The Ultimate Secret to Running a Better RPG Campaign
All RPG campaigns have their problems. Some of these problems are difficult to solve, involve personality conflicts, bad GMing or other factors. After being involved in quite a few campaigns, I think I’ve pinned down one major problem that pretty much every campaign runs into eventually. And the solution is pretty simple.
The problem is two-fold: complexity creep and imbalance. Both aspects boil down to one thing, though — most RPGs suck at high levels. Characters end up with such a cornucopia of abilities and magic items that it becomes a huge hassle trying to keep track of it all. It gets to the point where you don’t even want new magic items because it becomes such a pain to manage them all.
“Do you guys search the evincar’s corpse after the battle?”
“Nah.”
In a lot of systems, this is mostly confined to magic using classes. Playing a 1st, 2nd or 3rd edition wizard was incredibly irritating from level 15 and up. Every time the party took a rest, everyone else spends 30 seconds restoring hit points while you need ten minutes to decide which spells you might need that day. In 4E the problem is magnified a hundredfold. Every class has a blizzard of powers, feats, class and racial abilities, Paragon and Epic doodads and magic item abilities. It becomes literally impossible to remember it all. After years of playing him I could never consistently remember the myriad of effects that triggered when my barbarian killed or bloodied an opponent or scored a critical hit.
The imbalance issue is probably even worse. In 3rd edition, monster AC gets so ridiculous at high levels that only dedicated combat classes have any chance of hitting in combat. The system doesn’t offer non-combat classes much else to do in a fight. Magic users, supposedly at the apex of their power curve, are constantly stymied by magic resistance. Yeah, you can min-max to get around some of this, but that’s not fun for many players. Even systems that scale nicely with level (4E is better at this) give you the artificial “video game” feeling of enemies that are always perfectly balanced. At 20th level, the dragons are just as hard to hit as the kobolds at second level. What’s the difference, then?
A few months ago, I asked Twitter what the “sweet spot” was for fun and balance in 4E D&D. The overwhelming majority of responses said 5th level.
So the solution to all these problems? Stop leveling up!
I know, that’s a core element of the RPG. Maybe even a defining element. I think there are better ways to showcase character progression than arbitrary increases in abstract numbers and massive complexity creep. Here are some suggestions for alternate progression systems:
- Reputation — Your characters don’t get much more powerful, but they become better known. This opens doors and creates new opportunities for adventure. You could even create an elaborate rep system using different factions.
- Fugeddaboutit — Don’t worry about progression. Concentrate on story and role-playing character interaction.
- Money — Is your game world an entrenched plutocracy, like the real world? Then track progression by tracking net value. Mo’ money, mo’ awesome!
- Rank — Your campaign doesn’t have to be focused on warfare for this to work, although gaining military ranks works very well. The PCs could be special agents, commandos going on a variety of missions. They could be moving up in ranks through a religious hierarchy, a thieves’ guild, or an adventuring organization like the Pathfinder Society.
October 14th, 2011 12:59 AM
Another is providing the story with a definitive end. Not every fantasy novel is part of a trilogy. Create a story with a satisfactory ending. The players knowing there is a set end point approaching could create interesting opportunities as well.
October 14th, 2011 3:00 AM
Some of the issue seems system dependent. I use a modified version of Feng Shui for my fantasy games. We originally switched to it back in the 3.0 era to avoid the “now I have disintegrate so I can one-shot any bad guy” problem with high level mages, but it tends to work in the long term as well. The way Feng Shui handles magic, firearms and martial arts using essentially the same system helps handle the “I’m not a dedicated fighter so I can’t hit it” bit while handling the caster/melee balance internally to the system. As for levels, the party generally tries to keep their action values in the range of whatever they’re fighting against, but that limits what schticks (feats) they can purchase since they all come out of the same xp pool. You still have a similar problem of “kobolds used to be hard to kill, but now with the same effort we fight dragons” that you encounter in other systems, but without discrete levels the power gradient is much smoother.
As for in-game rewards – since you don’t award xp in Feng Shui for killing things, or for loot acquisition, you don’t have to worry about it as much. We’ve had games where two-three sessions would pass without any combat at all, because the players were working on other goals.
Or they were scared for their lives. It’s all a matter of scale; my players ran from goblins and considered a sheep and four bundles of firewood their first true “epic loot haul” in the last game. A session where they can find some new bronze weapons, or resupply their arrows without getting someone killed is worth celebrating. A setting in the late bronze age with a climate just this side of an ice age is helpful for that sort of thing. What still gave them a sense of accomplishment was getting their asses kicked by goblins, only to come back to the area ten sessions or so later and be able to return the favor. The goblins were still dangerous, and they had to play it smart, but after ten sessions they had better skills and gear. If I asked them to point out specifically where in there it felt like they went from level 1 to 2, or 2 to 3 they’d have been hard pressed. Was it when they got that last point of action value? Another point of fu to power a schtick more often? Shades of gray. I know they got riproaring drunk when they realized Old Man Mitchell trusted them enough to ask their advice, and take their word for things on trust.
