Thread by @EslyDistrctedDM

I am planning a #DND5e campaign. The following thread contains excerpts of my notes as I plan. Maybe once we play I'll tweet updates about how things actually happen. And then share this twitter account with the players at the end. Could be tedious, but could be fun?

I'll have plenty of time to define the macguffins later.

Planned from the start. Unless I change my mind later.

I doubt anyone will buy this item.

Code names of Side Quests.

"It's... metaphorical!"

Protect Wedgey. No harm is to come to Wedgey.

Wow, I really need to get back to planning this. Our current campaign just proved the importance of being extraordinarily prepared in case the party decides to incite a riot and destroy a temple instead of following the plot. You know, normal #DungeonsandDragons things.

Listen, I just learned how to use photoshop recently.

I didn't want to do much world building, but I kind of get how it happens now. I keep going off on tangents adding characters and mysteries... Before today I was like, "this town has a mayor, but he doesn't matter." Now I find myself adding a murder mystery about mayor's brother.

I figured there were some treasure hunters involved with starting the campaign's plot, but never intended for the party to meet them, so I didn't have to worry about who they are. ...BUT WAIT, THEY MIGHT, better be ready for these nerds just in case!!

But really, though, is this a normal stage of campaign creation? Planning story arcs for NPCs whom you have no intention for your party to ever meet if all goes to plan? Or am I losing my mind already?
#DungeonsAndDragons #DND5e #DungeonMasterProblems

Making a stat block for Wedgey just in case... and I'm defining a challenge rating and XP and like... NO, guys, don't kill Wedgey! I recently said I would be okay with murder hobos, so if Wedgey dies, I blame myself for saying that.

Eli's gonna be the reason I roll NPC checks in secret. Which I think is cool anyway - you shouldn't necessary know if your deception beat their insight... or vice versa. 😈

Me: Still so many things to do. Got a prophecy to write, early encounters to plan, sidequests to define, plot contingencies to outline, create NPCs in Roll20, make maps.....

Also Me: Okay, I think I've almost nailed down my role playing voices for most of the early NPCs!

Okay, my new favorite thing - rolling for random loot from the DM guide. Kill some kobolds for your first encounter? They were carrying a Trident of Fish Command! Enjoy! #DnD5e #DungeonMaster

I am just laughing sitting here thinking about this group potentially gaining the ability to control fish in Session 1. Note: there is no intention for this campaign to ever go to, like, the ocean.

Spoken during #DnD tonight: "I just wanted to get in a fight with a random NPC, and the DM can't just have have a character sheet ready for them!? Worst campaign ever!"

As the #DungeonMaster of the next campaign... Crap.

Now I have used Photoshop to add a new pathway to a cave map I found on the internet, and it doesn't suck! I am a god!

"We need somewhere to have a private conversation."
"Let's go get a drink."
"To Ye Olde Starbucks!"

...Okay, added to my notes to exist in the next one.

Ummmmm... Now I might rework part of my villain's master plan to accommodate one of my players being killed offscreen and replaced by a mimic/shapeshifter creature under his control to surprise the party, because that would actually be pretty badass. #DnD5e #DungeonMaster

Okay, the original character doesn't actually die, and instead is later found and we end up doing this.

I'm not gonna monologue exposition very often. But I gotta a little at the beginning. Maybe if I practice I'll be able to get through it without giggling...

Me just now: "If for some reason [NPC1] gets killed unexpectedly, I can pivot and use [NPC2] for that function instead. It's not like I've encouraged my friends to be a party of murder hobos who will kill both of them!"

[check back later to see how this tweet ages]

I need to be writing mythology and background for this campaign... but I just got another idea to run a campaign based on Disney World...

There's four kingdoms! One has a princess & ratfolk wizard in a castle, one is a bustling international hub, one is populated by druids who worship a giant tree, and one is tormented by ghosts who come from a towering old monument.

I just need a story!

The Deck of Many Things is so freaking nuts. I want to use it. I fear having to DM some of these results. But it would be amazing.
...Maybe late in the campaign.

I've been sitting here drawing hypothetical cards for my friends and imagining the results.

Alex draws first and gets 50,000gp in riches.
Then Dave draws and gets a devoted servant.
Then Alex excitedly draws again and gets Ruin, watches riches & everything he owns disappear. xD

I hate when I'm searching through google images for my NPCs and then find one that's like "YES, that's perfect for this character!" and then find out it's an image of an actual character from something real.

I think one of my NPCs is a Critical Role character, OH WELL.

This is going to be SO IMPORTANT and not at all a joke, you just wait...

Remember that mayor who wasn't going to matter & then I decided his brother was murdered?
Okay, now I'm writing an interrogation roleplay encounter and the mayor is watching through a 2-way mirror, because I can't think of a reason why they COULDN'T have 2-way mirror technology.

Which, like... what am I doing to myself??? I literally just wrote "Time to test my roleplaying skills!" in here. Even though I am notoriously bad at improvising. This has every chance of being a disaster.
...Or maybe the party will just kill Agrid before we get here.

I must remind myself, this is what it means to be a #DungeonMaster: putting lots of time and work into writing and prepping a side quest that the players might not even pick up, but then I'm not guilty about time not spent on the main story, 'cause they might not do that either.

I keep writing lines for Agrid the Land Pirate (because that's how bad I am at improvising - I'm writing dialogue, don't judge me) and including as many "arrrr"s and "ye"s as possible.
I really hope they don't kill him right away; I want to do this voice, lolol.

I am both excited and terrified to one day do this scene.

Ugh, all I'm doing is making stat blocks and backstories for NPCs "just in case" and then realizing that I've accidentally created an interesting character whose role I want to make bigger so I'm doing that over and over instead of the things that actually matter to the campaign.

But like... Yuan-tis are actually pretty cool! I want to find a reason for this dude to turn into a snake to spy on the party. Maybe he makes a deal with the Rival Party. Because those guys should be pretty cool, too. I wonder what their individual motivations and goals are...

Note to self: Maybe the Wandermere Warehouse should be an apple basket factory... that is supposed to start running a delivery service.... 😏

NOTE TO SELF: Alverton will have a Fire Department. the party shall not burn down THIS city!

It's been a bit too long since I've been planning, re-reading my notes to see where I left off...

...As could be expected, I'm just sitting here reading things out loud in Agrid Pirate Voice.

There's a Rival Party that will pop up every now and then. They, like a couple other NPC groups, are being manipulated by the BBEG. And I just realized how! Eli is secretly the warlock's patron! Even if the party makes nice with the Rival Party, this guy will turn against them.

Haunted stables!