CONCEPTION
In the fall of 2019, I put out a call for a Dungeons and Dragons-style campaign set in the Warcraft universe to coincide with the activation of Classic servers. The concept revolved around a group of Bronze flight Timewalkers sent back to the aftermath of the Third War. Utilizing the old world of Classic, my players were able to experience major story beats from the original game while also engaging in their own group plot over a period of 8 months.
As the first major test of my long-form storytelling, it needed to proceed at a natural pace while also feeling high-stakes. I accomplished this with strategic placement of hints and challenges backed up by a strong grasp of canon lore.
PLAYER RETENTION
The campaign required constant upkeep between our weekly plot events to maintain player interest. New quests were added every week, DM’d personally, and offered progression rewards and entertaining side stories that made our settings feel alive and reactive. These included damage control from running into the players' past selves, mounted Thousand Needles war wagon combat, a gladiatorial goblin swimsuit contest, and a full week at a mandatory Winterspring team-building work retreat.
I challenged myself to keep the runtime of every side quest under two hours, and consistently hit that mark with a combination of careful planning and emergency improvisation.
One of the main features of the campaign were "Echoes" where players were tasked with speed-running dungeons (taking advantage of the increased difficulty and 10-player limit in Classic instances) to secure a runestone at the end. If the time ran out, the group was reset to the beginning, albeit with new in-character knowledge of what path to take and what enemies to prioritize.
"The breakneck speed and necessary player coordination, with the reward of a puzzle piece to the plot at the end, made these events supremely satisfying."
-Saint_Etzer, player of Clown
FINALE – NOT AS PLANNED
Physical limitations prevented me from running the dungeon crawl finale I had written for my players. Instead, I wrote a thorough guide for my officers to direct the team through the crypt. When I was miraculously able to return, I kept my attendance a secret.
With the knowledge that I could surprise my players, I re-wrote the entire ending, designed 33 new characters each with their own unique mechanics, and re-imagined the difficulty and complexity of the final boss fight all in one day. The revamped fight went off without a hitch and brought the campaign to an emotional close.
Each player was granted control of 3 versions – or alternates – of their established characters. The backstory of each alternate was carefully crafted to display logical branching paths the player character might have faced in life, requiring a deep understanding of my cast’s history and motives. They also needed to feel individually distinct and unique.
Earthwalker Ivory
The Earthmother is many things. She is the creator, but she is also the cradle. To walk her berth is to know her love, and to protect her many blessings is Ivory’s sole duty. The guise of a tauren only brings her closer to nature.
Special Ability: Sow. Life blossoms around you, healing all allies in your line of sight for 4 hp.
Oracle Ivory
The prime handmaiden has a hand in all fates. Even the birth of our precious world is under her watchful gaze and protection. Though blinded by knowledge, in her omniscience she has long-since surpassed the need for sight.
- Special Ability: Change Fate. Automatically stabilizes a player who has fallen below 1 hp and is in the throes of a death roll. This will return them to 5 hp.
Executioner Ivory
Those attempting to escape their ordained fate never make it far before falling to the Executioner’s scythe. The hunter takes no joy in her work, instead regarding the solemn duty as a necessary evil to protect the timeline as a whole.
- Special Ability: Reap. Your scythe severs the destiny of an enemy, reducing their maximum hp by 2. Maximum uses per enemy: 3
Contact
email@website.com
000-000-000
"The Timewalkers was my personal pinnacle of interactive storytelling in World of Warcraft. I expected nothing more than a TTRPG-esque traipse through Classic WoW, where the story would be light, stakes low and flavor of the week prioritized over the forward momentum of any plot. I experienced the exact opposite, and I now hold all other group-based RP to the same standards."
-Saint_Etzer, player of Clown
"Even through a challenging medium, Lexi created a vibrant and immersive storyline. From beginning to end I was impressed with how she handled such a daunting task, and I would always look forward to the next session."
-Raxef, player of Quintrelle
"Rage has a knack for only letting her players know what they need to know, allowing for clever twists and turns in the campaigns she runs. Nothing like thinking you're going to a spa getaway, only to learn at the last second that half your party are demons in disguise."
-Jollyrancher, player of Nendel
"The campaign took place entirely within World of Warcraft Classic, allowing Rage to push the game’s limits while finding new, creative ways to tell a story. (…) Our actions as players had real consequences, both negative and positive. It made us all feel like an essential part of the story. (…) As a regular Dungeons and Dragons player who’s played in a fair share of campaigns, the Timewalkers campaign remains my favorite."
-Muri, player of Melostra
"Amazing job and one of the best campaigns [I've] ever had the fortune to be a part of. Everything was well structured, creative, organized, well written, highly adaptive to outside circumstances. By the end the Timewalkers became something incredibly close to my heart, (…) would participate in another without hesitation."
-Gadiva, player of Oriel