FR DM'ing help please [Archive] - Wizards Community

FR DM'ing help please [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
XdboyX
04-05-06, 03:07 PM Hi there, as you can see from the thread title I'm going to try my hand at FR DM'ing. I've GMed/played other RPGs in the past (about 6 years ago now) and haven't ever had a problem.

Now with it being so long since I've done anything like this, i was just wondering if all you friendly people could give me some advice, campain ideas..etc. As i'm slighty overwhelmed by the size of Faerun. (considering DM'ing The sword coast/Waterdeep Area to begin with)

The people I'm DM'ing for are my old RPG buddys, the group shall range from 2-4 people (excluding myself).

Many thanks in advance.
EytanBernstein
04-05-06, 07:48 PM My suggestion is to pick a manageable area (preferably one with a sourcebook such as the Silver Marches), learn a lot about it, and set that as your home base. From there, when characters reach a certain power level, they can branch out. By that point, your grasp of the geography, history, etc... will be better and you can handle things as they come up.
cgarsmokr
04-06-06, 02:33 AM Waterdeep is a very good choice. Your PC's could could gain level after level and never leave Waterdeep and it's environs if that's what you choose to do.
Don't be intimidated by the size of the Realms. Pick your area, learn all you can about it and when you're ready, move on to another area that you can familiarize yourself with.
Koja_of_Khazari
04-07-06, 03:48 AM I advise something similar: pick an area you like, but you don't need buy any area-specific sourcebooks. There's no need to learn about an area, you're the DM, you own the WORLD! Especially if you are intimidated by the size of the realms, there is no need to drown yourself in information. The world is as simple or complex as you make it.

If you don't want to contradict existing material, and don't want to buy a new book, just pick an area that hasn't been detailed too heavily, like the weatern heartlands or the sword coast north (the lands north of Waterdeep), and run with it.
Thelandrach
04-07-06, 08:45 AM I haven't read it myself yet, but apparently the Age of Worms adventure path (currently being printed in Dungeon Magazine) is or can be set starting at 1st level along the Sword Coast, a couple weeks' travel south of Waterdeep in a town called Daggerford. If the first module doesn't give information on Daggerford, there's a fairly detailed writeup available in a 1st edition module, Under Illefarn, that you should be able to find online. I've been using that setting for beginning campaigns since it came out, and it works well for low-level parties.
XdboyX
04-07-06, 08:27 PM Thanks very much for the input, it has helped. :)

In other random news, I am going to be starting a 1on1 Campaign with my long term girlfriend. (me DM'ing) Who knows if it shall end in Calamity.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
XdboyX 04-05-06, 03:07 PM	Hi there, as you can see from the thread title I'm going to try my hand at FR DM'ing. I've GMed/played other RPGs in the past (about 6 years ago now) and haven't ever had a problem. Now with it being so long since I've done anything like this, i was just wondering if all you friendly people could give me some advice, campain ideas..etc. As i'm slighty overwhelmed by the size of Faerun. (considering DM'ing The sword coast/Waterdeep Area to begin with) The people I'm DM'ing for are my old RPG buddys, the group shall range from 2-4 people (excluding myself). Many thanks in advance.
EytanBernstein 04-05-06, 07:48 PM	My suggestion is to pick a manageable area (preferably one with a sourcebook such as the Silver Marches), learn a lot about it, and set that as your home base. From there, when characters reach a certain power level, they can branch out. By that point, your grasp of the geography, history, etc... will be better and you can handle things as they come up.
cgarsmokr 04-06-06, 02:33 AM	Waterdeep is a very good choice. Your PC's could could gain level after level and never leave Waterdeep and it's environs if that's what you choose to do. Don't be intimidated by the size of the Realms. Pick your area, learn all you can about it and when you're ready, move on to another area that you can familiarize yourself with.
Koja_of_Khazari 04-07-06, 03:48 AM	I advise something similar: pick an area you like, but you don't need buy any area-specific sourcebooks. There's no need to learn about an area, you're the DM, you own the WORLD! Especially if you are intimidated by the size of the realms, there is no need to drown yourself in information. The world is as simple or complex as you make it. If you don't want to contradict existing material, and don't want to buy a new book, just pick an area that hasn't been detailed too heavily, like the weatern heartlands or the sword coast north (the lands north of Waterdeep), and run with it.
Thelandrach 04-07-06, 08:45 AM	I haven't read it myself yet, but apparently the Age of Worms adventure path (currently being printed in Dungeon Magazine) is or can be set starting at 1st level along the Sword Coast, a couple weeks' travel south of Waterdeep in a town called Daggerford. If the first module doesn't give information on Daggerford, there's a fairly detailed writeup available in a 1st edition module, Under Illefarn, that you should be able to find online. I've been using that setting for beginning campaigns since it came out, and it works well for low-level parties.
XdboyX 04-07-06, 08:27 PM	Thanks very much for the input, it has helped. :) In other random news, I am going to be starting a 1on1 Campaign with my long term girlfriend. (me DM'ing) Who knows if it shall end in Calamity.