My campign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

My campign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
rdmarquis
May 07, 2010 0:35:49 I'd like some advice on DMing a campaign set in the city of Sharn. My players are, admittedly, a bit new to the game, but they all seem to think this setting looks cool. They are a bugbear bard (named Borgan ), a goliath warden (planning to switch to shardmind psion), a deva invoker, a halfling rogue, a human rogue and a human ardent, all level 1.

I'm a little lost as to what type of game I should run for people who are just starting out (though I am a little tempted to rip off a Bond novel and send them up against the Aurum). Could anyone give me some advice?
#2
Madfox11
May 07, 2010 4:17:36 What kind of game do your players want? Have they provided you with backgrounds and motivations for their characters? Such information is a gold mine to help you create a fun campaign. Have you given some thought on the origins of the shardmind? Why are the PCs in Sharn at the start of the adventure? Do they know one another? It is really hard to give advice on possible adventures without knowing more about the characters.

If you like Bond adventures, you could have the PCs all be members of the Dark Citadel. It certainly provides you a lot of adventures for the future ;)
#3
JohnLynch
May 07, 2010 6:32:45 I can't stress how important character backgrounds are. Even if its just 30minutes at the start of the next session of everyone describing what they're character is (have an informal communal construction of backgrounds with everyone throwing around ideas for each other's characters).

For example one of my players characters has a dragon fetish. As a result dragons are now much more prominant in my campaign. They aren't appearing every 2 seconds, but they've got one they recently rescued that otherwise wouldn't have been there.
#4
rdmarquis
May 08, 2010 1:44:01 I'll keep that in mind and ask everyone, thanks. I might get back to you later.
#5
Ogiwan
May 08, 2010 21:59:28 I second JL's suggestion of backgrounds. For my most recent Eberron game, I had a plot already....plotted, and the first session was character creation, and my players explained what their characters were, and did, and how they fit into the group. Turns out, the airship pilot employed the Dwarf Fighter's cousin as an accountant and smuggled the Warforged Artificer out of Thrane. The Dwarf Fighter knew the Goliath Barbarian and the Elf Ranger from his days as a caravan guard. Bam. Instant party.
#6
rdmarquis
May 11, 2010 19:43:53 I've asked a few questions, and I think I have a decent campaign idea, and backgrounds for the characters. First off, the game is going to be based on a short story by Ian Fleming called "Property of a Lady". After working together to retrieve an artifact for a Morgrave professor, most of the party shows up at the University for their reward.

During that time, one of the faculty asks them for help, and gives them the address of a small theatre in one of the poorer areas of Sharn. They are joined by a Shardmind Psion, who has, up to that point, been "working" as what is basically a lab rat in Morgrave for a place to stay (they wish to study him, and this campaign will not be very serious).

Instead of the faculty member, they meet her sister, a Dark Lantern agent at the theatre. She informs them that the faculty member has recieved a mysterious letter instructing her to bid on a certain piece of jewelry at an auction to raise the price, or find herself on the wrong end of something very sharp. Then the party comes under attack by a few robed assailents. A Deva Invoker in the audience and a Bugbear Bard who had dreams of performing on stage join the fight.

Comments? Criticisms? I'd also like to know what the best way to come up with an encounter for a pretty big party would be.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rdmarquis May 07, 2010 0:35:49	I'd like some advice on DMing a campaign set in the city of Sharn. My players are, admittedly, a bit new to the game, but they all seem to think this setting looks cool. They are a bugbear bard (named Borgan ), a goliath warden (planning to switch to shardmind psion), a deva invoker, a halfling rogue, a human rogue and a human ardent, all level 1. I'm a little lost as to what type of game I should run for people who are just starting out (though I am a little tempted to rip off a Bond novel and send them up against the Aurum). Could anyone give me some advice?
#2 Madfox11 May 07, 2010 4:17:36	What kind of game do your players want? Have they provided you with backgrounds and motivations for their characters? Such information is a gold mine to help you create a fun campaign. Have you given some thought on the origins of the shardmind? Why are the PCs in Sharn at the start of the adventure? Do they know one another? It is really hard to give advice on possible adventures without knowing more about the characters. If you like Bond adventures, you could have the PCs all be members of the Dark Citadel. It certainly provides you a lot of adventures for the future ;)
#3 JohnLynch May 07, 2010 6:32:45	I can't stress how important character backgrounds are. Even if its just 30minutes at the start of the next session of everyone describing what they're character is (have an informal communal construction of backgrounds with everyone throwing around ideas for each other's characters). For example one of my players characters has a dragon fetish. As a result dragons are now much more prominant in my campaign. They aren't appearing every 2 seconds, but they've got one they recently rescued that otherwise wouldn't have been there.
#4 rdmarquis May 08, 2010 1:44:01	I'll keep that in mind and ask everyone, thanks. I might get back to you later.
#5 Ogiwan May 08, 2010 21:59:28	I second JL's suggestion of backgrounds. For my most recent Eberron game, I had a plot already....plotted, and the first session was character creation, and my players explained what their characters were, and did, and how they fit into the group. Turns out, the airship pilot employed the Dwarf Fighter's cousin as an accountant and smuggled the Warforged Artificer out of Thrane. The Dwarf Fighter knew the Goliath Barbarian and the Elf Ranger from his days as a caravan guard. Bam. Instant party.
#6 rdmarquis May 11, 2010 19:43:53	I've asked a few questions, and I think I have a decent campaign idea, and backgrounds for the characters. First off, the game is going to be based on a short story by Ian Fleming called "Property of a Lady". After working together to retrieve an artifact for a Morgrave professor, most of the party shows up at the University for their reward. During that time, one of the faculty asks them for help, and gives them the address of a small theatre in one of the poorer areas of Sharn. They are joined by a Shardmind Psion, who has, up to that point, been "working" as what is basically a lab rat in Morgrave for a place to stay (they wish to study him, and this campaign will not be very serious). Instead of the faculty member, they meet her sister, a Dark Lantern agent at the theatre. She informs them that the faculty member has recieved a mysterious letter instructing her to bid on a certain piece of jewelry at an auction to raise the price, or find herself on the wrong end of something very sharp. Then the party comes under attack by a few robed assailents. A Deva Invoker in the audience and a Bugbear Bard who had dreams of performing on stage join the fight. Comments? Criticisms? I'd also like to know what the best way to come up with an encounter for a pretty big party would be.