advice for the overwhelmed - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

advice for the overwhelmed

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
bille
Sep 17, 2008 5:30:20 Hi
I am about to start a Forgotten Realms campaign for my group. I am a rusty GM with no pervious experience in the realms (neither have my players) and, while being quite excited about the whole thing, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all.
As advised I'll start off with the Loudwater scenario in the campaign book and follow it up with Spellguard, but what other advice, tips and tricks have you got for someone like me in order to get the campaign off to a flying start and to keep the Realms feeling like a living breathing place without having to commit the entire campaign guide/players guide to memory?
Thanks in advance
Bill
#2
bobsan
Sep 17, 2008 10:16:27
Hi
I am about to start a Forgotten Realms campaign for my group. I am a rusty GM with no pervious experience in the realms (neither have my players) and, while being quite excited about the whole thing, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all.
As advised I'll start off with the Loudwater scenario in the campaign book and follow it up with Spellguard, but what other advice, tips and tricks have you got for someone like me in order to get the campaign off to a flying start and to keep the Realms feeling like a living breathing place without having to commit the entire campaign guide/players guide to memory?
Thanks in advance
Bill

1. Create the basic plot of your campaign.
Do you have an idea of what overall story you want to tell? The villain? If not, that's alright. Sometimes during a session, the players will help you make the villain without even realizing it. but keep an eye out for that opportunity. Maybe they leave a survivor of a goblin raid. Or maybe irritate the wrong merchant. Once you've got your villain and your motivation, you can tailor the plot around #2 below.

2. Find out what motivates your players
Do they like dungeon crawling? Finding lost cities? Playing politics in court? Find out what it is your players want to do with they character's adventuring career. try sitting them down (Or even just writing down) several future goals for their characters. something they hpe to achieve. This will help you figure out "Do I run them through the ruins of [Insert name] or does Lord [Blank] wish to see them regarding a threat against his life?"

3. Pre-plan basic ideas
One thing I find useful is to pre-plan several adventure ideas that can be either dropped into a session without worrying about location or pre-planned for the specific region the group is in or heading towards. This way, you can be prepared in case the group throws you a curve ball and zigs when they originally planned to zag. You don't necessarily need to plan every minute detail per se. But enough to be able to wing it if one is suddenly needed or at least to give you a head start if you end a session prior to the start of the idea.

4. Read up on the region, not the world
This speaks for itself. While you don't need to memorize all the FR materials out there, make an effort to read up on the region the players are in. This helps you to better describe what the players see and may even generate some adventure ideas of your own.

Hope this helps! And good luck.
#3
Kensan_Oni
Sep 17, 2008 10:29:19 Read Chapters Two and Three of the FRCG. Those go over a lot of the flavor of the realms and should help out a bit.

Keep it Small. All the information you need about the Gray Vale is in the FRPG. Keep to that for now. Know that to the north and to the east are the Elven Nations of Luruar and Everseka, and to the West is the Great Sword Coast, and specifically Waterdeep (Although it is still a good 300 miles (aprox.) away). However, they are miles away. All you should concern yourself with is Loudwater and the Gray Vale for now.

Rumors: Because the Gray Vale is basically a large wilderness that is a trade lifeline between the Elves and the Rest of the world, merchants should be moving through Loudwater almost on a daily basis. They'll bring along the normal news and Gossip (Curse those Bandit Goblins! They took out Fred last week. Do you think Eversekan Brandy will be in demand this year? Did you hear that Winifred the Feirce has been building an army?). Make sure that your rumors don't inspire your characters to go running off away from the adventure, but a few window dressings will help the players out.

The realms is pretty open to all play styles though, and you shouldn't have too big a deal running it. Just remember that you don't have to use the whole world at once. Just use what you are comfortable with, and when the players themselves want to start wandering, use that as a time to expand yourself past the starting area you are in.
#4
bille
Sep 17, 2008 15:56:14 Excellent advice, thanks to both of you. My players (myself included) have just come off a double whammy of Warhammer frp and Dark Heresy - both excellently run, so a good dose of dark conspiracies and political intrigue will be in order.

They will want some fighting, to be sure, but they will prefer the occasional pants-wetting set piece rather than an extended dungeon crawl. Also, we play a regular midweek sesion that runs around two and a half to three hours - so something like a Realms-adapted Keep on the Shadowfell would just take too long to run I suspect - they're not the fastest players in the world and it is a new rules set for them to grasp.

So perhaps a city-based intrigue-type thingy would be best - any good sources for that sort of thing?
Thanks again
Bill
#5
thecasualoblivion
Sep 17, 2008 17:32:42
Excellent advice, thanks to both of you. My players (myself included) have just come off a double whammy of Warhammer frp and Dark Heresy - both excellently run, so a good dose of dark conspiracies and political intrigue will be in order.

