Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fraction Jackson 07-15-05, 06:58 PM	I recently started an Eberron campain. This is the first time I have actually run a "full scale" campain, besides a few Mutants and Masterminds one-shots. I was wondering how long an adventure is, and how I can make my PCs more involved in the storys I am writing. We're a bunch of High-Schoolers, so we're not exactly "Why, I've been playing D&D since Gary Gygax was in the womb and use 3-D Holographic Projectors to include my Players, who are in full medeival regalia and speak Olde English." kind of guys. So far in my campain, I've run The Forgotten Forge, An episode where we were hired by Lyrandar to deliver Mythril to Aerenal, but were ambushed by a Karnathi "Dread Galeon" and forced to fight undead air pirates(The best kind of pirate in my opinion) and then a player wrote an adventure dealing with elvish extremists. Using my intense hatred of the Undead, I've kinda outlined an arc of fighting rivals of Vol, unbeknownst to my unwitting PC. I would be incredibly happy with any help.
zentr 07-15-05, 07:32 PM	Cool! Glad to hear from you here on the boards. New players are the best. I don't actually have any wisdom to impart. I haven't played D&D in awhile. But have fun! I remember my first forays in D&D back in high school with fondness. So enjoy it. :D
vivid_disorder 07-15-05, 11:41 PM	The answer to the question "how long should an adventure last" is as long as you want. The DMG gives all kind of rules for number of encounters in an adventure, number of sessions per level etc. They're all hooey, and I'm glad I never started DMing with stuff like that colouring my ideas. The truth is that you go as fast as you all want - explore the world at your pace. By the DMGs suggestions, you could be running high-level adventures before you want to. A basic way to DM a campaign would be to treat it like a TV serial - try to keep the action flowing, and end on a cliffhanger if possible (even if the DMG says the party should have two more encounters that session or they won't reach their magic item quota or something). Try to involve all the characters (if there's a bard, give them some social encounters. If your party is melee based, give them plenty of rousing fights against numerous foes) so that everyone gets a chance to shine. If you want your party to have something let them have it, whatever the book says. Conversely, if you don't want them to have something, they can't. End of story - only the DM is in possession of enough information to know if something breaks the game, and if you get your players to trust you on this, everyone will enjoy it more. As for getting players involved more in adventures, simply get them involved. Firstly, have them write a 250 word backstory - this not only makes them think about (and hopefully get more attached to) their characters, it gives you a pool of information which you can use to tailor adventures to individual party members. If you read that Zalitial the sorceror has a sister yuo should be thinking "hmm, it'd be terrible if something happened to her, mwahaha" (you'll find it helps in being a DM to think like a combination of a mafia goon and a vengeful god ;) ). If someone has a background in a theatre, make them adventure with the fey so they have to sing (and dance) for their supper, rather than fight. Oh, and don't forget that you can overthink these things: don't disregard dungeons. They're fun, self-contained (so they limit the options pesky players have to surprise you), and for a beginning DM offer lots of possibilities. No player, however experienced ever truly tires of going into a sewer/crypt/cave and hacking through swathes of zombies/orcs/kobolds/brownies. Final advice, never forget that the DM is a player as well, you're all in a game. It should be fun for the DM, as much as the party, it's not your job to provide everything, from plot to nachos, and it's not you're not there to take any tantrums from players who don't get their own way, or who's character dies, or who want a +7 Greatsword of Game Breaking because they've just spent 20 euros on some garbage splatbook. You set the parameters, the players make the game, and you all have fun - that's the essence of Role-playing for me.
Crimsonsun 07-16-05, 12:50 AM	Try to involve all the characters (if there's a bard, give them some social encounters. If your party is melee based, give them plenty of rousing fights against numerous foes) so that everyone gets a chance to shine. Id like to re-enforce that, with an expansion. Know your players! What type of gaming to they like? Are they the "kick in the door, kill the BBEG and take his stuff" kind? Or the "Con the guard, sneak into the castle, befriend the king and become his trusted advisor before worming his way into his will and being gifted the kingdom" type? If you can fit your adventures towards what they like to do in their play type as well as your story you have in your mind, things work out much better :D
Edymnion 07-16-05, 02:44 AM	Welcome! I shall impart unto thee the most vital piece of wisdom for anyone running a D&D game. Don't try and write a story, it won't work. No matter what you do, the players *WILL* ruin your plans, its just part of the game. So, don't try to write out exactly how stuff will happen, it'll just make you mad when it doesn't. Instead, plan out broad ideas. Like, instead of writing out that they go to A, B, then C, make up the locations for A, B, and C, and D and E while you're at it, and sort of make up the in-between stuff as you go. Instead of scripting out speeches for the NPCs, work up what kind of person they are, broad sense, and how they would react. Have a few planned responces, but expect the players to ask something stupid or unexpected questions. Be ready to improvise. If you keep everything as a loose collection of places, people, and events, you will stay flexible, and flexible is good.
