The End of Isles of Adomawyr
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It has finally happened. After six years, we have finished the first D&D campaign that I (Jandré) wrote.
A quick overview
Late in 2019, a group of friends and I decided we wanted to play D&D. Initially, one of my friends was supposed to be the Dungeon Master (DM) for the game, but had to withdraw before we could truly begin. So I, knowing absolutely nothing at that point, decided to take the reins and not only run a D&D game, but also to write the campaign and build a world for the players to experience.
Early in 2020 Covid hit, and we moved the game online to Discord so that we could continue playing. The moment we were allowed to play in person again, we disregarded Discord in favour of sitting around a table with a beer. Through the years that followed, we went through several lineup changes, which were sometimes challenging. But the story remained the same.
Halfway through 2023, following our last major line-up change, we took the plunge and started livestreaming our game. The first few games were rough. We used cellphones linked to a laptop as cameras and borrowed some mics. I made all the mounts from scrap pieces of wood to try to gain some consistency. I painted a backdrop to resemble a stone wall with banners featuring the logos of BD&D and the livestream. But we persisted.
The biggest change came in December 2024, when I started moving and finally had a space that I could dedicate to a studio. We also got a new camera and a mic, which made the setup significantly better. The studio is still in a constant state of upgrades, but we have something that works very well.
What I learned
Running a game for 6 years is an incredible challenge. I've had seasoned DM's tell me they're impressed that we were able to last that long and make it work. But I will not be doing that again.
Low-level and high-level D&D is very difficult to balance. In the early levels, irrespective of what I do, I had to really pull my punches to not kill the characters. And by the time most of the party was above level 13, encounters were either a breeze or very deadly. So, most of the campaigns that I run moving forward will be between level 3 and level 13 as I feel that's the sweet spot. Also, knowing the game a lot better now and running a game that is not as content-heavy should make for a significantly shorter campaign.
Things take a lot longer than they seem. I planned a few encounters in minute detail and was worried that it would not be enough for a session. Those encounters ended up taking several sessions, and many of the minute details were either glossed over or left out entirely. For future sessions, I plan to have an overall view of where the story is heading and have enough content in the area for the players to interact with. This would allow the players to have fun without causing us stress if things are missed. This could also be attributed to none of us knowing the game that well. In the early years of the game, the only rules we had available were the free rules. If I recall, the first time I purchased a Player's Handbook (2014) was two years into the game.
Players have a mind of their own, and it contributes to the story. Starting, I had a very clear-cut idea of how the narrative should go, and wanted the players to follow that to the letter. Letting go of the narrative and the world to allow the players to interact with it was extremely difficult, and I still sometimes struggle with it. But letting go took the story to places I never imagined. Some ideas were completely senseless and never contributed to the overall narrative, and I would end up chatting to the player out of game to try to understand the thinking. Ultimately, some decisions were retconned to fit within the overall narrative.
Looking ahead
We're on the verge of starting the second campaign, Deum Fieri. And things are looking very promising. A completely different narrative where we are exploring some more challenging themes rather than just figuring out who the big bad is and killing it. Originally, I thought Deum Fieri would be less epic than Isles of Adomawyr because it has a smaller scope, but in writing the campaign and chatting to the players about their characters, I doubt that will be the case.
As Dungeon Monster for this new campaign, I am very excited for the future of Denizens of the Ækleosphere.