Campaign Generation
Creating a scenario or a campaign can be one of the most challenging tasks for a Game Master. Literature, media and the internet can easily provide inspiration for a story or setting. Sometimes thought it seems impossible to come up with a good idea. Below is a series of tables that can be used to help spark an idea and all that is needed is a pair of six sided dice! Roll or select elements from the table(s) below to help kick start your imagination.
For example, I roll on the tables below with the following results. Based on those results I begin to construct the following story/scenario for my group.
Settings Table: 4 - Oceania
Time of Year Table: 3 – Late Spring/Early Summer
Local Weather Table: 7 – Thunder/Lightening Storm
Mission Objective Table: 8 – Investigate Table
Investigate Table: 3 – Person of Interest
Plot Twist Table: 3 - Vendetta
Contact Table: 6 - Criminal
Random Event: 1 – Innocent Bystander
Equipment Table: 3 – Spoiled Supplies
Mission Importance: 4 – Average
Our last mission left us stranded in Australia (Oceania), we have limited funds available and need to get back to London. It’s late spring/early summer and the weather is generally pleasant so we choose to sell some excess clothing and equipment to pay for our immediate needs. In order to raise the funds for our trip back to London we decide to pick up a simple job from the local police. They contract us to investigate a local civilian they are interested in. Since they lack enough information to formally open the investigation, they hire us “off the books” to follow him. Unfortunately, the person we are supposed to follow is the ex-brother-in-law of one of our group. The history between them makes things extremely volatile; nearly as much attention has to be paid to our partner as to the target to make sure nothing “foolish” happens.
During one of our routine surveillance shifts things go from bad to worse. The information the police provided was not accurate or complete in the least. The target is involved with a major criminal syndicate and our observations have not gone unnoticed. During a major lightening thunderstorm our lookout was caught in a running firefight with a little girl getting caught in the crossfire. The poor weather hid the girl’s presence until a bolt of lightning illuminated the scene. One of the criminals was startled by her sudden appearance and fire upon her. To make matters worse, only one of our group was present at the time of the incident, his partner was out looking for food since the supplies we purchased we spoiled. The police investigated the incident and really sweet the hell out of our guy. Given his volatile history with the target and the fact that he was alone when the incident took place, things looked pretty grim for us. Eventually, the police absolved us of any wrongdoing in the girl’s death; chalking it up to street crime. However that girl’s blood is on our hands and it’s our job to make them pay.
From only a few simple rolls of the dice we have generated a simple, yet complete background story to begin the adventure. Now that our group has the “who, what, when and why”, they can begin crafting the rest of the adventure. Some G.M.’s enjoy having key points to weave into their story; others like to see where the story takes them. Regardless of play style, a well-crafted background story can help guide the group, spark creativity or inspire whole new directions.
For example, I roll on the tables below with the following results. Based on those results I begin to construct the following story/scenario for my group.
Settings Table: 4 - Oceania
Time of Year Table: 3 – Late Spring/Early Summer
Local Weather Table: 7 – Thunder/Lightening Storm
Mission Objective Table: 8 – Investigate Table
Investigate Table: 3 – Person of Interest
Plot Twist Table: 3 - Vendetta
Contact Table: 6 - Criminal
Random Event: 1 – Innocent Bystander
Equipment Table: 3 – Spoiled Supplies
Mission Importance: 4 – Average
Our last mission left us stranded in Australia (Oceania), we have limited funds available and need to get back to London. It’s late spring/early summer and the weather is generally pleasant so we choose to sell some excess clothing and equipment to pay for our immediate needs. In order to raise the funds for our trip back to London we decide to pick up a simple job from the local police. They contract us to investigate a local civilian they are interested in. Since they lack enough information to formally open the investigation, they hire us “off the books” to follow him. Unfortunately, the person we are supposed to follow is the ex-brother-in-law of one of our group. The history between them makes things extremely volatile; nearly as much attention has to be paid to our partner as to the target to make sure nothing “foolish” happens.
