Pilgrims of Rao - Advanced Campaigns

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to another exciting entry in the Pilgrims of Rao tutorial!  This entry looks at the ins and outs of world creation and planning game sessions for the Pilgrims of Rao tabletop roleplaying game.  This document assumes that you have already read “How to Play.”  If you have not read that document, please do so before proceeding further.
Today we will discuss world building, campaigns, missions, and creating custom player content.

WORLD BUILDING

The world in Pilgrims of Rao is made up of hexagonal regions that are in turn made up of hexagonal field tiles.  A player can choose to use a premade map arrangement, randomize a premade map skeleton, or create an entirely random world.  The latter option has the potential to be the least balanced, so I would not recommend that option for first time players.  Premade map arrangements and premade map skeletons are specifically designed so that their random elements are balanced in game play, specifically for campaigns.
Randomizing a map is a simple process that takes around two to ten minutes, depending on world size and player discretion.  Here is what you have to do.
First, the player sets up the parameters for their world; how many region tiles the map is as a whole (including inaccessible ocean tiles), where the accessible land and ocean region tiles are located, and how many accessible land and ocean region tiles they wish to have in the randomized pool to draw from.  Next, the player assigns each region tile a number, up to 20.  I recommend using numbers that correspond go the dice used to play the game, like 4, 6, 8, and 20.  If you have other dice with values less than 20, feel free to use them.  Then, the player rolls the dice, placing the corresponding numbered region tile in the appropriate open space on the world map.  Begin in the upper left corner and proceed top to bottom, left to right, skipping inaccessible ocean tiles.  If you roll a number that has already been assigned, instead increase the rolled value until it reaches an unassigned region, looping back to 1 if it hits the maximum rolled value.  Finally, determine the player’s starting region either by rolling the dice and beginning in the tile with the number rolled, or by locating a pre-designated starting region on the world map.
There is another option for world randomization.  You can add a further sense of discovery and the unknown to the world by only assigning the location of the player’s starting region tile on the world map and leaving the rest blank.  If you choose to do this, roll for the contents of a region tile upon entering it or observing it from the border of an adjacent discovered tile.  The newly discovered tile then becomes the region corresponding to the rolled number.  If the rolled number has already been discovered, instead increase the rolled value until it reaches an undiscovered region, looping back to 1 if the number hits the maximum rolled value.

CAMPAIGNS

A campaign is a long-term series of interwoven narrative and game play objectives.  Campaigns are most effective in long-term persistent game sessions.  I highly recommend using a campaign to structure an adventure and give it a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Most of a game session’s structure will be communicated through campaign missions, specifically quests.
I offer multiple balanced premade campaigns and I recommend that players begin with these before creating their own.  Once a player is sufficiently comfortable with the world and the game mechanics, then he or she should think about creating their own adventure.  The possibilities for adventure are limitless.  Anything a player can create, they can use to play the game.  The information below covers the two main types of campaigns, and provides examples and tips for creating your own.
The Grand Objective.  This type of campaign hinges on player interest and motivation to complete a specific seemingly insurmountable task.  This could be raising an army and rising up against a tyrant, finding your long lost twin brother in a war zone, or becoming the very best arena fighter like no one ever was.  The satisfaction comes from completing the final task.  Missions leading up to the finale are steps that you must take to reach the true reward.  The character is defined by how he or she chooses to overcome each step.  For example, let us say that one step in the quest to rise up against a tyrant requires you to choose what to do with a defeated mercenary faction.  If the hero chooses to enslave his enemies to have the power he needs to challenge the tyrant, he may well become a new tyrant in his own right.
The Journey.  This type of campaign relies on the player’s interest in world exploration and character development through a broad search for a nebulous objective.  This could be a trip to see the world, seeking out a falling star, or traveling with a group of strangers to see a holy monastery.  Actually reaching the objective does not matter as much as how you get there.  This story is far more open ended and rather than resolve at the end with a culmination of every choice you have made, it can end with your arrival and success, and require no more to feel complete.  The steps in the story are more like suggestions and do not have to be taken in order.  The character is defined by how he or she interacts with the world.  For example, one step in the search for the falling star may take our hero through a long abandoned fortress.  Does she stay and investigate or does she press on without a second thought?  Here choices are less about definitive action and more about day-to-day action in the world.
Both forms of campaign are equally good for roleplaying.  However, The Journey campaign type can be difficult if multiple players see the objective differently.  I recommend outlining the intention of the campaign before beginning a game with multiple players.

