1st "Campaign" for lvl1 noobs, Hows this sound? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

1st "Campaign" for lvl1 noobs, Hows this sound?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
thatguy25
Dec 11, 2011 11:26:45 So I'm a new DM making a campaign for some friends to run. It will be pretty much their first real DnD experience, but they're enthusiastic about it, so I have high hopes. Here's the structure/background and a few visual aids for the first session of the campaign, tell me what you think.
- - -
Our story begins with X unlikely heroes united and in search of adventure. Whatever their personal motivation, they are sure to find challenge and reward on this road. After cresting a hill, the party is startled by the sight of smoke in the distance ahead. Picking up the pace, they discover the burning ruins of a watchtower at a crossroad. Before they are able to investigate, a howl is heard, followed by the chattering of goblins surrounding them. (Tutorial encounter with some goblins and wolves)

//After beating the encounter, they can investigate, find an injured guard, heal checks, blah blah blah, guard points them in the direction of the city where the rest takes place

i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...

Our heroes arrive in the port city of Orren’s Crossing. The city itself is a paragon of commerce; ships come and go every hour of the day, caravans carry goods over well maintained stone streets beneath tall clay structures. However, the vibrant beauty of Orren’s Crossing is tarnished by what lies beyond the western outskirts: the original port now known as Orren’s Rest. Built several decades past, it had once been nearly as spectacular as the Crossing is now, but a season of freak storms and quakes left much of the city sunken or crumbling. Now, living in the ruins are the poor and undesirables of Orren’s Crossing. Still made to pay the lord’s taxes, unrest among its denizens is common, yet with the wealth of trade, the local lord is able to hire the best mercenaries to keep the peace and collect. You are now in the market district of the Crossing, with all manner of merchants and customers filling the streets. (skill check with a pickpocket, chase through the streets)

Finally arriving at your destination, you look upon the lord’s estate. It is a lavish, yet surprisingly small building, surrounded by gardens with fountains and tall hedges. In contrast to the decadence, the men wandering the grounds are very rough and menacing, no doubt mercenaries hired by the lord as guards. After stating your interest in answering the lord’s call, you are led directly to his offices where he is waiting for you. The office is dark, its shades drawn and lit only by several candles. The lord sits at his desk, and greets you with a flat tone.

“You are here for the job posting, yes? Well, at least you look SOMEWHAT capable. I am Sizio Remar, lord of Orren’s Crossing, and I am a busy man, so let’s not waste wind gabbing. For nearly a month now, the people of Orren’s Rest have been refusing to pay even the modest taxes owed to the city. Worse, my collectors who entered the Rest have vanished. No doubt their being held for ransom, as if a collector and his guards would be worth ransoming. I want you to enter Orren’s Rest and kill the man believed to be responsible for this trouble: a brigand known only as Ironeye. If you happen to find my collectors, their safe return would be appreciated. Simple, yes? I’ll pay 200 gold to each of you that come back, more if my people return with you. Now, unless there is anything you just NEED to know, I’d like to get back to work.”

i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...

You make your way out of Lord Remar’s villa, but come to a halt when you enter the courtyard. A rather diverse group is standing in your path: in front is a small man who could only be a Halfling carrying a flute. Standing close behind him is a massive dragonborn, armed and armored for war. To his left is a mage of some sort, and to his right, staying close to the shadows, is an elf, bristling with the blades and tools of a rogue. The Halfling speaks, “After the bounty on Ironeye, too? Well, my friends, we’re not much for competition, so how about you go on home and leave this to the real adventurers. Just hand over all the gold you got and we’ll make sure you get back to the market safely.” (Encounter with rival group of adventurers. If 2 or more get knocked out, they'll flee, maybe encounter them later)

i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...

It is midday as you approach the bridge to Orren’s Rest. The land is split, a chasm filled with churning sea water that marks the city limit. The bridge itself is poorly maintained and only guarded on one side. (Skill encounter interviewing various people[bridge guard, beggar, suspicious man, etc] about where Ironeye could be, leading them to the city square)

i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...

Entering Sea Guard Square, you see a huge, stone statue in the center depicting a robed man with a driftwood staff and an open hand pointing towards the harbor. This majestic image is contrasted by the large gang of thuggish looking men and women occupying the area. They turn towards you, grimacing and brandishing weapons. (Big encounter for the session)

(after one round) A strong gust of wind whips through the square, you shield your eyes from the sand kicked up. When the wind settles, you see a new figure covered what appears to be seaweed standing near the statue. The man holds a simple staff in one hand and a smoky orb in the other. He yells in an unearthly, thunderous voice, “Kill them all, our masters must not be interrupted!” Clouds above begin to circle with his presence.

