[The Three Campaign Structures - Part 2 has not been forgotten. Fear not. This is an interim article.]
I write this blog because I want to inspire and instruct you on how to play, on how to cultivate, a more perfect campaign. There is a magic to this activity that is difficult to actualize but that is worth actualizing, the ability for this activity to transcend just being a game, or just being an improv exercise, or just being whatever a TTRPG technically is. TTRPG campaigns that are “just”, there is nothing wrong with them because they are fun and every once in a while they are enjoyable.
Cue that rewinding sound effect used when the editor wants to go back and scrutinize what someone just said: Can something be fun and not enjoyable? Wait, what the hell is this Bitterblossom guy talking about? Doesn’t this prove that little goblin is hopelessly lost in semantics about two words that basically mean the same thing?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, but hear me out.
When you eat a cookie or go on a roller coaster or play monopoly, that’s fun. But that ain’t meaningful or truly satisfying at the end of the day, and frankly, eating a cookie ain’t particularly joyous when you really think about it. These are fleeting things that matter in the moment but not after. That’s what most TTRPG games ultimately end up being, fleeting activities that resonate in our memory only insofar as those few moments of craziness or out-of-character shenanigans allow it to. That’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with fun. But unlike those activities I mentioned above, TTRPGs can be more than fun. They can be powerful like any book or movie, especially in terms of depth of concept, emotion, character dynamics, story arcs, scene work, etcetera. Those things, I think, create joy. That’s what I want, for my table and for yours. Players and DMs alike, you have the ability to cultivate this. The golden question: how?
I think that the answer, or at least part of it, lies in the concept of resolute specific intention. This is something that players are especially in a position to utilize. To illustrate what this is, let me give you two statements of intent that could play out during an average D&D combat encounter, and I want you to pay attention to how they each make you feel:
I attack the orc in the corner.
I charge the abomination in the corner and splinter its skull with my flail.
What’d you notice? Probably something along the lines of, “The first one is obviously more boring than the second one.”
But why?
In the first one, the player communicates their character’s intention in a very vague and uninspiring way and thus there is no forward driving force. By forward driving force, I mean out-of-character energy in the room, that spark you feel when chemistry is good between players and things are going well in the session. In the first example, there is not any energy contributed to the moment and thus when the next player declares their character’s action, they have no energy to build off of. If each player declares their action in this way, then each player must create all of the energy they want to experience by themselves and in short order, and even if a player does, the next player will dissipate it all with yet another irresolute statement of intent.
In the second one, the player communicates their character’s intention with forward driving force which creates energy. Their intent is specific and resolute.
It is specific because it follows a very simple framework: “I do X with Y to achieve Z.” The character runs at the orc and swings (X) his flail (Y) at it to kill it (Z). We all have a specific and evocative picture of what is going on and how. Conversely, “I attack the orc in the corner.” does not give any clarity as to what the character is actually trying to achieve (Is he trying to incapacitate the orc or is he trying to kill the orc or is he trying to grapple and restrain the orc? All are legitimate options.) or how he plans on doing it (Is he gonna use a weapon or is he planning on using the force of his own body or is he gonna try and take the orc’s weapon turn it on the orc?).
Their intent is resolute because it imbues the action with absolute motivation. The character is attacking the orc with his flail because he hates the orc, because to him that orc is an abomination. He is sure of his motivation. On this front, I unfortunately cannot give you as universal framework but I can advise the following. When you create your character, you ought to create a simple and evocative motivation for them, the thing that drives them to act. Then, when you enter into a situation, ask yourself, “If I had X motivation and were in Y situation, how would I feel about it?” This last part is the most important - commit to your answer fully. That’s likely how your character feels, so declare your character’s action with absolute motivation, not “half-assed” motivation or “hedge-my-bets” motivation. No half measures. If your character is unsure about a situation, then commit to that “unsureness” absolutely. Whatever it is, commit to it. Then use your out-of-character linguistic ability to combine this feeling with your specific action. If you hate the orc you are about to attack, refer to it as an abomination. If you love the woman who is about to be sacrificed to the evil cult, you “desperately” jump off the wall to push her out of the way before the guillotine’s blade falls. It need not be complex, and as always, if you find yourself overthinking, move on and try again next time. Being able to consistently and instinctively utilize resolute specific intention when declaring your character’s actions is a skill that takes time to master, but it is very possible.
In sum, resolute specific intention creates forward driving force, energy that propels the game and everyone around you forward but it must be sustained. Once you create that energy, others can add to it, and that forward driving momentum is powerful. You will be able to feel it in that basement, at that table, in that Discord voice chat, even (and moreso in certain prosy ways) in play-by-post. It’ll supercharge the story being played out and you will often be surprised by the twists and turns that occur just out of basic character reactions to situations. Further, each of the campaign’s encounters will be made far more visceral and evocative, so even if you are a combat uber alles type, this ain’t just some artsy-fartsy story thing.
One final note. There are more players than DMs and more actions done by player characters than non-player characters (at least on-screen) throughout a campaign, so resolute specific intention is something that you the players can take initiative on, but obviously, you the DM must support whenever and wherever you can.
Try it. Make it your way, make it the culture of your table, and enjoy.