During one of our routine surveillance shifts things go from bad to worse. The information the police provided was not accurate or complete in the least. The target is involved with a major criminal syndicate and our observations have not gone unnoticed. During a major lightening thunderstorm our lookout was caught in a running firefight with a little girl getting caught in the crossfire. The poor weather hid the girl’s presence until a bolt of lightning illuminated the scene. One of the criminals was startled by her sudden appearance and fire upon her. To make matters worse, only one of our group was present at the time of the incident, his partner was out looking for food since the supplies we purchased we spoiled. The police investigated the incident and really sweet the hell out of our guy. Given his volatile history with the target and the fact that he was alone when the incident took place, things looked pretty grim for us. Eventually, the police absolved us of any wrongdoing in the girl’s death; chalking it up to street crime. However that girl’s blood is on our hands and it’s our job to make them pay.
From only a few simple rolls of the dice we have generated a simple, yet complete background story to begin the adventure. Now that our group has the “who, what, when and why”, they can begin crafting the rest of the adventure. Some G.M.’s enjoy having key points to weave into their story; others like to see where the story takes them. Regardless of play style, a well-crafted background story can help guide the group, spark creativity or inspire whole new directions.
Campaign Tables
Location Table (Optional): The Location Table is optional, you may already have previously selected your location or perhaps you are continuing on from a previous adventure. If you are starting a fresh adventure anywhere in the world, roll on the following table to narrow down the general region of your adventure, which by no means has to be where your adventure begins. Part of the campaign may involve getting from Free Quebec to the New German Republic, or Japan to Australia.
Time of Year Table: The time of year can have interesting effects on an adventure. Besides indicating the general timeframe, the time of year can also indicate expected weather conditions. If you are feeling especially creative, you might also look into any local festivities or events associated with that time of year. Perhaps you group infiltrates a village during a seasonal event disguised as Baron Samdi for Halloween or party goers for Mardi Gra.
Local Weather Conditions Table: Sometimes the worst enemy you can encounter is Mother Nature herself. From arctic blizzards to scorching droughts weather can play an integral part of a campaign. Is your group prepared for drastic changes in weather, do you have enough long underwear for everyone? How about thick choking fog; not being able to see your enemy until they are right on top of you means ranged weapons are next to useless. That same thick fog could also mask your approach giving you a stealthy tactical advantage.
Mission Objectives Table: Roll 2D6 or select from the following list of locations. See the individual tables for details and suggestions.
Roll on one of the following mission tables to further determine the nature of your adventure. Be as creative in the interpretation of the mission as you can, developing a new adventure or campaign can be a challenging process so have fun. Inspiration can come from any number of sources such as television, movies, pictures, books and more. If you have specific elements you wish to incorporate into you adventure, than by all means select the mission objectives you feel best suits your vision. You may also want to roll more than once on the following tables to create even more complexity.
Objective Espionage Table: Espionage missions require a balance of strategy, ingenuity, skill and luck. The skills of a con artist might be needed, or perhaps someone who is good with locks? Penetrating an enemy camp or fortification might be best suited to a stealthy individual. Being able to sense the presence of guard patrols could also help ensure your mission is a success. But what happens once you have infiltrated the base? Getting out undetected can be even more challenging than getting in, especially if you are carrying cargo or someone of value.
Objective Capture Table: Capture missions involve the character or group tracking down and capturing the listed objective. Capturing objectives add a level of complexity in that the target person or object is to be secured without damage. When trying to capture a key strategic building or infrastructure element, protecting the objective can be extremely difficult. Capture objectives work well as dedicated combat missions, but also as intrigue/spy missions. What if you have to capture that objective without anyone else knowing?
Objective Destroy Table: Your mission is to destroy by any means necessary your target. What happens when that target is heavily fortified or deep behind enemy lines? That underworld lair is routinely patrolled and their security looks impregnable. Destroy missions are not only about blowing something up, but about how you and your team gets in and out alive.
Objective Locate Table: Locate missions can be as simple or complex as you desire. Simple missions might include locating a specific merchant who is willing to sell to you. Or perhaps you have been hired to locate a missing child that has been kidnapped for ransom. What if you need to locate an enemy scientist deep behind the lines?
