Isabella Carter
Running a political campaign in Dungeons & Dragons can be a unique and engaging style of gameplay, filled with manipulation, deception, and power struggles. It can be challenging to execute, but with careful planning, it can be a fun and immersive experience for players. The game master (GM) must ensure that the players are invested in the world and the political dynamics at play, whether it's the power struggles between different factions or the schemes of a dragon disguised as a monarch. The GM should also be mindful of the potential challenges and pitfalls, such as managing player versus player (PVP) interactions and ensuring that the gameplay remains civil and engaging for all participants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Players' interests | The GM should test what their players are interested in and what they would enjoy. |
| Intrigue | Intrigue, secrets, and nebulous plots can be used to create a fun political campaign. |
| Monsters | Monsters can be used in a political campaign, but in unique ways, such as a dragon disguising itself as a monarch. |
| Character creation | Players should create characters that fit the campaign. |
| Communication | The GM should communicate with their players about the kind of character expected for the campaign. |
| Politics | The GM should carefully go over what kinds of politics are to be focused on in the game. |
| Diversity in gameplay | Even in a politics-heavy campaign, diversity in gameplay keeps the story fresh and engaging. |
| Factions | Factions can be used to create political parties and drive the story forward. |
| Skill checks | The GM should cut down on skill checks, especially in social encounters, and have NPCs react more organically to the information presented to them. |
| Player agency | The players must feel central to the story, even if politics and intrigue are the focus. |
| Active players | Political campaigns require more active players. |
| PVP | The GM should ensure that any political PVP doesn't escalate too far. |
| Prequel campaign | The GM can run a prequel campaign to get players invested in the world and its politics. |
| Starting outline | A starting outline is a good rule of thumb for campaign story building, but it's more challenging for a political intrigue game. |
| Backwards story building | The GM should start with the climax and work backward to keep the end goal in mind. |
| Complex connections | Political campaigns have complex connections that need to be managed. |
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What You'll Learn
Outline the world and its politics
When outlining the world and its politics for a political campaign in 5e, it's important to consider the various factions, settings, and characters that will shape the narrative. Here are some key points to help you build an immersive political landscape for your players to engage with:
Factions and Settings:
- Factions and Political Parties: Create multiple factions or political parties within the world, each with their own agendas and conflicts. For example, you could have half-blood unskilled labourers who are targeted by secret police, dwarves who are refugees after a mine collapse, and elves facing health problems. These factions can have infighting and conflicting interests, adding complexity to the political landscape.
- Cities and Nations: Consider the political dynamics between different cities or nations. Rivalry, alliances, and power struggles between these entities can provide a broader context for your campaign.
- Monsters and Creatures: Think about how monsters or unique creatures fit into the political schemes. For instance, a dragon disguising itself as a monarch to amass wealth and power. This adds an element of fantasy to your political world-building.
Characters and Intrigue:
- Player Characters (PCs): Encourage your players to create characters that align with the political theme. They don't need to be royalty or exclusively focused on politics, but having characters who are politically savvy and motivated will drive the narrative forward.
- Non-Player Characters (NPCs): Develop NPCs with their own motivations and agendas. These could include monarchs, guild masters, advisors, decision-makers, or even cultists. Their interactions with the PCs will create opportunities for intrigue, manipulation, and deception.
- Social Interactions: Emphasize social encounters and organic reactions from NPCs. Encourage your players to engage in meaningful dialogues and role-playing, rather than relying solely on skill checks. This adds depth to the political interactions and allows for more nuanced character development.
Storytelling and Engagement:
- Player Investment: Build up the intrigue gradually and give players a chance to explore and invest in the world before shaping its destiny. Consider running a prequel campaign or introducing a major issue that players can develop strong opinions about, such as a slave revolution.
- Diversity in Gameplay: Vary the gameplay to keep the story engaging. Mix political schemes with traditional adventures, such as finding a lost treasure contested between political families. This adds a layer of intrigue to otherwise standard quests.
- Climax and End Goal: Start with the climax or endpoint of your campaign and work backward. This technique helps you keep the end goal in mind and makes managing the complex connections in a political campaign more manageable.
