New forgotten realms campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

New forgotten realms campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce
07-20-04, 09:43 AM hi. I'm a little new. Anyway, I just got the forgotten realms campaign setting and I'm planning on running a game. I have a little prior experiance with DMing, but i suck. My biggest prob is my inability to for-plan. If any of you could throw out any stray ideas they would be much appreciated. I know its probably not a good idea but im gonna allow my players to play as the strong race people. I think I understand the rules well enough to handle it. Also I dont think my players will jump at the opertunity ( One I know is strongly against playing as one) so... any ideas? opinions? insults? anything? please?
n0xious220
07-20-04, 03:01 PM Usually I ask my characters to go in depth with their characters and give me some background information. From what I have seen players love it when it seems like their characters are more involved. For example:

One of the characters is a LG Dwarven Paladin who despises orcs. Well then I would make an encounter involving orcs. Try not to make it seem like the characters are just drones off to save someone or something for no reason.

As in FR, I would advise starting in the Dalelands or the Silvermarches. Conflict is frequent in areas like these and it is easy to just jump into the fray.
Bait the Bard
07-21-04, 07:40 AM Well, you say you seem to lack the ability to for-plan. This isn't such of a big issue, unless you are running a really detailed campaing, which is unlikely. I am a very 'make up on the spot' DM, and, when I was beginning, this did get me into trouble a couple of times, but that was easily sorted out. If you make things up as you go, remember to still keep them realistic, that is the biggest problem.

I would also recommend against high power races. If it's your first time DMing, even if you have a good grasp of the rules, it's hard to run camapigns with higher power characters. You can do what you want, of course, but they are harder to balance, etc. Kepp that in mind.

As n0xious said, it is easierst to run campaigns in the Dales and 'Marches, I even prefer the 'Marches. They are really good from random adventuring, and there are lots of info on them. You could just start a campign really simply, with a goblin raid on their town, or something.

Hope that helps :)
- the annoying bard
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce
07-21-04, 07:56 AM thanks for the acvice. this isnt my first time DMing, and i can handle the high level characters. the people in my group are my best friends and it seems like they wont take advantage of the stronger races. if anyone does it will be just one with the other 3 as regular characters. also i accidentall started 2 threads with the same message but different titals just so you know.
IcingDeath09
07-21-04, 01:09 PM :schemes: Well, I had an idea for a campaign i was looking into starting up. I was thinking of having a young assasin that is struggling to attain a name for himself amongst the streets of calimport. And with all of the disturbances in the guild structures in calimport he has decided to search out Artemis Entrei and sharon's claw. With the sword and gauntlet he knows that we bring him the attention theat he so desires. Driven beyond madness he searches out for him and finds that he has possibly bitten off more than he can shew....
Lashan
07-23-04, 04:27 PM The latest issue of Dragon has an interesting article about having the players help create or decide things about the campaign. Some of it is based upon creating a new game world, but others can be used for FR games. One of them is what type of campaign players want to play in. My current game was going to be one of grey ethical areas and power plays in an urban environment. One character creating a paladin turned that conept on it's ear, so the focus of the game has changed. Perhaps you should ask your players what type of a game they want. Dungeon crawl? Outdoor adventures? Etc...
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce
07-23-04, 04:32 PM one of my players always plays a druid who hates anything but forests so im limeted
Lashan
07-26-04, 09:51 AM If everyone agrees to a wilderness type-campaign, then that helps design it. Of course, I would talk to everyone else in the group to make sure no one minds playing in a wilderness game. If there is enough resistance, perhpas peer pressure can help the druid branch out a little (pun intended). If everyone agrees to a wilderness type game, then they can all make fitting characters. Nothing is more annoying then designing your rogue to be an urban cat burgler stuck out in the sticks.

