De Guerra orcs are more common in the mountains and highlands of Ber, with their strongest core on the northeast coast, along the shore of the Marrajado del Oro, where orcish sailors long raided Risuri lands. They take their name from the de Guerra family, whose matriarch Corta Nariz de Guerra is the current Bruse and ruler of Ber. 

Since the establishment of modern Ber, many non-orcs have adopted de Guerra ways, especially those in the military, which often shuffles citizens around the country to train with those descended from other tribes, the better to foster national unity and pride in cultural heterogeneity.

Aggressive. As a bonus action, you can move your speed toward an enemy of your choice that you can see or hear. You must end this move closer to the enemy than you started. After using this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

Punch Above Your Weight. You are accustomed to dealing with peoples and creatures much larger than normal. Add half your proficiency bonus on damage rolls for attacks against creatures Large or larger.

Reliable and Vigilant. When you would have disadvantage on an ability check  or saving throw , you can instead make the roll normally. After you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

Steady Legs. Whether climbing mountains or crewing a ship, you’ve learned how to keep yourself and your allies from becoming unbalanced. When you or an ally within reach would fall prone or be pushed, you can grant them an expertise die on the saving throw or check to resist. (An expertise die is an extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.)

Languages. You know Common, Orc, and one Beran language such as Draconic, Gnoll, Goblin, or Minotaur.

Bloodmarked gnolls are by far the more likely to be seen in Beran society or elsewhere in the world. They still emphasize a feral menace, but form bonds with allies that are almost as fierce as with family.

These gnolls and others who reject modern Beran society live in a patchwork of unincorporated tribes which all share the adulthood tradition of “blooding.” To become an adult, one must kill an animal with one’s teeth, which once had to be done on a hunt. Today, though, all but the most severe tribes have made this into a formalized ceremony with domesticated animals, sometimes drugged, presented for youths to slay. 

Bond of Blood. You and allies within 5 feet of you have advantage on death saving throws .

Harrying Barks. When you deal damage to a creature you can bark, chortle, howl, or make other unnerving vocalizations. The creature makes a Wisdom saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn. After you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

Speak with Hunting Beasts. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate with carnivorous mammalian hunting beasts, such as bears , hyenas , and wolves . These animals have no special fondness for you.

Unyielding. When you fail a saving throw , you may reroll it. After you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest .

Languages. You know Common, Gnoll, and one Beran language such as Draconic, Goblin, Minotaur, or Orc.

Doppelganger Traits

Characters with the doppelganger heritage share the following traits:

Age. Doppelgangers age much as humans do, typically living a century or less. Their apparent age is a matter of choice.

Size. In their true form, doppelgangers can stand anywhere from 3 to 6 feet tall, but they can adopt the size and build of any Small or Medium humanoid. Your true size is Small or Medium.

Speed. Your Speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light , and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Shapeshifter. As an action, you can change your form and your voice to that of any Small or Medium humanoid creature you have seen before, or back into your true form. Your clothing and equipment are not transformed. You revert to your true form if you die.

Doppelganger Gifts

Doppelgangers are keen observers, with eyes that are able to see through darkness and sometimes into the minds of others. In addition to the traits found in your doppelganger heritage, select one of the following gifts.

Mindsight

Your deceptions and manipulations are aided by your eerie ability to understand what people are thinking. You gain an expertise die on Deception and Insight checks.

Telepathy

You can speak telepathically to any creature within 30 feet of you that you can see. The creature understands you only if the two of you share a language. You can speak telepathically in this way to one creature at a time.

Doppelganger Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you are an exemplar of doppelganger-kind, and you gain the following paragon gift.

Read Thoughts

As an action, you can magically read the surface thoughts of one creature within 60 feet that you can see. Additionally, until the end of your next turn, you have advantage on attack rolls and Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion checks against the creature. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain any expended uses when you finish a long rest .

Doppelganger Culture

Doppelgangers are widely distrusted. The existence of a creature with the ability to take another’s form, and perhaps even read minds, is a horror to anyone with even the most innocuous of secrets. Doppelgangers are targets of intense paranoia and are banned from many communities; when they are discovered, they are often imprisoned or executed on the spot.

Most doppelgangers live in hiding and have had to rely on their parents and immediate family to teach them who they are. Others come to terms with their powers without any help at all. There has never been a doppelganger census. Still, some manage to find each other, and many cities unknowingly host a loose society of doppelgangers who gather in secret for protection and support.

Doppelgangers know as little about their origins as they do their numbers. However, rumors tell of a place far underground where doppelgangers walk freely in their true forms. Many doppelgangers venture into caves and dungeons in search of this mythical land.

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your doppelganger character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: cosmopolitan, faceless, itinerant, kithbáin halfling, Underlander.

