Today’s question is a really good one. What makes a successful campaign? A number of things need to fall in place for a campaign to be considered a success. All of these involve a good bit of planning no matter if you are running a module or creating your own campaign. One of the reasons why we seek to run a successful campaign is that when you get it right and it all comes together. It is something that you and your players likely will talk about and reflect on for years to come. 

Now there is no magic formula, but there are some things you can do to put yourself in a better position to have a successful campaign before the first dice hits the table. The following are some useful tips that may prove helpful in your quest to create a successful campaign

• Come up with a campaign theme.
• Decided the system you will run.
• Decide how long it will take to run the story.
• Elevator pitch the campaign to  your players
• Flesh out your campaign

Here are a few tips on what to avoid while in the planning stages of your campaign.

• Avoid reusing themes that you have already run.
• Avoid overplanning, preparation is good but leave room for flexibility and changes
• Avoid on-rails storytelling. At least give the illusion of choice for your players if you must remove decision making or choice in your campaign
• Make sure your players want to play in the game you pitched.