Isabella Carter
Political intrigue campaigns in 5e can be a fun alternative to traditional dungeon-crawling adventures. They offer a wide range of new roleplaying options, such as backroom deals and clandestine assassinations, but also present unique challenges due to their open-ended nature. To run a successful political intrigue campaign, it is important to build a detailed world, develop complex characters with intricate motivations, and carefully plan out the political landscape. This includes creating nation-states, establishing their relationships and histories, and determining the relevant factions and power dynamics within each nation. Additionally, it is crucial to involve the players in the world-building process and ensure that the political topics explored are enjoyable for everyone. While political intrigue campaigns can be engaging and offer new possibilities for gameplay, they also require active players and dedicated Game Masters who are prepared to tackle the complexities of intrigue and deception.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of nations | 3-6 |
| Details of each nation | Style of government, major imports/exports, system of laws, diversity of constituents, status of economy |
| Relationships between nations | Alliances, open warfare, history of war |
| Diplomacy stat | -20 to 20 |
| History of the world | Outline of major past events that structured the current political situation |
| Intrigue mechanics | Tick a clock when players do something to help a faction or spend time allowing someone else to implement a plan |
| Player agency | Players should feel central to the story |
| Pacing | Build intrigue slowly, allow for breaks from political intrigue |
| Prequel campaign | Can be useful to get players invested in the world |
| Political PVP | Should not escalate to murder attempts |
| Starting point | Climax or endpoint of the story |
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What You'll Learn
Start with the climax and work backward
Starting with the climax and working backward is a great way to keep the end goal in mind when planning a political intrigue campaign. This technique makes managing the political aspect and complex connections between characters and factions easier to handle.
For example, you might decide that the ultimate endpoint of your campaign is for the player characters (PCs) to become advisors to a king, important decision-makers in a kingdom's council, or the deciding factor in who becomes the next ruler. From there, you can work backward to create a detailed history that informs the current political situation. This could include past events such as a prominent figure attempting to seize power or courtly intrigues involving an advisor with their own agenda.
Building up the intrigue slowly gives players a chance to get invested in the world and its politics before they start shaping its destiny. This might involve running a prequel campaign or allowing players to spend time exploring the world and its factions before diving into the political intrigue. It is important to remember that political campaigns have a heavier focus on characters, so take time to develop NPCs with complicated motivations and stories that will interact with the players.
As you work backward from the climax, consider the starting relationships between nations or factions, including any alliances, open warfare, or history of conflict. Determine the status of each nation's economy, which will impact trade flow and army size, and reflect this in the towns and cities within the nation. Additionally, create a diplomacy stat for each nation to indicate their inclination to help or hinder others.
Remember that political intrigue campaigns can be tiring for players, so include occasional breaks from the intrigue in the form of action sequences or more straightforward problems to solve, such as an emergency in the environmental systems or a serial killer on the loose. These pauses should be tailored to your group but provide an opportunity for players to recharge.
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Keep it simple
When running a political intrigue campaign, it's important to keep things simple, especially at the beginning. Start small and let the complexity and intrigue develop over time.
Begin with a clear and concise outline of your world and its politics. Determine the number of nation-states and their key characteristics, such as the style of government, economic status, laws, and diversity. This foundation will help you and your players understand the world and its dynamics.
Keep the initial relationships between nations straightforward. Define the alliances, hostilities, and histories between them. This will provide a clear starting point for your players to navigate and shape the political landscape.
Introduce the players to the world gradually. It's important not to overwhelm them with excessive detail. Focus on a specific region or city, and develop it with depth. You can create a city with multiple neighbourhoods, each controlled by different factions, such as mages, merchants, or entertainers. This provides a contained environment for your players to explore and engage with the political landscape.
When it comes to characters and their motivations, keep it simple as well. Avoid overly complex plots and grandiose stories from the outset. Start with smaller, more personal goals, such as aspiring to be the mayor of a village, and gradually introduce larger stakes and complications. Remember, it's okay to start the campaign off slowly and let the intrigue build over time.
By keeping the initial setup simple, you provide a solid foundation for your players to engage with the world and its politics. As the game progresses, you can introduce twists, conflicts, and complexities that build upon this foundation, creating a dynamic and intriguing political campaign.
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Build up to the intrigue slowly
Building up intrigue slowly in a 5E political campaign is a challenging task. It is important to give players a chance to get to know the world and its intricacies before they start shaping its destiny. This can be achieved by running a prequel campaign focused on getting the players invested in the world. For example, players who have spent time defending their city or nation will develop strong opinions on how it should be governed.
To build up intrigue slowly, it is essential to start with a solid foundation. This includes creating nation-states, deciding on the number of nations, and giving each nation unique characteristics. Details such as the style of government, major imports and exports, laws, diversity of constituents, and economic status are crucial. Additionally, determining the starting relationships between nations, including alliances, open warfare, and historical conflicts, will add depth to the political landscape.
Another way to slowly build intrigue is to incorporate a sense of history into the world. Create a list of past events that have shaped the current political situation. A detailed history will make the world more realistic and provide a wealth of ideas to draw from. For example, a prominent family with a history of power struggles may attempt to regain control, creating an intriguing conflict for the players to navigate.
