Novice DM Looking for Feedback / Ideas

[Dark_Lemon]

(Sorry if this should be in the Forum Games and RP board, but that seems more for actual games rather than surrounding conversation....)



OK Ladies and Gentlemen! (probably more gentlemen, but hey-ho let?s see)

I?ve recently embarked upon the rich and wonderful world of Dungeons and Dragons and I have set about trapping friends and associates within my new hobby. It?s one of those odd things where I know the ones who will like it if they just give it a try and stop calling it ?gay? and so far, thanks to alcoholic lubrication and an off-the-cuff bit of improvisation, I?ve managed to get two of them interested in a proper game!

So, with dice bought and second hand manuals in hand, I now feel that I have to seal-the-deal with a stunning campaign, the kind of varied, cliff-hanger-filled, twisting turning piece of political and geographical intrigue that will keep my players interest piqued?.. (dawww! ?My players?! It?s all coming together in a beautiful family surrounded by machiavellian manipulation!)


This means, I?m looking for some feedback on what I have so far. Are my plagiarised and bastardised storylines going to do the trick? Does anyone have any advice or experience they can lend me? I mean, seriously, anything would be really appreciated?.


So far my plan is this:

The players (only two of them) begin in the western port town of Newhaven, the prime importer in the lucrative spice trade coming overseas from Haq. The adventurers are going to be hired by the Governor Henry Hogard to investigate the overgrown ruins of Seger?s Folly to the town?s south. The Governor, having heard rumours from travellers arriving in Newhaven suspects bandits may have taken up residence there. He would send part of the town watch but they are already overstretched due Newhaven population swelling thanks to the upcoming Festival of X (probably Kord ? Kord seems a good choice, I can half imagine celebrating Kord would practically require a lot of drinking and brawling).

Other characters who will be notable will be:

1. the recently arrived Knight Commander Pelen White, a burgundy cloaked Kingsman fresh from the capital city of Tridorn to discuss late taxes and Newhaven?s hiring of Felendor mercenaries.

2. Jacob Seger, the aged assistant to Governor Hogard and grandson of the eponymous Governor Seger of Seger?s Folly.

3. Redgar, a fighter from Bloodspear, one of the minor island nations between the Kingdom of Trine and Haq, who is currently in the Governor?s favour ? He was actually the improvised character I set one of my friends up with for the first game and the sole survivor from the adventure! I thought it would be good to see him knocking about.

As for Seger?s Folly itself, it?s mostly going to be ripped entirely from the old DnD starter kit ? the dungeon of Tusenmaug the Blue Dragon. Tweaked, of course, to suit this new area. It should give a good primer for combat and help show off the basics.

Upon finishing that, hopefully near lvl 2, I want to stick in my first non-combat encounters leading up to the Festival of X. On the return to town, a 4 successes before 2 failures persuasion task will occur as they run into a woman desperately trying to book passage away from Newhaven with a Captain Omer of Haq. I?m hoping to use Omer as a way introducing some exposition about Haq and maybe Bloodspear, a few choice cries of

?Don?t presume to threaten me! I?m a beloved of the court of Supreme Caliph Abdul Al-Far the Everlasting! Who are you to raise to your voice at me!?

or

?I have sailed from Haq to Bloodspear. I have viewed the Black Dome of Septarch with my own eyes, yet never have I heard the Caliph?s wisdom put so. You must be quite the scholar!?


And shortly after I might have one of them either get pick-pocketed or see someone else have it happen allowing for a potential chase and then maybe a fight? The idea is to allow for possible anger from the Governor if I later want to use that i.e. ?I sent you to check on some ruins and instead you?re brawling in the Low Docks, badgering the Haquish merchants and making me look a fool! Tell why I shouldn?t have you arrested right now!??

I?d quite like to tie an overarching plot that will be revealed later ? Why did the dragon choose Newhaven at that point? Why is there trouble between Newhaven and Tridorn now? Why was the woman so desperate to flee Newhaven at this point in time? Well, dear players, it?s all because of plot point Y! Yes, it was Y all along and you?ve been mere pawns! Pawns I say!

And then I?ll go from there?.

So, any feedback or refinement for my schemes?

 

[Mailman]

For the Festival of Kord you might want to have some kind of tier based tournament with rewards for reaching third, second, and first. It could be group based matches against animals, monsters, or armed opponents. Allow them a time to patch themselves up every few rounds or so. If they become the grand champions of the tournament give them a small bonus to their diplomacy/streetwise skills in Newhaven due to their newfound popularity.