MISSIONS

Every game session contains missions.  Missions guide the player on their adventure by laying out clear, obtainable goals for him or her to achieve in order to progress.  These can be small goals, such as keeping watch over a house at night, to big goals like saving the world.  The Missions section on the Character Sheet keeps track of what goals the player is presently working towards; every type of mission requires a fixed number of slots in this area, limiting how many missions can be taken on at once and keeping the player from getting overwhelmed by mission logs.
The following goes over the types of missions and how to acquire them, mission rewards, and the role of missions in a campaign.
Quest.  A large sized mission with branching choices that change the final outcome; divided into main quests and side quests.  Quests are broken down into acts punctuated by choices made from a list of available options.  Completing the requirements of a main quest will progress the quest to the next act.  Completing side quests will not progress the quest to the next act unless the objective of the main quest is to complete a certain number of side quests.  Side quests can change the outcome of a quest, open new choices at the end of an act, and alter mission rewards.
Quests will make up the bulk of the player’s interaction with missions.  They offer the largest rewards in game content and player experience.  Campaigns often use quests to directly deliver large chunks of narrative and exposition.  It is tempting to use quests as the only implement for conveying tone and narrative, but doing so is a gross disservice to the rest of the campaign’s content.  It should be able to tell a story without relying on walls of text.  I recommend that players creating custom games us the world to tell their story just as much as the traditional narrative format.
Event.  A medium sized mission triggered by interacting with a particular entity in the game world, typically undertaken and completed immediately after triggering it.  A player can skip an event if he or she wishes, unless otherwise restricted from doing so.  Skipping an event can render it impossible to complete and negate potential rewards.  Refer to that event in the Rao Guidebook (or beta guidelines) to see the consequences for skipping or failing an event; do not look at the consequences prior to making the decision to skip it.  Some events can lead into quests or other events.  This information will be provided in the mission completion field.
Events are randomized using parameters provided by the game session’s guidelines.  Some examples include investigating an overturned cart and running into a bandit trap, falling into a hole and winding up in a hidden dungeon, and intervening in a skirmish between two armies.  I recommend using many events in a custom game as they are the best way to make the world feel organic and alive.  However, you must make sure not to over use events unless you wish to create a feeling of frenetic chaos in the region players are exploring.
Bounty.  A small sized mission chosen by the character from a list at a bounty board.  Bounties are region specific and must be turned in at the board where they were acquired from unless it is a guild bounty.  Guild bounties can be turned in at any bounty board belonging to the guild it was acquired from.  A player does not always have to have a bounty in their Mission list to progress.  For example, a bounty may require the hero to collect and turn in ten of a particular resource; if the player meets the mission requirements when it is acquired, it can be turned in for the reward immediately.  Bounties can only be completed once.
Bounties are meant to shore up an area that is lacking in gold or EXP rewards.  They reward the player for doing what they already should be doing, and this mission type should always be seen as an accessory to the game, not a requirement.  Never use bounties in custom adventures as a way to pad out under developed content.  Use them to encourage players to try new approaches to challenges, such as listing a high reward bounty that requires a character to defeat enemies by throwing them into environmental hazards.
Mission Rewards.  Items, EXP, currency and other entities that a PC receives upon completing a mission.  Mission rewards will always be listed in the mission completion field found in that game session’s guidelines.  Exact rewards can be altered at player discretion in custom games, however, all alterations must occur prior to completing the mission.  Rewards cannot be granted retroactively.  Doing so would open the door to rule exploitation and generally make a mess of the mission log.  I do not recommend altering mission rewards in premade campaigns because those rewards are designed and balanced with that campaign in mind.
Campaign Mission.  A goal or set of goals structuring game play in a campaign.  A campaign’s narrative advances through the use of missions, often with smaller missions leading up to a finale for the long-term game session.  For example, two heroes set off into the wilderness to seek the ancient tower and rescue the princess.  Right away we know our final objective: find the tower, save the princess.  However, the characters have no idea where that tower is and even if they did they would not be strong enough to complete their task.  Therefore the heroes’ first objective is to find a local settlement and ask around for information.  This leads to their capture and embroilment in political schemes, setting up a new immediate goal that, upon completion, brings them closer to their final objective.

CUSTOM CONTENT

Players are more than welcome to create their own campaigns, missions, and even worlds.  All custom content is fully compatible with the Pilgrims of Rao main game.  I recommend not using custom content in premade campaigns, or at least that the player carefully consider what impact it will have on the game’s balance if he or she wants to include their personal dragon in a game session where the highest leveled enemy should be a dire wolf.  I also recommend maintaining the game’s core rules.  Deviating from the official rules in the Rao Guidebook presents a myriad of challenges and inconsistencies that are otherwise easily avoided.  Other than those two recommendations, players can use whatever content they desire.  It is your game world to build, battle, and experience.

CONCLUSION

This concludes today’s lesson on Advanced Campaigns in Pilgrims of Rao.  Once you have read through “Advanced Character Creation” and “Advanced Combat,” or when you feel you are ready, proceed to the game’s public trial.  Good luck, and have fun.
Support the game on Kickstarter.