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Oftentimes, when I am playing D&D or other TTRPGs, it can feel as if I am nothing more than a cog in the GM’s machine. Set on rails, destined for events regardless of the sharp twists and turns that could be present via character choice. Some of my favorite campaigns have taken that audience-like participation and flipped it into a cooperative space. The Game Master’s Handbook of Collaborative Campaign Design and the Wild Magic and Mischief Card Deck are tools that don’t just offer collaborative and unpredictable gameplay as an option; they provide tools that turn a linear pathway into a beautiful tapestry of opportunity.
Dungeons & Dragons can be a daunting game to pick up, especially when looking at the numerous sourcebooks that now make up 5th Edition. Because of this, new GMs can become entrenched in following rules or specific campaigns right down to the dungeon’s cobbled floors. Collaborative Campaign Design challenges GMs to think about gameplay as a community effort. Doing so creates a story where not even the GM will know the ending, and where every player has a chance to shape the events that take place.
Key Details
- Publisher: Media Lab Books
- Author:
- Collaborative Campaign Design: Jonah Fishel and Tristan Fishel
- Wild Magic and Mischief: Will Earl
- Price:
- Collaborative Campaign Design: $14.99
- Wild Magic and Mischief: $19.99
- Compatible With: Most TTRPGs and 5th Edition Systems
Turning A Campaign Into a Group Effort
I have never felt more seen as a TTRPG player than when reading Collaborative Campaign Design. For years, I have favored gameplay where the GM doesn’t know everything, where player actions and desires have lasting impacts on the narrative, and where anything is possible. However, it always felt like I was breaking the rules. Aren’t campaigns supposed to be rigid? Isn’t the DM the one who delivers the story and steers the characters? Sure, there is an amount of randomization in how a roll resolves, but at the end of the day, the party will get where they are going and fight the monster prepared for them, and that will be that.
But it doesn’t have to be, and that is what Collaborative Campaign Design is all about. This is volume, Jonah and Tristain provide all the tools a GM and the players need to create a space where everyone has a voice. This is designed to create a story where the GM acts as a shepherd, but the players have just as much control when it comes to the direction of the narrative.
This “Collaborative Magic”, as coined by the authors, builds stories so deep and unique that no sourcebook can truly capture them. The power of combined creativity is powerful, and the tools presented in the handbook help the party harness and use that creativity as they work through events.
I especially loved that the handbook encourages readers to jump chapters, with the resources applicable to new campaigns, or those in progress that would benefit from more player involvement or a more relaxed and creatively open GM.
Don’t be Afraid of Working Together
My favorite chapters covered the way players can sit down and begin creating a world together right from the beginning, and how that collaboration can take a great deal of stress off the shoulders of a GM. With everyone participating in the building of a world, no one person is solely responsible for the experience everyone has while playing. It also creates a level of dimension only possible with so many minds working on it.
This handbook is perfect for homebrewers as well, as it provides key breakdowns and thoughtful explanations on how to collectively construct an interesting setting to place a story in. Overall, Collaborative Campaign Designs is a must-have title for TTRPG fans, and a generally wonderful and introspective read on the power of teamwork.
Add A Little Chaos To Your Encounters
For GMs looking to shake up campaigns with collaborative gameplay and unexpected elements, The Game Master’s Deck of Wild Magic and Mischief is the perfect companion to Collaborative Campaign Design. This deck contains a unique collection of cards that, when pulled at random, can alter the direction of a session.
This deck operates similarly to The Deck of Many Things. The GM or a Party Member pulls a card at random during a combat encounter, and it activates a “Fount” or wild magic. However, what type of magic is entirely up to chance.
The Founts offer a temporary power to the enemy of the party, while also offering boons to Party Members in the form of a “Surge of Power” or a “Surge of Hope”. The Surge of Power is triggered on a natural 20 roll during combat, while a Surge of Hope is triggered by a natural 1.
The deck is perfect for those looking to replay a classic campaign with an unpredictable element. It also allows players to enjoy an additional level of chaos during combat. Every encounter will be different, making adventures through previously recognizable places new and exciting.
It might also encourage some unique storytelling and roleplay opportunities among players, especially if the Wild Magic that crops up impacts a character’s backstory or personality trait.
Final Score – 9/10
Both the Wild Magic and Mischief card deck and Collaborative Campaign Design handbook are must-have additions to a TTRPG player’s library. Whether you are looking to spice up a current campaign or want to try something new during an upcoming adventure, these tools are exactly what is needed.
In particular, the Collaborative Campaign Design handbook is a true gem, and I can’t say enough good things about the thoughtful way the writers provide their tips to readers. It’s so easy to lose the “we” in a campaign, and this is a gentle reminder that stories are more fun when they are told as a group.
**Bonus Action was provided with samples of Collaborative Campaign Design and Wild Magic and Mischief for the purpose of this review**
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