I snagged a Vegas guidebook and a map, as well as a copy of Weird Las Vegas and Nevada to use for ideas. Then I wrote up a mini-bible for the campaign, outlining the power structure and unique aspects of Awakened Vegas, including notes on themes (again helped by my players, who picked the overall theme), NPCs, locations and oddities.

One problem I have is that I tend to introduce new stuff that sounds cool when I’ve already got cool ideas in the can, so I used the bible to get around that. When I wasn’t sure what direction to go, I referred back to it before doing anything else.

In terms of making things episodic, I took what I’d learned as a player in our Stargate game (where the GM, Don, had made nearly every session a three-act episode — it was awesome) and combined it with what I knew of the group and some trial and error. I nearly always overplanned for each session, but I got it right occasionally.

I basically just thought of 2-4 scenes, usually in order (this was a pretty linear game in a lot of respects), that had lots of options for resolution — or, often, that I hadn’t thought of a specific way to resolve, but that seemed option-rich. Naming each chapter/session helped, too.

From the outside, I don’t think this would look like a coherent episodic game, but from the inside the structure seemed to be there. I hope this helps!

Specifically, how much prep did you do before the players created their characters? Did you match the PCs to the plot, or the plot to the PCs?

AND, how did you keep it episodic? It’s been on the backburners for some time with me, and I’ve been kinda inspired by your report to try a finite-length, episodic, TV-series-style game next time I run.

I realise the answers to these questions may be bigger than a comments thread, but I thought I’d ask ‘em here anyway, since I guess a few people reading this might’ve been inspired by that campaign report

Re: the certificates, I accepted my limitations early on and went for quality frames to make up for them. I’d say don’t stress too much, and definitely don’t let some big plan stop you from implementing a smaller plan — as a player, I’m thrilled to get any memento of a campaign.

I like the “awards” you printed up. I once tried for custom-made Order of the Stick-style character illustrations two campaigns ago, but I couldn’t get the artist to finish them in time, and forgot about it until now.

That happened organically throughout the game, as the PCs naturally left intriguing loose ends unfollowed in favor of pressing threats, but also explicitly as I planned in stuff I knew we couldn’t possibly get to in this chronicle. That kind of organic/planned balance really works for me as a GM — it just seems right.

@Kurt “Telas” Schneider – Yep, the year seems like a great sweet spot for us old farts. 12-18 months = good stuff.

Sequels can be a lot of fun.

I remember reading a WotC study that claimed most campaigns go for about 18 months, which is why they paced character advancement the way they did. Since you and I both reside on the upper edge of the age bell curve (me farther along than you), it makes really good sense to aim for a year.

Thanks for the report; I think I’ll start planning to run my next game for about one year’s duration.

I think that the extra work to do something like a certificate would really make a finale more memorable. It also would make it clear that the campaign is over. We aren’t playing these PCs anymore. Time to move on!

a letter from a person to 1 PC.. 1 “pact of the alliance” for the members of the alliance.. something like this..

ah.. and everyone’s got everything they did playing.. let’s say that 1 pc was the map drawer.. he’s got every single map he drawed.. or anyway everyone’s got what everything he has sketched during the games

veeeeeeery very funny

p.s. wonderful PS paper anyway!!