Objective Disable Table: Disable missions share a lot in common with destroy missions, except for one key point. Disable missions are designed to take a target or location out of action without actually destroying it. Sabotage is the name of the game so leaving the big guns at home might be the wisest choice. Tactically, disable missions can be extremely challenging and fun to play, favoring role play decision making over brute force and muscle. Things to consider when developing a Disable Mission might include how to get your team in and out unseen, what supplies are necessary and available and most importantly how to disable the target itself. For example, maybe the best way to disable a factory is to sabotage or destroy the local power grid, or perhaps intercepting material shipments to disrupt production.
Objective Defend Table: Missions focusing of defense often require a more tactical method of play. It’s a simple enough matter to pick up and defend someone/something from attack, but what happens when the enemy has superior numbers? Maybe the best way to defend that piece of vital technology is to hid it away, or maybe have it apart for study then destroy it completely. What makes that V.I.P. so important that you have been ordered to take a bullet for them?
Objective Investigation Table: Investigation missions typically are less combat oriented and more role play driven, however they are also a great means to motivate you team into an adventure. Perhaps your group has been assigned or hired to investigate the circumstances of a missing person. During the course of you investigation you learn that the missing person was actually a double agent and that they are about to pass over critical information to the enemy. Or perhaps you investigate a building only to learn that it is being used as a forward staging base by the enemy and that they are about to launch a surprise attack. Investigate missions are a great hook for a wide variety of adventures and missions and need not be limited to the typical “police investigation” archetype.
Objective Track Table: Tracking missions can range from the simplest of adventures to the largest of campaigns. Like Investigate missions, Track missions provide a great hook for a much larger adventure if you choose; however keeping to a smaller scenario is just as easy. An example of a simple track mission might include determining the location of missing medical supplies. Maybe an unprincipled individual is stealing medical supplies and selling them on the black market, however that same individual might be much more altruistic and providing medical care to those that can’t afford any. Complex tracking missions might include finding stolen experimental technology that cannot be permitted to fall into enemy hands. Not only do you have to track down the stolen technology, but you need to recover or destroy it before it’s too late. Not to mention dealing with the person(s) who stole the technology in the first place.
Objective Smuggle Table: Smuggling missions are not necessarily a criminal enterprise and can offer a great backdrop to a very dramatic story. What would happen if your mission was to smuggle medical supplies deep behind enemy lines to provide aid to stranded civilians. Or perhaps you have to pose as a captured human slave working in an enemy facility, you mission is to smuggle in explosives to sabotage the plant. How do you manage to get the explosives past security without notice?
Objective Acquire Table: Acquiring an item, object or secret can involve anything from strong arm tactics, bribery, espionage, outright theft or even seduction. Additionally, acquiring an item might require that no one knows the object or secret is “out there”, making acquiring the item that much more challenging. Maybe you have been caught deep behind enemy lines and you transport has broken down. In order to get it working again you need to acquire replacement components, a tough enough situation in any war let alone in an area crawling with the enemy.
Objective Escort Table: Escort missions involve protecting an individual or item from harm, be it a prisoner or an assassin. Escort missions can be open military operations, with full support and a show of force; others might be more clandestine like the services a body guard would render to the rich and powerful. Regardless of the nature of the assignment they all require that you and your team deliver the goods unharmed to their destination. Escort missions provide another great hook for an expanded scenario. For example you and your friends have been hired by a major corporation to protect an undisclosed package. During the transport you are attacked out in the open, you manage to protect the item but the attack itself leaves many questions. Such as who leaked the news of your mission, what was so important that it needed your services in the first place and what was in that container that was so valuable? What if during the attack the container is breached and inside you find a person? Who are they and why were the essentially imprisoned?
- -
- Central America
- Europe/Germany
- Oceanic/Atlantic or Pacific
- Russia
- South Africa
- North America/USA
- England
- North America/Canada
- South America
- Asia/Japan
- Australia
Time of Year Table: The time of year can have interesting effects on an adventure. Besides indicating the general timeframe, the time of year can also indicate expected weather conditions. If you are feeling especially creative, you might also look into any local festivities or events associated with that time of year. Perhaps you group infiltrates a village during a seasonal event disguised as Baron Samdi for Halloween or party goers for Mardi Gra.
