My First Campaign! [Archive] - Wizards Community

My First Campaign! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
the_icon
11-04-07, 03:38 AM Okay, so as the title suggests, I'm running my first campaign; much of which I plan to home-brew myself. This, my dear friends, is where you come in. As a new DM, I need some serious guidance as to not screw this up too horribly. I understand how significant and overbearing the undertaking I'm . . . undertaking is, and I'm dedicated and diligent enough to do it. But I need help. Help from more experienced players and DMs, who know what a good story looks like, what crunchy elements are good in practice, and some good, old-fashioned, third-party advice. I plan to add more and more to this thread as time goes on; I'll document the changes and additions, and review the thread often for updates.

So, without further adieu;

Kel Fordrem, N/NG Male Human Fighter 1

The son of locally prominent merchants, Kel lost interest in the family business long ago and set out on his own. He grew up hearing the heirloom legends of his ancestral grandfather, who was once one of the greatest genreals in all Calendor (and coincidentally went by the same name). It is said that for four days, Kel (Sr.) and his 500 men held the only bridge into the once-holy city of Parathion against an invading host of goblins. On the fifth day, Kel -- along with the handful of men he had left -- was finally overrun, but they had bought the city's defenders enough preparation time to successfully repel the hoard. After the battle, Kel's body was uncovered and buried along with his trademark cape and his magical sword, Seraph. Many years later, Parathion was assailed by harsh winters, buffeted by blizzard after blizzard. The inhabitants of Parathion were forced to evacuate, or face certain death in the face of the blistering cold; and so, Parathion was simply abandoned, its people scattered and it's location forgotten over the generations. Currently serving as a guardsman in a town called Mount's Mouth, Kel (Jr.) is determined to find his ancestor's resting place and recover the tools he used to stave off the invasion of Parathion.

NG Male Elven Druid 1
CN Male Human Beguiler 1
NG Male Dwarf Wizard 1
[Alignment Undecided] Half-Elf Ranger 1 (who plans on aspiring toward Order of the Bow Initiate)
CG Male Human Cleric 1 (who plans to aspire toward Holy Liberator)
The southern province of Kesir Ra’vaniel runs rampant with natural life; as over ninety per cent of the country’s territory is covered with lush, dense forest. Having been cut off from the rest of the continent by the Greyboulder Mountains to the northwest, Kesir Ra’vaniel is so-named as home of the High Elves. Their capital, Silath Lani, is nestled away securely within a mountain range at the nation’s heart. (These mountains are commonly – albeit mistakenly – referred to as the “Sitlath Lanis” by outsiders; and similarly, most outlanders simply know Kesir Ra’Vaniel by its human-abbreviated name, “Kesira”.) The Kesirans (as they are called) are also staunch allies of Calendor, and revere their amusingly misguided references with endearment; a sign of peace between the nations. Many half-elves (along with a very few of their human parents) walk among the Kesirans as welcomed members of their society. Halflings and gnomes are regarded rather impartially, however; while dwarves and half-orcs are often looked upon smugly, as objects of quiet ridicule. Despite their apparent conceit toward most non-elves, Kesirans are rarely ever unfriendly to anyone, especially those who practice arcane magic.

Kesira is loosely ruled over by a magocracy, and as such, arcane magic is simply an expected way of life. Many among the Kesiran high elves take up wizardry or some other kind of magic-related profession, using their talents to create powerful magical items, craft vibrant works of jewelry and art, or to weave serene melodies into the night air. Additionally, the high elves are vigilantly peaceful and view mundane combat as a brutish, detestable practice; and will treat it as such, along with any who exercise it. This is one of the main reasons that tensions have arisen between the elves and their human neighbors to the west; as the king of Nethriä commands a vast army, a fact he arrogantly flaunts whenever the time for negotiation is at hand.

Though many follow the high elves’ two principle deities (Corellon Larethian and Boccob), it is believed that those who are destined to practice divine magic are chosen, they do not decide for themselves. This determination is made at birth for all high elves, and is conducted by a cleric of either deity; Corellon Larethian if the child is born by day, Boccob if by night. If the newborn’s eyes first open when the cleric holds her up against the sun or moon, it is seen as a sign that she has been chosen by the gods to wield their divine magic. Those who choose to publicly defy this ordinance are often ostracized.

