Please help me decide which campaign to GM on Baldr

[jokomaisu]

Greetings Weavers!

I have two goals for this year on the Weave:

1. Learn to use Baldr
2. GM a campaign

I've decided that there's no better way to learn to use Baldr than to GM my first campaign on it, so that's exactly what I intend to do.

One small problem.

I've come up with eight campaign concepts that I would love to GM, but I can't decide which one to run. For the past few weeks, I've been unable to focus on working on just one of them and I realize that I'm never going to accomplish my two goals this year unless I have a little help.

That's where you come in.

Please take a look at my eight campaign concepts and then vote on the poll for the one campaign that you would most like to play on Baldr. The one that gets the most votes will be the campaign I will run. You only get one vote, so make it count. I'm keeping track of who voted for which campaign because I will be inviting them to be a player via PM before I post a public advertisement. If you are giving me your time to read all these and vote, then I think that's only fair.

Questions and comments about my eight campaign concepts are welcome and encouraged. I'd really like to know why you voted for the campaign you did and also why you didn't choose the others or which ones almost made the cut for you.

I tried to come up with eight campaigns using different RPG systems and a diverse range of tones, themes, and styles set in unique worlds. Admittedly, a couple of these campaigns would be less work for me to GM (I'm most familiar with D&D 5E) and a couple would take me longer because I would need to learn the RPG system and create custom rules to capture the right feel (I'm looking at you WHFR4E and also the Hellbound campaign to an extent). Regardless, these are all RPG systems I want to learn and campaigns I want to GM, so don't let that sway your vote.

If you made it this far, thank you! My eight campaign concepts are right below.

The Mystery Mavens of Monarch Bay

System: Powered by the Apocalypse

Description: The PCs are a group of elderly women who frequently help the authorities solve low profile crimes in a sleepy seaside town. They soon find themselves investigating real-life murder mysteries. Over the course of their investigations, they become increasingly aware of a dark conspiracy that connects the cases, and will eventually have to face that conspiracy in order to save their community. The setting is directly inspired by the television show Murder, She Wrote, “cozy” crime dramas, and American TV shows from the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, but with a darker twist.

Pitch: The Mystery Mavens is a small book club that has been meeting on the top floor of The Lamplight Booksellers every Saturday evening for the last ten years. They are particularly fond of The Emerald Crown Mysteries series by Evelyn Endersby, featuring the globe-trotting super-sleuth, Teri Cosgrove.

The Mystery Mavens themselves are all elderly women whose partners have passed away and whose children have long flown the nest. Now, they’re enjoying their golden years in the picturesque town of Monarch Bay, keeping their homes the way they like, pursuing their hobbies, and finding comfort and companionship in each other.

The Mystery Mavens are also amateur detectives, having helped local law enforcement solve several trivial crimes. Sometimes people approach them to get their help on a case, but usually, they just stumble onto it, much to the chagrin of Sheriff R.J. Crittenbinder, who almost always resents their meddling.

 

Beyond Stranger Things

System: Year Zero System

Description: The PCs are latchkey kids, ages 10-15 years old, living in the 1980s. Everyday life is full of nagging parents, never-ending homework, and being bullied by classmates. The friends get to escape their mundane problems and be part of something mysterious, yet also dangerous. They risk getting injured and also changed by the troubles they have to overcome to investigate the Beyond Stranger Things happening around town.

Pitch: Set in the '80s that never was, in the small town of Havenhurst, Washington, a group of friends are creating a zine, Beyond, that they plan to sell at the local game shop, The Wizards Retreat. The zine will be a collection of the strange and fantastic: short stories, poems, art, photography, comics, and role-playing game material. The first issue will contain a piece on one of the many local urban legends. Which one will the kids choose to investigate first?

 

Might Makes Right

System: Powered by the Apocalypse

Description: The PCs are anthropomorphic woodland creatures who fight for money, justice, and freedom from powers far greater than them. The campaign takes place in a randomly generated woodland realm with multiple factions vying for control of the clearings in a medieval low fantasy setting.

Pitch: The Woodland is at war!

A foreign invader leads her feline armies to victory over many of the Woodland clearings. The avian dynasties, former rulers of the Woodland, rise from their civil war to oppose her. Meanwhile, unlike most of the Woodland denizens, some of the mice, rabbits, and foxes do not sit idly by - a homegrown rebellion emerges, promising to free the Woodland from all oppressors by any means necessary. Others bide their time in secret, waiting for the right moment to openly pursue their agendas.