- Spring
- Fall
- Early Summer
- Late Summer
- Winter
- Spring
Local Weather Conditions Table: Sometimes the worst enemy you can encounter is Mother Nature herself. From arctic blizzards to scorching droughts weather can play an integral part of a campaign. Is your group prepared for drastic changes in weather, do you have enough long underwear for everyone? How about thick choking fog; not being able to see your enemy until they are right on top of you means ranged weapons are next to useless. That same thick fog could also mask your approach giving you a stealthy tactical advantage.
- -
- Heatwave/Deep Cold
- Fog/White Out
- High Winds
- Torrential Rain/Blizzard
- Clear/Sunny
- Thunder and Lightning Storm
- Light Rain/Snow
- Super Storm
- Hail
- Hurricane/Tropical Storm
- Incongruent Weather Phenomena
Mission Objectives Table: Roll 2D6 or select from the following list of locations. See the individual tables for details and suggestions.
- -
- Roll on the Espionage Table
- Roll on the Capture Table
- Roll on the Destroy Table
- Roll on the Locate Table
- Roll on the Disable Table
- Roll on the Defend Table
- Roll on the Investigation Table
- Roll on the Track Table
- Roll on the Smuggle Table
- Roll on the Acquire Table
- Roll on the Escort Table
Roll on one of the following mission tables to further determine the nature of your adventure. Be as creative in the interpretation of the mission as you can, developing a new adventure or campaign can be a challenging process so have fun. Inspiration can come from any number of sources such as television, movies, pictures, books and more. If you have specific elements you wish to incorporate into you adventure, than by all means select the mission objectives you feel best suits your vision. You may also want to roll more than once on the following tables to create even more complexity.
Objective Espionage Table: Espionage missions require a balance of strategy, ingenuity, skill and luck. The skills of a con artist might be needed, or perhaps someone who is good with locks? Penetrating an enemy camp or fortification might be best suited to a stealthy individual. Being able to sense the presence of guard patrols could also help ensure your mission is a success. But what happens once you have infiltrated the base? Getting out undetected can be even more challenging than getting in, especially if you are carrying cargo or someone of value.
- Criminal Organization
- Corporation
- Disinformation
- Person of Interest
- Sabotage
- Infiltrate
Objective Capture Table: Capture missions involve the character or group tracking down and capturing the listed objective. Capturing objectives add a level of complexity in that the target person or object is to be secured without damage. When trying to capture a key strategic building or infrastructure element, protecting the objective can be extremely difficult. Capture objectives work well as dedicated combat missions, but also as intrigue/spy missions. What if you have to capture that objective without anyone else knowing?
- Person of Interest
- Prototype
- Technology
- Information
- Location
- Artifact
Objective Destroy Table: Your mission is to destroy by any means necessary your target. What happens when that target is heavily fortified or deep behind enemy lines? That underworld lair is routinely patrolled and their security looks impregnable. Destroy missions are not only about blowing something up, but about how you and your team gets in and out alive.
- Information
- Enemy Forces
- Person of Interest
- Supplies
- Technology
- Infrastructure
Objective Locate Table: Locate missions can be as simple or complex as you desire. Simple missions might include locating a specific merchant who is willing to sell to you. Or perhaps you have been hired to locate a missing child that has been kidnapped for ransom. What if you need to locate an enemy scientist deep behind the lines?
- Base of Operations
- Double Agent
- Person of Interest
- Missing/Stolen Item
- Criminal Organization
- Terrorist/Sleeper Cell
Objective Disable Table: Disable missions share a lot in common with destroy missions, except for one key point. Disable missions are designed to take a target or location out of action without actually destroying it. Sabotage is the name of the game so leaving the big guns at home might be the wisest choice. Tactically, disable missions can be extremely challenging and fun to play, favoring role play decision making over brute force and muscle. Things to consider when developing a Disable Mission might include how to get your team in and out unseen, what supplies are necessary and available and most importantly how to disable the target itself. For example, maybe the best way to disable a factory is to sabotage or destroy the local power grid, or perhaps intercepting material shipments to disrupt production.
