Today we are beginning a new campaign. I hope it will turn into something great and fun for every one of us.
My group consist three players and me, Dungeon Master. Each and everyone is seasoned player, we all began our role-playing experience long ago, in times of second edition's full bloom. Yes, we were avid AD&D fans and switching to D&D 3rd Editions was quite difficult for us. Perhaps, if we had more time to learn and play it, we'd love it. But now, on eve of 4th edition, we try to start new campaign.
We had a lengthy and honest conversation. A lot of games and ideas were spoiled in the past, as campaigns crumbled to dust due to some internal arguments, personal issues and lack of motivation. I made known my mind: I don't like "munchkinism", I don't want players to search each and everyone handbook to get "another +1 bonus", and finally I don't want outside-of-play brainstorming. This campaign is meant to be fun for me and for them. We have too much shit in our ordinary lives. There is too many problems, difficulties and too many our hopes has perished. We play to have fun, to be heroes, to achieve something, we didn't in live. Perhaps, we play to achieve katharsis. So, we are going to be heroes, to do epic stuff, to become legends of our time.
For these reasons I chose Forgotten Realms. I'm a long time Ravenloft fan and Dark Sun enthusiast. Unfortunately, these settings are too much harsh to be scene for true heroes, so Toril became obvious choice. There was a time, when I considered it one-dimensional, unreasonable and silly setting. Now I see it as high fantasy, epic and glamour world. It's not the logic that rules Toril, it's the goal of living high adventure.
My party consists of three players, at least for now. I'd like to induce to more, but we have troubles with candidates. "Real adult life" sidelined some of our obvious choices. Old comrades got married and became parents, other moved abroad yet another severed links to us.
In alphabetic order they are:
Adrian - my long time friend, we had ups and downs, but despite this still like each other (I hope) and like play with each other. Adrian was great Greyhawk DM and always has some cool but sometimes weird ideas. As a matter of fact, he's volcano of ideas.
Jarecki is one of my true friends. I cannot express it in words. I like play with him, he always got strong points to make, thinks logically and builds interesting PCs. I remember Fading Suns campaign ran by him, which consisted a good proportions of combat, puzzles, role-playing and suspense. Most of all, he proved, that this system and setting were playable.
Last but no least is Terentz. Another cool friend of mine and long-running AD&D Forgotten Realms DM. We called his campaign "animalistic AD&D", because of style of our play, which was very munchcinist. Eventually, due to internal issues, campaign broke up, which we always regretted.
Gathering my friends and stating what I had in mind, I let them speak freely. Ideas flown fluently and they began to creating PC. This process took a lot of time and we finished it on second session, planed on May, 31st.
