Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Charlemane 12-09-04, 07:50 PM	My girlfriend's getting me the FR Campaign Settings book for Christmas. Anyway, I was wanting to start a good adventure for a bunch of new players, and I need tips.
Draco Strang 12-09-04, 08:09 PM	If you can, read some of the novels to get a feel for the world. They really help in showing how the world sorta works from a "fluff" standpoint. Also, make sure you have the 3 core rulebooks. It can't be stated how important these are. Read them, know them, and use them. A lot. What else? Hm....Use the FR book. It's got a map, and loads of descriptions on important people and places. Part of FR is that you get to meet these super elite NPC's like Drizzt and Elminster. However, don't have them join your party, or accompany you on adventures, or give you super powerful artifacts. Your party is low level, and do you think the highest sage in all the Realms grants audiences to every cleric and rogue that happen by his tower? Oh yea.....be sure to have fun!
Chosen of the Dark Sun 12-09-04, 09:24 PM	I agree with novels for fluff. 4 years before I was even playing D&D I read the Dark Elf and Icewind Dale trilogies, so when I did start playing, I already had a good fell for the world. If you want a good starting place, I always go with either the Silvermarches, or, if you just like killing goblins for a while, The Spine of the World, which is a huge mountain range in the North. The great thing about FR is that you can play any game type in it. You could have intrigue, dungeons, or mindlessly running around killing orcs. It's up to you, but I would suggest reading the FRCS back to front several times. It will soon become your best friend. ;)
Charlemane 12-09-04, 11:28 PM	Thanks, I think I will start reading the FR novels. But for my first game I was thinking starting off in Lantan, making it a magocracy run by gnomes, and seeing the look on my players' faces when they're running around trying not to step on these little rascals.
Imruphel 12-10-04, 04:45 AM	Thanks, I think I will start reading the FR novels. But for my first game I was thinking starting off in Lantan, making it a magocracy run by gnomes, and seeing the look on my players' faces when they're running around trying not to step on these little rascals. Yes but what sort of adventures are you going to run there? Is that what your players are expecting? Personally, I think the easiest way to begin is to start with a fairly simple adventure that you could run in any world and then include various FR elements in the background and plot and in some of the adventure details. Make use of the various languages, allow the PCs to discover some of the history books that appear in the various BG PC games, hint at some of the named villains from the campaign setting... and never, ever, ever use "real world" names for NPCs.
Tempus665 12-10-04, 07:18 AM	There's a low-level example adventure in the FRCS itself, you might want to use that one as it can be situated in various locations. I wouldn't put the PC's on Lantan as non-natives though, unless there's a good background story as to how they wound up there and why. Also, as a tip, don't use the famous Realms persons on a whim, just because you can. It's not usual for these people to stop by and visit beginning adventurers and I think it makes the world feel really small. (Hey, isn't that Drizzt over there in the shady corner? And look who's just come in, it's that old sage guy, Elminster's his name right?) Use what you've got and what you know. Make it clear that deities play an important role in Faerūnian society (and non-society), have the PC's pick up rumors and stories of the various powerful organizations and famous villains. Stuff like that.
colonelthread 12-26-04, 02:32 PM	Find out what style of game your players want - role play, dungeon crawling, political intrigue, spooky horror. Have the PCs become the heroes. Please don't have Drizzt and Elminster making cameo appearances every adventure. Start small. You can always expand the scope as the campaign continues. I'm kicking off a new campaign in January, and created a small village where things will start. So far I've only detailed a couple of buildings and NPCs that will be important to the first adventure.
Zanan 12-27-04, 10:32 AM	If you need a quickstart and lack some ideas, you could very well start an adventure in the northern realms of Vaasa/Damara or The North in Lord of the Rings style, using a similar topic if not characters and items as a basis. Don't get entangled into too many stereotypes though (e.g., dwarves are axe-swinging fighters, all halflings are rogues etc.) ;) NB: To make this clear: I am only referring to the LotR-movies as a source to describe the scenery, places and all. No comparrisons etc. shall be drawn to the LotR storyline, characters and all.
ClobberinTime 12-27-04, 01:54 PM	1, I agree that the first thing you need to do is sit down with the players and figure out what they want out of the whole thing, do they want to someday rule a kingdom, are they into the epic quest thing, or do they wan't to run a thieves guild somewhere someday, let them put together their own history, and if they want to be the lost prince of blah blah blah, well that just makes your job easier. 2, the dalelands is a great place to start, the whole elves are leaving myth drannor and the city lies undefended is one of the best plot lines, if not simply the best in the history of D+D so thats where I would start.
Alac Luin 12-27-04, 06:21 PM	Another thing, once you find the general area you want to play in, go to this page.... http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads and get some of the old lore for free!!!! Say, you want to play in the north, you can get free info by getting Savage Frontier, Volo's Guide to the North, and The North. These things help flesh out an area. I'd advise not to download it all and try to learn it all at one time. :D
Zzasrix 12-29-04, 01:22 PM	I am going to agree with the couple people who said DONT PUSH THE ELITE NPCS INTO THE GAME. It kills me how many stories players tell me about how they met Drizzt and what happened when they were in Elminster's tower. :rolleyes: FR is a free setting, and for new players i would set them gently down in a homespun village out in the middle of no where. Let them get used to how people act, what is expected of adventurers, and start setting goals for themselves. Once the PC's have a hold on the world its in depth enough that the Players can direct themselves. Good luck Z