesting NPCs and locations, but the action writ large should be centered around the PCs and their choices. Most players enjoy conflicts in which their characters have to make meaningful decisions that have consequences within the game for the plot, the game world and the PCs' lives. To determine what kinds of conflicts and choices would suit your players' characters, watch each game closely. Make sure that the PCs are presented with logical choices and consequences in-game and that the motivations for their actions seem realistic. When using a prebuilt campaign, think of how your unique, PC-specific subplots will affect the main plot. Ideally, they should reinforce or at least not conflict with it.

As a practical step, you may want to have a pre- and/or post-game session with your players, to make sure technical and administrative issues are resolved and questions about in-game events answered. Many DMs use a separate out-of-character (OOC) area within a module for this activity, so the pre- and post-game discussion doesn't detract from the in-character (IC) adventure areas. I've found this actually helps in-game continuity, since players aren't left standing around in a "real" area waiting for everyone to log in and/or trying to conduct necessary OOC conversations. You can build a small area for this purpose yourself, or if one doesn't exist in a pre-built module, use an otherwise empty area.

Keep good notes during play. In order for you to have continuity, you need to recall and refer in-game to what happened in prior sessions. Some people have excellent memories, but if you're not perfect, you'll still need to write down notes, especially regarding PC-NPC interactions and minor developments you might not otherwise remember. Players enjoy the depth added to a campaign when there are recurring threads in the game and actions that occurred in the past have ongoing consequences within the game world. Keeping notes by area I've found to be an effective technique, for example noting how specific NPCs in a tavern have interacted in the past with PCs (the bartender will remember large tips!) One technique for note-taking is to run NWN in windowed mode and keep your notes file open in a separate window, so you can switch back and forth easily. Also, make sure the NWN game log function is activated, so you can save each session's chat log for review. To do this, edit the file "nwnplayer" in the NWN directory and put the following line under the Game Options section: ClientChatLogging=1 - this automatically creates a text log file in the NWN/logs directory called "nwclientLog1" every time you exit the game with your DM or player client. Rename the file or save it in another directory to prevent it from being overwritten.

Post-game activities

As mentioned above, you may want to have a short OOC session at the end of each game, in order to discuss the next game time, review any issues that arose during the game, etc. Once that is done, there are still some meaningful and important activities you can do for your campaign. Some examples:

In terms of organizing play, it is important to keep in mind that players will come and go due to real-life issues, even if they are a perfect match for your campaign. Don't be too surprised or disappointed by this; in the event of dropouts, think hard about how balanced your group is and how new PCs and players can best be introduced. It may be the case that a player shouldn't be replaced immediately, if it doesn't make sense in terms of plot or party dynamics. In order to reduce the jarring effect of characters dropping out and others joining in, try to develop strategies ahead of time for integrating new characters. Engage new players and work out a way for the new character's arrival to fit into the plot. Their background may suggest a new subplot, or may fit perfectly into elements of the existing plotlines.

Conclusion: A Revolution in Gaming

I'll end by quoting Arawen Silverstar, a DMFI guild officer, who describes the kind of impact a DM'd NWN campaign can have:

In my first DMed campaign experience as a player, I was awed by how my fellow players and DM brought the game alive. Each character had personality, goals and fears that very much influenced the story. The world responded to our every action whether from throwing a torch to create light or set a fire, to ways in which we interacted with NPCs. It was as good roleplaying and team combat as any pen and paper D&D I'd played or DMed--and very much a revelation to me about what this NWN medium can do.

The video game medium brings the powers of visual, auditory and computer game dynamics to story-telling in a way that can be both exhilirating and moving at its best. The setting allows DMs to evoke atmosphere in ways very different from pen and paper RPGs, while the DM Client enables the game to be much more responsive than the automated NWN engine could ever anticipate.

Bottom line: great things can be achieved with NWN campaigns. If you are looking to run one, I hope this article will help you on your path to creating a memorable and unique NWN experience.

Published on: 2005-01-22 (6439 reads)