They will want some fighting, to be sure, but they will prefer the occasional pants-wetting set piece rather than an extended dungeon crawl. Also, we play a regular midweek sesion that runs around two and a half to three hours - so something like a Realms-adapted Keep on the Shadowfell would just take too long to run I suspect - they're not the fastest players in the world and it is a new rules set for them to grasp.

So perhaps a city-based intrigue-type thingy would be best - any good sources for that sort of thing?
Thanks again
Bill

There are many good places for that. Cormyr/Sembia/Dragon Coast and the friction there is one. Anything involving Amn would work nicely as well. There is also some good stuff for that in the Moonsea region. Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are both major metropoli who will have those things as a matter of course. Look into Luskan or Wheloon(in Cormyr) for a grungier, street level version.
#6
Kensan_Oni
Sep 17, 2008 23:43:47 yeah, I was about to say, if your players liked playing in Hive City kind of enviroments, you could do a lot worse then to base your whole game inside Lusken.
#7
lord_karsus
Sep 18, 2008 23:03:06 -What's to be overwhelmed about? No reason to. There's plenty of information out there, but unless you are going to be using it, it's mostly irrelevant. Since you are starting out with the Loudwater adventure thing in the book, read that chapter, and the section on the geography of the north, to get a good feeling of the city, and the area. When you start the Spellgard adventure, read up on the information that it gives you, along with the Netheril section in the FRCG. If you plan on incorporating anything else (like travelers from other lands, or monsters from other places, or whatever), read up on those specific places.

-When you learn a language, you start small and work your way up. Same principle applies here.
#8
rinonalyrna_fathomlin
Sep 19, 2008 10:33:26 I agree, just work on learning the information that you actually need to for your game. And, don't be afraid to insert your own details.
#9
thecasualoblivion
Sep 19, 2008 10:41:30 Also, don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. Its your game.
#10
roystadoysta
Sep 21, 2008 9:18:25 Hey Bill!

Yeah, some great advice for you on the whole there. I reckon the best advice you were offered is to just take it easy and think about what you really want your game to be for you and the players. A combination of roleplay (with plots revealing themselves, NPCs who are good 'n bad, fun events like gambling in a tavern against the local bully with the chance of a brief brawl etc) along with the odd dangerous combat opportunity with a chance to use those Feats and Skill challenges all make for the best fun... Start off with small battles to get to grip with the rules, then get more adventrous.

Think - do you want it to be more roleplay, or more combat? How about your players? The easiest way to find out is to ask them before you start planning!!! If you want a City-based campaign then try and get the players to write up some detailed backgrounds with a few 'loose threads' like family issues, a missing Master, vengeances, personal goals and the like to help you get your teeth into things. Its surprising just how many of my campaign ideas have been born of what the players wrote as their PC background... let them do some of the work for you!

As for ideas, you can't beat the stuff that WotC print for their online DRAGON and DUNGEON publications. Simply download them and then get hacking away to make them fit into your world. Combine that with the Loudwater adventure and Scepter Tower of Spellgard to get your started and used to the rules, and you're onto a winner methinks...

Either way just enjoy it - that's what the hobby is about anyhow methinks...

:D
#11
bille
Sep 21, 2008 18:24:54 Thanks again for all the advice - all quite empowering.

I have found my way forward I think. I picked up Goodman games Diagora's Dungeon which looks absolutely great, with a really epic feel and plenty of roleplaying opportunities. And it looks like it will be fun to run.

I'm going to launch the campaign with a set of pregens (my players are all new to D&D so I want to get them straight into the action) and mesh the adventure into a Luruar campaign where the PCs are thrown into the middle of some sensitive negotiations with the dwarves of Adbar to reform a defensive alliance against the growing threat of Netheril. All the PCs start off escorting the negotiating committee and, to satisfy the requirement for a conspiracy feel to things, they will have some conflicting desires on how the negotiations should play out (one of the characters will be a Netherese shadow agent, another a dwarf keen to cement the alliance etc.), with xp quest awards for achieving these goals. Their actions are likely to have an impact on the negotations too, which I cannot predict, which I hope will give them the feel of ownership of the campaign (and keep me on my toes!).

Then, when the time seems right, I'll throw an assassination attempt at them and launch the scenario.

After the adventure they'll have a good idea of how the game works and a feel for the setting and some of the politics/threats. Then they can start afresh with characters they create and I'll probably relocate to the Gray Vale.

Mind you, they might want to carry on with the pre-gens, which would also be cool.

Anyway, I'll be starting in a couple of weeks and I am sure I'll keep you posted.

