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Regardless of how original a campaign idea you think you might have, chances are that someone else has already done it, and probably even wrote a book on it. Even worse, finding an original setting can be just as difficult. So what options is a GM left with? The easiest thing to do is to just "borrow" an idea and put a little spin on it. In the end you have your setting, your campaign, the players think you are a genius and your dirty little secret can be kept hidden from unknowing eyes.

Not everyone needs inspiration. Some GMs have the imagination to run a campaign every day and never think twice about what town needs to be here or what weapon should appear in the box. For those of you out there, I applaud you. For the rest of you out there, I sympathize. It's easy to envision a broad idea and then become snagged in the intricacies of fitting all the major events together. At times it becomes a daunting task that can bring any story to its knees. So help is on the way in many forms, from store bought campaigns, to video games, to stories already told. With a little help in the form of inspiration, you can focus on your strengths instead of being hindered by your weaknesses.

The easiest setup would be to use a pre-made campaign like A Frigid Demise for D&D or Wake of the Comet for Shadowrun. Everything required to make the game work is given and only a little bit of tuning here and there is needed to make it fit any scenario. Often times, these little jewels come with maps, character sheets of NPC stats, and even multiple objective paths for those who like to give their players various choices. Use all of the information provided or only take what you need, the outcome is a finely tuned game.

If having the entire story handed to you razes the imagination too much or is simply more than you need, consider other venues. Video games can provide a guideline for the character's nemesis or swashbuckling hero that steals all of your player's credit. Squaresoft has made a name for itself as a premier RPG software developer with games like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy X. Squaresoft is known for creating character and story driven games that do more than focus on combat, which makes all their hard work ripe for the picking. While taking a well known character like Cloud from Final Fantasy 7 and throwing him into your game would be a little too obvious, using Yuna's dedication towards her goal from Final Fantasy X can add flavor to a static or dull character. Older games can be found free online through emulators so money isn't always a requirement. Any of the games from my last article provide a setting for the vast emptiness between PointA and EventB. Again, taking an entire country and throwing it in the game would be obvious but bits and pieces of various places can combine to make your very own, well suited city. Even something as simple as describing the scenery can take direction from Rori in Star Wars Galaxies or a docking station from Earth & Beyond to become your creation. Tweaking and combining various elements becomes a balancing act at times but pays off if accomplished correctly. Video games can take a bit of time however so if a game this weekend needs a festival to entertain the characters with, a quicker alternative should be sought.

By far the largest source of inspiration comes from books. An endless supply of characters, cities, villains, and items lie in the pages of novels. Every genre has been covered, every setting has been taken, and every character angle has been played. But don't see this as barrier to your own creation; it's a pool of resources at your disposal.

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is one of the most popular fantasy novels since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Having served in the military, Jordan has a keen understanding of war and its doings and fluidly seams them into his universe that also plays heavily on politics and character relations. He has been praised for his ability to portray character development and bring his world to life with detailed descriptions. The series recently released book ten and Jordan continues to work on finishing his story. He is not for the light reader however. Where one reader sees detail, another sees tedious writing that makes Stephan King come to mind. Within his now over six thousand page story, is a treasure trove of information waiting to be used.

Orson Scott Card's Ender series has made him famous as well written science fiction writer. Telling the story of a child raised on video games designed to train him for war with an alien race, Ender's Game is the first in the four book series. As with Jordan, Card puts heavy emphasis on character development but isn't hesitant to also include unique plot twists and vivid landscapes. As fitting with this article, Card chose the title of his forth book with help from a friend that was quoted as saying:

"Thought you might find it interesting how I came up with the title. I was trying to read Mind Children and got through about 10 pages, some pretty cool stuff but NF just doesn't do it for me. It was at that time on Prodigy [OSC] asked for help with Ender's Children. I looked at Mind Children on my book shelf and it seemed like the perfect name, but it was taken. So, I thought of ways to rework the title and within minutes Children of the Mind came out and just resonated with possibility."

Originality allows a GM to bring to life a story that players have never experienced before, but human imperfection keeps the story from being. . . well. . . perfect. Borrowing ideas isn't an end-all-cure-all but it's a helping hand where gaming could use it most. Delve into the wide world of fiction and accomplish more without losing any of what you bring to the table.