Choosing a Campaign Type

Before you make any other decisions, you should discuss the style of your
campaign with your players. There are many alternatives:
• “By-the-book” vs. “tweaked” (with many GM rules interpretations).
• “Realistic” vs. “cinematic” (see The Cinematic Campaign, p. 488).
• “Humorous” vs. “serious.”
• “Puzzles and mysteries” vs. “combat and adventure.”
• “Death is common and permanent” vs. “death is rare or easily remedied”
(by magic or high technology).
All
of
these
are
legitimate
approaches to roleplaying, but if the
players and GM have different expec-
tations, everyone will end up disap-
pointed. The game should be a story
that develops in play – not a battle
between the players and the GM*. To
achieve this, a little mutual under-
standing is necessary. A few minutes
of pre-game discussion can increase
everyone’s enjoyment.
“I want a story about great battles and wars and
bravery and heroes and villains.”
“I see . . . And what does your sister want?”
“. . . She says she wants to hear a true story.”
“Very well, then. I will give you both what you
want. A story about great deeds. About armies of
light and soldiers of darkness. About the places
where they lived and fought and loved and died.
About great empires and terrible mistakes. A true
story.”
– Luc Deradi and Emperor Londo Mollari,
Babylon 5: In the Beginning