So I guess my advice is to mitigate the disadvantages of whatever system you happen to be running, and take all the above advice for other ways to reward the players. It’s not all about levelling or stats – being a 15th level fighter doesn’t mean too much when no one in town will sell you anything, or talk to you, or take down the wanted posters. Especially since they all seem to have heard about that one time, with the bear, when you were in your underwear? That story? yeah, everyone knows it, and they laugh as you walk by. Doesn’t matter if it’s not true since your word is dirt.
Not every reward is tangible after all.
October 14th, 2011 10:31 AM
@Charles Martin I love the sound of your campaign. It is similar to some stingy campaigns I have run in the past, which were a great deal of fun, but the fact that it is set in the bronze age is fantastic.
Our whole gaming group is pretty much burned out on 4e right now, particularly at the mid epic level we’re at now.
One of the things I actually miss about the older editions was the strict law of diminishing returns on experience gain. you slowed don so fast after name level that it was a serious slog to go up higher in levels, which, at least for my groups, tended to compel the start of new characters and campaigns. the neat thing was that the group could go back to their higher level characters for limited story arcs, get a fix of their beloved characters and then head back to 1st level and try their hands at goblins again. 4e with its 10 fights = 1 level just doesn’t do that.
the lower levels are definitely the meat of any D&D game. Non-level based games obviously take this out of the equation, which i like, though over the long haul none of them feel quite ‘right’ to me. Probably because I started with D&D when I was 8.
October 14th, 2011 12:31 PM
“It becomes literally impossible to remember it all.” This is an information management problem (either that or a nerological disorder). Yes, high level characters are complicated. But this doesn’t mean you can’t figure out a way to deal with it. Part of it is the character sheet. Most people use the sheets that come with the game or one they find on-line. Chances are, they don’t work for you. One organization style for 4e is to list everything by action type: Constant abilities, Standard, Move, Minor, Free, Imm Interrupt, Imm Reaction, Action point, Charge, When bloodied, etc. Then list the stuff you need to know and a reference to the book and page if you need more (or a hyperlink to the compendium if you have given up on dead trees).
But organization is applicable to all games. In older D&D, I pre-picked a base set of spells for different circumstances (city, wilderness, dungeon, ocean), leaving a few slots open to switch out. Then you only need to pick a few spells most times. If you are in a completely new environment, you will take longer, but that’s not going to happen often. Also by having wands or scrolls of spells that are only useful in certain circumstances, you don’t need to agonize over if you need to memorize remove curse.
Another way to make 4e simpler is to choose selections that are simpler. From feats to items to powers and paragon paths, most of the time there are good choices that apply flat bonuses instead of conditional modifiers. Some of the essentials classes are simpler than their core counterparts.
And yet another suggestion is to slow down advancement. In 4e, people often level after a couple of sessions. This means they are always getting used to something new. If they level slower, then they have more time to focus on their new options and get them down before starting the next one.
If you prefer playing lower level games intrinsically, then play them. But don’t give up on higher level play without trying to fix things.
October 14th, 2011 5:01 PM
Good points, Philo. With my sorcerer, for instance, I wrote down a list of effects that might happen based on combat. Stuff like “19-20 crit, push tar 1&prone, ongoing 13 fire” and stuff. As long as I remembered that something happened on a crit.
With my knight, it was a bit more complicated since every round he had to make decisions based on the status of the target of his attacks. With him, I found memorization was key since there was no right answer. But, since I had the same choices every round, it made them a lot easier to remember.
October 14th, 2011 5:43 PM
Philo, I totally see your point, and obviously some people love that stuff. For me, “Information Management: The Game” just isn’t how I want to spend my Thursday nights.
October 15th, 2011 9:33 AM
Ed, with Philo’s concept, I think the idea is that it would only need to be done once with minor changes each time your level up. Unless you’re making drastic changes to your character on a weekly basis, your managed information shouldn’t change much. If anything, thinking about it more, NOT doing it is more akin to playing “Information Retrieval: The Game” when one is forced to sift through the multiple character sheet pages and rulebooks in order to complete an action.
The unfortunate aspect of 4e is that, unlike previous editions where you could play a fighter or whatever if you didn’t want to keep track of a ton of stuff, there really isn’t that option out of the box. You have to put in quite a bit of effort to make a minimal-option character.
October 17th, 2011 11:37 PM
My Saga Edition game hasn’t had any experience points given, because the GM is the “You’ll level when I think you’re good enough” type. In my Shadowrun campaign I gave out Karma and Cash whenever they finished a run, if it took them three sessions or half of one. If they did the job, they got paid.
October 18th, 2011 3:33 AM
Of all the various ideas here, I think I like Philo’s idea about switching around the character sheet. It sorta feels like it would work for me. One section for effects that are always on (so I’ll know where to look when trying to figure out my defense/attack/damage bonuses), immediate interrupts (so when somebody does something I don’t have to scour every page to find that one skill that blocks something), so-on-and-so-forth. Might be worth a shot for me down the line.