- - -

// After the encounter and an extended rest, they're led into the sewers for the second half of the campaign, giant rats, trapped dragon, evil sorcerer boss and all that fun stuff.

Spoiler synopsis: Orren was a sorcerer that led ships to the harbor and founded the city. He is considered a hero because people saw him holding back the storms that sunk half the city and allowed the citizens to escape to higher ground, but it was he who accidently conjured the storms in the first place using an artifact he discovered in caves below the port. He was supposedly killed in the storm, but has been hiding beneath the city trying to master control of the artifact, which is slowly corrupting him further. It is tied to a dragon who became trapped when the city sank, so to placate it, Orren hired Ironeye to steal gold and valuables for the dragon's horde. Ironeye only wants Orren's help to overthrow the lord of Orren's Crossing and take the city for himself. He will escape if things get dangerous at the end, and since the quest given was to retrieve Ironeye's head, the party will be denied the bounty and given incentive to hunt him down. The treasures from the dragon's horde should be enough to keep the players happy, though =)

Any thoughts, constructive criticism, praise for my AWESOME photoshop pics? Anything helps, really. Just be gentle.

i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...

#2
yellowdingo
Dec 12, 2011 7:23:46 Getting a better feel for the Place

Knowing how much traffic is pouring into and out of a community will really describe the community for the players. The fact is the PCs are not going to pas one wagon on the road on their way into a city of tens of thousands of people.

Traffic for a City

We calculate the number of Wagons carrying produce into a city thusly:

(community population/261 days)x 4.5 wagons = wagons entering city on road per day.

Basically there will be shitloads of Wagons on the Roads leading into this community. Wagons will be lined up for a mile or so...just because some wagon was attacked by Goblin bandits. You can divide the number of wagons per day by 24 hours and the number of city gates.
Ex-(20,000 people/261 days)x4.5 wagons= 345 wagons (divide by 10 hours of traffic entry=35; divide by 3 gates=12 wagons per gate entering the city per hour of daylight).

That should give you a more realistic traffic flow.

A Crisis at the Crossroads

There has been a traffic jam of Wagons converging on the crossroads overlooked by the Burning Watchtower. Probably ten wagons all jammed up at the crossroads as their drivers argued over a right of way. The Watchtower was tasked with keeping traffic flowing smoothly. Unfortunatly it came at the worst possible time as a huge band of Goblins hit the Crossroads and Watchtower. Wagons and the watchtower are burning and a number of dead who were taken by surprise in the Attack.
#3
thatguy25
Dec 12, 2011 15:00:33
Getting a better feel for the Place

-snip-

Thanks for the... in-depth info, though I doubt this group will really call me out on details like that. If they did, I'd probably just make something up like, "well, the wagons mostly come from roads going up and down the coast, you came from further inland." The thought of having busted/looted wagons in the area is intriguing. Maybe I'll add a couple to spice up the terrain.
#4
thatguy25
Dec 13, 2011 17:43:28 Sorry for the surely tl;dr'ness of the original post, but I really would appreciate any feedback. Mostly because we're set to run the session this friday and if there are any glaring issues it might really kill D&D for my friends.

Any constructive criticism helps
#5
guest60718002
Dec 15, 2011 11:58:28 I think it is fine for a fresh group of players. If I had to guess, I would say that your first session will be taken up by your first combat and searching the tower (depending on the length of the session). I've just started with some new players and we're into our second month. It takes them about an hour now to get through an equal level encounter, but at first it took them almost three hours.

You have a skill check when you first enter the city based on a pick pocket and chase scene. You didn't elabroate on it, but I would suggest tying that into the story somehow. I find that skill challenges for the sake of having a skill challenge distracts my players if it isn't woven into the plot somehow. Perhaps the theif is working for Ironeye is some facility. If he gets away they find what ever he took later on at his lair; if he is caughtthen the players can find out about this Ironeye guy before meeting the lord...

I think everything will be fine for first time players. They are going to be focused on rules and figuring out their characters.

Example wizards of the coast of chase scene skill check: ( www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4... )

Cool photoshop pics.
#6
thatguy25
Dec 15, 2011 13:14:53
-snip-

Thanks for the feedback. It's hard for me to estimate how long each encounter will take. I originally thought the group should be able to get all the way through to the big fight in the old city square in one session/night, then do the sewer/underground lair in a 2nd session. Oh well, as long as the players are up for another session, I guess I'll have material ready for them.

