Campaign Sourcebook and Catacomb Guide

Purchase PDF from Dungeon Masters Guild

• Credits
• Introduction

Chapter 1: Logistics of Play

• Logistics of Play
• Gaming Etiquette
  • Be Prepared · Hosting a Game · Courtesy to the Host · Courtesy to Others · Prerolling Characters · Opening Ceremonies · Refreshments · Distractions · Be Kind to the DM · Be Kind to the Players
• The Administrative DM
  • One World, Many DMs · One Player, Many Characters · Visitors from Other Worlds · New Players · Hosting One Shots
• General Delivery
  • Don't Manipulate! · Never Favor Characters · Never Punish Characters · Never Choose Sides · Always Maintain Game Balance

Chapter 2: Styles of Play

• Styles of Play
  • Hack-and-slash · Thinker · Righteous Roleplayer · Historical Simulation · The Silly Game · Monty Haul · Novel Style Play · Wargamer · Political Play · Eclectic
• How to Prepare
  • Scenario One · Scenario Two · Scenario Planning · Background Information · NPC Statistics · World Update · Character Update · Alternative Scenarios
• Be Prepared!
  • Allow Time to Design · Get Organized · "Know thy Stuff!" · Establish a Background · Your Changing World · The Passage of Time · A Note On Alternative Scenarios
• Winging It
• Player Preparation

Chapter 3: Pacing and Theatrics

• Pacing and Theatrics
• Pacing the Play
  • Get the players moving · Create Unusual Puzzles · Dead or Alive? · Comic Relief · Keep things lively · Encourage Rapid Play · Avoid Splitting Up · Plan Breaks · Know When To Quit · Scripting an Adventure
• Building a Dramatic Environment
  • Playing Pieces · Props · Mood Music · Smells · Player Handouts
• Suspenseful Disinformation
  • Misperceptions · Loose Lips Sink Ships · Messy Maps · Magical Misinformation · You Talk Too Much · Fear and Loathing
• Funny-Ha-Ha
• DMing in Full Color
  • Set the Scene · Presenting NPCs
• Make Encounters Dramatic
  • The Threat of Failure
• Ban Gamespeak
• When Rules Get in the Way
• Character Mortality
  • Alternatives to Dying
• Fudging or Constructive Cheating

Chapter 4: Uses of Judgment

• Uses of Judgment
• To Interpret the Law
• Leaving the Rules Behind
• Danger! Danger!
• Presuming They are Heroes
• When Reason Fails
  • Basic Presumptions · Escaping from Monty Haul · Super Characters · Changing Reality
• Rules Lawyers
• Player "Personalities"
• Off Nights
• Intra-party Treachery and Backstabbing
• Player Feuds
• Pettiness
• Me-Against-Them Mentality
• Experts
• Know-it-alls
• When Players Cheat
• When DMs Cheat
• Rudeness
• When Nature Calls
  • He's dead Jim! · Sleeping Beauty · There's No Place Like Home · Into the Bermuda Triangle · Polymorph to NPC · Changing Hands
• Shut Up, You're Dead
• Never Say Impossible
• Overdone Independent Action
• "No, wait, I change my mind."
• Gaming Too Often
• Insufficient Players
• The Too-big Party
• DM Burnout

Chapter 5: Creating the Campaign

• Creating the Campaign
• Dividing the Work
• Involving the Players

Chapter 6: Creating the World

• Creating the World
• A Big Job Made Easy
• Getting Started
• Campaign Overview
• Realism versus Fantasy
• World Building
  • Choose a Scale · Start at the Bottom · Work up to the top · Place It On the Planet · Just Add Water! · What's for Desert? · Planting Forests · Other Common Features · Large-scale Details · Points of Interest · Things Fantastic
• Zooming in for Detail
• Filling up on Flora & Fauna
  • Ecology Overview · Common Creatures · Big Animals · Major Predators · Placing Plants
• Populations
  • Select the Races · Culture Levels · Building Cultural Character · Population Centers
• A Walk through History
• Behold the Works of Man
• Social Structure
  • Social Class · Countries · Governments · Economics and Taxation · Good & Evil Societies
• Mythology and the World
  • Building a Mythos · Good versus Evil · Archetypal Gods · The Decadent Deity · Evil Deities · The Role of Mankind · Monsters & Mythology · Creating Religions
• Fantasy
• Afterthoughts: Using Other Sources

Chapter 7: Maps and Map Making

• Maps and Map Making
• Basic Mapping Considerations
• Tools of the Trade
• What Makes a Good Map?
• Map Types
  • World Maps · Regional Maps · Encounter Maps · Diagrams
• Mapping Scales
• Maps without Grids
• Mapping Symbols
• Using Color
• Simple Maps—Orthographic Mapping
  • World Maps · Regional Maps · Encounter Maps
• Perspective Mapping
  • Selecting a Starting Point · Drawing the Map · Mapping Symbols · Horizon Lines
• Tips & Tricks
  • Consistency · Making Handouts · Superimposing grids on Maps
• Mapping with Authority
  • Topographical Maps · Books on Caves · Books on Castles · Geography Books · Art History Text Books · Architectural History Books · Books on Ancient Civilizations · Other Sources

Chapter 8: Creating the Adventure

• Creating the Adventure
• Evaluating the Players
  • Adventurers · Problem-Solvers · Role-players
• The Importance of Story
  • Theme · The Tale is Told · Plots & Subplots · Personal Involvement · Plot Complications and Twists · Hooks · Story Development · Climax · Suspense, Drama, & Humor · Success or Failure · Multiple Story Lines
• Campaign Style
  • The Linear Campaign · The Open Campaign · The Matrix Campaign

Chapter 9: Making NPCs Live

• Making NPCs Live
• Where to Start
• Creating Character
  • A Bit of Background · Producing a Past · Personality Traits · Motivations · Physical Appearance
• Portraying the Character
• Believability
• Acting at the Table
  • Mug it Up · Move Those Hands · Speak In Character · Vary the volume · Hearing Voices
• Presenting Special Character Types
  • Mundane Folk · Children · Persons in Power · Demihumans · Monsters · Magical Items
• Improvisation on the Fly
• Going for the Funny Bone
  • Broad Characterization · Slapstick · Situational Comedy · Parody · Satire · Puns

Chapter 10: Dungeon Settings

• Dungeon Settings
• The Disadvantages of Dungeons
  • Construction Time · Expenses · Worker Safety
• Advantages of Dungeon Construction
  • Aerial Attacks · Magic Spells · Traditional Siege Tactics · Refuge · Other Underground Structures · Mines · Animal Burrows · Natural Caverns · Unusual Dungeons

Chapter 11: The Dungeon Campaign

• The Dungeon Campaign
• The Psychological Environment
  • Isolation · Alienation · The Home Field Advantage · Controlability
• The Physical Environment
  • Cave-Ins · Darkness · Flooding · Oxygen · Fires · Noxious Gases · Toxic Gases · Explosive Gases · Low Temperature · High Temperature · Line of Sight · Loadstone

Chapter 12: Generic Dungeons

• Generic Dungeons
  • The Great Pyramid
  • The Primitive Temple
  • The Modern Temple
  • The Limestone Cavern
  • The Beehive Fort
  • The Castle on Moors
• Typical Map Symbols
• Forced Perspective Map Grid