All the best and thanks again
Bill

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 bille Sep 17, 2008 5:30:20	Hi I am about to start a Forgotten Realms campaign for my group. I am a rusty GM with no pervious experience in the realms (neither have my players) and, while being quite excited about the whole thing, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all. As advised I'll start off with the Loudwater scenario in the campaign book and follow it up with Spellguard, but what other advice, tips and tricks have you got for someone like me in order to get the campaign off to a flying start and to keep the Realms feeling like a living breathing place without having to commit the entire campaign guide/players guide to memory? Thanks in advance Bill
#2 bobsan Sep 17, 2008 10:16:27	Hi I am about to start a Forgotten Realms campaign for my group. I am a rusty GM with no pervious experience in the realms (neither have my players) and, while being quite excited about the whole thing, I am feeling pretty overwhelmed by it all. As advised I'll start off with the Loudwater scenario in the campaign book and follow it up with Spellguard, but what other advice, tips and tricks have you got for someone like me in order to get the campaign off to a flying start and to keep the Realms feeling like a living breathing place without having to commit the entire campaign guide/players guide to memory? Thanks in advance Bill 1. Create the basic plot of your campaign. Do you have an idea of what overall story you want to tell? The villain? If not, that's alright. Sometimes during a session, the players will help you make the villain without even realizing it. but keep an eye out for that opportunity. Maybe they leave a survivor of a goblin raid. Or maybe irritate the wrong merchant. Once you've got your villain and your motivation, you can tailor the plot around #2 below. 2. Find out what motivates your players Do they like dungeon crawling? Finding lost cities? Playing politics in court? Find out what it is your players want to do with they character's adventuring career. try sitting them down (Or even just writing down) several future goals for their characters. something they hpe to achieve. This will help you figure out "Do I run them through the ruins of [Insert name] or does Lord [Blank] wish to see them regarding a threat against his life?" 3. Pre-plan basic ideas One thing I find useful is to pre-plan several adventure ideas that can be either dropped into a session without worrying about location or pre-planned for the specific region the group is in or heading towards. This way, you can be prepared in case the group throws you a curve ball and zigs when they originally planned to zag. You don't necessarily need to plan every minute detail per se. But enough to be able to wing it if one is suddenly needed or at least to give you a head start if you end a session prior to the start of the idea. 4. Read up on the region, not the world This speaks for itself. While you don't need to memorize all the FR materials out there, make an effort to read up on the region the players are in. This helps you to better describe what the players see and may even generate some adventure ideas of your own. Hope this helps! And good luck.
#3 Kensan_Oni Sep 17, 2008 10:29:19	Read Chapters Two and Three of the FRCG. Those go over a lot of the flavor of the realms and should help out a bit. Keep it Small. All the information you need about the Gray Vale is in the FRPG. Keep to that for now. Know that to the north and to the east are the Elven Nations of Luruar and Everseka, and to the West is the Great Sword Coast, and specifically Waterdeep (Although it is still a good 300 miles (aprox.) away). However, they are miles away. All you should concern yourself with is Loudwater and the Gray Vale for now. Rumors: Because the Gray Vale is basically a large wilderness that is a trade lifeline between the Elves and the Rest of the world, merchants should be moving through Loudwater almost on a daily basis. They'll bring along the normal news and Gossip (Curse those Bandit Goblins! They took out Fred last week. Do you think Eversekan Brandy will be in demand this year? Did you hear that Winifred the Feirce has been building an army?). Make sure that your rumors don't inspire your characters to go running off away from the adventure, but a few window dressings will help the players out. The realms is pretty open to all play styles though, and you shouldn't have too big a deal running it. Just remember that you don't have to use the whole world at once. Just use what you are comfortable with, and when the players themselves want to start wandering, use that as a time to expand yourself past the starting area you are in.
#4 bille Sep 17, 2008 15:56:14	Excellent advice, thanks to both of you. My players (myself included) have just come off a double whammy of Warhammer frp and Dark Heresy - both excellently run, so a good dose of dark conspiracies and political intrigue will be in order. They will want some fighting, to be sure, but they will prefer the occasional pants-wetting set piece rather than an extended dungeon crawl. Also, we play a regular midweek sesion that runs around two and a half to three hours - so something like a Realms-adapted Keep on the Shadowfell would just take too long to run I suspect - they're not the fastest players in the world and it is a new rules set for them to grasp. So perhaps a city-based intrigue-type thingy would be best - any good sources for that sort of thing? Thanks again Bill
