We focus on published adventures, but most of what we say is also viable for homebrew games. Both customising for the players, and TO them - to fit them. Their playing style and gaming motivations.

Players, explain what you enjoy (4:04)

What genres do you enjoy? What are you looking for, in a game? Test yourself out, in one-shots. When creating the character, give hooks, things that the character care about.

Step 0 - Choosing the right campaign/adventure (5:30)

Make it easier for yourself, pick the right adventures for your party. Uri thinks of adventures as movies that he wants to act in. If you pick a movie from a genre that you don’t enjoy - you’ll probably won’t enjoy watching it.

The Dresden Files.

Fate.

Pick an established canon to play in, or at least to compare to. The advice we gave here is also in Odyssey: The Complete Game Master’s Guide to Campaign Management, a highly recommended book.

Step 1 - Ground the adventure in your world/setting (9:52)

One Page Dungeon contest.

Eran's winning adenture.

What’s grounding? To make the adventure seem natural in the setting you are playing in. So it won’t stand out. Adjust locations, change names, use pre-established trivias of your settings in the module (“the count is sitting and sipping expensive wine” - turn it into “expensive wine from Cheliax”).

Step 2 - Connect your player characters to the adventure (13:31)

Try to bring X and Y together, find the place where they can connect. Player’s companion - a must in all of Eran's campaigns. Transplanting names and concepts from your world into the adventure. It’s not “a local count ask the players to kiss a cursed frog” it should be “the baron francis whom you might remember from your last adventure with the goblins have asked for your help with some amphibian issue he have that requires some discretion”.

Curse of the Crimson Throne, player's guide.

Step 3 - Find places the players require and fill them in (23:47)

Types of scene, player motivations. Create and adapt.

Step 4 - Give the players solid leads (26:25)

Where they can find their fun. Something to strive for, and to wait patiently for.

Step 5 - Rewards and payoffs (33:22)

There are many types of rewards and payoff - you might want to change and adjust. E.g. minor tweaks to equipments - if no one can uses two handed sword you might want to change it to a weapon some one can use.

Example from Eran’s game (37:12)

50 Fathoms, the player’s guide.

Ev is playing a doreen. Needed someone to play against. The party needed a ship. And the players needed to feel like they’re getting into trouble. Aviv gave me her parents, of which she talked here and there. When the party arrived in Baltimus, it was satisfying and useful. Dassi gave me the captain’s secret, and she enjoys discovering stuff, so I gave her stuff to discover.

Summary (45:35)

Let the players feel at home in your campaign and enjoy their characters' skills and abi