Lizardfolk Traits

Lizardfolk gain the following traits.

Age. Lizardfolk reach adulthood at age 14 and live up to 70 years.

Size. Medium. 

Bite. You can use your teeth as a natural weapon to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it your bite, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Coldly Calculating. You can resist unwise impulses. When you fail a Wisdom saving throw or would become frightened , you can delay that effect until the end of your next turn. You cannot use this trait again until you complete a short or long rest .

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet.

Lizardfolk Gifts

Lizardfolk have diverse combinations of abilities, so choose two of the following gifts.

Aquatic

You can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes at a time, and you have a swim speed of 30 feet.

Autotomous

As a reaction you can detach one of your limbs, typically a tail, to escape from a grab. At the Narrator’s discretion, this might also help you end other conditions as well. This detachment does no hit point damage to you. Without intervention, you can regrow a limb to full functionality after a week. However, if you receive 20 hit points worth of magical healing when you are already fully healed, your limb will regenerate during your next long rest . You cannot use this trait again until your limb has regrown.

Chameleon

You can change the patterns and colors on your scales, and with effort you can extend that ability to your equipment. You can spend an action to become invisible until the end of your next turn. This invisibility ends if you attack, cast a spell, or move more than 5 feet.

Climber

You have a climb speed of 30 feet.

Runner

You can Dash as a bonus action.

Spiky

When a creature grabs you and until it lets go it takes ongoing piercing damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Tough-Scaled

When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you use your natural armor.

Venomous

When you damage a creature with your bite, you can inject venom that deals poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus. At the end of each of the creature’s turns it makes a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or takes that poison damage again. On a successful save the effect ends. After you use this trait, you can’t produce venom again until you finish a short or long rest .

You can alternately spend a bonus action to release venom onto a weapon you’re wielding, which will have the same effect when it damages a creature.

Your venom loses potency within an hour once it leaves your fangs, but someone proficiency with a poisoner’s kit can use it as one of the ingredients needed to create a vial of basic poison . This reduces the cost of the vial of poison from 100 gold to 90 gold.

Lizardfolk Paragon

When you reach 10th level, choose one of the following paragon gifts.

Metamorphosis

Whenever you complete a long rest , you may choose one of the lizardfolk gifts you don’t normally possess. Your body shifts to gain that gift until you use this ability again.

Torpor

Your metabolism can slow enough to put you into stasis. You can spend a hit die to make a death saving throw while in torpor and do so with advantage. You can intentionally enter torpor as an action. You become incapacitated and appear dead, but remain conscious, and you do not need to eat, drink, or breathe until you emerge from torpor, which requires no action. 

You may automatically enter torpor when reduced to 0 hit points. While in torpor and at 0 hit points, you do not normally need to make death saving throws on your turn. However, you still must make a death saving throw if you take damage while at 0 hit points.

Lizardfolk Culture

Most lizardfolk communities protected themselves from the old dragon tyrants by presenting themselves as methodical, quiet, and not driven by emotion - simultaneously not a threat to the dragons, but also an ineffective target of their oppression. After centuries, what was once an affectation became seen as a mark of distinction, and a restrained lizardfolk would be seen by their people as having the moral rectitude to resist temptation. Lizardfolk in Ber are often seen as trustworthy in matters of building effective bureaucracies.

Quiet doesn’t mean dull or heartless, though. Their art and culture are simply more focused on internal reactions, and their festivals focus on serenity or cooperation rather than celebratory outbursts. 

There are a few exceptions to this trend, as some lizardfolk tribes allied closely with one dragon tyrant or other, or lived in remote swamps that seemingly offered little of value to exploit. These communities have reflexively begun to revel in raucous behaviors, and make some of the loudest and most experimental music on the continent.

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your lizardfolk character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: cosmopolitan , Pedresco , villager .

Kobold Traits

Kobolds gain the following traits.

Age. Kobolds reach adulthood at age 16 and live up to 200 years.

Size. Small. 

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet.

Easily Unseen. When a creature first comes within line of sight of you, you can use your reaction to Hide , even if you don’t have anything to hide behind. When you hide this way, you gain an expertise die on your Stealth check. (An expertise die is an extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.)

Kobold Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Kobold Gifts

Select one of the following gifts.

Close Quarters

You gain an expertise die on melee attacks made against a creature whose space you are in. Also, your sensitive whiskers grant you blindsight with a range of 5 feet.

Draconian Wings

You have a flying speed of 30 feet. To use this speed you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor. Whenever you spend 3 consecutive rounds airborne without landing, you gain a level of fatigue . Any fatigue gained in this way is removed upon finishing a short or long rest .

Kobold Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you gain the following paragon gift.

