TL;DR -- checking viability of campaign idea; seeing what the game-playing world thinks about this before I try to drop this on the table. I'd like to hear about potential pitfalls/shortcomings; as well as any other ideas anyone wants to throw out.
After taking about a year off of actually gaming, I've decided that I
need to get back to it. I've only got 1 player remaining from
my old group, so I've got some rebuilding to do (I've got myself a "maybe" and a possible part-timer so far; so I'm on my way).
I figured that a 20-30-session E6 campaign might make for nice joiner for a bunch of people new to each other.
I've been toying with the world off-and-on for quite some time (it's been in various states of back-burner development for a couple of years); but I've had a bad streak of writer's block, not able to find any REAL
inspiration.
But then I stumbled upon an idea: a circus/carnival.
Phineas T.S. Bartholomew's Carnival Caravan and Magnificent MenagerieTo the players:
pick a job/role of someone who would work at a circus or carnival, whose skill set would also translate well to being a PC Adventurer (the only job you are not allowed to have is Ringmaster -- that's Phineas' job
). You've been a carny/circus performer/roadie for
at least 2 years. This clause serves to enforce being familiar, integral members of the same town ... it's just that your town happens to be constantly moving. It also makes it self open to both the "attached" characters (via the tight-nit culture typically associated with traveling performers) as well as those hopelessly-cliche "unattached" characters ('cause they make natural candidates for the carny lifestyle) without necessarily being contrived or disruptive to the premise.
(of course, my normal prohibition to evil/evil-friendly characters still applies)
I plan on going all-out on the circus, encompassing as many stereotypes and traditions as I can think of and fit in.
Phineas has 3 rules for joining his caravan:
1) do something useful for the show (earn your pay)
2) be useful to the Family (contribute to the common good)
3) don't do anything to discredit Phineas or the show, or yourself to the Family (this one turns out to be really malleable to rationalization)
I figure I can work-up Phineas as a major plot catalyst. Work up a dark, complex, and heavily-guarded past that has lead him to be strongly-yet-discreetly networked throughout the lands, and secretly has his fingers in a lot of pots. But as far as anyone else knows, he's just a charismatic ringmaster, and nothing more.
I can see the party staying with the circus for a couple of levels, with the adventures happening in/around the circus. Obviously, at some point they'll have to cut loose on their own for <insert plot reasons here>.
So, that's what I've got so far.
Thanks.
(also, if you like it, feel free to steal the shit out of it)
