Hello patrons! I’d love to start up a new series of posts that are all about the greatest RPG campaigns. These are the ones that you think about years after the fact. The ones you can’t help but mention when people around you are telling stories about their RPG exploits. The ones you’ll never forget.

Some of these campaigns are ones I’ve ran as a DM or GM. Others are ones where I was a player. I may invite other RPG folks here to tell a few of their own stories to keep the perspectives fresh. So, without further ado, let’s talk about what makes a campaign legendary.

What’s a Legendary RPG Campaign?

In my opinion, there are three aspects that define the best RPG campaigns. First, they must be memorable. Second, they must be satisfying. And third, they must be immersive. I’ll explain each of these points below.

Memorable

One of the surefire signs of a legendary campaign is how memorable it is. If you can recall the names of the other player characters, that’s a good start. If you can remember specific names of NPCs, cities, or landmarks, that’s even better. Remembering story arcs, twists, betrayals, and surprises–those are the signs of a game that’s going to stick with you long after you put down the dice.

For me, the first sign of a truly memorable game is when the players get together after the game–usually in the parking lot or next to their cars outside the gaming venue–and discuss what just happened, what’s going to happen next, and how their characters are going to respond. It never fails to put a big grin on my face if, as the DM/GM, I spot my players lingering after the game is over to talk over their future plans or try to figure out what a big clue might mean.

The second sign of a memorable campaign is if the players participate in any outside-the-campaign activities. This can range from paining miniatures of their PCs, NPCs, or monsters to writing stories that take place in-between the regular sessions of the campaign. Even if a player contacts the DM outside the game simply to talk about what they’d like to do in the future, this is a signal that the game is going to be well-remembered.

Satisfying

The most legendary RPG campaigns are also satisfying. When you think back on those games, you have a smile on your face. You feel like your character’s story was given a chance to develop. Your character may not have accomplished everything they wanted, but they had at least one major arc of growth from where they started.

Sometimes, where your character ends up is completely at odds with what you first imagined as their destiny. Sometimes, the character’s arc surprises you as much as satisfies you. And other times, you get exactly the end result you wanted when you first picked up the dice for this character’s beginning adventure.

The satisfying part of a legendary campaign can also involve the growth and change of the game world as a result of the players’ actions. As a DM/GM, I can certainly attest that some of the legendary campaigns I’ve run have hit that status due to the players making important decisions that affected the setting. If the campaign world is changed by the player character’s actions (and everyone enjoys that process!), then your campaign is likely to be legendary indeed.

Immersive

This aspect of legendary campaigns is close–practically adjacent–to the memorable quality described above. Characters, NPCs, and the world of the game itself all can be rendered vividly in the players’ imaginations… and if you’ve accomplished that, you’re well on your way to a damn good campaign. The most truly immersive campaigns are the ones where you or the other players can simply close their eyes and vividly see the places, people, and things their characters encountered on their adventures.

I’ve had players tell me they’ve dreamed about their characters in legendary campaigns. I myself can clearly see in my mind’s eye both former PCs and the monsters they defeated. If you can tell a story about the campaign and ignite a similar passion in a listener’s heart by telling it, that’s a campaign that deserves legendary status.

Coming Up

The first campaign I’d like to talk about in this vein is set in a world of my own creation, a world that has become a bit… problematic of late. Tune in next time when we discuss legendary campaigns and the setting of Shadows Angelus.

Patrons Speak!

If you’ve had a legendary campaign in the past, tell me about it in the comments! If you think I’ve missed an aspect of a legendary campaign that needs to be discussed, let me know about it! I love hearing from my patrons and this is your opportunity to tell me and everyone else about the legendary campaigns you’ve experienced personally.