You can always run with the idea of a wilderness game. There are a lot of things you can do. Perhaps it is the "march of humankind encroaching the forest" routine. Or is it the "advance of orcs and their kind threatening to destroy the fragile humanity" type game? Or perhaps the players like to search all the many ruins of prior civilizations that are way out in the sticks due to many successful orc hordes? They would need wilderness to get to the dungeon sites, but then get to dungeon crawl around a lot once there. I might even create one with many different plot threads going on at once. One thing I would do is keep in mind the seasons and out door elements. If they are going to play in the wilderness, you might want to make things like rain really effect the game to get them into the flavor of it all. Also, use the seasons a lot. Summer is when people travel. Fall is when humans are harvesting. Winter is usually spending the entire time holed up in a city (good time for training and item creation stuff).

I would advise not to let parameters box you in, but help you give focus to your game. It's important to make a game where everyone has fun.
hakiko
07-27-04, 12:01 PM I can remember when I first switched from D+D (the old game in the different boxes) to AD+D 2nd ed. when it came out.
The druid had been available in D+D but only as an option for higher level clerics.
I struggled at first to work with a player who wanted to play a druid. Is seemed like there was always some reason that the druid was not motivated to help the group. I have talked to other DMs who experienced similar problems early in their careers as well. I often had these kind of problems with Jedi in Star Wars as well.
Many times classes with a limited focus can be hard to fit into the party motivations. I have found the key to this is to sit down and get a very clear view of what the player does see as his motivations. Hopefully he can/she can come up with something more specific than "defend the woods". If not you should help him
COme prepared with questions.
"Defend the woods from what?"
"What motivated you to become a druid?"
"Is there an animal or plant that you have a specific fondness for?"
Even druids have to have a mother and a father somewhere (dead or alive). They dont just exist isolated rom the world sleeping on leaves.
They know other druids and rangers at least.
The forest they watch is probably claimed by some king or feudal lord. There is plenty of reason to go into the city there.
A druid in the city presents some great roleplaying oppurtunities. Some even funny in a Crocadile Dundee way.
And some challenges for the druid. (In the cities people who can turn into animals are often seen as were-creatures. One time I had a bard player and a druid player cause a huge run on silver in a small city)
Have fun with it and good luck