The theif is actually a possible ally, one of the small-time theives from the old city who don't like the attention Ironeye is drawing. He's trying to slip a note and a helpful "quest" item into the player's bag, but he's cowardly and flees. If they catch him, they can allow him to join the party if the group is willing to trust him, otherwise he shows up later when they enter the old city... if they don't decide to kill him, that is.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 thatguy25 Dec 11, 2011 11:26:45	So I'm a new DM making a campaign for some friends to run. It will be pretty much their first real DnD experience, but they're enthusiastic about it, so I have high hopes. Here's the structure/background and a few visual aids for the first session of the campaign, tell me what you think. - - - Our story begins with X unlikely heroes united and in search of adventure. Whatever their personal motivation, they are sure to find challenge and reward on this road. After cresting a hill, the party is startled by the sight of smoke in the distance ahead. Picking up the pace, they discover the burning ruins of a watchtower at a crossroad. Before they are able to investigate, a howl is heard, followed by the chattering of goblins surrounding them. (Tutorial encounter with some goblins and wolves) //After beating the encounter, they can investigate, find an injured guard, heal checks, blah blah blah, guard points them in the direction of the city where the rest takes place i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma... Our heroes arrive in the port city of Orren’s Crossing. The city itself is a paragon of commerce; ships come and go every hour of the day, caravans carry goods over well maintained stone streets beneath tall clay structures. However, the vibrant beauty of Orren’s Crossing is tarnished by what lies beyond the western outskirts: the original port now known as Orren’s Rest. Built several decades past, it had once been nearly as spectacular as the Crossing is now, but a season of freak storms and quakes left much of the city sunken or crumbling. Now, living in the ruins are the poor and undesirables of Orren’s Crossing. Still made to pay the lord’s taxes, unrest among its denizens is common, yet with the wealth of trade, the local lord is able to hire the best mercenaries to keep the peace and collect. You are now in the market district of the Crossing, with all manner of merchants and customers filling the streets. (skill check with a pickpocket, chase through the streets) Finally arriving at your destination, you look upon the lord’s estate. It is a lavish, yet surprisingly small building, surrounded by gardens with fountains and tall hedges. In contrast to the decadence, the men wandering the grounds are very rough and menacing, no doubt mercenaries hired by the lord as guards. After stating your interest in answering the lord’s call, you are led directly to his offices where he is waiting for you. The office is dark, its shades drawn and lit only by several candles. The lord sits at his desk, and greets you with a flat tone. “You are here for the job posting, yes? Well, at least you look SOMEWHAT capable. I am Sizio Remar, lord of Orren’s Crossing, and I am a busy man, so let’s not waste wind gabbing. For nearly a month now, the people of Orren’s Rest have been refusing to pay even the modest taxes owed to the city. Worse, my collectors who entered the Rest have vanished. No doubt their being held for ransom, as if a collector and his guards would be worth ransoming. I want you to enter Orren’s Rest and kill the man believed to be responsible for this trouble: a brigand known only as Ironeye. If you happen to find my collectors, their safe return would be appreciated. Simple, yes? I’ll pay 200 gold to each of you that come back, more if my people return with you. Now, unless there is anything you just NEED to know, I’d like to get back to work.” i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma... You make your way out of Lord Remar’s villa, but come to a halt when you enter the courtyard. A rather diverse group is standing in your path: in front is a small man who could only be a Halfling carrying a flute. Standing close behind him is a massive dragonborn, armed and armored for war. To his left is a mage of some sort, and to his right, staying close to the shadows, is an elf, bristling with the blades and tools of a rogue. The Halfling speaks, “After the bounty on Ironeye, too? Well, my friends, we’re not much for competition, so how about you go on home and leave this to the real adventurers. Just hand over all the gold you got and we’ll make sure you get back to the market safely.” (Encounter with rival group of adventurers. If 2 or more get knocked out, they'll flee, maybe encounter them later) i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma... It is midday as you approach the bridge to Orren’s Rest. The land is split, a chasm filled with churning sea water that marks the city limit. The bridge itself is poorly maintained and only guarded on one side. (Skill encounter interviewing various people[bridge guard, beggar, suspicious man, etc] about where Ironeye could be, leading them to the city square) i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma... Entering Sea Guard Square, you see a huge, stone statue in the center depicting a robed man with a driftwood staff and an open hand pointing towards the harbor. This majestic image is contrasted by the large gang of thuggish looking men and women occupying the area. They turn towards you, grimacing and brandishing weapons. (Big encounter for the session) (after one round) A strong gust of wind whips through the square, you shield your eyes from the sand kicked up. When the wind settles, you see a new figure covered what appears to be seaweed standing near the statue. The man holds a simple staff in one hand and a