Although it is viewed by many Esha-han (outlanders) as a tranquil paradise, Kesira has a rich history, steeped in conflict. For thousands of years, Kesira was controlled chiefly by the proud Gray Elves; until the nation was plunged into war and nearly overrun by the Drow, along with their orc and goblin cohorts. It was only then that the scattered High Elves became unified under a single banner to ally with the gray elves and beat back the invading forces. They eventually forced their enemies apart, driving the orcs back deep into the Greyboulder Mountains, and the Drow back home to the Lo’Ravan valley in the southwest. In the wake of this great war, the gray elves had nearly been wiped out completely, and were forced to retreat; leaving the high elves to grow and prosper. To this day, small pockets of gray elves still inhabit the northeastern forests of Kesira, harboring a deep-seated hatred for spiders, poison and all who revere Lolth.

Kesira is also home to a very small minority of wood and wild elves, who live in small, nomadic tribes that are widely distributed across the territory. As such, it is very unlikely that any two tribes should ever cross paths with one another. The many caves and alcoves along the Silversea Coast are also rumored to be frequented by sea elves, but since so few have ever traveled there, these accounts can hardly ever be taken as fact.

In addition to the vast number of elves that inhabit the woodlands of Kesir Ra’vaniel, gnome and halfling villages are fairly common along the few well-traveled roads. Druids of all races live their entire lives in Kesira, coming together once every Green Moon to celebrate their brotherhood, and the renewal of their vows. Animals of all sorts also call the Kesiran woods home, as do many monsters.

Messenger's Spellbook
Messenger’s spellbooks have room enough for only one spell, which magically disappears 2d12+24 hours after the book is opened. As such, many of these books come equipped with locks to prevent the spell from vanishing prematurely. Additionally, the book’s scribe may also have a simple image or short message appear as an inscription on the cover of the book, which will last until the book is opened, and disappear just as the spell contained within.

Messenger’s Spellbooks can contain any arcane spell of up to the sixth level (lesser books can only contain arcane spells up to the third level, while the greater variety can hold any arcane spell). Due to their nature as spellbooks, these items can only be utilized by wizards.

Faint transmutation; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, Erase, Silent Image; Price 105 gp; Weight ½ lb.
the_icon
11-04-07, 11:56 PM 11/4/07 Edit: The cleric player decided on his race, alignment and class.
11/6/07 Edit: Received and updated back-story for Kel Fordrem, the Fighter-player's character.
AffeTheFoul
11-05-07, 10:13 AM As for plot ideas, I would like to hear some ideas that you had in mind. That way it would probably be easier for us to give you advice and edit your ideas rather than comming up with something intirely different than you are comfortible with.

As with this being your first time DMing, I would sugguest sticking to core races and the core books, including the complete series if you wanted. That should give you guys a more basic understanding of the game without confusing you with too much extra stuff
Tegemea
11-05-07, 11:53 AM I really like the look of your group of PCs

Let me also say right off the bat that my favorite campaigns and adventures are wilderness/exploration based rather than urban or dungeon-base. That's my bias, and thats why i like that group setup.

And from the description of the campaign location in a sylvan forest, wilderness is going to be your default setting..

One thing that is very cool about wilderness settings, to me, is the ability to derive plot from ecology. With a druid in the group, especially - if a dragon relocates into a forest territory, it has an effect on all the resident flora and fauna. Maybe the dragon came to the woods because it loves the taste of centaur. It predates the centaur population in the foothills of the greyboulders, which means the centaurs are no longer blocking the spread of goblinoids out of the mountains, and they move in and start killing mid-size herbivores for meat (pigs, deer, etc). That makes the owlbears, wolves, and other carnivores die off or move out. But the goblinoids also love the shiny metallic feathers of a particular bird-of-paradise that lives in the area. They hunt the birds to extinction to make decorative head-dresses and feathered capes. The birds used to subsist on a diet of mainly spiders, and now the spider population is way up. A secretive nearby population of gray elves believes it to be a sign that the drow are returning, and begins to form an alliance with other secret gray elf enclaves, muttering war against the high elves who aren't doing a good enough job holding back the 'drow'.

yea, that was a rambling mess, but the idea is, use the interconnectedness of a forest to your advantage.
the_icon
11-05-07, 02:16 PM I like what you're both saying, and first I'd like to thank you guys for being the first to comment. Secondly, I'd like to address some of your points directly:

AffeTheFoul:

As for the major plot points, I'm waiting on my players to submit their back-stories (I have already received a few), so I might draw some ideas from them; but if you or anyone else have any, I'd love to hear them! And don't worry about me being uncomfortable -- I'm an easy guy to work with and I'm good at making things fit. =P

I would sugguest sticking to core races and the core books, including the complete series if you wanted.
That is great advice; we have chosen to use those books already, with the addition of the Arms and Equipment Guide.

