Written
Zakk by
appleyard
b y
a m e
Art
&
layout
g
A
by
Dave
wilson
Editedby
Anthony
ferguson
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What
next?
You have played your character through
dozens of sessions, perhaps even more.
Bonded as a group with other PCs, watched
them live and perhaps die by your side,
throughout your journey. As a character you
have likely fought many enemies, both in
combat and through clashing ideals,
changing the world around you as you won or
lost. Did you win, and bring peace or
enlightenment to the world around you? Or
perhaps your party lost, and the world has
been plunged into whatever darkness (or
peace, if you were all evil bastards) you were
trying to prevent in the first place?
We spend many hours whilst playing
thinking about our characters - their
motivations, relationships, and the paradigms
that make their particular powers tick. Reams
and reams of paper are dedicated to their
actions and abilities, but once the character
sheet has been retired, what happened to the
world that they touched, however briefly?
If you have ever let your mind wander back
to old characters and their adventures, then
perhaps it is time to reflect on what came
next? A world frozen in time, crystallised a
single final act of victory or defeat, is ready
to have the dust blown off it and revisited
once again.
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About
game…
Beyond the Campaign is designed to be played on your own, or as
a group. Unfolding over a number of vignettes, players will revisit
the
people and places that they affected with their actions, and
investigate how the world as a whole changed as a result of the
events of their previous stories.
Beyond the Campaign is designed
we
Beforebegin… Choosing a character
or Campaign.
to be an exploration both of the
path that a character took following
the conclusion of a campaign, and Saul of Tarsus began a Mage: history we have with our
of the effect that their campaign The Ascension campaign as character or world, the more
had on the world around them. a travelling healer. In a game fuel we have to inspire further
Unlike a traditional tabletop spanning many real-world stories.
experience, this game is not years, he bore witness to the
designed to be played in a fullness of a timeless story, A solo player should select a
standard episodic fashion, with influencing its events from the character whose story they
each session taking place very beginning, to the world would like to explore further,
immediately, or almost altering finale. from the roster of characters
immediately, after the they have previously played.
conclusion of the previous Their play sessions will look
Stepping foot into the world much like that of a traditional
session. of Beyond the Campaign journalling game, focusing on
means choosing which emotive storycraft.
When playing, we zoom out character or campaign world
and operate over months, you would like to explore
years, and perhaps even A group of players should
further. It is system agnostic, select a single campaign, the
decades depending on the so players can explore any
character. The core of the ramifications of which they
world or character they have would like to delve into.
game is reflecting on the played previously.
long term impact of the Their play sessions will look
often seismic events that more like bite-sized scenes
Ideally, when choosing a from a traditional roleplaying
take place during the character or campaign whose
course of a long campaign, game.
story you would like to
and revisiting those effects revisit, you should select one
as the ripples they created For all players, it is best to
who has seen a healthy select a character or story to
spread and settle across amount of play, or has been a
time. which you have a strong
party to something wild and connection.
far-reaching, as the more
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Memories…
In order for us to look forward into the world beyond the campaign,
we need to look back on the campaign itself and reminisce on what • Character interactions and relationships - was your character
you remember about it. These core events will shape the vignettes involved with any other character, or were there any particularly
that you progress through, meaning more information to work from memorable interactions, comedic moments, or quotable
leads to more meat on the bones of your sessions. You will likely moments?
have a process in mind for diving back into your previous game, but
some of you may get a little stuck along the way. To give you a small • Proud moments or regrets - As we progress through our
kick start with looking back, here are a few things to think about that character’s history, which moment do they feel particularly
might help the juices flow: proud of? It may not have been anything particularly impactful
on the story, but something you remember. Similarly, is there
anything you would like another roll of the dice on if given a
chance?
remember? • Future plans - did your character have any specific goals or
plans for the future? If so, what preparations did they make for
When you think back on the game, what things immediately spring them, and was it something that others knew about?
to mind? These could include:
• Places or locations you visited - characters’ lairs, locations of
key events or battles, spaces outside of reality or in dreams.
What does
your party remember?
Were any of these places altered or maybe even destroyed Using the same ideas and guidelines, it is always interesting to see
during the course of your game? how your memories of specific events differ from those that you
• Allies, enemies, NPCs - party members, former party members, played with. Naturally, you will remember more about your own
the final boss, their disciples or family. Notable NPCs, even character and actions, so speaking to your companions will give you
passing side characters that may have left an impact on you good insight on other characters and how they felt about the events
of the game. In addition to that, there will be events or interactions
• Events, milestones, and moments - along the way, your party that have passed you by whilst you were distracted, or maybe you
will have had moments that have changed the history of the missed a session. These insights will really help you build up a
area, or maybe even the world, forever picture of the entirety of the campaign, both big and small moments.
• Breakthroughs and advancements - perhaps your characters
made advances in the arena of magic, combat, science, zoology
etc
notes
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&minutes
Finally, consult any notes or
minutes that have been taken
during your campaign. You may
be lucky enough to have a record
keeper among your group that
maintains some sort of history of
the game, that you can refer back
to. The reason that we have left
this section for last is that these
notes often either reflect the
thoughts of the record keeper, or
are primarily there to be factual.
As the player of the Threads,
your emotional connection to
your memories of the original
game are going to be crucial in
the journey to envisage what
happened next for your character.
As a result, reflecting back first
will allow you to revisit those
resonant moments before looking
back in a more factual manner.
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Now that you have a
character or campaign in mind,
and have spent a little bit of time
delving into their backstory, we are ready
to begin imagining what comes in the rest of
the story. Where you pick up your story is the first decision
to make, it could be immediately following the conclusion
of the story, or some time [Link] you have chosen to return
to your character after some time, it can be a good idea to
write down/speak about what happened in that time.