smoky orb in the other. He yells in an unearthly, thunderous voice, “Kill them all, our masters must not be interrupted!” Clouds above begin to circle with his presence. - - - // After the encounter and an extended rest, they're led into the sewers for the second half of the campaign, giant rats, trapped dragon, evil sorcerer boss and all that fun stuff. Spoiler synopsis: Orren was a sorcerer that led ships to the harbor and founded the city. He is considered a hero because people saw him holding back the storms that sunk half the city and allowed the citizens to escape to higher ground, but it was he who accidently conjured the storms in the first place using an artifact he discovered in caves below the port. He was supposedly killed in the storm, but has been hiding beneath the city trying to master control of the artifact, which is slowly corrupting him further. It is tied to a dragon who became trapped when the city sank, so to placate it, Orren hired Ironeye to steal gold and valuables for the dragon's horde. Ironeye only wants Orren's help to overthrow the lord of Orren's Crossing and take the city for himself. He will escape if things get dangerous at the end, and since the quest given was to retrieve Ironeye's head, the party will be denied the bounty and given incentive to hunt him down. The treasures from the dragon's horde should be enough to keep the players happy, though =) Any thoughts, constructive criticism, praise for my AWESOME photoshop pics? Anything helps, really. Just be gentle. i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss185/Thinma...
#2 yellowdingo Dec 12, 2011 7:23:46	Getting a better feel for the Place Knowing how much traffic is pouring into and out of a community will really describe the community for the players. The fact is the PCs are not going to pas one wagon on the road on their way into a city of tens of thousands of people. Traffic for a City We calculate the number of Wagons carrying produce into a city thusly: (community population/261 days)x 4.5 wagons = wagons entering city on road per day. Basically there will be shitloads of Wagons on the Roads leading into this community. Wagons will be lined up for a mile or so...just because some wagon was attacked by Goblin bandits. You can divide the number of wagons per day by 24 hours and the number of city gates. Ex-(20,000 people/261 days)x4.5 wagons= 345 wagons (divide by 10 hours of traffic entry=35; divide by 3 gates=12 wagons per gate entering the city per hour of daylight). That should give you a more realistic traffic flow. A Crisis at the Crossroads There has been a traffic jam of Wagons converging on the crossroads overlooked by the Burning Watchtower. Probably ten wagons all jammed up at the crossroads as their drivers argued over a right of way. The Watchtower was tasked with keeping traffic flowing smoothly. Unfortunatly it came at the worst possible time as a huge band of Goblins hit the Crossroads and Watchtower. Wagons and the watchtower are burning and a number of dead who were taken by surprise in the Attack.
#3 thatguy25 Dec 12, 2011 15:00:33	Getting a better feel for the Place -snip- Thanks for the... in-depth info, though I doubt this group will really call me out on details like that. If they did, I'd probably just make something up like, "well, the wagons mostly come from roads going up and down the coast, you came from further inland." The thought of having busted/looted wagons in the area is intriguing. Maybe I'll add a couple to spice up the terrain.
#4 thatguy25 Dec 13, 2011 17:43:28	Sorry for the surely tl;dr'ness of the original post, but I really would appreciate any feedback. Mostly because we're set to run the session this friday and if there are any glaring issues it might really kill D&D for my friends. Any constructive criticism helps
#5 guest60718002 Dec 15, 2011 11:58:28	I think it is fine for a fresh group of players. If I had to guess, I would say that your first session will be taken up by your first combat and searching the tower (depending on the length of the session). I've just started with some new players and we're into our second month. It takes them about an hour now to get through an equal level encounter, but at first it took them almost three hours. You have a skill check when you first enter the city based on a pick pocket and chase scene. You didn't elabroate on it, but I would suggest tying that into the story somehow. I find that skill challenges for the sake of having a skill challenge distracts my players if it isn't woven into the plot somehow. Perhaps the theif is working for Ironeye is some facility. If he gets away they find what ever he took later on at his lair; if he is caughtthen the players can find out about this Ironeye guy before meeting the lord... I think everything will be fine for first time players. They are going to be focused on rules and figuring out their characters. Example wizards of the coast of chase scene skill check: ( www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4... ) Cool photoshop pics.
#6 thatguy25 Dec 15, 2011 13:14:53	-snip- Thanks for the feedback. It's hard for me to estimate how long each encounter will take. I originally thought the group should be able to get all the way through to the big fight in the old city square in one session/night, then do the sewer/underground lair in a 2nd session. Oh well, as long as the players are up for another session, I guess I'll have material ready for them. The theif is actually a possible ally, one of the small-time theives from the old city who don't like the attention Ironeye is drawing. He's trying to slip a note and a helpful "quest" item into the player's bag, but he's cowardly and flees. If they catch him, they can allow him to join the party if the group is willing to trust him, otherwise he shows up later when they enter the old city... if they don't decide to kill him, that is.