Seminar: Forget the Tavern: Starting off Campaigns with a Bang
Openings are important. They set the scene, grab attention, and establish a tone, but far too many campaigns start with a whimper rather than a bang.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$5.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Monday - 12:00 AM UTC
Jan 5
Session Duration / 1–1.5 hours
0 / 15 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Openings are important. They're a moment to set the scene, grab attention, and establish a tone, and yet, far too many TTRPG campaigns begin with some form of "You all meet in a tavern," often with the PCs not knowing each other or quite sure why they should band together. In other words, they start with an awkward whimper rather than a bang, and players are often find themselves fumbling around as they figure out how and why their characters fit together as a group. In this system neutral workshop, we will explore how to start a campaign off with excitement by starting in the middle of action — in media res — and a set of tools to create a shared history for the player characters that predates the start of the campaign. By doing one or both of these things, starting in the middle of some action and/or establishing a preexisting shared history, it's easier to start a campaign off on strong footing with a beginning that establishes a memorable scene that sets the stage for the tone and themes of the campaign. This seminar comes with a money back guarantee. At the end of the workshop you honesty don't believe it was worth $5, let me know and I'll issue a refund.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(11)
2 years on StartPlaying
37 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Teacher, Creativity
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Welcome! I'm Gunnhrafn (he/him), and I'm a long-time GM (26 years of experience) who loves to run a wide variety of games for a wide variety of people, including introducing new players to role-playing games and introducing players to new games. I first started GMing in 1986 and I first began playing TTRPG back in 1982. As a GM, I enjoy shared story-telling and collaborative world building. I run one-shots (which can run 1 to 3 sessions), campaigns, and can be hired to run a game for a group, a one-to-one single-player game, teach a game system, or help with character creation. If I'm not currently offering a game you're interested in or at a time that works for you, drop me a line and we'll see what we work out. For custom bookings please contact me with an inquiry. I'm available to run one-shots, short-run games, and campaigns for groups and individuals (for one-to-one gaming). I'm also available to teach game systems. Rates will vary depending upon the request. I use Discord for communication, and a mix of theater of the mind, Foundry VTT, Roll20, Quest Portal, and Google Sheets depending upon the game.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
This is a seminar to discuss ways of starting a campaign rather than a game, so we won't make or use characters.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
To prepare for our seminar, you will need a reliable internet connection and the ability to access our Discord server and Google Documents.
What Gunnhrafn brings to the table
As part of this seminar, I will provide a Discord server to host our workshop and to carry on the conversation after the workshop is over. I'll provide a copy of my talking notes for you to refer to after the workshop as well as documents with examples of the strategies and tools I've used in a wide range of campaigns across a number of TTRPG systems and genres including but not limited to D&D, Night's Black Agents, and Orbital Blues/Mothership.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Gunnhrafn creates a safe table
As a workshop, while I don't expect there to be any issue that will make participants feel uncomfortable, participants can always invoke the X, N, and O card during the discussion. Likewise, we'll have an open door policy, and refunds will be honored for those who choose or need to leave during the workshop.
Content warnings
Safety tools used