Preternatural Senses

With a twitch of your whiskers, you can extend your senses. You can cast one of the following spells: arcane eye , clairvoyance , detect magic , locate creature , or locate object . Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for this spell. After you use this ability, you cannot do so again until you complete a short or long rest.

Kobold Culture

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your kobold character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: itinerant , Pedresco , villager .

Goblin Traits

Goblins gain the following traits.

Age. Goblins reach adulthood at age 12 and live up to 60 years.

Size. Small. 

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Nimble Escape. You can Disengage  or Hide as a bonus action. After using this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Speed. Your base Speed is 30 feet.

Goblin Gifts

Select one of the following gifts.

Adaptive Fortitude

You gain an expertise die on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance to poison damage.

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast enhance ability  once per long rest . Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Soothe the Beast

You can call upon instincts to calm a dangerous creature. Beasts and monstrosities with Intelligence 3 or less have disadvantage on attack rolls against you.

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast animal friendship  once per long rest , except it can also work on monstrosities with Intelligence 3 or less. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.

Goblin Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon gifts.

Natural Escapist

You can use Nimble Escape an unlimited number of times.

Unbreakable

When you succeed a death saving throw you can spend one Hit Die to heal 1 hit point. You can’t use this feature again until you complete a short or long rest .

Goblin Culture

Goblins are integrating into society, but many still live on the fringes. Most goblins are seen with suspicion, even hunted.

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your goblin character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: De Guerra , stoneworthy , wildling .
 

Gnoll Traits

Gnolls gain the following traits.

Age. Gnolls reach adulthood at age 12 and live up to 50 years.

Size. Medium. 

Bristling Instinct. You gain an expertise die on saving throws against being frightened , and against other effects that would alter your emotions. (An expertise die is an extra 1d4 that you roll and add to your main d20 roll.)

Speed. Your base Speed is 35 feet.

Gnoll Gifts

Select one of the following gifts.

Magic in the Blood

You know one cantrip of your choice from the sorcerer spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level sorcerer spell, which you can cast once per long rest without any material components. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast as if using a 2nd-level spell slot, if the spell allows. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Predatory Body

You have advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell. Additionally, your fanged maw is a natural weapon,  which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
While you aren’t wearing armor, your AC equals 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.

Gnoll Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon gifts.

Free-Minded

You gain an expertise die  on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Supernatural Hide

You can spend a bonus action and choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, necrotic, poison, radiant, or thunder. You gain resistance to that damage type for the next minute. After you use this trait a number of times equal to half your proficiency bonus, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest .

Gnoll Culture

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your gnoll character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: Bloodmarked , Pedresco , Steelmarked .
 

Deva Traits

Devas gain the following traits.

Type. Humanoid. However, you can be detected by magic that can detect celestials.

Age. Devas reincarnate into adult bodies, and die of old age perhaps seventy years after their incarnation begins.

Size. Medium usually, though Small deva who were once gnomes or halflings are not unknown.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Deathless Calm. You gain resistance to necrotic and radiant damage, and cannot be blinded by bright light.

Memory of Past Lifetimes. You can choose to gain an expertise die when making an ability check or saving throw . If this is an ability check using a skill, tool, or vehicle you are not proficient with, you gain proficiency for the next minute. After you use this trait, you cannot use it again until you complete a short or long rest .

Deva Gifts

Select one of the following deva gifts.

Pluripotent Form

You have one or more extra sets of spiritual arms, which are clearly magical and not attached to your torso, but instead float a short distance away. You can dismiss them or manifest them with a thought. You still only have two limbs that can wield weapons, shields, and the like, and you don’t gain any extra actions. However, these limbs allow you to hold many extra hands’ worth of items, and are quite useful at confounding those who would tie you up.

Additionally, you count as one size larger for the purpose of grabbing and shoving. Your unarmed strikes count as magical. Once per round when you hit with an unarmed strike, you can deal an extra 1 radiant damage.

Presence of the Divine

You also know one cantrip of your choice from the cleric spell list. At 3rd level, choose one 1st- or 2nd-level cleric spell, which you can cast once per long rest without any material components. A 1st-level spell chosen this way can be cast as if using a 2nd-level spell slot, if the spell allows. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Deva Paragon

When you reach 10th level, you gain one of the following paragon gifts.

Combined Soul

Your memories now include those of many devas who lived before you. You gain an expertise die on ability checks . In addition, when you finish a long rest you gain proficiency with a skill or tool kit of your choice until you finish your next long rest.

Manifest Incarnation

You learn to call forth a past life more fully. When you gain this ability, create a 3rd level deva character with your same base ability scores (though slightly altered if you choose a different background).

As a bonus action you can call forth a shimmering manifestation of this past life. You share senses intuitively. Each of you can move independently, but you share a single pool of one action, one bonus action, and one reaction per round. You share hit points .