In the midst of all this, a band of vagabonds, outcasts from the normal society of the Woodland, travel between the clearings, taking on jobs no one else can or will do. They choose whom they will serve, if anyone... but they will be the ones to tip the balance of the war and decide which faction will ultimately take root.

 

It's Always Sunny in Brancalonia

System: D&D 5E

Description: The PCs are members of a gang of mercenaries, rogues, and similar rascals, engaged in questionable jobs across the various domains of what is left of an ancient kingdom, now in ruins. The setting is a low-magic “Spaghetti Fantasy” version of Medieval/Renaissance Italy that uses races and classes unique to this world. The tone is light-hearted, the themes are tragicomic, the battles tend to end up being all-out brawls, and sometimes it gets a little grimdark around the edges. It’s basically The Princess Bride crossed with Willow (also see Ladyhawke and Flesh+Blood and any low-budget fantasy film from the 1980’s).

Pitch: For the bounty!

Enter Brancalonia, a land full of pitfalls and money-making opportunities for a gang of knaves operating out of Tutti's Tav, a rundown bar owned by their booker, Franco Rinaldo, a portly middle-aged man with thick spectacles who dons an ill-fitted black toupee. All they want are some well-paid jobs and perhaps to deliver a fist-and-fork buffet to those who have it coming.

Once they’ve collected a tidy sum and somewhat climbed the ranks, they’ll be ready to try their luck in that final job that could enable them to go out in a blaze of glory…

After all, what could possibly go wrong?

 

The Show that Never Ends

System: D&D 5E

Description: The PCs are adventurers from a foreign land who find themselves in a whimsical carnival realm surrounded by a dense forest and ruled by a charming ringleader. The campaign takes inspiration from classic court jesters, Victorian-era circuses and sideshows, and campy flicks from the 1980s. It combines dark fantasy with fun escapades, where horror meets hilarity.

Pitch: The sounds of revelry drift through the dark, cold forest, drawing wayward travelers to a place where the senses are delightfully and bewilderingly overwhelmed. Peering out from the top of the conifers is the blood-red spire of The Revelia, where wonder and fun awaits!

A new group of travelers may believe that they found The Revelia by chance, but in fact, only the best and brightest are lured to this magical carnival. Will they see through the glitzy and glamorous charade, see past the sparkling lights and gleaming facade, to find the sinister underbelly of chaos and terror? More importantly, will they fall prey to relentless torment and fail to escape from this dreadful realm and become a permanent member of The Revelia?

 

Hellbound

System: D&D 5E

Description: The PCs are a band of pre-generated adventurers brought together by their shared hatred of drow in a hexcrawl apocalypse survival campaign set in a homebrew world. In addition to dungeon delving, the PCs will need to build strongholds, gather followers, and capture territory through warfare. Graphic violence, body horror, and overwhelming force are central elements of this campaign. Retreat will be a sometimes necessary tactical option.

Pitch: Dark Beings always seem to threaten the world.

This time, they mean it!

All that stands between their world and the Apocalypse is...

An aasimar whose deceased mother provides her unorthodox blood magic.

A scrappy albino drow who has lived on the surface world for as long as she can remember.

A dragonborn wastelander with cryptic visions of the end of the world he fears will come true.

A rage fueled orc hellbent on slaying the fiend that killed his brother and wearing a piece of it as a trophy.

A branded human survivor of a cult of Lolth who must embrace the darkness in order for him to conquer it.

Alongside their fearless duergar leader, a tagalong satyr troubadour, and any surviving remnants they take under their protection, can they actually prevent the Apocalypse or will they merely stymie the fiendish hordes until they are overwhelmed?

Find out when Hell is unleashed!

 

Reiklanders & Ravenloft

System: Warhammer Fantasy Role Play 4E

Description: The PCs are from the Warhammer Fantasy world and must survive the Curse of Strahd campaign. A custom classless/careerless system will be used to create characters randomly and a custom advancement system will be used to increase attributes, skills, and gain talents.

Pitch: Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind’s howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia.

Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd’s face forms the barest hint of a smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they came—all according to his plan.

A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited.

 

Heroes of the Reef

System: Cypher System

Description: The PCs are heroes in a fantasy water world paradise where wonder blends with advanced time-altering technology. Anthropomorphic amphibians and fish-folk cohabit peacefully with humans in a vast floating city that is under attack from powerful sea monsters that have started breaking out of the hyper-dimensional barrier that protects the area. The focus of the game is on the ways in which the PCs and the community can work together to keep their beloved home safe and thriving.

