A campaign, as it typically spans multiple adventures and requires a more complex storyline and structure. Here’s a template for creating a D&D 5th edition campaign:

Title: Choose a descriptive and engaging title for your campaign.

Overview: Provide a brief overview of the campaign, including the setting, the goal, and any important NPCs or factions. This section should give the players a sense of what they can expect from the campaign and what is at stake.

Background: Provide a detailed background on the setting and any important lore that players should be aware of. This section should include information on the history and geography of the region, any important factions or political entities, and any major events that have occurred recently. It should also establish any major themes or conflicts that will be explored throughout the campaign.

Hooks: Provide multiple hooks to draw players into the campaign. These can be rumors, quests, or events that lead the players to the campaign’s starting point. It’s a good idea to provide multiple hooks so that players can choose the one that most interests them.

Act 1: The Setup:

1. Introduce the Players to the Setting: The first step in Act 1 is to introduce the players to the campaign setting. Describe the world and its inhabitants, and give the players an idea of what life is like in the setting. You should also describe any major factions or groups that players may interact with during the campaign.
2. Present the Campaign Goal: Next, you should present the campaign goal to the players. This is the overarching objective that the players will be working towards throughout the campaign. It should be something that is both challenging and achievable, and should be directly related to the campaign’s themes and conflicts.
3. Introduce the Primary NPCs: You should also introduce the primary NPCs that the players will be working with or against throughout the campaign. These NPCs should be well-developed characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and goals. They should also be integral to the campaign’s storyline and conflicts.
4. Provide Adventure Hooks: Adventure hooks are the events or circumstances that draw the players into the campaign’s storyline. They can be rumors, quests, or events that lead the players to the campaign’s starting point. You should provide multiple hooks to give players a variety of options and to make it more likely that they will find a hook that interests them.
5. Establish the World’s Lore: In addition to introducing the setting and primary NPCs, you should also establish the world’s lore. This includes the history, geography, and important events that have shaped the world. This information should be presented in a way that is easily understandable for the players and should be relevant to the campaign’s storyline and conflicts.
6. Provide Resources: Finally, you should provide players with any resources they will need to get started in the campaign. This includes things like character sheets, rulebooks, maps, and any other materials that will be useful to them. You should also give players an idea of what they can expect in terms of difficulty and tone, so they know what to expect as they begin their journey.

Act 2: The Journey:

1. Provide a Variety of Adventures: Act 2 is the main section of the campaign where the players will be completing a series of adventures that build on each other and contribute to the overall storyline. These adventures should be varied and offer a mix of combat, exploration, and role-playing opportunities. They should also be challenging but fair, and appropriately scaled to the players’ level.
2. Establish Clear Objectives: Each adventure should have a clear objective that the players need to achieve in order to progress to the next stage of the campaign. This objective should be tied to the overall campaign goal and help to move the story forward. You should also provide clues and information that help the players understand the overarching goal of the campaign.
3. Create Interesting Locations: The adventures in Act 2 should take place in interesting and memorable locations. These could be abandoned ruins, underground lairs, or other exotic locales. Make sure to provide vivid descriptions of these locations and to include interesting environmental features that can affect gameplay, such as traps, hidden passages, or hazards.
4. Include Memorable Characters: Memorable and well-developed characters are an important part of any D&D campaign. In Act 2, you should include NPCs that the players will interact with and who can help or hinder them in achieving their objectives. These NPCs should have distinct personalities and motivations, and should be integral to the campaign’s storyline and conflicts.
5. Offer Opportunities for Exploration: Exploration is an important part of any D&D campaign, and Act 2 should provide plenty of opportunities for players to explore their surroundings and uncover hidden secrets. You can achieve this by including hidden rooms, secret passages, or other hidden areas that players can discover through investigation and exploration.
6. Provide Rewards: Finally, make sure to provide appropriate rewards for completing each adventure in Act 2. These rewards could include treasure, magic items, or other benefits that are appropriate to the players’ level and experience. These rewards should also tie into the overall campaign goal and help to move the story forward.

Act 3: The Climax:

1. Build Up to the Final Challenge: Act 3 is the final section of the campaign where players face the primary obstacle or challenge standing in their way. You should build up to this final challenge by creating a sense of tension and urgency. This could involve placing time limits on the players or introducing new obstacles and challenges that make it more difficult for them to reach their goal.
2. Create a Challenging Encounter: The final challenge in Act 3 should be challenging but fair. This could involve a final boss fight against a powerful enemy, a puzzle-solving challenge, or other obstacles that the players must overcome. You should also consider the players’ level and experience and adjust the encounter accordingly.
3. Provide Clues and Information: Throughout Act 2, you should provide clues and information that help the players understand the overarching goal of the campaign. In Act 3, you should tie all these clues and information together, so players can see how the individual adventures and challenges they faced were all part of a larger storyline. This helps create a satisfying sense of closure for players.
4. Make the Encounter Memorable: The final encounter in Act 3 should be memorable and exciting. This could involve including unique environmental features that affect gameplay or introducing unexpected twists and turns in the story. You should also consider how to make the encounter emotionally impactful, such as by including personal stakes for the players or by emphasizing the importance of the campaign goal.
5. Reward the Players: Finally, make sure to reward the players appropriately for completing the campaign. This could involve providing treasure, magic items, or other benefits that are appropriate to their level and experience. You could also offer in-game rewards such as titles, lands, or other honors that reflect their achievements in the campaign.

