How the Waffle House Became a Waffle Home

One day, while my friends were lamenting about a campaign that didn't really make it off the ground, a spark, an inspiration hit me, and I said, "Hey, why don't I be the dungeon master for once?" Having never Dungeon Mastered before, I researched various tips and tricks to help DM, as well as beginning to craft my own world and dungeon.

Magnia and the Yggdrasil

The town of Magnia and the large labrinyth-like tree, Yggdrasil was largely inspired by "Etrian Odyssey" and "Made in Abyss", having a large hub trading city that profitted by the bounty of rare materials and anchient technology hidden within the looming tree.

The Waffle House without Waffles

The group of player characters themselves were split between two parties. One of Dungeons and Dragons Characters that arrive in the city to explore the Yggdrasil for riches fortune and research. Meanwhile the other half were Dungeons and Destiny homebrewed characters as I was testing to see if the homebrew could be supplimental to the base D&D.(spoilers it is not, Dungeons and Destiny characters are a lot stronger than regular Dungeon and Dragon characters). The Dungeons and Destiny characters were sleeping in cryogenic pods left behind in a facility from a long forgotten civilization

With this caused various interactions between the two parties, the D&D party confused and bewildered by the D&Destiny's ability to come back alive after dying quite easily. I honestly live for my friend's characters interacting with each other, mainly having a hands off approach to character interactio n. If my players wanna argue about what food they want from a vendor for an hour, they're free to do so! It's Their story and sometimes your group can't decide on what to eat!

Unfortunately because this is a fictional setting with more unhinged characters, sometimes arguments can become fatal. After one argument another character shot another, causing a panic. As per my rule, I did not interfer, however much I wanted to. Though I might have wanted to have a talk with my player about his choice of doing this, since it wouldn't be the last time that player chose to be voilent with other player characters.

A Living World

Sometimes your players miss a plot hook. It happens. Sometimes they choose to ignore it. That's fine. It's up to the players and their characters if they want to interact with and purse. BUT! I do feel there's consequences for not taking the plot hooks as the world goes on, and things will happen without the players. Developments in the city, changes of power and rules, objects etc. Though it's a lot of things to keep track of, I make sure I keep a notebook to help with all the moving parts in this world.

Opening Old Wounds

Due to one reason or another, players and player characters have left the campaign. Some having lost interest in the story/the character they were playing, while others no longer had the time to play. This caused me to quickly, on the spot to make up reasons of leaving. One was kidnapped, another, gone leaving nothing but a cursed amulet behind, one was even left in the inn in a coma for months. I decided to, with the permission of the players, to use those characters to help exhibit just how cruel the current antagonist at that time was.