As for who or what Y is, think of a group who would benefit from the conflict between Newhaven and Tridorn. Perhaps a Cult of Loth wants to secretly start a war between the two only to make a sacrifice to the spider goddess of the victor? Maybe mindflayers are using their psionic abilities to manipulate people into going to war only to show up at the last minute to make them thralls or food (or both)? Tiamat might also be a good adversary or at least one of her many servants. Aberations (beholders) could be influencing the events to distract the two cities from their plans to punch a hole into the realm and establish a foothold.

Good luck and have fun. You are the DM. You control their fate. If they start doing what you do not want them to do, punish them as harshly or as leinent as you want. If all else fails, pull a "Rocks fall everyone dies," and force them to reroll characters.

 

[Dark_Lemon]

Thanks for the response! I like the idea of the tiered festival contests. I think I saw a similar idea undertaken by the guys over at Penny Arcade.... definitely think it might be worth incorporating! I also really like the idea of the permanent increase in Newhaven in stats for the winner... it could really help me to create a permanent sense of place and impact on the world, perhaps something like:

"Hey! That's the guy from that tourney back in Newhaven! 'E don't look so tough!" perhaps before the old trope of a bar fight....

 

[Mailman]

Could be countered by a Charisma/diplomacy check. Violence doesn't always have to be the answer. If your PC's ever find away to complete objectives in clever ways, they should be rewarded. The opposite also applies. If they more or less use force to solve every problem there could be consequences for their actions, some immediately apparent, some not.

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

This should be in Gaming Discussion, rather than Off-Topic or Forum Games. Just sayin'.

Don't be afraid to mulligan story-important rolls, just in case one of your PC's breaks the story by rolling a natural 20 on something... Always have a backup plan, and an escape route, also.

 

[case_orange]

(snipped for length)

I likes it. It has both a plot, creates a world (so to speak), and has enough plot, intrigue, and human motivations to keep me interested.

To clarify, the PCs are hired to check out some ruins/knock off some bandits, right? Mostly just like a training-wheels adventure to kick-off the real story, no? Why not add a little secret or something there, like overhearing the bandits say something about Pelen or the Gov'ner offering to cut them a deal, or rumors of him sleeping with a mistress, etc. Ideally, this knowledge would help tie the PCs into the larger, overarching plot. Maybe Pelen or the employer hired the bandits to help with Plot Point Y and now he needs them shut-up so they can't spoil things. Maybe there is a macguffin there, like in the First Final Fantasy. Or maybe there is no big secret, but just an entre to a side quest: one of em mentions a secret passage to treasure elsewhere, etc.

Also, make the Festival of X something of a reward; let them go and gamble and do stuff; keep it open-ended. They fought their way through bandits, now they get to drink, whore, do feats of strength, and gamble (or whatever is appropriate for the festival), and let them gain or lose because of it. Have 'em enter a drinking contest where they do constitution checks till they fail (and puke everywhere). Three successful charisma checks and you can pick up some reserved-but-available womenfolk--and maybe get one pregnant. That'll add a new dimension to a character and their motivation; now you got a wife and kid...or maybe you don't! (also a good way to get a new enemy...). Gambling!---come in with 300 gp, walk out with 4000 -- or broke! And if they win big, maybe someone tries to jump 'em in the alley. Make it fun and unpredictable: this is the payoff, this is why you go climbing through filthy dungeons and dangerous caves.

 

[Dark_Lemon]

Hello again! Just thought I'd say a quick thanks for all the advice!

Things are going well so far!

I took your advice, case_orange (citrus fruits should stick together, after all) and added elements of a grander story to the starter dungeon, but I went a few steps further??

Righto! My two freshly drafted friends, carefully plied with beers and snacks grudgingly knocked up some character details, chiefly the name and choice of weapon. I had already sorted a few choice abilities?..

Essentially there was some predictability. I know that Danny will make a huge bloke with some sort of axe/hammer/blunt implement type of arrangement, and I knew James would fancy the subtleties and potentially for backstabbing that comes with a rogue?.. I was worried about how long this would take though, so I hurried the job along, leaving out details of where the characters are from etc? in order to adapt this later.

I then gave a brief preamble, you have come to Newhaven for the Feast of Kord (I decided Kord after reading the recent Penny Arcade event of a similar nature) but have decided to get a spot of cash first. Our heroes meet the governor. Whilst doing so, they also come across but don?t really meet Knight Commander Pelen White and a mailed warrior from a made up place called Bloodspear. In the case of Pelen, I make particular note of his travel stained burgundy cloak with golden hand clasp.

I eventually want to convolute the factions and politics in this campaign, so have pinched the George RR Martin tactic of making each major force have a distinct symbol and where possible colour?. Eventually these things may become more significant, but could well be useful in keeping things clear.