When you fall unconscious , or if you and the incarnation are separated by more than 250 feet, the incarnation is destroyed. If the incarnation is adjacent to you, you can spend a bonus action to absorb it.

If the incarnation is destroyed without you absorbing it, you cannot manifest it again until you complete a long rest . If you do absorb it, you can manifest it again after a short rest. However, any limited-use abilities or spells it has used are still expended. The incarnation only regains expended abilities and spells when you complete a long rest.

When you manifest your incarnation, its spiritual essence has the equivalent of mundane equipment worth no more than 200 gold. Any of this equipment that leaves its possession vanishes after one round. The incarnation is corporeal and can wield other objects if it picks them up, but when the incarnation is destroyed or absorbed it drops those items.

For every minute the incarnation is active, you suffer a level of strife , which goes away when the incarnation is destroyed or absorbed. 

Deva Culture

Devas spread across the world, and only a handful of deva communities exist.

Suggested Cultures. While you can choose any culture for your deva character, the following cultures are linked closely with this heritage: forsaken , godbound .

A campaign is a series of game sessions linked together over a long period of play, sometimes lasting weeks, months, years, or even decades. The conclusion of a campaign is a deeply satisfying accomplishment, creating memories that last for years. The first step in reaching that conclusion is preparation. Though it may seem like a challenge, forethought, planning, and flexibility will give players a satisfying campaign that will live on long after the game has ended.

Guiding Principles

Always Put the Players First: The primary goal should be to craft an experience that players enjoy. Creating 10,000 years of history or organizations with dozens of fully-fleshed out NPCs does no good if the result doesn’t directly contribute to the player experience. Similarly, if the players are excited about a classic dungeon crawl campaign, an intrigue-heavy game set in a magic academy might not be well-received.

Narrators Don’t Tell Stories: Though it may seem counterintuitive, Narrators don’t tell stories. Instead, they facilitate them. Level Up asks players to engage and make decisions that actively shape an emergent narrative. Instead of telling a story, a Narrator sets the stage, creates the background cast, and defines a scenario or conflict. The players create the main characters and then make decisions that produce results, mediated by dice. The story is the result of those elements coming together. Good campaigns create room for players to make decisions that affect outcomes. Great campaigns are the result of co-operative storytelling, with endings that often surprise Narrators and players alike. Don't overplan or decide the outcomes of encounters before they happen. Try to avoid scripted events that players are powerless to interfere with.

Developing a Premise

Before creating adventures or antagonists, establish a campaign’s premise. A premise is a basic statement that describes a campaign in broad terms. A good premise typically includes who the player characters are, what sorts of activities they will engage in, and where the campaign will occur. It also provides focus and informs nearly every aspect of the campaign, including the game's tone, pacing, and other details. 

Importantly, establishing a good premise creates shared expectations for the players. This helps to make sure that players are interested in the game and will help them to identify character concepts that fit the game.

To formulate a campaign’s premise, ask some questions. These questions help to clarify the game’s vision and create a general framework from which to build. 

What Type of Campaign?

There are many types of campaigns that encompass a variety of stories, but no single campaign can encompass them all without collapsing. The Narrator should begin with what’s exciting to them and what the players have expressed interest in. Dungeon crawls or games that are filled with thrilling combats? The court drama and shadow plays of political intrigue or the mystery of a vanished civilization?

Narrators that are just getting started or without any preferences might choose to instead work with a concept that includes a variety of different experiences without creating too many complications. For example, a rebellion offers a myriad of different gaming sessions (warfare on the field of battle or in the streets, politicking, sabotage, subterfuge, and more). 

Who Are the Adventurers?

Who are the adventurers? What is their role in the campaign? Are they larger-than-life heroes or normal people with mortal frailties? Are they destined to defeat a dark god or outcast misfits brought together by happenstance? Are they members of an organization? How are they connected? Where are they on the hero, anti-hero, and villain spectrum?

When asking these questions, avoid limiting character concepts and backgrounds. Adventurers come from all walks of life, and even an organization like a thieves guild leaves room for nearly any character type. A group of magic-hunting inquisitors may put insurmountable limitations on player choice however, so keep player choice in mind.

What Activities do the Adventurers Engage in?

Are the adventurers hunting down and exterminating a fell cult obsessed with summoning an elder evil? Are they just trying to make enough money to survive by hunting monsters? Are they pursuing a mystery that will lead them to a magical revelation that could transform the world?

In order to avoid narrative fatigue, make sure that the premise is broad enough to encompass a variety of different adventures or activities. Even dungeon-delving adventurers might get invited to a party. 

What are the Conflicts?