- Supplies
- Key Systems
- Infrastructure
- Communications Network
- Specific Asset
- Vehicle
Objective Defend Table: Missions focusing of defense often require a more tactical method of play. It’s a simple enough matter to pick up and defend someone/something from attack, but what happens when the enemy has superior numbers? Maybe the best way to defend that piece of vital technology is to hid it away, or maybe have it apart for study then destroy it completely. What makes that V.I.P. so important that you have been ordered to take a bullet for them?
- Strategic Location
- Friendly Forces
- Vital Equipment
- Person of Interest
- Critical Supplies
- Corporate Asset
Objective Investigation Table: Investigation missions typically are less combat oriented and more role play driven, however they are also a great means to motivate you team into an adventure. Perhaps your group has been assigned or hired to investigate the circumstances of a missing person. During the course of you investigation you learn that the missing person was actually a double agent and that they are about to pass over critical information to the enemy. Or perhaps you investigate a building only to learn that it is being used as a forward staging base by the enemy and that they are about to launch a surprise attack. Investigate missions are a great hook for a wide variety of adventures and missions and need not be limited to the typical “police investigation” archetype.
- Missing Person/Kidnapping
- Stolen Merchandise
- Person of Interest
- Political Intrigue
- Strategic Location
- Criminal Organization
Objective Track Table: Tracking missions can range from the simplest of adventures to the largest of campaigns. Like Investigate missions, Track missions provide a great hook for a much larger adventure if you choose; however keeping to a smaller scenario is just as easy. An example of a simple track mission might include determining the location of missing medical supplies. Maybe an unprincipled individual is stealing medical supplies and selling them on the black market, however that same individual might be much more altruistic and providing medical care to those that can’t afford any. Complex tracking missions might include finding stolen experimental technology that cannot be permitted to fall into enemy hands. Not only do you have to track down the stolen technology, but you need to recover or destroy it before it’s too late. Not to mention dealing with the person(s) who stole the technology in the first place.
- Criminal
- Person of Interest
- Information
- Equipment
- Medical Supplies
- Vehicle
Objective Smuggle Table: Smuggling missions are not necessarily a criminal enterprise and can offer a great backdrop to a very dramatic story. What would happen if your mission was to smuggle medical supplies deep behind enemy lines to provide aid to stranded civilians. Or perhaps you have to pose as a captured human slave working in an enemy facility, you mission is to smuggle in explosives to sabotage the plant. How do you manage to get the explosives past security without notice?
- Person of Interest
- Drugs
- Supplies
- Weapons
- Information
- Contraband
Objective Acquire Table: Acquiring an item, object or secret can involve anything from strong arm tactics, bribery, espionage, outright theft or even seduction. Additionally, acquiring an item might require that no one knows the object or secret is “out there”, making acquiring the item that much more challenging. Maybe you have been caught deep behind enemy lines and you transport has broken down. In order to get it working again you need to acquire replacement components, a tough enough situation in any war let alone in an area crawling with the enemy.
- Information
- Medical Supplies
- Technology
- Artifact
- Contact
- Military Supplies
Objective Escort Table: Escort missions involve protecting an individual or item from harm, be it a prisoner or an assassin. Escort missions can be open military operations, with full support and a show of force; others might be more clandestine like the services a body guard would render to the rich and powerful. Regardless of the nature of the assignment they all require that you and your team deliver the goods unharmed to their destination. Escort missions provide another great hook for an expanded scenario. For example you and your friends have been hired by a major corporation to protect an undisclosed package. During the transport you are attacked out in the open, you manage to protect the item but the attack itself leaves many questions. Such as who leaked the news of your mission, what was so important that it needed your services in the first place and what was in that container that was so valuable? What if during the attack the container is breached and inside you find a person? Who are they and why were the essentially imprisoned?
- Military/Police
- Person of Interest
- Equipment Convoy
- Prisoner
- Scientific Expedition
- Medical Team
Optional Tables
Plot Twist Table (Optional): While on a mission sometime the unexpected happens, you may encounter another group or military unit. Are they friendly or a rival? What if they appear to be friendly, but in reality are running their own operation and using you as cover. That new member of your group is acting like a real hotshot, unfortunately he doesn’t seem to want to follow order and subtlety is a foreign concept to him. During a running fire fight one of you group is injured, as they go down their partner continues to run away in fear. Now it’s up to you to rescue your fallen comrade or avenger their injury/death.