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce 07-20-04, 09:43 AM	hi. I'm a little new. Anyway, I just got the forgotten realms campaign setting and I'm planning on running a game. I have a little prior experiance with DMing, but i suck. My biggest prob is my inability to for-plan. If any of you could throw out any stray ideas they would be much appreciated. I know its probably not a good idea but im gonna allow my players to play as the strong race people. I think I understand the rules well enough to handle it. Also I dont think my players will jump at the opertunity ( One I know is strongly against playing as one) so... any ideas? opinions? insults? anything? please?
n0xious220 07-20-04, 03:01 PM	Usually I ask my characters to go in depth with their characters and give me some background information. From what I have seen players love it when it seems like their characters are more involved. For example: One of the characters is a LG Dwarven Paladin who despises orcs. Well then I would make an encounter involving orcs. Try not to make it seem like the characters are just drones off to save someone or something for no reason. As in FR, I would advise starting in the Dalelands or the Silvermarches. Conflict is frequent in areas like these and it is easy to just jump into the fray.
Bait the Bard 07-21-04, 07:40 AM	Well, you say you seem to lack the ability to for-plan. This isn't such of a big issue, unless you are running a really detailed campaing, which is unlikely. I am a very 'make up on the spot' DM, and, when I was beginning, this did get me into trouble a couple of times, but that was easily sorted out. If you make things up as you go, remember to still keep them realistic, that is the biggest problem. I would also recommend against high power races. If it's your first time DMing, even if you have a good grasp of the rules, it's hard to run camapigns with higher power characters. You can do what you want, of course, but they are harder to balance, etc. Kepp that in mind. As n0xious said, it is easierst to run campaigns in the Dales and 'Marches, I even prefer the 'Marches. They are really good from random adventuring, and there are lots of info on them. You could just start a campign really simply, with a goblin raid on their town, or something. Hope that helps :) - the annoying bard
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce 07-21-04, 07:56 AM	thanks for the acvice. this isnt my first time DMing, and i can handle the high level characters. the people in my group are my best friends and it seems like they wont take advantage of the stronger races. if anyone does it will be just one with the other 3 as regular characters. also i accidentall started 2 threads with the same message but different titals just so you know.
IcingDeath09 07-21-04, 01:09 PM	:schemes: Well, I had an idea for a campaign i was looking into starting up. I was thinking of having a young assasin that is struggling to attain a name for himself amongst the streets of calimport. And with all of the disturbances in the guild structures in calimport he has decided to search out Artemis Entrei and sharon's claw. With the sword and gauntlet he knows that we bring him the attention theat he so desires. Driven beyond madness he searches out for him and finds that he has possibly bitten off more than he can shew....
Lashan 07-23-04, 04:27 PM	The latest issue of Dragon has an interesting article about having the players help create or decide things about the campaign. Some of it is based upon creating a new game world, but others can be used for FR games. One of them is what type of campaign players want to play in. My current game was going to be one of grey ethical areas and power plays in an urban environment. One character creating a paladin turned that conept on it's ear, so the focus of the game has changed. Perhaps you should ask your players what type of a game they want. Dungeon crawl? Outdoor adventures? Etc...
HeartLikeFireSoulLikeIce 07-23-04, 04:32 PM	one of my players always plays a druid who hates anything but forests so im limeted
Lashan 07-26-04, 09:51 AM	If everyone agrees to a wilderness type-campaign, then that helps design it. Of course, I would talk to everyone else in the group to make sure no one minds playing in a wilderness game. If there is enough resistance, perhpas peer pressure can help the druid branch out a little (pun intended). If everyone agrees to a wilderness type game, then they can all make fitting characters. Nothing is more annoying then designing your rogue to be an urban cat burgler stuck out in the sticks. You can always run with the idea of a wilderness game. There are a lot of things you can do. Perhaps it is the "march of humankind encroaching the forest" routine. Or is it the "advance of orcs and their kind threatening to destroy the fragile humanity" type game? Or perhaps the players like to search all the many ruins of prior civilizations that are way out in the sticks due to many successful orc hordes? They would need wilderness to get to the dungeon sites, but then get to dungeon crawl around a lot once there. I might even create one with many different plot threads going on at once. One thing I would do is keep in mind the seasons and out door elements. If they are going to play in the wilderness, you might want to make things like rain really effect the game to get them into the flavor of it all. Also, use the seasons a lot. Summer is when people travel. Fall is when humans are harvesting. Winter is usually spending the entire time holed up in a city (good time for training and item creation stuff). I would advise not to let parameters box you in, but help you give focus to your game. It's important to make a game where everyone has fun.
hakiko 07-27-04, 12:01 PM	I can remember when I first switched from D+D (the old game in the different boxes) to AD+D 2nd ed. when it came out. The druid had been available in D+D but only as an option for higher level clerics. I struggled at first to work with a player who wanted to play a druid. Is seemed like there was always some reason that the druid was not motivated to help the group. I have talked to other DMs who experienced similar problems early in their careers as well. I often had these kind of problems with Jedi in Star Wars as well. Many times classes with a limited focus can be hard to fit into the party motivations. I have found the key to this is to sit down and get a very clear view of what the player does see as his motivations. Hopefully he can/she can come up with something more specific than "defend the woods". If not you should help him COme prepared with questions. "Defend the woods from what?" "What motivated you to become a druid?" "Is there an animal or plant that you have a specific fondness for?" Even druids have to have a mother and a father somewhere (dead or alive). They dont just exist isolated rom the world sleeping on leaves. They know other druids and rangers at least. The forest they watch is probably claimed by some king or feudal lord. There is plenty of reason to go into the city there. A druid in the city presents some great roleplaying oppurtunities. Some even funny in a Crocadile Dundee way. And some challenges for the druid. (In the cities people who can turn into animals are often seen as were-creatures. One time I had a bard player and a druid player cause a huge run on silver in a small city) Have fun with it and good luck