Intrigue can also be built up slowly by introducing complex characters with nuanced motivations and stories. It is important to keep things simple at first and gradually introduce complexity. Instead of starting with a sprawling kingdom and numerous noble houses, begin with a smaller scale, such as a village election. As the players become invested in the characters and their motivations, you can introduce new elements that challenge their assumptions and keep them engaged.
Finally, it is essential to provide breaks from the intrigue to avoid player burnout. Intrigue-heavy campaigns can be mentally exhausting, so it is crucial to incorporate sessions that focus on more straightforward problems or action sequences. These breaks should be tailored to the group and provide an opportunity for players to recharge and approach the political aspects of the campaign with renewed enthusiasm.
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Avoid escalation
A political intrigue campaign in 5e can be an engaging and thrilling experience for players, but it's important to keep the game focused and avoid escalation that could derail the story or make it less enjoyable for players. Here are some tips to avoid escalation:
Start with a solid foundation: Before diving into the intricacies of political intrigue, it's crucial to establish a well-developed world with coherent rules and dynamics. This includes considering factors such as the number of nation-states, their governments, economies, laws, and relationships with each other. A strong understanding of the world will help you navigate political complexities without veering off course.
Keep the scope manageable: While grand ambitions and complex plots are enticing, it's important to start small and gradually expand. Focus on a handful of major issues that are central to the story and the players' interests. By keeping the scope manageable, you can avoid overwhelming yourself and the players, ensuring that the game remains engaging and focused.
Build up the intrigue gradually: Intrigue works best when it unfolds slowly. Allow players time to get to know the world, its politics, and the key players. Start with a prequel campaign or early quests that introduce the political landscape and the stakes without diving straight into intense conflicts. This gradual buildup will create a more immersive experience and give players a stronger investment in the world they are navigating.
Maintain a clear end goal: Working backward from a defined endpoint can help you stay on track. Decide on the ultimate goal for the characters, such as becoming advisors to a king or influencing a kingdom's council. With a clear end goal in mind, you can ensure that the political intrigue serves the overall narrative arc rather than spiraling into tangential conflicts.
Incorporate breaks from intrigue: Even with a well-crafted political campaign, players can experience burnout from constant political tensions. Include occasional sessions or storylines that offer a break from political intrigue. These breaks can take the form of action sequences, mysteries, or more straightforward problems that provide a mental respite for your players without sacrificing engagement with the game.
By following these guidelines, you can avoid escalation and create a focused and enjoyable political intrigue campaign in 5e that captivates your players and keeps them invested in the story you've crafted together.
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Focus on the players
When running a political intrigue campaign, it is important to focus on the players and ensure they are central to the story. While the campaign may be driven by political intrigue, it is still important to ensure that the players feel involved and are not overwhelmed by the complexity of the plot and the world they are navigating.
Firstly, it is important to ensure that the players are comfortable with the level of complexity and the nature of the content. For example, if the campaign involves a slave revolution, it is important to discuss with the players whether this is a topic they are comfortable engaging with. It is also important to ensure that the players are comfortable with the idea of opposing each other's goals without resorting to murder. This can be achieved through a prequel campaign, which allows players to get to know each other and the world before they begin shaping its destiny.
Secondly, while political intrigue campaigns are often more character-driven, it is important to keep the plot simple. Focus on a few key characters and their motivations, and allow the complexity to develop over time. This will help to ensure that the players do not become overwhelmed or confused. It is also beneficial to provide opportunities for the players to take a break from the political intrigue and engage in more traditional adventures, such as finding a lost treasure or hunting monsters. These breaks can help to recharge the players' mental batteries and prevent burnout.
Thirdly, it is important to ensure that the players feel central to the story. Even if the focus is on politics and intrigue, it is beneficial to provide opportunities for the players to take action and feel like they are actively shaping the world. For example, they may be tasked with finding a lost treasure that has been contested between two political families, or they may be involved in a quest given to them by an NPC.
Finally, it is important to be flexible and adapt to the players' interests and theories. While it is important to have a strong understanding of the world and the political dynamics, the players may come up with ideas that enhance the campaign and take it in new directions. It is beneficial to be open to these possibilities and allow the players to feel like they have agency in shaping the world and the story.
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Frequently asked questions
Start with the climax and work backward. Decide on the endpoint or story conclusion and then work backward from there. This will help you keep the end goal in mind and make managing the political aspect and complex connections easier.
It is vital to have a session zero with your players to go over what kinds of politics will be focused on in the game. This will help you understand what your players are interested in and what they will enjoy. Remember to keep it simple. If you focus too much on making characters have grandiose and complex plots and stories, you will get confused. It is okay to start the campaign off slow and have more complex elements introduced gradually.
It is always okay to take inspiration. Look at the factions on the official Dungeons & Dragons website, for example, and use them in your world. You can also create a diplomacy stat for each nation to indicate how much a nation is inclined to be helpful or hinder another nation.
