Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jager Mage 11-05-05, 03:45 AM	Ok, I'll admit, I am the RPGA n00b. I have my herald lvl GM qualifications, and some of my friends want me to run a living game, and so I've decided on Greyhawk because they can start at 1st lvl. So here's my question: How do I start? What module should I start with? What should I know to make this game fun and effective?
kenobi65 11-05-05, 10:58 AM	Well, if you've got an entire group who wants to start off playing, the best way to do this is with an Introductory adventure or two. Intros are specifically written for first-level PCs, and are often fairly short, which means you can often get several played in one night (and, thus, get your players' PCs to, or close to, 2nd level). All Intro adventures are regionals, which means you'd need to contact your local Triad about what Intro adventures are available in your region. Your Triad would also be the folks who'd actually supply you with the modules. So, the next question is, where do you live? That'll determine which LG region you're in, and thus, who you need to contact. (That's the drawback to cutesy responses to the "Location" field in the profile here on the boards; "Knee Deep on the Shores of Inferno" doesn't let me help you much here. :D )
Jager Mage 11-06-05, 01:39 AM	Thanks for the info. I found my triad site...I'm guessing that I can't do the retired mods and have them count...so do i just pick the lowest APL mod and start there? And if mods are supposedly able to run within about 4 hours (RPGA says the same thing), how does the APL 2-12 thing work? Do you have different combat options for different APLs?
King Kashue 11-06-05, 03:13 AM	Thanks for the info. I found my triad site...I'm guessing that I can't do the retired mods and have them count...so do i just pick the lowest APL mod and start there? And if mods are supposedly able to run within about 4 hours (RPGA says the same thing), how does the APL 2-12 thing work? Do you have different combat options for different APLs? Retired modules, no...And yes, the module has different encounters for each APL...As for time, the 4 hours is a theoretical construction, I think I've only had maybe 5 modules ever run under 4 hours, and there certainly is no rule requiring you to run under 4 hours. As mentioned, the best bet for new characters is often an intro module...Geared for 1st level characters and often running in 2-3 hours, you can likely fit 2-3 in a home game night, and 3 will level a character to level 2, at which point they are way more survivable (which is kind of the point of intro modules)...
Jager Mage 11-06-05, 04:44 AM	cool..thanks for all the help
kenobi65 11-06-05, 10:24 AM	As for time, the 4 hours is a theoretical construction, I think I've only had maybe 5 modules ever run under 4 hours, and there certainly is no rule requiring you to run under 4 hours. Yeah, the 4-hour rule is more for conventions, where players may have another game to get to at a specific time. When you're playing at home, you aren't under that same deadline, and if it takes your group longer to play it, there's no reason why you can't just keep going. IME, more combat-heavy modules tend to take longer (and often simply don't fit into a four-hour timeslot).
King Kashue 11-06-05, 01:06 PM	IME, more combat-heavy modules tend to take longer (and often simply don't fit into a four-hour timeslot). Combat heavy, Several spellcasters (especially NPC spellcasters), and higher APLs (where characters have more options) all = longer running times...
wagnert 11-08-05, 11:37 AM	cool..thanks for all the help Don't forget the COR5-06 Blood on Bright Sands adventure. This is a core adventure available now for download that requires first level characters just like a regional introductory adventure.