Campaigns

The Framework

When the group first plans out their campaign, it’s important to decide on an overarching narrative framework. This could be as simple as defeating a single Villain or Monster or as complex as uncovering a world-spanning conspiracy. The GM does not have to have a framework in mind when starting the campaign, but one will often develop organically in a complex enough world. Here are a few suggestions for frameworks that work well with Last Odyssey’s ruleset:

• Wanderers. Some campaigns don’t have an overarching narrative. Instead, they players are dropped into a large, interconnected overworld and explore it at their leisure. This type of campaign will have a more intimate scope than others, and allow the group to focus down on character Inspirations and Relationships.
• Pilgrimage. The players need to go somewhere from somewhere else. At the beginning of the campaign, the group should decide where they need to go, and why. What happens when they get there could be a known quantity, or could also be a matter of Lore they discover along the way.
• Incursion. A force from another world is entering this one, leading to escalating conflict. The nature of this force and their intentions could be a known quantity, but leaving much of it a mystery or even not revealing its presence at first are both good ways to up the intrigue.
• Civil War. Two or more competing factions have decided or are on the verge of deciding that they can no longer peacefully coexist. The Heroes might be members of one of these factions, or might be a neutral third party doing their best to prevent the outbreak of all-out war.
• The Beginning of the End. The signs are clear: the apocalypse is coming, and it’s up to the party to stop it. The Heroes will struggle to prevent not just the triumph of a single Villain but the end of the world as they know it. This type of framework lends itself well to games that are high-stakes and bleak in nature.