PoeticJustice 07-16-05, 04:27 AM	I agree with Edy with one point of clarification: You gotta prepare. Don't be scared to just sit down and write. If you're new, stick to location based adventures and let them interact with the inhabitants there. I also agree with the "know your players" comment. Finally, stop in borders and read the first two chapters of DMG2. I wouldn't buy it, but reading those pages is worth the time.
ekomega 07-16-05, 03:09 PM	All life begins with n00b and ends with n00b. Remember that no matter how many sidequests you write, and how great they are, the PCs will likely never do all of them. Or even find all of them. In my games, the PCs go to the same shops and talk to the same people (by their choice) and so I'll put a sidequest starting from the next time they buy potions from house jorasco, and then they won't buy potions from them anymore for some reason. They like to ruin my effort unintentionally. But it's a good idea to write them up. In the beginning it's not necessary to have a big story arc or main campaign focus, and it's hard to come up with one when you're just starting. But you can make little adventures that are sort of related, and then figure out a way to tie them together later when you have a big idea. You can pretend that was the plan all along. But not every adventure has to fit into a major plot. To make your PCs more involved, talk to them about their backstories and what they want from the game. Then write adventures that involve them and their stories. Keep recurring NPCs and a few recurring villians around so the PCs don't feel like everything is new.
Missekat 07-22-05, 02:58 AM	I've only DM for a couple of years if your contract the time i've gamed vs. the years i've gamed. (As in: From the time one group dissolves to the time the next pops up, there can go up to five years), and i've always seen myself as a complete and utter n00b just having fun. But then, a year ago, i got a new BF. He's into online rpg with all his soul. SO i decided that his soul belongs to me, and therefore converted him to D&D. Now i DM a game in whitch my COMPLETE extreme munchkin n00b of an, (endearing), BF games. And boy do I love it! Is there anything better then descirbing the three armed kobolds coming up against the players, and have at least one of them exclaim: "Oh my! They sound nasty! What are we going to do??". Or having one of them ignore all listen, spot and search checks and just open the sarcophag in the tomb, while all the others rushes to stop him.. 'cos.. what could happen? Its just a dusty old stone coffin? The utter and complete lack of metagaming on his part just makes me want to sing! (I actually had to explain what metagaming was and why some people would do it.. and he still cant see the point! This is why I love this guy! :D ) Man, I love n00bs :-) So please dont use that word negatively. Not even about yourself or to joke, because no one plays D&D more right than a complete n00b. All that being said, theres just one rule u have to remember when DM, and unsure of the rules: Make it up as u go along.. but WRITE DOWN WHAT U DECIDE!!! Theres nothing worse than having some lame houseruling thrown in your face months after the session you made the decicion. And een though you think you can easily remember what that alter in the chapel to the bloodgod of the seven evils looked like, write it down if u made it up on the spot.. cos u wont remember in two weeks when they ask for some lame detail!
TheShark(tm) 07-22-05, 08:04 PM	Biggest thing to a good "campaign" in my opinion is Paradigm. Make sure you and your players share a similar vision of what kind of game it is you're running. Then, when you think you've got it figured out and they think they know what's going to happen, change it up. ;) 1- Have cool NPC's. Make them memorable but not TOO memorable. No one wants to play a game where the only thing they can remember is your NPC! 2- PLEASE do not have an NPC who is bigger, stronger, tougher and BETTER than the PC's. It's the most frustrating thing in the world to constantly be saved by a favored NPC that's nigh-untouchable. 3- Give your NPC's a reason for what they do. In Eberron, make it something that, no matter how nefarious the person is, people can somewhat see his side. 4- Once in a while make a bad guy who just loves to be bad. :P 5- Set a pattern (but not a huge one) and then break it. Keep them guessing. 6- TRY to keep things above the table. Remember that every time you pull one player away from the table you're left with however many that are left just sitting there. 7- Create events that are going on in the world. Random things. A skirmish with Bugbears over land nearby, a local favorite son of a Duke who has recently been disowned.. Stuff like that adds flavor. Have a few things that are relevant to your area that you can pop on your players for extra immersion. Don't beat your players over the head with this stuff, but make it available if they ask. 8- Share responsibility with your players to have them understand that they've got as much control over how fun the game is as you do. 9- PACING PACING PACING. When you get folks really getting into it, don't slow it down by looking up some obscure rule. Try making a call and getting back to it later. Not sure if that's great advice, but they're my guidelines. Good luck!!
Fraction Jackson 07-23-05, 10:39 AM	So, the die has been cast. I have called the people, which in it's self is a monumental task, and informed them to write a paper upon their character and so forth. Really, the hardest part is getting everyone all together. I will inform you of the greatness that we acheive. If they don't all die.
N-|) 07-23-05, 02:58 PM	I second everything everyone has also said and wish to add one thing. Always roll attack and damage rolls outside the screen so your players can see. It's much for fun for everybody and forces the players to use tactics. I have only been doing this recently and it has really worked out. Before I always just fudged the rolls when the pc's would die and finally realized it simply isn't fun that way!
Missekat 07-24-05, 05:37 AM	WHen u ask the players to make a char. Try to give them something to work with. Copy out the description of two or three countries they could start out in. Let them read about the culture of the races and people they can choose from. And maybe give them a little pilot on the opening scenario. LIke describing the ppace they start out or the kidnapping of the princess, or maybe the killing of several unicorns in Eldeen Reaches, but seen from one of the unicorns point of view. So the players have at least a scetchy idea of the playing style, the setting, and the story they are aout to get involved in. Just be careful they dont pick up on any spoilers :)