Conflicts are a vital part of any compelling story. Are the adventurers pitting themselves against unfathomable evil or are they struggling to survive the mundane dangers of a harsh wilderness? Are people the real monsters, or are monsters the real monsters? A great campaign encapsulates many conflicts, but a few will likely overshadow the rest.

What is the Scope?

How much time will the game cover? How much geography? How many levels will the adventurers achieve? How many NPCs will they meet and form relationships with? What is at stake? Will the party be fighting to save a village or the world? Games with high stakes might help to create focus, but such stakes can quickly create narrative fatigue or force the players to ignore side content or exploration. Why would reborn heroes help a farmer discover what’s eating his livestock when they’re in a race against time to stop an alien horror from rising?

Many Narrators have an urge to tell sweeping and epic tales, but often smaller and more intimate stories with personal stakes are just as if not more rewarding. The fate of a village on the edge of a crumbling empire might be more compelling than that of the empire itself because of the intimacy of the stakes. A smaller scope is also easier to manage, particularly for Narrators that are just starting out. When using high stakes do so sparingly—a group of adventurers can only save the world so many times before even that becomes stale.

What is the Tone?

Tone is an important characteristic in any narrative. Is the campaign a brood narrative of personal horror or a pulpy four-color action adventure? The tone of a campaign might shift over play, and may vary from session to session, but consider what each segment, act, or plot arc should convey. As with activities, varying the tone can help fight narrative fatigue.

Define the Premise

With this information in hand and defining the campaign’s premise, keep the focus on the adventurers. Use the examples below as a guide.

• Explorers and mercenaries looting a land devastated by a magical apocalypse.
• Members of a thieves guild struggling to survive in the shadows and overthrow a corrupt governor in an occupied city.
• Mythical heroes reincarnated to stop the rebirth of an evil god.
• Down-on-their luck adventurers hunting monsters on the periphery of a rapidly industrializing kingdom.

  With a premise, the Narrator can consider other questions about the structure and the flow of the campaign.

Plot Structure

At its core, a campaign is a collection of stories, or adventures, that are connected together by narrative threads.

In an episodic campaign, these threads are loose. Each adventure is self-contained, beginning when the players are involved and ending when they’ve completed it and often lasting no more than a couple sessions. The adventurers themselves may be the only threads that connect these episodes. This works well when the stakes are low or when covering a large period of time.

In a serialized campaign, the plot is a single long running story broken up over a series of chapters. Perhaps the whole campaign is focused on the acquisition of a powerful artifact or the defeat of an elder evil. While there will be other stories contained within, each plot and adventure builds toward a singular narrative. These campaigns tend to focus on an event with high stakes or a relatively short period of time.

Practically speaking, most games exist near the middle of the spectrum. There might be an overarching plot that the game builds towards, but that larger narrative is interspersed with other adventures that might not be directly related to it. Many long form television series use this structure. The adventurers may investigate a cult, a series of monster attacks, and a group of bandits, only to discover that some of them are related as the broader story transpires.

The plot structure might also shift at various points in the game based upon the players’ actions or as the campaign transitions from one act to the next as events unfold or new information is acquired.

Act Structure

It’s not necessary to have every single adventure of a campaign written, but sketching out a general idea of how it might end is an important step. It helps to conceptualize a campaign’s beginning, middle, and end, or Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3.

Act 1 is an opportunity to introduce characters, locations, factions, and plot threads. It is also an opportunity to foreshadow future events and build relationships or allegiances that will shape the campaign to come.

The second act is often the bulk of the campaign, and much of game’s conflict occurs here. The adventurers’ decisions should play a central role in shaping Act 3 (the conclusion). Use this as an opportunity to provide choices and events that the players can influence or decide.

Act 3 is usually the shortest segment and should be shaped by the previous acts. While there may be an urge to carefully plan Act 3 well in advance, , avoid planning too much if possible. Focus on the antagonist's motivations or plans and the broader events that serve as a backdrop, and allow the players to take part in writing the conclusion through their actions and choices in Acts 1 and 2.

Pacing

The pace of a campaign is an important factor and is dependent on the stakes. Unless there is a compelling reason for the adventurers to push themselves, periods of downtime create verisimilitude and opportunities to highlight relationships, communities, or other significant aspects of the setting without taking up too much table time. 

Campaign Zero

Another important piece of preparation prior to a campaign’s start is session zero. This invaluable tool should include discussing the campaign and establishing expectations. Important topics include but are not limited to:

• The campaign’ premise, the tone, and what players can generally expect from gameplay.
• House rules.
• A general overview of the campaign’s setting.
• Who the characters are, how powerful they are relative to the setting, and their general moral orientation.
• Expectations on intra party conflict.
• The use of safety tools.
• Logistical concerns.