Contact Table (Optional): Contacts can make all the difference in the world, especially during role play driven missions. Notwithstanding, good intelligence can mean the difference between the success or failure of any mission. Maybe your contact is a paid informant under deep cover; you must appear to blend into the surroundings in order to make contact. Or perhaps your contact is an unfriendly rival, still carrying grudge against you. While not necessarily an enemy, they are less than forthcoming with all the pertinent details. After all they hate your guts and would be just as happy to see you fail as succeed. The source and nature of the contact can greatly change the quality of the information too. A well connected intelligence agent is more likely to provide critical details to an assignment than a paid underworld snitch.
Random Events Table (Optional): Life can sometimes get in the way, as the saying goes “the best laid plans of mice and men”. Random events can often play a pivotal or entertaining role in any adventure. What happens if your equipment is stolen by a criminal while you sleep or perhaps you and your group are approached by a local political power that wants to exploit your influence? Perhaps you are trying to quietly go about your business without drawing unwanted attention when one of your crew gets a little intoxicated and starts telling tall tales? How do those random events impact your adventure? Now that your cover is blown everyone in town might be gunning for you.
Equipment Table (Optional): A key piece of equipment, weapon or armor can sometimes make the difference between life and death. Equipment failure is something that everyone has to deal with from time to time, but what happens when that critical device fails at the worst possible time? How will you and your group complete your mission? If the equipment failed due to poor maintenance or perhaps sabotage, then who is responsible?
Mission Priority Table (Optional): The mission’s importance can be used as a key point of interest or a minor plot point. If your group has been given a critical or top secret mission then maybe they will encounter someone trying to stop them from succeeding. Low priority missions might mean that your group’s resources are similarly limited and that they will need to acquire what they need as they go.
- Cooperative
- Cowardice
- Vendetta
- Hot Shot
- Spy/Traitor
- Deserter
Contact Table (Optional): Contacts can make all the difference in the world, especially during role play driven missions. Notwithstanding, good intelligence can mean the difference between the success or failure of any mission. Maybe your contact is a paid informant under deep cover; you must appear to blend into the surroundings in order to make contact. Or perhaps your contact is an unfriendly rival, still carrying grudge against you. While not necessarily an enemy, they are less than forthcoming with all the pertinent details. After all they hate your guts and would be just as happy to see you fail as succeed. The source and nature of the contact can greatly change the quality of the information too. A well connected intelligence agent is more likely to provide critical details to an assignment than a paid underworld snitch.
- Paid Informant
- Enemy
- Close Friend
- Intelligence Agent
- Government Official
- Criminal
Random Events Table (Optional): Life can sometimes get in the way, as the saying goes “the best laid plans of mice and men”. Random events can often play a pivotal or entertaining role in any adventure. What happens if your equipment is stolen by a criminal while you sleep or perhaps you and your group are approached by a local political power that wants to exploit your influence? Perhaps you are trying to quietly go about your business without drawing unwanted attention when one of your crew gets a little intoxicated and starts telling tall tales? How do those random events impact your adventure? Now that your cover is blown everyone in town might be gunning for you.
- Innocent Bystander
- Friendly Fire
- Ambush
- Natural Disaster
- Sensor Echo
- Sever Sickness
Equipment Table (Optional): A key piece of equipment, weapon or armor can sometimes make the difference between life and death. Equipment failure is something that everyone has to deal with from time to time, but what happens when that critical device fails at the worst possible time? How will you and your group complete your mission? If the equipment failed due to poor maintenance or perhaps sabotage, then who is responsible?
- Poor Maintenance
- Experimental Equipment
- Spoiled Supplies
- Faulty Ammunition/Equipment
- Malfunction/Sabotage
- Missing/Unavailable Supplies
Mission Priority Table (Optional): The mission’s importance can be used as a key point of interest or a minor plot point. If your group has been given a critical or top secret mission then maybe they will encounter someone trying to stop them from succeeding. Low priority missions might mean that your group’s resources are similarly limited and that they will need to acquire what they need as they go.
- Top Secret & Critical Priority
- Very Low Priority
- High Priority
- Average Priority
- Critical Priority
- Low Priority