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Create diverse factions and conflicts
When creating diverse factions and conflicts for a political campaign in Dungeons & Dragons, it's important to consider the unique challenges that come with this type of gameplay. Here are some tips to help you create engaging and diverse factions:
First, determine the political focus of your campaign. This could be a slave revolution, ethical debates, or power struggles between different groups. For example, you could have a group of half-blood unskilled labourers who are targeted by the secret police and branded as terrorists. Meanwhile, dwarves might be dealing with an abandoned mine, and elves could face health problems due to a side effect of Mythral. Each faction has its own needs and internal conflicts, and the city must offer something worth saving for all of them.
Second, build up the intrigue slowly. Allow your players to get to know the world and its diverse factions before diving into complex political conflicts. This can be achieved through a prequel campaign or by starting with a low-level adventure module like "Into the Fey," which is designed for levels 1 to 5 and introduces players to political schemes.
Third, consider the roles of monsters in your political schemes. Instead of a traditional dragon terrorizing the countryside, perhaps there is a dragon disguised as a monarch, seeking to amass power and wealth.
Fourth, ensure that your players create characters that fit the political theme of your campaign. Communicate your expectations to the players, and encourage them to develop characters that are politically savvy and have motivations that align with the political focus of the game.
Finally, manage the level of player conflict. Intrigue and social interactions are central to political campaigns, but be cautious about allowing players to backstab each other freely. Ensure that any political player-versus-player (PVP) interactions remain non-combative and that players are comfortable with opposing each other's goals without resorting to violence.
Remember, a political campaign in D&D offers a unique style of gameplay, and by creating diverse factions and conflicts, you can keep your players engaged and immersed in the story.
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Focus on character motivations
When it comes to running a political campaign in 5e, it is important to focus on character motivations. This will ensure that the players are engaged and invested in the story and the political aspects of the game.
Firstly, it is crucial to establish the type of politics that will be featured in the campaign. This could include topics such as a slave revolution or ethical debates such as the vampires' dilemma over taking human blood by force, or wizards' arguments over the ethics of demonology. These topics should be chosen carefully, considering what the players would be interested in and what they would enjoy. It is also essential to set clear boundaries and ensure that the game remains a game and does not devolve into a debate club or a toxic mess.
Secondly, players should create characters that fit the theme of the campaign. While they don't have to be politically-focused, such as being the son of a king, it is important that they have motivations that align with the political nature of the game. For example, a character who is politically savvy and has ambitions to become an advisor to a king or a decision-maker in a kingdom's council will have a clear motivation to engage in political schemes and intrigue.
Additionally, the monsters and unique creatures in your world can also play a role in the political schemes. Instead of a traditional dragon terrorizing the countryside, perhaps there is a dragon disguised as a monarch, seeking to amass a vast hoard of treasure. This adds an extra layer of complexity to the political landscape and provides opportunities for intrigue and manipulation.
Furthermore, it is beneficial to build up the intrigue slowly and allow players to get to know the world before they start shaping its destiny. This can be achieved through a prequel campaign or by running an entire campaign with the sole objective of getting the players invested in the world. This way, players will develop powerful opinions on how the world should be run, which can then be reflected in their characters' motivations and actions.
Finally, it is important to keep the party on the same side and avoid allowing players to backstab each other freely. While intrigue and deception are inherent aspects of political campaigns, the game should ultimately foster collaboration and engagement among the players. This can be achieved by ensuring that the players are comfortable with the idea of opposing each other's goals without resorting to murder or toxic behaviour.
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Build intrigue and secrets
Political campaigns in Dungeons & Dragons can be a unique and engaging style of gameplay, filled with manipulation, deception, and power struggles. Here are some tips to build intrigue and secrets to keep your players invested:
Start with the End in Mind:
Work backward from the desired endpoint or conclusion of your campaign. Decide on the end goal for your players, such as becoming advisors to a king or influencing the decision-maker in a kingdom's council. For example, the campaign could centre around a power vacuum created by the death of a queen, with the players aiming to become influential vassals of the queen's heir. This approach ensures that you always keep the end goal in mind, making it easier to manage the complex connections and political aspects of your campaign.
Build Intrigue Gradually:
Take your time to build up the intrigue and allow players to get to know the world and its political landscape before diving into complex plots. Consider running a prequel campaign or a series of sessions focused on world-building and character development. This approach will help players develop strong opinions on how the world should be run and invest them in the political stakes of your campaign.
