Finally, we are pleased to present you our September Campaign of the Month, La Compagnie du Dragon Blanc – join us in our exclusive interview with GM jean_luc_rousseau to gain a special insight on the mind behind the work!
Let’s start with the group: who are the players around the table?
Starting with 5 players, the White Dragon Company now has 8, ranging in age from 16 to…57 for the GM, which is me!
Tell us a little about your group: how did you meet and what led you to immerse yourselves in the world of Faerûn?
I’ve been playing AD&D 2nd Edition since 1984 and I’ve been passionate about the Forgotten Realms from the very beginning. I wanted to form a group, including two of my three children who discovered role-playing games through this. Other passionate friends have joined us for the past 3 years. Next March, our Company will be 4 years old!
How do your games unfold?
We play at my place and at our association, the Circle of the 3 Kingdoms, in Agde, in the South of France, usually in the evening.
How often do you organize sessions? Do you play in person, online, or in a hybrid format?
We play monthly, sometimes bi-monthly, and always in person. For me, distance breaks the immersion.
Most people here are familiar with D&D, but perhaps not the 2nd edition in particular. What appealed to you about this version?
I started with the first edition, then naturally moved on to the second. I like the fluidity of its rules. And it constantly takes me back to my teenage memories. I’m completing my collection for my son, a mage in the Company, who also loves this universe. The components of the second edition are magnificent, especially the cards. I love them!
You’ve certainly spent a lot of time on your various campaigns on Obsidian Portal. Which features have become essential for organizing and running your games?
The website is a very useful tool, providing a complete summary of each of our sessions. We add to it as we go along, and it’s a valuable reference tool. The character recall and management features are particularly useful.
I notice you have an eclectic mix of different fantasy worlds that many will recognize.
I agree, but I remain faithful to the overall storyline of this period in the Middle Lands. I incorporate elements that I adapt intentionally, but always respecting the story and the main events. I’m passionate about it, and the lore is so rich that it allows for easy adaptation without altering its core essence.
Are there any particular difficulties in merging these elements from such diverse worlds?
No, but I ensure the overall coherence. It’s important to maintain certain reference points.
The level of detail in your Adventure Journals sometimes makes me feel like I’m sitting at your table. How do you go about writing them? Do you manage it alone or as a team?
Thank you for the compliment! I do it alone, and it takes a lot of time, but it’s my passion! I do it all by myself, and I occasionally edit the summary, year by year, into a booklet for each of my players.
If you had to choose a single moment of resounding success or spectacular failure to describe your campaign so far, what would it be? Whether it was hilarious, poignant, or simply brilliant, we’d love to hear it.
A moment of success: I love role-playing, and we were able to spend an entire 5-hour session without rolling a single dice roll… the players were completely immersed in the game and their character portrayals—a real treat for the GM!
And finally, we always ask the question: what’s your secret to running a successful campaign?
The coherence of the whole, passion, and a solid “historical” framework that allows the players to feel like they’re part of the world they’re in. If you had to summarize your GM philosophy, what are the key ingredients that make your game captivating and keep your players coming back?
Allowing players to truly immerse themselves and embody their characters, rather than simply organizing a series of soulless battles. While combat is an integral part of the game, it’s not the most important thing for me. The relationships and interactions between players around the table are what make the game special, not the dice or the rigid application of rules! Freedom, consistent world-building, and role-playing form the foundation of my game philosophy.
Thank you to the community for making this campaign of the month possible! That’s all for now, join us on our next adventure of COTY in December, and don’t forget to nominate your favorite campaigns!