Session zero can also provide the opportunity for characters to create background ties and what roles they’d like to play.

Many campaigns are undone by a lack of organization. Before the campaign begins, set up tools to help track characters, events, and locations. When the campaign focuses on a particular geographic area, a map can be a valuable tool as well (especially if the party can track their travels on it). 

Example

Sarah is creating a campaign for her players. She asks about their preferences and learns that they want roleplay and exploration, a fair amount of combat, and some politics. Sarah is a new Narrator, and she doesn’t want to overcomplicate things. She doesn’t want to run a “save the world” plot either, opting for something more intimate: exiles thrust into a life of adventure in a town at the edge of a crumbling empire. 

Sarah decides to use Act 1 to establish the setting, introduce NPCs and organizations, and foreshadow events in Act 2. She decides Act 1 will cover a year of game time, ending when a civil war erupts that marks the transition into Act 2. Not  wanting to inundate the players, Sarah plans a total of 6 planned adventures during that time, giving them the option for periods of downtime, wilderness exploration and ruins that she plans to seed, and hijinks. 

An episodic structure is the approach she opts for. The primary conflict of Act 2 will revolve around a trio of factions, the remnant of an imperial government, the heir to a hereditary throne, and a religious institution. They are all searching for an ancient repository of arcane technology, so she sketches out adventures that highlight each faction during Act 1. She wants to showcase the ancient civilization that will play a central role in Act 2 and Act 3 so she sketches an adventure that will take the party to a dungeon crawl in the ruins. Sarah also creates a list of strong characters with interesting motivations and backstories that her roleplay hungry players can delve into, then identifies where they can best be included in the setting and her adventures.

She rounds out Act 1 with a prepublished adventure that she plans to modify, hooks for several adventure sites, and a job board with small tasks and bounties. 

Sarah knows that Act 2 will begin with the start of a civil war that sparks a struggle for control among the factions she’s created. Each wants to harness the ancient power hidden in the ruins. She develops the general motivations of each faction, but she doesn’t want to plan too far ahead, instead waiting to see what her players do in Act 1. She expects the party to pick one and support it, but she knows that players often surprise Narrators. 

Act 3 is months away so she keeps the details vague. She knows that she wants an ancient threat to emerge—brought about by the misuse of their artifacts—but that’s months away and she doesn’t want to limit herself with too much planning. Ultimately, she knows that the secrets concealed nearby could affect the power dynamics of the whole region. 

She creates the outline for an introductory adventure that will introduce the players to each other, get them to town, and provide them with some choice as to where to go next. 

To prepare for her session zero, Sarah creates a list of topics and develops questions to help her players create characters that mesh well with the campaign and each other. Using that information, she refines her first adventure, makes some modifications, and prepares to run her campaign!

Adventurers encounter and even seek out experiences beyond the ken of most mortals. Whether it’s harrowing encounters with interdimensional beings, the sudden, violent loss of a beloved NPC, or simply the trauma of constantly being surrounded by death and terror, their lows can be as dramatic and potentially impactful as their highs. 

The harm that can come to adventurers may not always be physical, and players may decide that these events have a more lasting effect on their character’s psyche. It’s important to consider this in conjunction with the safety rules and its potential impact on the game. When a group or the Narrator decides that gamifying mental stress and morale isn’t right for the campaign, respectful roleplay is a viable alternative to these mechanics.           

Mental Stress Effects

The Narrator may decide that a particular encounter that goes badly can leave a lasting impact on adventurers. Alternatively, if these options are discussed during character creation a player may decide that an event in their past provides sufficient mental stress to bring about a change in their character. These effects provide options for short- and long-term repercussions. A creature may only have one mental stress effect at a time. A long-term effect overrides a short-term effect, and if two effects are of equal strength, the most recent effect replaces the older effect.

A mental stress effect is usually best chosen based on the encounter that causes it and an adventurer’s personality, but may be randomly determined using the mental stress effect tables.

Table: Short-Term Mental Stress Effects (d10)

1. Bewildered

2. Cowed

3. Distraught

4. Enraged

5. Flippant

6. Musical

7. Obsessed

8. On Edge

9. Sleepless

10. Terrorized

Table: Long-Term Mental Stress Effect (d10)

1. Covetous

2. Distorted perceptions

3. Hopeless

4. Inimical

5. Memory Wipe

6. Murderous

7. Peacekeeping

8. Phobia

9. Superstitious

10. Suspicious

Strife and Mental Stress Effects

When a creature suffers its fifth level of strife it gains a short-term mental stress effect, and when it suffers its seventh level of strife it gains a long-term mental stress effect.

Short-Term Mental Stress Effects

These conditions are the immediate effects of mental stress after an event or encounter. They last for 1d6 days, but could remain longer based on discussions between the Narrator and player. 

