The Aspect of Story over Rules.

The hardest part that I’ve found in writing for the current campaign is that I’ve become too used to writing encounters and story according to a specific ruleset.  Meaning that most encounters come away feeling a little mechanical in nature because I’ve become so used to looking at the numbers that I don’t see a larger picture.

After reading some posts by other people running games, namely Gabe from Penny Arcade and an incredible encounter he put together (with props no less) I’ve come to realize that I need to write the story and/or encounters first, and then figure out the rules and logistics for them afterward.

I have a few encounters that I’m actually reworking in this way.  Its not easy shaking myself out of the rules heavy skillset that third edition bred into me (The system itself is fun, but extrordinarily heavy on rules and numbers to the point that you become scared of slipping up).

Story is another thing that could use some tweaking.  Especially when it comes to thinking in a little more abstract terms.  Admittedly I had some problems with characters that were just too bizarre, to the point where they were annoying enough that I had to ban them from the game entirely.  I think this might have made me pull back too much though, and become far to conservative when it comes to Felwroth and its environs.

Thoughts like: “Why didn’t I put in that Mushroom forest?  Just because Warcraft has it, doesn’t mean I can’t nab the idea and run with it” or “I like this rogueish character, but the whole thing with the face-paint and split personalities due to a cursed tattoo put on her when young is a little too odd”.

Then again, I can’t let things get too bizarre.  Talking penguins or vampires in love with a tree that has the spirit of their dead faerie lover embedded in it that drives them so bonkers that they talk to themselves and believe that milk is the only holy cure are oddball just for the sake of oddball.. Not for the sake of story development or even interesting enough to be able to hook a story arc or two to (Well, the vampire might be, but lets just say the character was far, far too disruptive and screwed up for anyone to logically want to be a companion with it).

I’ll see how I do with the upcoming story arc.  I have tons of time, luckily, because I’m actually *gasp* playing in another campaign for the first time since second edition (Over a decade ago o.o ), so there’s a pause in my campaign that gives me a great deal of time to get writing.