Written by: Alex LeFort
“West Marches” campaigns are spontaneous TTRPG sessions that empower the players to drive the game's direction and alleviate the pressure on the Game Master (GM) to script every aspect of the narrative journey.
Looking to run a game of Dungeons and Dragons (or Pathfinder, or one of countless other TTRPGs) but struggling with flaky schedules, a revolving door of players, or just tired of feeling like you’re hauling the whole story on your shoulders? These are familiar problems. Traditionally, RPG campaigns operate on a fixed schedule with a consistent group of players and a single, overarching plot guided by the GM. However, these elements can often become constraints.
“West Marches” sessions offer a flexible alternative to standard TTRPG campaigns. They are suited to groups grappling with irregular schedules, a rotating cast of players, and the GM's burden of continually crafting a cohesive plot. By focusing on exploration and discovery, West Marches campaigns create a dynamic and participatory environment that adapts to the needs and contributions of its players.
Read on to learn more about what a West Marches campaign is, why you should consider giving it a shot, and some tips for doing so.
Core Premises
Pioneered by game designer Ben Robbins (you can find his blog here: https://arsludi.lamemage.com/), a West Marches campaign is structured around a few key principles, both in and out of actual gameplay:
- There is no regular play schedule or session. Instead, games occur when players organize themselves into groups for expeditions into the wilds.
- Wilderness travel and exploration are core themes of the campaign.
- The GM establishes a setting and map that includes a starting town or base for the party, surrounded by wildness and key locations occupied by various NPCs, factions, monsters, and other enemies.
- Sessions should begin and end in a safe location such as a town or party base, meaning each session becomes a sort of one-shot within the larger framework of the campaign. This allows for a rotating cast of players drawn from a larger pool, so that players dropping in and out are always doing so in between adventures.
- Before the beginning of each session, the party surveys the map as necessary and identifies where they would like to go next. The GM then prepares for a session of play based on the party’s decision.
- Game summaries are shared after each session, and the shared map is updated as necessary for tracking purposes so that all players, including ones that weren’t able to make that particular session, are kept in the loop.
All of this means that West Marches campaigns can be very different from traditional campaigns in major ways. Instead of a single continuous story, the campaign consists of several smaller, player-driven narratives. Each expedition can reveal new aspects of the world, but there's no predetermined endpoint or ‘main storyline’ beyond the experiences of the characters. Each session is and feels like a mini-adventure, keeping gameplay fresh and exciting for players and allowing them to regularly achieve the goals they set out for themselves and see how the world changes in response to their actions. It also means it's scalable for very large groups, as not everyone needs to be present for every session.
Tips for Preparing a West Marches Campaign
Successfully managing a West Marches campaign requires flexibility and the right amount (but not too much) of preparation. Here are some tips to help you navigate:
Maintain a Region Map. This is fundamental to the West Marches system. Pepper it with a bunch of initial points of interest—nothing more than maybe a name and a sentence of vague description for each. Build these out only as you need to. As players explore new areas, update this map so that it can be referenced for future expeditions. This is critical for maintaining continuity and allows players to visually track their progress and discoveries.
Create Tiers of Danger. Generally, areas closer to the players’ starting town or base should be less threatening that whatever lies further out. This contributes to a sense of exploration and character development. Your parties are always free to attempt to bite off more than they might be able to chew—the rewards for success are great, but so too are the consequences of failure.
Prepare Modular Encounters. Since players might choose unexpected paths, have a range of encounters and scenarios ready, especially for travel, that can be adapted on the fly to fit different locations and situations in addition to whatever the main event might be for a given session.
Go Forth
By now, you should have a general understanding of the intent and structure of a West Marches campaign. You should strongly consider running a game in this style if some combination of the following apply to you:
- You feel burdened by connecting multiple sessions together in service to an engaging plot, or the expectation to develop exciting narratives for your players to discover.
- You like one-shots.
- You have too many potential players, and your group finds it difficult to commit to a regular schedule.
- You like themes of exploration.
If you want more about the West Marches campaign style, check out Ben Robbins’ blog, do a search for related discussion on Reddit, or consult this fantastic video by Matt Colville.
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