BEWILDERED

A bewildered creature is overwhelmed by trying to process a particular event. Its mind begins to play tricks, altering its perceptions. A bewildered creature has disadvantage on social-based ability checks as it struggles to engage with what’s happening. When a bewildered creature would succeed on an ability check, roll another d20. On a result of 15 or less the creature succeeds, but otherwise it fails the ability check instead. This could be caused by a temporary forgetfulness that leads the creature to forget what it was trying to achieve, or in some cases a brief hallucination that alters the circumstances in such a way that it is unable to succeed.

COWED

A cowed creature cannot shake the idea that they are certain to face defeat, and so flinch and surrender at the first sign of danger. After taking any damage in combat, on its next turn a cowed creature takes the Dash action and uses all of its movement to escape danger (or if it is unable to move towards safety, the Dodge action). A cowed creature has disadvantage on Intimidation checks and when given any alternative to combat will happily take it, and it has advantage on Persuasion checks made to try and avoid combat.

DISTRAUGHT

A distraught creature is visibly and deeply shaken by a recent experience, and its apparent distress moves people to do what they can to help. Once per long rest, a distraught creature can choose to gain advantage on a check made to persuade neutral or friendly creatures to aid it, but it has disadvantage on Deception, Performance, and initiative checks.

ENRAGED

An enraged creature is unable to shake its frustration with an enemy or its own perceived failings after an encounter. An enraged creature has advantage on Strength checks, but has disadvantage on all other ability checks. Whenever an enraged creature fails an ability check, it throws or attempts to break any tools or objects involved in the check.

FLIPPANT

A flippant creature refuses to face the enormity of whatever event befell it. Not only does a flippant creature superficially shrug off the experience, it goes to reckless ends to prove it is ‘unaffected’ with little regard for itself or allies. A flippant creature has advantage on Dexterity checks, but has disadvantage on Wisdom checks and saving throws .

MUSICAL

A musical creature has temporarily taken leave of social norms after a deep shock or strange encounter. Instead of talking, it now sporadically sings its thoughts and during conversation, giving it disadvantage on Deception, Intimidation, and Stealth checks but advantage on Performance checks.

OBSESSED

An obsessed creature cannot stop talking about the ordeal that troubles it. It has disadvantage on Stealth checks as it constantly tells allies that it is reminded of “that time when…” Whenever initiative is rolled, an obsessed creature makes a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or loses 1 round of actions as it wrestles with and exclaims about the similarities to the traumatic encounter in its past.

ON EDGE

A creature that is on edge is hyperaware of its surroundings and unable to fully relax. An on edge creature has advantage on Perception and initiative checks, but disadvantage on all other ability checks as it is distracted, unable to take its mind off the dangers that could potentially lurk around every corner.

SLEEPLESS

A sleepless creature is unsettled by its encounter and struggles to relax in order to sufficiently rest. Whenever a sleepless creature takes a long rest, it makes a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw to quiet its mind or only gains the benefits of a short rest . During rests where a sleepless creature has failed its Wisdom save, it has advantage on Perception checks made to detect danger.

TERRORIZED

A terrorized creature is not just fearful of danger but convinced it is already here. A terrorized creature is unable to shake its fear response from its unsettling encounter, unwilling to go within 30 feet of strangers or participate in melee combat without succeeding on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw first (instead taking the Dash action to escape to safety or retreat from a sudden noise). A terrorized creature has advantage on Perception checks and any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution checks made to escape combat or danger, but it will sleep only in places with reasonable security precautions.
 

Long-Term Mental Stress Effects

These effects denote a more permanent impact made by the mental stress of traumatic encounters. 

COVETOUS 

A covetous creature is gripped by a fear of losing in any sense and it begins to desire what is owned by others, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, feeling deprived by that which they do not have. A covetous creature has advantage on Sleight of Hand checks, but disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and Deception checks related to things it has taken.

DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS

A creature with distorted perceptions has been shaken to its core, and perhaps had its mind jolted by interdimensional travel. Whenever a creature with distorted perceptions rolls a Perception check with a result equal to or less than its passive Perception, small details of the world begin to warp—a swaying tree becomes a dancing shadowy figure, a coil of rope becomes a deadly snake coiled to attack, and its allies may temporarily wear the face of an enemy. These distorted perceptions are brief but absolutely real to the creature. 

Discussion between the Narrator and the player of an adventurer with distorted perceptions can determine what kind of hallucinations they’re most likely to have and how far they’d like to take it.

HOPELESS

A hopeless creature has completely lost faith in its purpose and finds it difficult to be motivated. A hopeless creature has advantage on Persuasion checks that involve convincing someone not to take a certain course of action, arguing the pointlessness of it all, but it has disadvantage on initiative checks.