Tegemea:

I really like the look of your group of PCs

Let me also say right off the bat that my favorite campaigns and adventures are wilderness/exploration based rather than urban or dungeon-base. That's my bias, and thats why i like that group setup.
Well, this is one of the areas where I'm playing to party interest. I have a group of people who all like different things, and Kesira is just one of those panderings. =P

And from the description of the campaign location in a sylvan forest, wilderness is going to be your default setting..
Well, not the entire campaign setting is based in the forest -- that was just a glimpse of Kesir Ra'vaniel, one of the three countries that makes up [the continent that as yet has no name]. The two other countries (which were briefly touched upon in the blurb about kesira) are The Calendoran Republic (where the campaign will start out), and the kingdom of Nethriä, both of which will be further discussed at a later date.
AffeTheFoul
11-05-07, 07:50 PM Yeah i deffinaly like the layout of your party aswell... I also like that you decided to start at first level. What i like doing when i first start campaigns that low is for the first few levels i keep the combat and chancing of dying to a minimal and increase roleplaying to make sure everyone really gets in to their characters and i also like adding a lot of traps and puzzles for the players to figure out. I like puzzles because it helps players get into their characters and its not something simple that players get bored with easily.

As for campaign ideas for low levels. i like starting with something simple, like there is this a mayor of a small village paying people to help rid him of his goblin problem. and ill usually throw a twist on it to make the goblin cave have a note from the mayor demanding more gold for the villagers hes giving the goblins. The note was written in goblin so they would either find out how useful it is to know different languages or take it back to town. also a nice riddle or puzzle to unlock a secret treasure room. that kind of stuff to start out with should get the players really hooked in quick without too much of a threat to their safty

