From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Campaign (role-playing games)
Campaign (role-playing games)
See also campaign setting. • A wargame campaign has a focus on military and
political activities, generally involving the affairs of
games,
In role-playing games a campaign is a continuing sto- entire fictional states. Miniature wargaming overlaps
ryline or set of adventures, typically involving the same and dovetails into role playing at this level. Games
characters. The purpose of the continuing storyline is to Workshop started life as a roleplay company, but
introduce a further aspect into the game: that of devel- through an analogous process have transformed
opment, improvement, and growth (or degeneration) of themselves into a miniatures manufacturing
the characters. In a campaign, a single session becomes a company with support material for entire fictional
scene or an act within an overall story arc. At its incep- worlds - all to support their own role/miniature
tion, a campaign may or may not have a defined conclu- campaign concepts.
sion. A campaign by definition spans more than one ses- • A four color or superheroic campaign is similar in
sion of play. Certain aspects of the game are nearly al- flavor to comic books. The players are often given
ways constant throughout a campaign: the setting, the tasks, such as supervillains to stop, by their
players, and the gamemaster. The gamemaster for a cam- superiors. [2]
paign is said to run the campaign. • A detective campaign focuses on mysteries that must
be solved by the players or that unfold as the game
Aspects of a campaign goes along. These may be ordinary crimes, or
mysteries of the paranormal. Certain games, such as
A campaign is characterized by the following aspects: Call of Cthulhu, are designed specifically with this
• The rules - What underlying game system is used? type of campaign in mind.
What changes, additions, or subtractions has the • Various variants of the above campaigns are created
game master made to the rules? How will the game by the players. The exact nature of these variations
master interpret those rules? are usually exposed by providing a descriptive prefix
• The game world or setting - Where do the to the word campaign. For example: a villain
adventures take place? What makes this world or campaign where the players are the bad guys or a
place unique? kiddie campaign where the players’ characters are
• Realism - Will the game attempt to closely simulate still children.
the real world? Or will unlikely or fantastic
happenings be commonplace?
• Humor - Will the game be silly or comical? Or will it Alternate names
be serious and dark? Some published games have deliberately used different
• An underlying storyline - Are the players a part of terms for the same concept. For instance, White Wolf us-
larger events occurring in the game world? Not all es the word Chronicle for its World of Darkness and Exalt-
campaigns have such a storyline, but most at least ed games. [3]
have recurring characters. [1]
Differing amounts of emphasis on any of these factors
help set the flavor of the campaign. References
[1] Jackson, Steve (2004). GURPS Basic Set 4th edition.
Types of campaigns [2]
Steve Jackson Games. pp. 486. ISBN 1-55634-730-8.
Stoddard, William (2007). GURPS Supers 4th edition.
• A hack and slash, kick in the door, or dungeon crawl Steve Jackson Games. pp. 94–98.
campaign focuses on slaying monsters and finding [3] Rein-Hagen, Mark (1992). Vampire: The Masquerade
treasure. This type of campaign is often very (Second ed.). White Wolf. pp. 62.
episodic. Many players of Dungeons & Dragons favor
this type of campaign.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Campaign (role-playing games)
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