#5 thecasualoblivion Sep 17, 2008 17:32:42	Excellent advice, thanks to both of you. My players (myself included) have just come off a double whammy of Warhammer frp and Dark Heresy - both excellently run, so a good dose of dark conspiracies and political intrigue will be in order. They will want some fighting, to be sure, but they will prefer the occasional pants-wetting set piece rather than an extended dungeon crawl. Also, we play a regular midweek sesion that runs around two and a half to three hours - so something like a Realms-adapted Keep on the Shadowfell would just take too long to run I suspect - they're not the fastest players in the world and it is a new rules set for them to grasp. So perhaps a city-based intrigue-type thingy would be best - any good sources for that sort of thing? Thanks again Bill There are many good places for that. Cormyr/Sembia/Dragon Coast and the friction there is one. Anything involving Amn would work nicely as well. There is also some good stuff for that in the Moonsea region. Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep are both major metropoli who will have those things as a matter of course. Look into Luskan or Wheloon(in Cormyr) for a grungier, street level version.
#6 Kensan_Oni Sep 17, 2008 23:43:47	yeah, I was about to say, if your players liked playing in Hive City kind of enviroments, you could do a lot worse then to base your whole game inside Lusken.
#7 lord_karsus Sep 18, 2008 23:03:06	-What's to be overwhelmed about? No reason to. There's plenty of information out there, but unless you are going to be using it, it's mostly irrelevant. Since you are starting out with the Loudwater adventure thing in the book, read that chapter, and the section on the geography of the north, to get a good feeling of the city, and the area. When you start the Spellgard adventure, read up on the information that it gives you, along with the Netheril section in the FRCG. If you plan on incorporating anything else (like travelers from other lands, or monsters from other places, or whatever), read up on those specific places. -When you learn a language, you start small and work your way up. Same principle applies here.
#8 rinonalyrna_fathomlin Sep 19, 2008 10:33:26	I agree, just work on learning the information that you actually need to for your game. And, don't be afraid to insert your own details.
#9 thecasualoblivion Sep 19, 2008 10:41:30	Also, don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong. Its your game.
#10 roystadoysta Sep 21, 2008 9:18:25	Hey Bill! Yeah, some great advice for you on the whole there. I reckon the best advice you were offered is to just take it easy and think about what you really want your game to be for you and the players. A combination of roleplay (with plots revealing themselves, NPCs who are good 'n bad, fun events like gambling in a tavern against the local bully with the chance of a brief brawl etc) along with the odd dangerous combat opportunity with a chance to use those Feats and Skill challenges all make for the best fun... Start off with small battles to get to grip with the rules, then get more adventrous. Think - do you want it to be more roleplay, or more combat? How about your players? The easiest way to find out is to ask them before you start planning!!! If you want a City-based campaign then try and get the players to write up some detailed backgrounds with a few 'loose threads' like family issues, a missing Master, vengeances, personal goals and the like to help you get your teeth into things. Its surprising just how many of my campaign ideas have been born of what the players wrote as their PC background... let them do some of the work for you! As for ideas, you can't beat the stuff that WotC print for their online DRAGON and DUNGEON publications. Simply download them and then get hacking away to make them fit into your world. Combine that with the Loudwater adventure and Scepter Tower of Spellgard to get your started and used to the rules, and you're onto a winner methinks... Either way just enjoy it - that's what the hobby is about anyhow methinks... :D
#11 bille Sep 21, 2008 18:24:54	Thanks again for all the advice - all quite empowering. I have found my way forward I think. I picked up Goodman games Diagora's Dungeon which looks absolutely great, with a really epic feel and plenty of roleplaying opportunities. And it looks like it will be fun to run. I'm going to launch the campaign with a set of pregens (my players are all new to D&D so I want to get them straight into the action) and mesh the adventure into a Luruar campaign where the PCs are thrown into the middle of some sensitive negotiations with the dwarves of Adbar to reform a defensive alliance against the growing threat of Netheril. All the PCs start off escorting the negotiating committee and, to satisfy the requirement for a conspiracy feel to things, they will have some conflicting desires on how the negotiations should play out (one of the characters will be a Netherese shadow agent, another a dwarf keen to cement the alliance etc.), with xp quest awards for achieving these goals. Their actions are likely to have an impact on the negotations too, which I cannot predict, which I hope will give them the feel of ownership of the campaign (and keep me on my toes!). Then, when the time seems right, I'll throw an assassination attempt at them and launch the scenario. After the adventure they'll have a good idea of how the game works and a feel for the setting and some of the politics/threats. Then they can start afresh with characters they create and I'll probably relocate to the Gray Vale. Mind you, they might want to carry on with the pre-gens, which would also be cool. Anyway, I'll be starting in a couple of weeks and I am sure I'll keep you posted. All the best and thanks again Bill