How to Have a Great AD&D Campaign

HOW TO HAVE A GREAT AD&D CAMPAIGN by Jason Kuznicki

Here are some suggestions that I hae !ound he"p!u" in my #$%$ campaign. &here are ru"es suggestions' hands(on actiities !or outside o! game time' books to read... a"" kinds o! stu!!. I)m a history major' so !orgie me i! the "ist is kind o! heay on reading and research. *ee" !ree to discuss.

In no particu"ar order+ ,.

-o horseback riding a /01&2.

4.

5earn the names !or arious riding e6uipment and supp"ies.

3. 7isit an authentic b"acksmith)s shop. 8"aces "ike co"onia" 9i""iamsburg' 7irginia are good !or this' een i! not set in e:act"y the right time period. ;. *ind and wear a rep"ica suit o! armor. &his is een harder than it sounds the !irst thing you wi"" "earn is a "esson about the re"atie sizes o! peop"e then and now... =.

5earn !encing.

It)s good e:ercise too.

. 7isit an art museum. &he ?"ee"and /useum o! #rt is one o! the best' but i! you can get to the 5oure' I won)t argue the point. ither way' this is probab"y the most important thing on the "ist. 9hi"e you are there' see the !o""owing things+ (( arms and armor (( c"othing and tapestries (( ca""igraphy (( re"igious re"ics (( basica""y #AB&HIA- !rom the midd"e ages. (( basica""y #AB&HIA- !rom ancient gypt' -reece' or Come. &he remnants o! a preious time do much to add atmosphere to a campaign. D. &hink back to your art museum trip. kind o! magica" item...

Imagine eerything you saw was some

E.

Cead FGeowu"!F.

.

Cead F&he ?anterbury &a"esF.

,.

1hoot bows and arrows o! arious types.

,,. Cead a book about herba"ism. F&he /agic and /edicine o! 8"antsF !rom &ime5i!e Gooks is one I recommend. In short' i! you don)t know the signi!icance o!' oh' say' the mandrake' you don)t know anything about herba"ism' een i! you think you do. ,4. 8"ay chess' een i! it is the degenerate modern ariety !irst recorded in ,=,E. ,3. 1"eep under the stars. nob"eman wou"d do the same. ,;.

#sk yourse"! i! any se"!(respecting ,=th "ee"

#ttend a 9iccan gathering.

,=.

#ttend a Coman ?atho"ic /ass said in 5atin.

,.

7isit a -othic ?athedra".

,D. 7isit an authentic cast"e. I! you happen not to "ie in urope' there is a decent rep"ica o! one in 5oe"and' hio 2. I! anyone reading this has the address o! ?hateau 5a Coche' it wou"d be much appreciated. ,E.

Cead F&he Aame o! the CoseF by 0mberto co.

,. 1ee the moie o! the same name. !rames a second' that)s a "ot. 4.

Ge (( (( (( (( (( ((

4,.

*ind some /ediea" recipies.

# picture is worth , words' and at 4;

!ami"iar with the !o""owing in!amous i""ains and dastard"y eents+ &he 1panish In6uisition 1ir *rancis $rake &he 1panish #rmada 1aanaro"a s. the /edici !ami"y &he 7iking attacks on the #ng"o(1a:ons. &he Huns

44. -o hang"iding. we)"" eer hae.

/ake and eat them' i! you dare.

It)s probab"y the c"osest thing to a !"ight spe"" that

43.

9rite with a 6ui"" pen.

4;.

9hi"e you)re at it' "earn a "itt"e ca""igraphy.

4=.

5earn a bit about the "anguage o! hera"dry.

4. 5earn the names !or the arious parts o! a cast"e and cathedra". #nd I mean more than just FdungeonF and Fa"tar.F 4D. :p"ore a wi"d non(commercia" cae. same in armor.

?onsider the di!!icu"ty o! doing the

4E. -et an i""ustrated' !u""(co"or armor cata"ogue authentic armor. 1ure' the stu!! !or sa"e wi"" a"" pictures you)re a!ter. Bou may "earn a "ot just by cata"ogue. I once knew someone who had a cata"ogue is "ost to the sands o! time... ?an anyone he"pL

!rom an p"ace that makes cost a "ot' but it)s the paging through the "ike this' but a"as' he

4. Hear some recordings o! ear"y music' ie.' that o! the troubadours and -regorian chants. 3. -o wi"derness backpacking. sense.

&hen B0 te"" / i! #$%$ moement rates make

3,.

1ee a demonstration o! !a"conry.

34.

1ee a demonstration o! jousting and sword!ighting.

33.

1ee a demonstration o! archery.

3;. Hae your !ortune to"d by a "ie !ortune te""er A& a dia"(in psychic. 9hether or not you be"iee in that kind o! thing' the magic is in the presentation' and this is what it)s a"" about. 3=. Cead F&he 8i""iars o! the arthF by Ken *o""ett. It)s got "ots o! se: in it and this is badL' and it a"so has a "ot o! background on "i!e in mediea" ng"and and the bui"ding o! cathedra"s. # !ascinating book. 3.

Cide a carriage oer a grae"' dirt' or courdoroy road.