INIMICAL

When an inimical creature is bloodied , on its next turn it takes the Attack action against the nearest creature to it. The inimical creature has disadvantage on these attacks as it flails without control. In addition, an inimical creature has disadvantage on checks and saving throws made against being grappled or restrained .

MEMORY WIPE

A creature with a memory wipe becomes forgetful in the extreme after its encounter, perhaps not remembering the event at all. A memory wiped creature has disadvantage on Arcana, Culture, History, Nature, and Religion checks, and any other knowledge-based check as its capacity to easily recall information is profoundly affected.

MURDEROUS

A murderous creature no longer sees shades of gray when it comes to even the gentlest disagreement or conflict. At the first sign of conflict, whether that be disagreement within the party or a suspicious looking stranger, a murderous creature sees red, attacking first and asking questions later. Dazed by their recklessness, a murderous creature has disadvantage on initiative checks, but advantage on its first attack roll on each of its turns while in such a state. This state lasts for a maximum of 5 rounds, but can be ended earlier by a calm emotions spell or DC 18 Persuasion check. 

PEACEKEEPING

A peacekeeping creature wants no more violence and on each of its turns uses all of its actions to prevent or subdue combat by every nonviolent method at its disposal, continuing this course of action until it or an ally are bloodied . A peacekeeping creature has disadvantage on initiative checks but advantage on its first ability check made to try and end a combat.

PHOBIA

A traumatic encounter leads a creature to have a long-term, debilitating fear of some element of the encounter. For example, narrowly escaping a burning building may leave a creature with a phobia of fire. When encountering the subject of its phobia, a creature makes a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw . On a success the creature can act normally, but on a failure it is frightened for 1 minute (at the Narrator’s discretion, depending on the situation it may be incapacitated instead). At the end of each of its turns, the creature repeats the saving throw, able to act normally on a success.

SUPERSTITIOUS

A creature comes to believe it has survived its traumatic encounter thanks only to the presence of a lucky charm. This charm can be anything it had on its person at the time of the event. The superstitious creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws whenever it is more than 30 feet away from its charm, except for Investigation or Perception checks to find the charm again (which are made with advantage ).

SUSPICIOUS 

A suspicious creature has lost faith in the goodness of the people and circumstances around it. A suspicious creature has advantage on Sleight of Hand checks, and Perception checks to detect hidden foes, but it has disadvantage on Insight checks as it is unable to objectively interpret intentions. 

Indefinite Mental Stress

It may be that a creature encounters a situation that inflicts indefinite effects on its psyche. In this case it may have one or more of any of the above mental stress effects, with no time limits imposed. The Narrator should decide which effects and how many. A creature can only suffer from multiple mental stress effects if one or more are indefinite mental stress effects.

Saving Throws

Saving throws can be used to determine how a creature handles the mental stress of a particular encounter. When a creature fails a saving throw by 10 or more or rolls a critical failure on a saving throw, it may acquire a short-term mental stress effect determined by what the save was made for. In a tougher encounter, at the Narrator’s discretion a success may mean that a creature is left with a short-term mental stress effect, and on a failure it instead acquires a long-term mental stress effect.

Wisdom or Charisma saving throws are most likely to relate to a creature’s mental fortitude, however Intelligence or Constitution may be more applicable based on the encounter.

Spell Effects

Some spells such as contact other plane and symbol involve potential impacts on the mind of a creature. Rather than using the described spell effects, the Narrator may substitute a short- or long-term mental stress effect.

Relieving Mental Stress Effects

Like physical injuries, the mental impacts of adventuring are not permanent. In a world where even death is not necessarily the end, there are also options to recover from the mental impacts of overwhelming events.

Roleplay

In the same way that danger sometimes passes without combat, conditions that impact an adventurer’s psyche (rather than their physical self) can be resolved through effective roleplay. Roleplaying an important resolution for a PC (or even an important NPC) may bring an end to their condition—this might be reuniting with a significant person from their past, finally defeating a sworn enemy, or simply being soothed by the companionship and protection of their allies. 

Healing Magic

Short- and long-term mental stress effects can usually be removed with a greater restoration spell (although the Narrator may set other conditions) and temporarily relieved by the calm emotions spell (until the spell ends).

Other Magic. The obvious restorative properties of healing magic are effective, but powerful illusions or even spells that alter reality have the potential to end mental stress effects.

Personality Changes

A failed saving throw may not lead to a mental stress effect. In some cases after discussion with the group, the Narrator may decide that a particular event leads to a far more fundamental change. The nature of this change and the status of an adventurer’s mental stress effect afterward (it may become a long-term mental stress effect, indefinite, change to a short-term mental stress effect, or be removed entirely) are at the Narrator’s discretion.