Factions and Secrets:
Introduce multiple factions or political parties within your world, each with their own agendas and secrets. For example, you could have a group of half-blood unskilled labourers who are targeted by the secret police and branded as terrorists. Meanwhile, a group of dwarves might be struggling to reopen their collapsed mine due to a lack of funding, creating tension and political divisions. Each faction should have its own needs and internal conflicts, adding complexity and intrigue to your campaign.
Intrigue Through Monsters:
Incorporate monsters into your political schemes. Instead of a typical dragon terrorizing the countryside, perhaps there is a dragon in disguise as the monarch, amassing a vast hoard of treasure. You can also include other creatures, such as fey, and showcase their mischievous nature and potential for causing trouble, which can lead to political intrigue.
Manage Player Interactions:
Encourage political intrigue through player interactions without allowing things to escalate too far. Intrigue works well for player versus player (PVP) dynamics, as it provides a non-combative forum for conflict. Ensure that players are comfortable with opposing each other's goals without resorting to murder or toxic behaviour. It is crucial to maintain a collaborative atmosphere, even when players have differing political alignments or goals.
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Manage player expectations
Managing player expectations is a crucial aspect of running a successful political campaign in 5E. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:
Firstly, it is important to establish clear communication with your players about the nature of the campaign. Discuss the type of characters they expect to play and ensure they understand the focus on politics and intrigue. This includes ensuring their characters are politically savvy and have motivations that align with the political themes of the campaign. For example, in a campaign centred on courtly intrigue, players might embody characters seeking to influence noble houses or vying for the favour of a monarch.
Secondly, while the political landscape and its intricacies are essential, player agency is paramount. Even if politics takes centre stage, players should still feel central to the story and have opportunities for more traditional adventures. For instance, they might embark on a quest to retrieve a lost treasure, only to discover that it is a coveted artifact contested between two political factions, each seeking to hire the party for their own ends. This approach blends political intrigue with more familiar elements of dungeon-crawling and monster-hunting, ensuring players can engage with the political aspects of the campaign without feeling overwhelmed or disinterested.
Additionally, it is worth noting that political campaigns can be demanding for both the Dungeon Master (DM) and the players. They often require more active participation and engagement from players, as they navigate a web of social interactions, alliances, and conflicts. As the DM, you should be prepared to adapt to the unique challenges presented by political campaigns, such as managing player conflicts without allowing them to escalate into toxic backstabbing or outright PVP combat. Intrigue and social interactions should remain at the forefront, with players working towards their goals through manipulation, deception, and diplomacy rather than resorting to violence or direct confrontation.
Furthermore, consider the diversity of gameplay to keep the story engaging. Even in a politics-heavy campaign, include a range of encounters and scenarios to break up the pace and provide variety. This could include exploring the unique roles that monsters play in your political schemes or incorporating dungeon-crawling elements alongside the political intrigue. For example, the players might need to venture into a fey-infested grove to resolve a dispute between factions, blending political negotiations with more traditional dungeon exploration.
Finally, it is essential to establish clear boundaries and comfort levels with your players regarding the specific political themes and topics that will arise during the campaign. Some topics, such as slavery or revolution, can be sensitive and potentially triggering for players. Ensure that everyone is comfortable with the themes being explored and that the game remains a safe and enjoyable space for all participants.
In summary, managing player expectations in a 5E political campaign involves clear communication, blending political intrigue with traditional adventure elements, fostering active player engagement, navigating social conflicts without escalation, incorporating diverse gameplay, and establishing comfortable boundaries regarding sensitive topics. By following these guidelines, you can create a captivating and enjoyable political campaign that meets your players' expectations.
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Frequently asked questions
Start with the climax and work backward. Decide on the end goal for the characters and then work backward from there.
A:
- Ensure that the players are comfortable with the premise and the characters they are playing.
- Make sure any political PVP doesn't escalate too far.
- Build up to the intrigue slowly. Give players a chance to get to know the world before they start shaping its destiny.
- Ensure diversity in gameplay to keep the story engaging.
Song of Ice & Fire RPG, Chroncile Starter, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, and Shackled City Advenute Path.
Political campaigns can be difficult to run and can quickly become toxic if not structured properly. Ensure that the players are comfortable with opposing each other's goals without resorting to murder.
Cut down on skill checks, especially in social encounters. Have the NPCs react more organically to the information the PCs present and call for appropriate skill checks after a significant amount of back-and-forth.
