Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 skole_morgenrood Jul 06, 2009 5:38:02	Howdy Folks, I've come here for some ideas from you lot about how to go ahead with my upcoming campaign set in Eberron. I don't need help on encounters or adventure ideas at the moment (I've got a some great ideas planned, but I suppose I'll be back eventually trawling for the right idea). What I want is some input on some DMing techniques I wish to use. Before I go on, I'll give you the history of my group. We're older players now(approx 30), have been playing since second edition. We stopped for a long time as we got older and and then we're drawn back into D&D by the simplicity of joining Living Greyhawk. Simple, no mess gaming. Pre-written adventures and easy to just "show-up" to. This has been great for reviving our excitement in gaming, but I think we're approaching the point where we want a bit more depth from our characters again. Something a bit more personal and tailored to our characters and their stories. We can all "power-game" and make tough combat characters and we enjoy the tactical side of combat, but I think everyone is looking forward to playing something like when we were younger and spending hours free-ranging in our environments in character. I think possibly even being the kind of table that would be happy to spend an evening without a combat and merely investigating deeply. This last reason is the reason I've chosen Eberron. We're all DM regularly now in 4E LFR but it's been a while since I ran my own campaign. OK, so here's what I wanted to run by you DMs more experienced in home campaigns. There's a few things I'd like to try: A) Free-Roaming. How have you guys handled it? I don't want the PCs to feel entirely rail-roaded. I want to respond to their decisions. At the end of a plot arc(or merely a calm before the storm), do you just ask your group where they are sailing off to before the next session? I.E. You're wrapping things up for the night and have two weeks until the next session. The PCs have just been rewarded for their efforts and are all cashed up, with apparently no real agenda but money to burn. Do they use this coin to mount an expedition to Xen'Drick? Or perhaps the Kalashtar wishes to return to Sarlona, bringing his newfound companions to his homeland? Does anyone use this technique and how has it worked for you? Any drawbacks? B) Intertwining character backstories. How have you done it? How have you forged the characters into a cohesive loyal group besides the fact they are all Player Characters? C) Personal goals and missions? Have you tailored specific story arcs for individual characters? How has the rest of the party reacted? Were they glad to be drawn in or did they feel like the limelight was being hogged? D) Finally, I'm wondering if anyone has played a campaign where one character was a designated leader. I was drawing inspiration from Firefly/Serenity here and wondered how well it would work if all the characters had their role to play in a tight knit group of good-hearted mercenaries/smugglers/ex-military unit? I.e The Bravura Warlord owns a ship and as such is the "Captain", he's got a burly half-orc heavy weapons expert that he brought with him home from the war. They have sought out a roguish type to help them crack safes and slip goods begind stolen lines and in their travels picked up a wizard who adds some know-how to their outfit. Knowledge of local customs, dangers of the seas and geography etc etc. But basically, one of them is the boss. "If you don't like it, get off my ship" kinda thing. I know this could cause some tension in other groups, but I think if everyone was willing could add an interesting element to them mix. Has anyone tried this? Did it work? Were there interesting conflicts arising between characters (not players) when the pragmatic captain knew that someone couldn't be left alive or the jig was up and so ordered the rogue to finmish him humanely but the benevolent rogue didn't want to do so? This last idea is definitely a risky exploit and could ruin the whole campaign arc if players ended up getting frustrated. Anyway, any advice is welcome.
#2 Shiftkitty Jul 06, 2009 9:13:30	A) I wing it a lot. I tell them what's in the area, what's within range, and what rumors they may hear from afar. They tell me where they want to go, and I usually have a story seed out that way. I've got a very old game world (est. 1983) and there's always something happening. B) I let the players write their own backstories, and if they mesh/intertwine, that's fine. Otherwise, I let them come up with their own reasons to be together. Once they were little more than neighbors. Another time they'd all gotten drafted and were in the same outfit. usually its the motivation that brings them together. I know what pushes these guys' buttons, and they'll steer their PCs to pick up the mantle of heroics. C) I try to spread the limelight. Every character gets to be the 'star' once in awhile, but mostly I let the light shine on the group as a whole. No jealousy there. D) I tried one game with a desginated leader and will never do so again. It felt like it became "The Captain Harris Show" (the PC's name), and while the player loved the spotlight, the others didn't enjoy it. He began dictating their a ctions so that all they did was roll the dice. If they protested in character, he'd pull rank. If they protested out of character, he'd say "I'm the leader, that's why." It sucked. Never again. YMMV depending on your leader player's ego and personality.
#3 Ogiwan Jul 06, 2009 10:49:53	On the topic of backstories, I really feel that players with backstories give the DM so many more hooks, foils, and other chances to draw the player's in. In one instance, one of my PCs with the Mark of Making (Cannith Artificer) stated that he had a manipulative cousin who is more of a politicker than...well, actually worth anything. One simple sentence. After they completed a mission (Shadows of the Last War, i believe), I had a faceless NPC at the Cannith compound in Sharn drop something about how they were working for Reginald (the cousin), and the PC promptly went over there to have a talk with him. After the game, I asked about Reginald, and he said, "He was every bit as loathsome as I had hoped". Was Reginald going to be a reoccuring nemisis? No, he was going to just be a minor pain in the ass that the PCs could use to their advantage if they could play to his ambition and greed. With backstories, your PCs will have home towns that they care about, 'cause their creation and importance is partially their responsibility. They will have contacts that they can call on, or people to help out, for the same reason.