However, I also totally dig the ideas regarding the “less is more” approach to leveling up. Having four pages of powers, and magic items to keep in mind is bothersome for me. I don’t particularly like having to run through a mental checklist every time I try to hit an enemy, then getting angry at myself when it’s over because I just remembered the other power that would have worked better in that situation.
Both directions have their ups and downs I suppose.
October 18th, 2011 12:41 PM
Hey Billy,
Our Group is planning to do some non-DND gaming. I am thinking about starting some 4e shadowrun. my last book was the 3e rule book, with a good assortment of 1e and 2e soursebooks as well. any recommendations?
October 19th, 2011 2:16 AM
Well, If you’re looking for books, 20th Anniversery Edition is kinda a 4e+. It fixes quite a few issuesin the old version, though it makes a few of its own. for the ‘advanced rules’ I’d recommend Arsenal because everyone uses guns and cars, and half of Unwired because it makes Technomancers cool and contains great fluff about how the new wireless matrix is set up, then it adds tons of stuff to make the already overcomplicated matrix moreso. Augmentation is full of great cyber, Street Magic is ok but the new elemental effects it introduces can be a headache, and Runner’s Companion has some good qualities, but it’s got a ton of messy, messy stuff. WAR! is good for nothing.
If you’re looking for GMing tips, I would recommend looking at your party makeup before determining what rewards you give. If your party is mainly cybered, they’ll ‘level up’ primarily through cash, with Karma for secondary skills. Mages generally want a decent balance between cash for foci and Karma for EVERYTHING. Adepts have almost no use for large sums of cash except for the ever tempting Path of the Burnout. Oh, if you have an adept, look into the Way of The Adept PDF. It fixes some issue they have with being generally underpowered or over specialized.
The right balance is key to the type of campaign you’re running, as well. If it’s a low class ganger type campaign they probably aren’t making the money that the pros make, but their opposition is probably not as heavy as the Corps can throw. Too much money and smart characters would buy their way out of your setting or break the game with high class cyber. Too much Karma and the Mage is king of all. If your group leans more toward awakened I ‘d suggest leaning more on the karma heavy , maybe lower paying gigs. Helping out your Talismonger with a favor or saving that endangered paracritter. Also, if the Team takes a job for someone who can’t pay much, I usually reward more karma than normal. Giving out a couple of points of Karma for ‘being awesome’ is encouraged. Look at a couple of the free Denver Missions on their site, use that as the lowest possible amount for the tiniest jobs they’d deign to do. My group met every week, and it often took them three sessions to complete some really big runs, but they also finished a few in one. I estimate that they got an average of six karma per session, and about 15-20 per job.Giving cash and karma in lump sums at the end of the run gives all the players a chance to do their advancement at once. Also, any amount of karma less than four is useless.
Golden Ratio of Reward is debated endlessly on Dumpshock, and may never have a perfect answer. I’ve given the best advice I’ve got, but I say, go with what feels right, and use this epic character generator : http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?showtopic=34674
If you’ve got any other questions, let me know. I’ve been a big fan since forever, but never got to play til 4e. Big warning, if you’ve got a super power gamer, he will break the crap out of this game. I made martial arts Ork Adept that could regularly one punch people to death with stun damage. oh, ad initiative passes are king, don’t let combat characters not take them, and make sure everyone has a source for when things break hard.
October 19th, 2011 1:29 PM
Thanks Billy. We’ll start low key ‘cuz the players have never played before and It’s been years for me. I have always loved the setting too and I started playing when the 1st edition came out. I know all about the initiative pass issues. in 1e the street sam could act 3 or 4 times before anybody in the fight even twitched. he could literally kill all the opposition before they moved, which is why they revamped the initiative system. I loved and hated that mechanic.
I will have to get used to the new matrix, and I always thought it tended to over complicate the runs, but its still a cool idea.
October 20th, 2011 12:32 AM
The big thing to remember for a Technomancer is that Threading is a non-action. That means if you have an asshole at your table he could theoretically keep rolling till he got his maximum. Either make it an action, or only allow a limited number of rolls. My techno immediately agreed to two attempts per Form, agreeing that “It’s dumb to keep rolling.” I also try to set things up so that if the hacker is hacking, everyone else is on combat rounds for some reason, just to keep everyone there. Plus, Defend The Decker is a time honored tradition.
October 20th, 2011 12:46 PM
Huzzah. actually Ed is going to be the decker (hacker) and he specifically declined to do the technomancer thing. he’s going ‘old school’ so maybe I should make him use a cyberdeck. I’m still waiting for my books to arrive, so I’ve been brushing up on my 3rd edition stuff to get me back in the mindset. Really looking forward to the game.
October 21st, 2011 12:44 AM
Just know that in universe a ‘Deck ain’t wireless, so you’re gonna need a hardline for everything and that’s not always a thing in 4e.