D&D Campaign Template
A solid D&D campaign template helps you answer the decades-old question: how much do I prepare for a D&D campaign?
If you want to jump in with campaign planning, check out our free D&D Campaign Template Google Doc below. Otherwise, read on for tips on using and customizing this template.
D&D Campaign Template Index
How To Use and Customize This D&D Campaign Template Google Doc
This template was built to help you prepare for your next D&D session, but it can also be used to create an outline for a new campaign.
Unless you’ve got crazy-good improv skills and the books memorized, preparation is the difference between a smooth start or a fumbling entry leaving your players confused about what to do next.
The purpose of this template is not to write lengthy exposition or descriptions. It’s to capture and organize the main important elements for the next session, so keep it short and stay focused! Add the fine details after you’ve finished your general outline.
Campaign Title
It seems silly, but giving your DnD campaign templates clear titles keeps your notes and thoughts in order.
As DM, you’ll likely be referring back to other campaign notes, so set yourself up for success from the beginning.
You can also give your session a fun little title to accompany it that gives a hint or teaser for the adventure.
Premise
Every campaign should have some premise or driving theme, even if it’s fast and loose. For our campaign in the world of Eoa, one of the major themes surrounds the planes and how they are interrelated.
World Type
Worldbuilding can be an overwhelming task. One way to jumpstart that process is to select a world type to set your game in. These archetypes have distinct feelings and truths about the world that directly impact how the campaign plays and feels.
Referring to them on your template is a great reminder of the setting so you can create an immersive experience for your players.
This is especially helpful if your players visit places with different world types. Click here to learn more about collaborative worldbuilding in roleplaying games.
List of Fantasy World Types
Fairytale Worlds are near utopias where almost everyone is innocent and kind. Sometimes there may be a looming evil, but nothing too difficult to defeat.
Heroic Worlds are good places where the heroic ideal is alive and well in most people’s hearts. However, such kindness isn’t as common as in Fairytale worlds, and evil isn’t as rare here.
Noblebright Worlds loom on the balance between good and evil, making every deed count.
Gilded Worlds hold evil and dark hearts beneath a pretty surface (think Westeros). Suffering and misery are commonplace.
In the Grimdark Worlds, something has gone terribly wrong, and nothing but suffering exists for those who find themselves there.
Party Hooks
Listing out hooks you can use for the party gives you a shortcut to move seamlessly from scene to scene or campaign to campaign.
Try having hooks for both the party and specific members. Use the knives they’ve forged or parts of their background to fill this slot!
Main & Side Objectives
It can be easy to lose sight of the big picture during a game, so listing out the main and side objectives lets you track the party’s progress against them.
Antagonists & Their Goals
You’ve filled the world with NPCs, including ones that will oppose the party. Keep vital information on these characters handy so you can pull their motivations quickly, creating an immersive experience.
Campaign Recap
Every roleplaying session should start with a recap. Don’t bog your players down with a play-by-play summary of the last session’s events - it’s boring for your players! Instead, select 3-5 key points the party accomplished - or didn’t - and get back into the game. This is also a great place to remind yourself (and the party) of the time of day, season, location, and similar types of information.
Recap Suggestions
What happened last time:
The party encountered a ghost
A door blew up Umren
The party learned the key is under the watchful eye of Bailey (not the bear)
Where’s the Party?
Time of day: evening (after short rest)
Location: Greystock’s manse, antechamber
Clues & Secrets
Managing the story elements, NPCs, and reacting to the player’s choices can take up a lot of mental space. This makes it easy to forget small or hidden details the party can discover.
Keeping a list of clues and secrets relevant to the next play session ensures you don’t shortchange the party on discoverables.
Encounters
Knowing what random and planned encounters lie ahead lets you have those tokens and stat blocks ready, making the transition into combat more seamless. Because combat encounters can take a long time, knowing whether to expect combat in the session also helps determine how much material to prepare.
Relevant NPCs
As Dungeons Masters and storytellers, we aim to create immersive worlds that feel “lived in.” Taking stock of which NPCs will be interacting with the players in the next session gives you a chance to prepare for jumping into their shoes.
Loot & Treasure
What D&D adventure would be complete without magical loot and other rewards?
Instead of randomly rolling off tables (which is fine but uninspired), take this time to list out the potential treasure and rewards the group can find as they work through the campaign.
You can always adjust this list on the fly! And if you’ve taken our Zero Session advice, you can also pepper in some wishlist items your players might have.
FREE D&D Campaign Template Download
Campaign templates are incredibly useful for prepping efficiently for your roleplaying sessions, and this is just one of many tools in your toolkit.