I actually ran that idea a few years ago and the party found the note didnt really mention it too much after that, but around level 10 or so they ended up comming back to the village and publicly expoiting the mayor who ended up getting killed in a mob riot shorly after.
the_icon
11-07-07, 04:17 AM 11/07/07: Edit: Added and updated section for new magic items.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
the_icon 11-04-07, 03:38 AM	Okay, so as the title suggests, I'm running my first campaign; much of which I plan to home-brew myself. This, my dear friends, is where you come in. As a new DM, I need some serious guidance as to not screw this up too horribly. I understand how significant and overbearing the undertaking I'm . . . undertaking is, and I'm dedicated and diligent enough to do it. But I need help. Help from more experienced players and DMs, who know what a good story looks like, what crunchy elements are good in practice, and some good, old-fashioned, third-party advice. I plan to add more and more to this thread as time goes on; I'll document the changes and additions, and review the thread often for updates. So, without further adieu; Kel Fordrem, N/NG Male Human Fighter 1 The son of locally prominent merchants, Kel lost interest in the family business long ago and set out on his own. He grew up hearing the heirloom legends of his ancestral grandfather, who was once one of the greatest genreals in all Calendor (and coincidentally went by the same name). It is said that for four days, Kel (Sr.) and his 500 men held the only bridge into the once-holy city of Parathion against an invading host of goblins. On the fifth day, Kel -- along with the handful of men he had left -- was finally overrun, but they had bought the city's defenders enough preparation time to successfully repel the hoard. After the battle, Kel's body was uncovered and buried along with his trademark cape and his magical sword, Seraph. Many years later, Parathion was assailed by harsh winters, buffeted by blizzard after blizzard. The inhabitants of Parathion were forced to evacuate, or face certain death in the face of the blistering cold; and so, Parathion was simply abandoned, its people scattered and it's location forgotten over the generations. Currently serving as a guardsman in a town called Mount's Mouth, Kel (Jr.) is determined to find his ancestor's resting place and recover the tools he used to stave off the invasion of Parathion. NG Male Elven Druid 1 CN Male Human Beguiler 1 NG Male Dwarf Wizard 1 [Alignment Undecided] Half-Elf Ranger 1 (who plans on aspiring toward Order of the Bow Initiate) CG Male Human Cleric 1 (who plans to aspire toward Holy Liberator) The southern province of Kesir Ra’vaniel runs rampant with natural life; as over ninety per cent of the country’s territory is covered with lush, dense forest. Having been cut off from the rest of the continent by the Greyboulder Mountains to the northwest, Kesir Ra’vaniel is so-named as home of the High Elves. Their capital, Silath Lani, is nestled away securely within a mountain range at the nation’s heart. (These mountains are commonly – albeit mistakenly – referred to as the “Sitlath Lanis” by outsiders; and similarly, most outlanders simply know Kesir Ra’Vaniel by its human-abbreviated name, “Kesira”.) The Kesirans (as they are called) are also staunch allies of Calendor, and revere their amusingly misguided references with endearment; a sign of peace between the nations. Many half-elves (along with a very few of their human parents) walk among the Kesirans as welcomed members of their society. Halflings and gnomes are regarded rather impartially, however; while dwarves and half-orcs are often looked upon smugly, as objects of quiet ridicule. Despite their apparent conceit toward most non-elves, Kesirans are rarely ever unfriendly to anyone, especially those who practice arcane magic. Kesira is loosely ruled over by a magocracy, and as such, arcane magic is simply an expected way of life. Many among the Kesiran high elves take up wizardry or some other kind of magic-related profession, using their talents to create powerful magical items, craft vibrant works of jewelry and art, or to weave serene melodies into the night air. Additionally, the high elves are vigilantly peaceful and view mundane combat as a brutish, detestable practice; and will treat it as such, along with any who exercise it. This is one of the main reasons that tensions have arisen between the elves and their human neighbors to the west; as the king of Nethriä commands a vast army, a fact he arrogantly flaunts whenever the time for negotiation is at hand. Though many follow the high elves’ two principle deities (Corellon Larethian and Boccob), it is believed that those who are destined to practice divine magic are chosen, they do not decide for themselves. This determination is made at birth for all high elves, and is conducted by a cleric of either deity; Corellon Larethian if the child is born by day, Boccob if by night. If the newborn’s eyes first open when the cleric holds her up against the sun or moon, it is seen as a sign that she has been chosen by the gods to wield their divine magic. Those who choose to publicly defy this ordinance are often ostracized. Although it is viewed by many Esha-han (outlanders) as a tranquil paradise, Kesira has a rich history, steeped in conflict. For thousands of years, Kesira was controlled chiefly by the proud Gray Elves; until the nation was plunged into war and nearly overrun by the Drow, along with their orc and goblin cohorts. It was only then that the scattered High Elves became unified under a single banner to ally with the gray elves and beat back the invading forces. They eventually forced their enemies apart, driving the orcs back deep into the Greyboulder Mountains, and the Drow back home to the Lo’Ravan valley in the southwest. In the wake of this great war, the gray elves had nearly been wiped out completely, and were forced to retreat; leaving the high elves to grow and prosper. To this day, small pockets of gray elves still inhabit the northeastern forests of Kesira, harboring a deep-seated hatred for spiders, poison and all who revere Lolth. Kesira is also home to a very small minority of wood and wild elves, who live in small, nomadic tribes that are widely distributed across the territory. As such, it is very unlikely that any two tribes should ever cross paths with one another. The many caves and alcoves along the Silversea Coast are also rumored to be frequented by sea elves, but since so few have ever traveled there, these accounts can hardly ever be taken as fact. In addition to the vast number of elves that inhabit the woodlands of Kesir Ra’vaniel, gnome and halfling villages are fairly common along the few well-traveled roads. Druids