Rewards:

1. Determine Appropriate Rewards: The first step in creating rewards for your campaign is to determine what is appropriate for your players. Consider their level, experience, and the challenges they faced throughout the campaign. Rewards should be proportional to the difficulty of the challenges and appropriate to the players’ level and experience.
2. Provide Treasure: Treasure is a common reward in D&D campaigns. This could include gold, gems, or valuable objects that players can sell or use to purchase equipment. Make sure that the treasure is balanced and does not unbalance the game.
3. Give Magic Items: Magic items are also popular rewards in D&D campaigns. These items can include weapons, armor, potions, or other objects that provide magical benefits to the player. Make sure to choose items that are appropriate to the players’ level and experience, and that balance the game.
4. Offer In-Game Rewards: In-game rewards can also be provided to players. This could include titles, lands, or other honors that reflect their achievements in the campaign. These rewards can be useful for tying players into the campaign world and creating a sense of continuity between campaigns.
5. Reward Good Roleplaying: Reward players who engage in good roleplaying by giving them inspiration, extra experience points, or other in-game benefits. This encourages players to engage with the story and to make choices that reflect their character’s personality and motivations.
6. Reward Teamwork: Reward players who work well together as a team by giving them inspiration, extra experience points, or other in-game benefits. This encourages players to work together and to cooperate towards achieving the campaign’s objectives.

Conclusion:

1. Wrap Up Loose Ends: In the Conclusion section, you should wrap up any loose ends that may have arisen throughout the campaign. This could include resolving any unresolved plot points or character arcs, or providing closure for any unresolved conflicts.
2. Reflect on the Campaign: Take some time to reflect on the campaign as a whole. Consider what worked well and what didn’t, and make notes on areas that could be improved in future campaigns. You should also ask for feedback from your players, so you can incorporate their thoughts and opinions into your future campaigns.
3. Foreshadow Future Adventures: While the campaign may be over, the world and its inhabitants continue to exist. Use the Conclusion section to foreshadow future adventures and campaigns that players may be interested in pursuing. This could involve introducing new plot hooks or NPCs that hint at future storylines.
4. Reward the Players: Finally, make sure to reward the players appropriately for completing the campaign. This could involve providing treasure, magic items, or other benefits that are appropriate to their level and experience. You could also offer in-game rewards such as titles, lands, or other honors that reflect their achievements in the campaign.
5. Express Gratitude: Take some time to express gratitude to your players for participating in the campaign. Thank them for their time and effort, and let them know that you appreciate their dedication to the game. This helps create a positive atmosphere and encourages players to participate in future campaigns.

Appendices:

1. Maps: Providing maps of the campaign setting and any key locations can be helpful for players to visualize their surroundings and to plan their actions. Consider including a map of the world or region, as well as maps of individual locations that the players may visit.
2. NPC and Monster Stat Blocks: Including stat blocks for important NPCs and monsters can make combat encounters run more smoothly. It helps the DM to easily reference important stats such as HP, AC, and attack bonuses. You can find monster stat blocks in the Monster Manual, and NPC stat blocks in the Dungeon Master’s Guide or the various adventure modules.
3. Handouts: Handouts such as letters, maps, or other physical items that the players can interact with can add an immersive element to the campaign. These can be used to provide information or clues, or to enhance the atmosphere of the game.
4. Additional Rules: Including additional rules or guidelines that are specific to the campaign can help to keep the game running smoothly. For example, you might include rules for tracking hunger and thirst in a survival-themed campaign or rules for tracking the passage of time in a time-travel campaign.
5. Campaign Notes: Keeping detailed campaign notes can be helpful for DMs to keep track of important plot points, NPCs, and events. This can also be helpful when planning future campaigns, as you can reference these notes when designing new adventures.
6. Resources for Players: Finally, consider including resources for players, such as character sheets or rulebooks. This can be helpful for players who are new to the game or who may not have access to these materials. You can also provide additional resources such as links to online tutorials or videos that can help players improve their gameplay.

Remember, the key to a successful D&D 5th edition campaign is to create a compelling and engaging storyline, varied and challenging encounters, and memorable characters and settings. Be sure to tailor the campaign to the preferences and experience of your players, and don’t be afraid to adjust and modify the campaign as you go along.