My greatest struggle in putting a game like this together was finding the right storyline and how to start the adventure. I’m a MATH TEACHER! I have no words. I can write no stories. I have limited imagination.
My experiences with the DnD campaign have been helpful, but while delving into deep, dark dungeons fighting a Deathcrest Ape who may or may not rip your head off is okay for an older age group, I didn’t think it would be prudent to use as a storyline for a junior high course.
I searched through a lot of the DnD pre-written adventure stories and Chad directed me to Tales of the Yawning Portal thinking it would fit what I was looking for. I also purchased two other books: Sly Flourish’s The Lazy DM’s Workbook and The Book of Random Tables: Quests by Matt Davids. While all of those books have been helpful, I still needed something that was a bit milder. I was really hunting for something with more of a castle flavor.
While I was searching through drivethrurpg.com, I noticed a campaign called The King’s Road: An Epic Fantasy RPG Campaign. Yes! It was perfect. It helped me start the adventure and had an overarching quest:
ADVENTURERS WANTED
Five hundred years ago, the Grand Kingdom fell… Now, who will restore it?
The party is given an ivory sphere about the size of a baseball that they are to take to the former capital of the Grand Kingdom. To reach the city they simply need to follow the King’s Road, which of course, is easier said than done.
The King’s Road is a stone road that leads from east to west. It originates from the old capital of the Grand Kingdom and terminates at the seaport called Elvesport from which the party embarks.
Enjoy the journey, for the destination may be nothing you expected.
I was just beside myself. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I needed students to be able to travel on a major quest and then have places to investigate as side quests. Traveling on a road with garrisons, watchtowers, and towns to go into was the perfect scenario! Not only would students be able to earn XP (experience points) for things they encounter, but I could also add hidden gold pieces for them to collect and use in an item shop!
It was exciting to me on how it was coming together!! Can you tell I’m excited?!!!