of all races live their entire lives in Kesira, coming together once every Green Moon to celebrate their brotherhood, and the renewal of their vows. Animals of all sorts also call the Kesiran woods home, as do many monsters. Messenger's Spellbook Messenger’s spellbooks have room enough for only one spell, which magically disappears 2d12+24 hours after the book is opened. As such, many of these books come equipped with locks to prevent the spell from vanishing prematurely. Additionally, the book’s scribe may also have a simple image or short message appear as an inscription on the cover of the book, which will last until the book is opened, and disappear just as the spell contained within. Messenger’s Spellbooks can contain any arcane spell of up to the sixth level (lesser books can only contain arcane spells up to the third level, while the greater variety can hold any arcane spell). Due to their nature as spellbooks, these items can only be utilized by wizards. Faint transmutation; CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, Erase, Silent Image; Price 105 gp; Weight ½ lb.
the_icon 11-04-07, 11:56 PM	11/4/07 Edit: The cleric player decided on his race, alignment and class. 11/6/07 Edit: Received and updated back-story for Kel Fordrem, the Fighter-player's character.
AffeTheFoul 11-05-07, 10:13 AM	As for plot ideas, I would like to hear some ideas that you had in mind. That way it would probably be easier for us to give you advice and edit your ideas rather than comming up with something intirely different than you are comfortible with. As with this being your first time DMing, I would sugguest sticking to core races and the core books, including the complete series if you wanted. That should give you guys a more basic understanding of the game without confusing you with too much extra stuff
Tegemea 11-05-07, 11:53 AM	I really like the look of your group of PCs Let me also say right off the bat that my favorite campaigns and adventures are wilderness/exploration based rather than urban or dungeon-base. That's my bias, and thats why i like that group setup. And from the description of the campaign location in a sylvan forest, wilderness is going to be your default setting.. One thing that is very cool about wilderness settings, to me, is the ability to derive plot from ecology. With a druid in the group, especially - if a dragon relocates into a forest territory, it has an effect on all the resident flora and fauna. Maybe the dragon came to the woods because it loves the taste of centaur. It predates the centaur population in the foothills of the greyboulders, which means the centaurs are no longer blocking the spread of goblinoids out of the mountains, and they move in and start killing mid-size herbivores for meat (pigs, deer, etc). That makes the owlbears, wolves, and other carnivores die off or move out. But the goblinoids also love the shiny metallic feathers of a particular bird-of-paradise that lives in the area. They hunt the birds to extinction to make decorative head-dresses and feathered capes. The birds used to subsist on a diet of mainly spiders, and now the spider population is way up. A secretive nearby population of gray elves believes it to be a sign that the drow are returning, and begins to form an alliance with other secret gray elf enclaves, muttering war against the high elves who aren't doing a good enough job holding back the 'drow'. yea, that was a rambling mess, but the idea is, use the interconnectedness of a forest to your advantage.
the_icon 11-05-07, 02:16 PM	I like what you're both saying, and first I'd like to thank you guys for being the first to comment. Secondly, I'd like to address some of your points directly: AffeTheFoul: As for the major plot points, I'm waiting on my players to submit their back-stories (I have already received a few), so I might draw some ideas from them; but if you or anyone else have any, I'd love to hear them! And don't worry about me being uncomfortable -- I'm an easy guy to work with and I'm good at making things fit. =P I would sugguest sticking to core races and the core books, including the complete series if you wanted. That is great advice; we have chosen to use those books already, with the addition of the Arms and Equipment Guide. Tegemea: I really like the look of your group of PCs Let me also say right off the bat that my favorite campaigns and adventures are wilderness/exploration based rather than urban or dungeon-base. That's my bias, and thats why i like that group setup. Well, this is one of the areas where I'm playing to party interest. I have a group of people who all like different things, and Kesira is just one of those panderings. =P And from the description of the campaign location in a sylvan forest, wilderness is going to be your default setting.. Well, not the entire campaign setting is based in the forest -- that was just a glimpse of Kesir Ra'vaniel, one of the three countries that makes up [the continent that as yet has no name]. The two other countries (which were briefly touched upon in the blurb about kesira) are The Calendoran Republic (where the campaign will start out), and the kingdom of Nethriä, both of which will be further discussed at a later date.
AffeTheFoul 11-05-07, 07:50 PM	Yeah i deffinaly like the layout of your party aswell... I also like that you decided to start at first level. What i like doing when i first start campaigns that low is for the first few levels i keep the combat and chancing of dying to a minimal and increase roleplaying to make sure everyone really gets in to their characters and i also like adding a lot of traps and puzzles for the players to figure out. I like puzzles because it helps players get into their characters and its not something simple that players get bored with easily. As for campaign ideas for low levels. i like starting with something simple, like there is this a mayor of a small village paying people to help rid him of his goblin problem. and ill usually throw a twist on it to make the goblin cave have a note from the mayor demanding more gold for the villagers hes giving the goblins. The note was written in goblin so they would either find out how useful it is to know different languages or take it back to town. also a nice riddle or puzzle to unlock a secret treasure room. that kind of stuff to start out with should get the players really hooked in quick without too much of a threat to their safty I actually ran that idea a few years ago and the party found the note didnt really mention it too much after that, but around level 10 or so they ended up comming back to the village and publicly expoiting the mayor who ended up getting killed in a mob riot shorly after.
the_icon 11-07-07, 04:17 AM	11/07/07: Edit: Added and updated section for new magic items.