And so there?s so far:
1. The Golden Hand or Half-hand of the King?s loyalists.
2. The Red Sun of Haq
3. There?s a bugger load-of mercenaries hanging about Newhaven from the old enemy nation of Felendor, resplendent in ostentatious blue cloaks with a rearing white stallion.
4. The warriors of Bloodspear have a tendency to carry small pouches with trophies from worthy foes they have vanquished
5. Aaaaand Newhaven has a habit of sticking little dragons on stuff like pommels etc.

Anywho, the adventurers are sent off to Seger?s Folly, a series of now ruined, half-finished works, principally to check the possibility of bandits having moved in. Each room of this dungeon adds an element (locked doors, chests, combat, etc..) and makes up the training wheels?. Now, the twist!

T?is not bandits, but far worse! A young dragon (they don?t know this yet) has taken roost in the dungeon? let?s say via a cave in the cliff walls that face the sea?. He has begun to build his forces, but is not established yet. This idea is direct from the old DnD board game/ starter kit and leaves little to vary and I?m quite happy with that.

The idea of course is that the adventurers fight through over a couple of days, I introduce the idea of rations and resting, maybe milestones and then they finally fight off the dragon! Huzzah!

I then arbitrarily make it so they can?t backtrack?. ?It?s coming down all around us!? type thing. They leave via the cliff-cave, climb up, or maybe find a hidden path and then are back on terra firma.

So? back to town for rewards, ale and whores! But wait! On the way they enter through the Low Docks, a shambles of sprawling merchants and small vessels? the crowd thickens? They end up getting filtered to a clearing near a small Haquish vessel, where an old woman obviously distraught is having her daughter desperately try to seek passage on the ship?.. for some reason the governor has closed the ports to all passage except the Haq traders, the issue is getting tense, he refuses passengers, the old woman wails, worse when she sees the two adventurers- ?I can smell the blue beast?s taint on them!? she cries.

Daughter apologises, then asks if there?s anyway they can perhaps help?.

Enter the first non-combat encounter. The adventurers can try and persuade, if it all goes wrong, someone in the crowd shoves at the merchant he bellows they?re attacking and there?s a little combat.

With this over either way, the route back to the Governor is open. Our heroes arrive and *SHOCK* he didn?t expect that! The offices are rather filled with men adorned wither with the dragon symbol or the look of Felendor mercenaries? The Gov berates the heroes!

?I sent you on a simple errand and now you?re brawling with out Haquish guests?! GET OUT! Out before I see you arrested!?

So, combat is not likely to be an option here, the heroes leave angry and unpaid.

Now for something a little more cool!

The get tapped on the shoulder by that burgundy cloaked Pelen White chap. He sees they?re not friendly with the Gov. Something is definitely up here! Luckily ol? Pel had a spy in Newhaven, but he can?t approach him whilst in his burgundy. These two obviously aren?t allied to the Governor?. Badda bing badda boom they?re at the spy?s house?.

Something?s amiss! The front door lock is smashed in!

As they enter, I have designed a cardboard grid. There?s a Felendor mercenary dead just inside the door, looks like a trap got him! By the Raven Queen, the house is trapped! I?ll mention heavily, hint-hint that the house is dark?. If our heroes light anything or illuminate something then they get a bonus. I have made a transparent sheet with a blood trail on it. This goes over the board and shows the ?safe route? that someone staggered through the house with ? this removes a lot of skill checking and trap hunting. The cool part is that when the get upstairs, a separate board, I?ve set the house so that the flip side of the plastic sheet is the new blood trail on that floor?. Another dead mercenary, a back room, a dead guy in plain rough spun, an obviously dropped key, a locked desk, a sealed packet with the hand symbol on the wax seal! If they open it, it?s ciphered, if they just meet with Pelen! Great!

He says ?This will take time to decode, you may as well enjoy the Festival for now!?

Then the Feast of Kord! Woo, good times!

And that?s all I have for now?.

Sorry for mammoth length.

Any comments or advice with this so far would be really appreciated!

 

[Mailman]

If the first instance is being built like the starter in the DM's guide you may want to consider making it easier. My brother, a friend (also the DM) and I ran it with a swordmage, a minotaur monk and a half-elf bard. The starter in the DM's guide is designed for five people. Needless to say we had our butts handed to us but we managed finish it. The only way we made it through was my bard's Majestic Word ability, which goes to show you that bards are awesome. If you're going to be playing a character with them, I'd recommend a bard. They're great leaders and can fulfil roles that they might be missing (minor healing, buffing/debuffing). To get the most out of the bard, you'll need Player's Handbook 2 (it has the class build in it). Player's Handbook 3 and the Arcane Powers book have some things that might prove useful too.
There's also this link: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/21106285/Cruel_Lullabies:_The_Bard_Handbook
It's probably the most comprehensive bard-building guide on the internets and I highly reccomend it.