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This section is made-up of advice I have gleaned from running Pilgrim’s Passages and other games. For context, I tend to run my campaigns using a mixture of procedural generation, other works in the hobby, and my own writing.
A note on AI writing tools: When I say “procedurally generated” I do not mean ChatGPT, or any other “AI” writing tool. I am speaking of table/dice based generation that was provided to you with the consent of the original writer, the ones in this book, or ones you made yourself. There are many fantastic tools for this online, there is no reason to use software that we know has stolen from the collective creation of billions of minds. Use the tools that have been lovingly created for you.
I referee a campaign in Pilgrim’s Passages as if I am weaving. I do not treat my campaigns like I am writing a story, instead I take a situation and incorporate it into the travels of the Pilgrims. Leaning on procedural generation to create nonsense situations then weaving them into something coherent is one of my favorite methods of writing adventures. This is roughly how I do it.
In order to weave you need a few things, first you need a loom, this is the foundation and boundary of our campaign. The loom will hold the fabric in place, my loom will be my hex map and my interpretation of the setting of Pilgrim’s Passages. These bind the thread and keeps it from going outside the bounds of the collective setting your table will be building. Click here[LINK] to learn how I generate my hex maps.
Warp is the next tool necessary for weaving. Warp is the thread that is directly connected to our loom. We set it before we begin the weaving proper. Our warp is going to be procedurally generated content and existing modules.
Using preexisting or generated texts allows you to get moving more quickly and reduces prep time. It can allow you, as the referee, to be more creative via having to interpret and work within the confines of the preexisting works. Pick your warp carefully though, not all modules work for every game. Pilgrim’s Passages can handle dungeon crawls but that is not where its focus lives. Focus on travel, exploration, less violent conflict, and shorter more episodic stories. Towns with problems are perfect modules for a campaign using Pilgrim’s Passages.
Add the modules as Locations to the hex map. You can pick a Location that was generated and matches the module, or you can plop down that module where it makes sense.
Next we need weft, the thread that is passed through the warp, this is your writing. Weft can be tying the warp together and into the setting, or it could be interpreting a wholly different pilgrimage from the inspiration the loom and warp gave you. There are no true rules here beyond letting your imagination run wild. If you need inspiration, I recommend a walk. Walks are the foundation of Pilgrim’s Passages, especially hiking and backpacking. Stumble into unexpected situations, meet/watch people, and experience new things. After returning from your walk pull out a notepad, put on an instrumental play list, and write. You can list out bullet points from your walk, write what pops into your head, and describe how you feel. The most important thing is that you write.
Below are a few tips that I find helpful when running Pilgrim’s Passages campaigns.
Encourage your players to haggle with you. Items, situations, Traits, and anything else that modifies a roll/cost are called Justifications for a reason. Lean into the negotiations, many of these will be goofy and that is great.
These festivals are great ways to make the player characters feel unique and needed by the communities they visit. Let the player characters take charge, that is what the town would want. If the player characters want to begin to change how the festival is celebrated lean into it.
It is easy to forget that the NPCs can travel too. It’s always exciting to see a memorable NPC on the road.
Ideally, once the players have completed a pilgrimage they will have some ideas about what they want to do next. Do not fight the players if they want to hunt down a specific Shrine, a knowledgeable crafts person, or artifact. That style of player-led adventure is the end-goal of this rule set. Do not get discouraged if this takes multiple treks for the players to latch onto, or if it never happens. A Pilgrim’s Passages campaign can revolve around simple deliveries of love letters, packages, news, and festivals.
Back to [Travel] (https://rest.blot.im/pilgrims-passages/travel)
On to Rulings and Concepts