3D. Cead anything by &o"kien' but ignore the humans !or the most part. 8ay attention to the e"es' dwares' ha"!"ings' and humanoids. &o keep them interesting' the races shou"d a"" be 18?I#5 and 0AIM0' and &o"kien understands this. 3E. &ake o!! your g"asses. Aow consider the importance o! adding a 8C?8&IA trait to your character sheet. #s a character' my 8C score wou"d probab"y be around ; or = without my g"asses. I)"" "eae it to you to work out the detai"s. 3.

Cead the Gook o! Cee"ation in the Gib"e.

;. Cead F&he 9onders o! the Inisib"e 9or"dF by ?otton /ather !or in!ormation on witchcra!t. ;,. Cead F&he 8it and the 8endu"umF by dgar #""en 8oe !or an idea o! what good suspense is "ike. ;4.

Cead or see per!ormances o! F/acbethF and FHam"etF.

;3.

*orget /onty 8ython.

;;.

*orget FCobin Hood+

/en in &ightsF.

;=. *orget -reyhawk and *orgotten Cea"ms. goes !or the aboe two.

*un' yes.

#uthentic' no. &he same

;. ?onsider care!u""y the aai"abi"ity o! coinage in your wor"d. &he ast majority o! mediea" a"uab"es came in the !orm o! 5#A$ and &I&51' not money. 5and is the ery basis o! the !euda" system. I! you want easi"y portab"e a"uab"es' use jewe"ry or gems. ?oins were much rarer than most #$%$ !antasy adentures hae you be"iee. Jewe"ry is more !un' too. ;D.

1ee a rep"ica o! a mediea" ship' o! a"most any kind.

;E. ?arry and use a torch' een a &iki &orch' whi"e trying to do something e"se. ;. Cead James /ichener)s F8o"andF' especia""y the sections dea"ing with the midd"e ages. Heck' the who"e thing isn)t a bad read anyway. =.

Gui"d a !ire without matches or other modern e6uipment.

=,.

Cemember that most peop"e o! the time are i""iterate.

=4.

Cemember that most peop"e o! the time are short o! stature.

=3. Cemember that most peop"e o! the time are superstitious. actua"' working magic wi"" probab"y do a "ot to !urther this.

&he e:istence o!

=;. Cemember that most peop"e o! the time die young. #denturers wi"" hae "onger "ies i! they can pay !or c"erica" hea"ing' which is ast"y superior to any other kind aai"ab"e. ==. Cemember that adenturers are e:treme"y rare. *ighters and rogues shou"d be the most common' !o""owed by c"erics. 9izards shou"d be the most rare' specia"' and /#-I?#5 o! a"". =.

# "ist o! interesting good guys and ga"s to keep in mind+ (( ?har"emagne (( Joan o! #rc (( Aostradamus (( 5ei! ricsson (( &homas Geckett (( "eanor o! #6uitaine (( 5eonardo da 7inci (( 1t. Gede the 7enerab"e (( Coger Gacon ...any one o! these peop"e wou"d make a !ascinating addition to your campaign wor"d. =D.

Inest in some cand"es !or better atmosphere.

=E. Cemember the #!terword o! the *irst dition #$%$ $/ guide. It is a great "oss to the second edition that it was remoed' and this sentence in particu"ar is worth repeating erbatim+ FGB C$CIA- &HIA-1 #1 &HB 1H05$ G' &H -#/ #1 # 9H5 *IC1&' B0C ?#/8#I-A AN&' #A$ B0C 8#C&I?I8#A&1 &HC#*&C' B0 9I55 G 85#BIA#$7#A?$ $0A-A1 % $C#-A1 #1 I& 9#1 /#A& & G.F &oo o!ten this is !orgotten. A&+ I just read the so(ca""ed F&1C ?ode o! thics.F 9hat happened between then and nowL It seems po"itica" correctness comes !irst' &1C)s worried "awyers second... h we"". n with the "ist. =. 9atch the N *i"es and the &wi"ight Oone. #dapt these p"ots to mediea" settings !or rea""y interesting adenture scenarios. . /y p"ayers #G150&5B H#& guns. -et rid o! them2 #"so "eae out submarines' ironc"ad warships' te"eision montors and cameras' and tactica" nukes. I p"ayed in a rea""y bad campaign one time that !eatured a"" o! these in one night... 5et)s just say that the person responsib"e is no "onger in our merry band o! adenturers. ,. I! you must hae a dragon in your campaign' gie it "ots o! history and background. He or she2 shou"dn)t just descend upon the party !rom the sky at random. I! you make the ei" dragon the same one who ki""ed the pa"adin)s grand!ather' the dragon)s death wi"" mean a "ot more to the adenturers. 4.

$iscuss gaming with other $/)s.

I guess that)s what this is a"" about.

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#s I said' discuss !ree"y2 Jason Kuznicki PPP Je !ais. PPP http+b,D,E.student.cwru.edu

[email protected]

FIt)s these "itt"e things' they can pu"" you under 5ie your "i!e !i""ed with joy and thunder Bea' yea we were a"" together "ost to now or neer "ies.F ((C../.' F1weetness *o""owsF ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( &his document has been edited !or "egibi"ity purposes by 5IK  "e #. Cingda" o"ear@on"ine.no  http+home.so".noo"ear ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

How to Have a Great AD&D Campaign

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