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View Full Version : Calling all DMs need help...



josh13905
2009-02-20, 03:12 PM
My group switches DMs around and we haven't really had any good storyline campaigns yet. I'm fairly confident that i could force them onto a path and that may need to happen, and my group is mainly Hack 'n Slash type, so i can't expect large amounts of role-playing, also i have no idea what world type to put them in or any campaign ideas but i'm being made dm anyway (Sigh) So i'll do what i hope works out, ask for advice and ideas

I favor long-goal campaigns but since there is a chance we won't finish don't want to plan too far ahead...

So i was thinking about a Lord of the rings type campaign in the fact that everything leads up to the final encounter and is all connected, my group is somewhat hard to trick so having a few tricks and turns would help...

Also the party probably won't be balanced in the fact of who plays what...

Ideas?

Halaster
2009-02-20, 04:38 PM
1. Don't start until you have your stuff straight, no matter the pressure the group puts up.

2. Hack'n'slash fits fine with large campaigns, so long as you know how to do it. Don't expect too much from your players. Just have NPCs point them in the right direction with a patriotic speech and a reward. They will see the pattern sooner or later, but unless they're total jerks, they'll go along, provided the action is right.

3. Don't "force" anything. Be open. If your characters run off in a totally different direction, just place the campaign goal there. Sometimes they are totally convinced that something is important, no matter what you tell them. Indulge them. Make what you planned as a second-rate encounter the real thing.

4. Do your players get bored without the tricks? Otherwise you won't need any, straight plays well, if your players allow. If they're into this, play number 3 backwards. Let them get all worked up over something, then reveal it was all a sham.

AslanCross
2009-02-20, 05:14 PM
If you'd really like some direction, you might want to try getting published adventures first. I also started DMing by starting my own campaign and while it was decently successful (almost ran for 2 years before we realized we ran out of time. A player also dropped out because of bad grades), I realized it was just too ambitious (it was supposed to go from Levels 5 to 20) and when I tried to compress it to make the campaign finish earlier (Lv 12), some things kind of got lost in translation and made little sense. Your mileage may vary, though.

Oracle_Hunter
2009-02-20, 05:23 PM
My group switches DMs around and we haven't really had any good storyline campaigns yet. I'm fairly confident that i could force them onto a path and that may need to happen, and my group is mainly Hack 'n Slash type, so i can't expect large amounts of role-playing, also i have no idea what world type to put them in or any campaign ideas but i'm being made dm anyway (Sigh) So i'll do what i hope works out, ask for advice and ideas

Have you asked your players what kind of world they'd like? If they don't know off hand, pick up a list of genres (gothic horror, survival horror, high fantasy, points of light, etc.) and see if any of those spark an idea.

Oh, and what edition? And what classes are your players prone to taking?

IMHO, when you're dealing with honest-to-god Hack & Slash players and you're out of ideas, a randomly generated dungeon is almost always satisfying. Link those dungeons together with a massive Gotta Catch 'em All (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GottaCatchThemAll?from=Main.GottaCatchEmAll) quest, sprinkle with entertaining/engaging NPCs, and stir.

Mushroom Ninja
2009-02-20, 08:33 PM
So i was thinking about a Lord of the rings type campaign in the fact that everything leads up to the final encounter and is all connected, my group is somewhat hard to trick so having a few tricks and turns would help...


I am somewhat reminded of this (http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612). :smallbiggrin:

josh13905
2009-02-20, 10:35 PM
Thanks very helpful so far...

We won't start for aawhile

3.5 ed. D20

Tricks may not be neccessary but i enjoy them....

our campaigns use upped XP and ussually take 2-4 months lol we meet quite often though 1-2 times a week ussually

Oracle_Hunter
2009-02-21, 12:09 PM
So... what's your updated plan? What more do you need?

josh13905
2009-02-21, 12:32 PM
Well the player i've talked with wants to play a wight from libris mortis and i was wondering if i should let him we may play gestalt witch would give him a class in the monster and samurai, but he gets immunity to crits and i was just wondering if it would fit, Advice?