Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 gruph Jun 18, 2010 12:58:55	I have a bit of a problem.  And I want to keep this short so here goes. I am a newish DM, only really ran one campaign, the one I am running now.  I had 4 PCs, one of them was my mentor, he DMed most of the games I ever played in, knows the rules very well, all in all is a great guy.  He left the group when he moved away for the summer to find a job and the group basically stopped because I lost all confidence in my abilities without him.  Also I wanted to find a fourth, and we literally can find noone! But I am confidant now, and maybe a little drunk, and I have this idea in my head of running the campaign with 3 PCs till he gets back this fall.  I have never done this before and so my question is is it even possible to run a fun campaign with 3 people?  How would I go about balancing it?  All that jazz. Right now my PCs characters are: a showboat Warlord who does most of the groups talking and is a little too cocky for his own good and is inclined to fight if he thinks he can win.  A quiet shaman, who likes to talk her way out of situations and is a witty and nice balance to the other two.  And a mercenary fighter who is motivated by money, and has min maxed his character to do crazy damage. If you need more information I will provide, but I am just looking for anything about a 3 player game, I have no idea where to start.
#2 mellored Jun 18, 2010 13:48:52	You can run a game with 3 players, not alot different from running a 4 player game, so i suggest starting where you left off.  Come up with a reason your 4th left.  Perhaps even have the quest be to find out/rescue him (if you can time his rescue to his return, bonus). The main thing is, with less players, less skills/roles get coverd.  So... Go light on artillary, since none of your party is ranged (shaman is a little). And go light on minions, since you have no controller (shaman is a little). Also the DMG2 has rules for compainion characaters, if you have something planned that needs a skill they don't have, like theivery, you can make someone to join in.
#3 gruph Jun 19, 2010 13:46:20	Firstly thank you for the reply. Secondly, what I have so far is the 4th pc has left the group to help fix up a town they recently 'saved' that was in a state of disrepair both physically and politically.  I think I will have her kidnapped or disappeared at some point in the future. The PC's after saving this town all agreed to meet up with this guy (who is a major villian but they don't know it yet) at a frontier village. So my plan is the 3 payers I have right now show up at this village, but the man they are meeting isnt there.  In the town there are a number of ways that they can stumble upon a sort of quest I set up.  In short there is a plant needed for a potion that only grows underground, in caves and stuff.  It is needed to cure a dieing child.  The alchemist of the town is super old and so he is not really the type to go cave diving anymore.  Because of this he asked the mages guild to send someone to get it for him, as alchemists and mages have always been close.  The guild sends an apprentice, but he hasnt been back in two or three days. So PC's are asked to go to the cave where going in they find some undead to fight.  They are level 4 so I am thinking a healthy mix of zombies and skeletons with maybe like a choker who lives in the cave taking advantage of the chaos of battle.  Once they get to the bottom there is a strange door, upon going on they find the apprentice in a stone room, he tells them, he was searching for the root when he came to this door.  After he went in and snooped around and found a book.  After opening the book all of the undead came to life and so he barricaded himself inside.  My plan in that a secret necromancer cult convenes here.  With this knowledge they head back to the town with root in hand and collect their praise for saving the child.  Before the session ends it will be casually mentioned that one of the people who lived in the slum died while they were away. So, yea, thoughts and suggestions are loved and thanks for your time.
#4 mellored Jun 19, 2010 17:33:52	Seems like you've got things under control. And if you have a choker, you might want to have it grab things randomly.  Skelletons and such won't be eaten, but it could take an enemy out of play for a turn or 2.  It's fun to turn traps onto enemies.
#5 gruph Jun 20, 2010 17:01:58	This is a good idea, I like the choker attacking indiscriminately.  At least until he realizes that only some of the targets are fresh, living meat. I have one more idea I want to bounce, After they fight the initial zombies they will pass through a chamber with a large underground lake on their way to the room with the mage.  So after they get in the room, talk to the mage and convince him to leave they head back to the lake room.  Since the mage has the necromantic book I am wanting an ambush or trap or whatever to occur. So my thinking is either an army of the dead marches out of the black waters, or a large beast (some necromantic construct) emerges to fight for the book, OOOOoooor an army of minions and a large beast but that might be over kill.  The thing about the army is I think it might be a little bland after a room of skeletons and zombies.  As for the big creature I like the idea, I have no idea what I want to do, other than I just know I want to stay away from the underwater tentacle monster cliche. So yea, advice and ideas, ideas, ideas, would be loved.  Cheers.
#6 mellored Jun 20, 2010 18:03:31	If you do the large creature + minions, i would do the same as the choker.  Though doing that twice in a row migth be a bit stale. Actually what could be fun.  Is have the lake monster appear on their way in, and chase them into the room.  Then the mage (having a few days to read) can gain some control of the minions, and help defeat the lake monster.  Carefull about playing yourself however (don't hog the spotlight). The other way to go is a "protect the mage" mission.  With the undead trying to get to the book, could be fun since you don't have a controller. As for what monster, you want something they would know they can't beat on their own (if you go that way), but nothing that stops movement.  I'd probably go with beholder or a large water elemental.
#7 gruph Jun 21, 2010 12:05:59	Ok, I have decided on one large solo creature of my own devising.  It is going to basically be a large (2by2) undead leech.  He was a creature native to the cave but killed by the cult of necromancers and 'improved' upon to be the final guardian of the book.  It is a large slug like creature, most of its skin black and wet like a leech, but some bits of various leathers and skins stitched on to cover holes and make it bigger.  At the top\front tip of it, its a large maw, the top of the mouth hole has been cut off and replaced with a human (or dwarf or elven) skull , its eyes blaze with a necrotic flame. So its going to be a solo lurker.  I have some basic stats roughed out but no abilities written down.  I was thinking it would have one basic attack that is like a body slam, either vs AC or Ref.  And though you suggested no movement hampering I was thinking of a bind, where it wraps around one victim vs. Fort.  Then a contract to damage the bound victim.  Finally I want something Vs. Will so it would have a hypnotic gaze on a recharge of 5 and 6, it would do psychic damage and have some effect I haven't thought of yet. I am thinking also that since it is a leech it could have some sort of bite that causes a bleed, maybe this would be better than the bind.  Ooh and as for the protect the mage idea I really like that, I am thinking he will be the city rulers son.  His death or survival would have interesting political effects, not to mention rewards for the PC's. Thoughts and suggestions are loved.  That is all.