Pitch: For two hundred years, generations of elite guardians known as the Tidal Blades kept the floating islands of Naviri safe and prosperous. Wielding the most sophisticated weapons designed by the Engineers of the Citadel of Time, they patrolled the reef barrier day and night, keeping all horrors from the ocean at bay.

Then came the gigantic storm that was like nothing any Navirian had ever encountered. In its wake, an endless horde of sea monsters invaded the reef on a day that would be remembered as the Great Battle. Despite their incredible skill, the Tidal Blades were no match, so out of desperation they employed an experimental piece of technology to create a hyper-dimensional barrier known as the Fold to prevent the imminent destruction of Naviri. The Fold trapped the storm and the monsters, but it came at a terrible price. The barrier also trapped the Tidal Blades.

For years since the Great Battle, the Fold has held and kept the worst of the world’s monsters at bay, keeping Naviri relatively safe from harm. The city has never been so beautiful and vibrant. But that’s all about to change. The Fold is becoming unstable. Soon a new generation of heroes will be needed to protect all of Naviri from whatever is waiting to break out of the Fold.

 

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Edited February 13, 2023 by jokomaisu (see edit history)

[GaryD20]

In and of itself, the Stranger Things one would interest me the most. I'm not familiar with the system though. I'm familiar with a few of the other systems but have never played any of them before. And DnD 5e I don't play at all. Just not a fan of it. Not sure if this helps or not. 

[jokomaisu]

@GaryD20 Thank you for the response! I'm interested in GMing that one because I live in the Pacific Northwest and I've done some research on where I would base the fictional town of Havenhurst. There are a lot of great local legends and a wealth of eerie tales to draw from online that would really make this a blast to play.

[yxanthymir]

I like to diversify my games. As I am already in 2 DnD 5e, I would prefer something else. But I don't have any experience with the systems of the other games. So I really cannot help you.

[jokomaisu]

@yxanthymir I feel the same way. I've been strictly D&D 5E since it came out. However, I've always wanted to try new systems, so I made sure to include more of those. Thank you for checking these out though.

[GaryD20]

3 hours ago, jokomaisu said:

@GaryD20 Thank you for the response! I'm interested in GMing that one because I live in the Pacific Northwest and I've done some research on where I would base the fictional town of Havenhurst. There are a lot of great local legends and a wealth of eerie tales to draw from online that would really make this a blast to play.

Well, if you decide to run the Stranger things one I'd get in on it. Always into trying new systems and playing in different genres besides fantasy. Not to mention that it does sound pretty interesting and like it would be a hoot.

[jokomaisu]

@GaryD20 You're on my list!

[Cirlot]

Had to vote for Brancalonia simply on account of the fact it's the first time since the kickstarter that I've seen the setting mentioned and I've got the book, dangit!  Second place would go to Home on the Reef as it sounds great from a setting and theme perspective to me but Cypher and I don't quite get along. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Cirlot (see edit history)

[jokomaisu]

@Cirlot Yeah, I have not found much on it online. Probably more content on the Italian side of the internet 😉

I have never played anything Cypher. What don't you like about it?

[Melkar]

I mean Reiklanders and Ravenloft sounds like all sorts of awesome.

[jokomaisu]

@Melkar I know, right? Probably the most lethal campaign and it's not even the one involving an apocalyptic invasion of fiends.

[Melkar]

I've never actually looked at Warhammer Roleplay before, its always been something I've had on my bucket list of things to do but never got round to it.  However, combining Warhammer and Curse of Strahd quite frankly sounds like genius 😄

[Dixi]

New here, and would be new to most of the systems as well. From perspective of a newbie for whom 5e is a "comfort food", "Hellbound" sounds like a very exciting new-old "dish". "Reiklanders and Ravenloft" is a closed second for craziness that promises awesomeness. Very hard to choose!

Edited January 26, 2023 by Damira (see edit history)

[jokomaisu]

@Damira Welcome! R&R is something I've kicked around in my head (and started a bit to prepare) for awhile now. It would be a very unforgiving campaign, but I think part of the fun is that challenge to survive in the Domain of Dread, a realm that's actually more dangerous and deadly than the Warhammer world.

[Dixi]

Thank you.

Ended up voting for Reiklanders and Ravenloft" as one having chance to win too. But have to say, the choice between all of the ideas is very difficult, hope, you will have time to run all those games eventually.