Equally, we can pick up the thread of our character at any
type of moment, either exciting and significant or entirely
mundane.
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Creating
avignette
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Your first Vignette should offer a reason or a situation that brings
your character back into the world of the game. Decide why your
character is revisiting the echoes of their past, or use the guidelines
for Vignette creation in the following section to help steer their
initial return.
Following your first vignette, the story will continue in a number of
ways, and in order to plot a path forward, we will be drawing from
a tarot deck – specifically, the twenty-two Major Arcana.
Each Vignette is built by selecting a number of Keystones. These
act as a skeleton around which you build a story, directing your
mind to particular memories or ideas.
When building a Vignette, select as many or as few Keystones as
you feel you need, and for each one in turn, draw a card. Based on
your interpretation of the card you have drawn, choose an element
of your character’s past which relates to both it, and its paired
Keystone.
The interpretation of the card is up to you, and can be linked to the
card's traditional meaning, or influenced by the name or artwork on
the card itself.
Once you have drawn your Keystones, you must then draw your
Vignette’s Becoming – a single tarot which represents the
resolution to this short story.
The Keystones we can use are as follows…
Keystones
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ey
K of one
t
The
s esents a place KeystonThee
g
This Keystone repr r’s past –
Scry i n te
from your charac t to them, or
somewhere importan played an
ch
their party; or whi ory whose
the st
This Keystone represents
a significant breakthrough
or advancement your character
experienced during their journey.
of
Gnosis
important role in
to explore.
ramifications we seek A moment of genius, divine inspiration, revelation or
ve n or sanctu m, a crumbling castle deduction. The acquisition of a new gift, or a hard fought
ha
It could be a storied r treasure, or a smouldering ruin skill honed through years of practice.
d fo
they once plumbe
e.
they left in their wak
The
Keystone
Keyf stone
The
of
esents an
This Keystone repr ctive with Conflict
Passage
o This Keystone represents a
which you came
lle
individual or a co to conflict
in
single event which took place
during your during your journey.
character’s
journey, or as a result of actions taken , an an cien t ev il, a profiteering
your character. by A tyannical king rrupt and powerful institution.
conglomerate, or a co
A peasant revolt against a local tyr
ant
mercenaries’ heroic last stand, a nat , a band of
ural disaster of
unknown magnitude.
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Keystone
The The
Keystone
Being
of This Key
character who, thro stone represents a
returned to your li ugh twist of fate, has
This Keystone repres
ents a
at their
represents characters Moments of
of
Contrast
fe
your story once ag and become a part of apex, and their nadir. rticularly proud, or those
pa
ain. which they might be
ep regrets.
A companion, a
fo for which they hold de
friend – one who sh rmer party member, a student, or ing, or a moment of
aped your characte a e br av er y or cu nn
for the better. r, and their journey, An act of extrem
shameful weakness.
Keystone
The The
Keystone
Connection
of This Keyst
represents a char one
who acted as ter
ac represents your ch als.
ents a
This Keystone repres acter’s
ar
go
of
Hope
touchstone, a deep a plans, ambitions, and
bond. and inescapable ed , scores heisted or
s se ttled or un settl
Vendetta d the undone.
A lover, a family
member, either br un-heisted, the done an
behind. ought along or le
ft
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Becoming
be·com·ing Finally, draw your remaining card – Becomings, allowing you to put together an
the Vignette’s Becoming. Let the Tarot inform a resolution for this epilogue for your character, or your group.
story, and the places and people you have drawn into this step of Whether this cuts the thread of
your journey. their story, or allows its strands to
run free, this is the end of your
With your Keystones and Becoming to guide you, you are ready to return to the character – at
write your Vignette. Let the Tarot guide you through, your least for now.
interpretations steering the Vignette through each Keystone and,
eventually, to its becoming.
Once you have finished your vignette, and you are happy you don’t
want to make any further changes, you can begin the process again,
with the end point of your last Vignette acting as a springboard to
draw your character further down the path into their past, and their
future.
When should
I stop? Like any good campaign, the
end point is likely to be nebulous in nature. A future point that
has too many good times between now and then to think
clearly on the conclusion. Threads has no designated stop
sign, and your journey could run you for a long time, or
reach a conclusion that even comes as a surprise to you.
Using only the Major Arcana as a base for the game
means that, eventually, you are going to start seeing
the same combinations of cards crop up when
building your vignettes. If you find that the game is
throwing up repeat scenarios often, then the cards
may be telling you to turn toward a conclusion.
In this situation, we recommend drawing a final 3
cards. All of these cards will act as a final set of
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When playing
as a group Nominate a single
player to come up with the first Vignette. All other
players then choose one or more Keystones, and
draw their Tarot. They are responsible for coming
up with the framework for the Vignette.
The chosen player then draws the Vignette’s
Becoming, and narrates the events along with the
other players. Once this Vignette has come to its
conclusion, another player is chosen, and
subsequent Vignettes follow on in the same
fashion.
On combat
& conflict Many of the games that you will
draw characters from will have combat as part of
their wider conflict resolution system. As a result,
you may find yourself in violent situations as you
reopen old wounds. As with any other part of your
story, it is up to you how you choose to resolve
these conflicts, and their ultimate outcome. Does
your character easily overpower their foe, or do
they end up in a long and protracted battle?
Perhaps this is the point at which your character
dies?
Should you feel unsure as to how a conflict should
end, or prefer to leave a little in the hands of fate;
draw a card from your Major Arcana deck.
Allowing the draw to influence the outcome of
your conflict could lead your story to some
interesting places that you weren’t expecting.
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Inspired
by
Saul of Tarsus, Dieter Gerhardt, & Martine
Ford; Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End; Bibliocalypse;
Anamnesis.
