Help!!

[Sithmobias1]

I'm a fledgling DM and I have a party of 5, our first campaign is coming up, and we are attempting an online Campaign through Google Wave, if anyone has any ideas or help they can offer, I would be VERY happy

[Cog]

That's a very broad topic. Is there anything particular that's worrying you?

Otherwise: Relax and enjoy yourselves. 3.5 is amazingly muddled at times, and you're probably going to screw some things up at first. Just enjoy the ride and learn from your mistakes.

[McSmack]

For all new DM's I recommend running a module the first few times. It gets you familiar with the basics and takes a lot of the creative load off your shoulders, as well as helping you learn encounter design, balance and rewards.

Haven't used Goggle Wave before, but unless you have a webcam and maps it's going to be all on you to describe what's going on around the players. Remember to engage all of their character's senses- we often focus on what we see and hear, but smell, taste and touch can be just as important at times.

[Salbazier]

I don't have advice myself. I'll just left this link. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76474) There's supposedly a wealth of Good advice there.

[Talya]

I thought they cancelled google-wave. I played an Exalted game on it once, it was horrifically buggy and slow.

[Radar]

Overally useful introductory thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76474) about DMing.

I'd recommend having a discussion with the players about the type of campaign they want. What they'd like to do, what's their setting of choice: high fantasy or low fantasy? Or maybe Victorian era London?
Would they like to plunder dungeons and defeat evil cultists of evil gods or plot an intricate political/espionage intrigue?
What kind of characters they'd like to play: heroic or selfish? It would be good to establish a rule of no PvP and consequently all characters should have a reason to work together, so even if there is a Lawful Good Paladin and a Chaotic Neutral Rogue in the party, they have to come to terms with each other somehow (see this (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/XbsQgS9YYu9g3HZBAGE.html)).

With those information you can set out to construct a campaign. You have the setting, theme and a general goal stated, so it's time to fill it with NPCs, organisations. I'm not very proficient with that stuff, but IMO it's good to state goals, resources and some character traits for all parties involved (willing/hesitant/unwilling to use brutal force, views such and such methods as superior etc.). This should help you improvise things, when PCs do the unexpected (they always do).

[Corolinth]

You may wish to reconsider Google Wave.

Like Talya, I once took part in an Exalted game on Wave once. The experience was actually quite pleasant, and I found that Wave added a lot to the experience over a traditional message board. The steam-lining of PMs into the regular flow of conversation, the embedded die roller widgets, and the ease of uploading a map made the game convenient to run.

So far this sounds like a glowing endorsement of Google Wave. Unfortunately, it did not outweigh the biggest drawback of the platform: The human element.

Certain players would never log in to check anything. It was like they checked GMail habitually throughout the day (which, at the time, automatically logged you in to Wave as well), but for some reason never thought to click over to Wave. Some of these players even used Google Chrome as their web browser. You would think that they could have simply added it to one of their startup tabs.

I'd have to beat people to get them to check Wave, and I'd get all kinds of excuses like, "Oh I can't check it at work," or, "Oh I just always forget about it." Basically, half the group never developed a habit of checking Wave like they do their other regular websites. I really liked Wave, but it just never took off. It probably didn't help that it wasn't a d20 based game. (If it wasn't D&D or D&D-in-space, i.e. Star Wars, it was like pulling teeth to get people to participate. Whether that was a condition specific to that particular group, common to the internet at large, or indicative of me being terrible at running online games is up in the air).

Unlike a message board you all check regularly, you're probably going to have to remind people to get them to check the game threads. Take some time to consider whether you're comfortable with sending IMs out every day to half of your players. If you're not, you might want to run your game on a regular message board that you all check frequently. If your game isn't present on a forum that your players check habitually, they will procrastinate.

[Sithmobias1]

Thanks y'all, it really helped a lot. I'm sorry for it being so broad, I was in a rush and I've finally been back on the internet today :smalleek: We're all Seniors in Highschool, so this summer we are going to be setting up specific dates and times to get on Wave. Our party consists of a Drow Rogue, Elven Sorceror (Legolas look alike), drunk Irish Gnome Bard, Dwarven Ranger, and a Backseat DM that wants to be a Vampire Archivist. They are all going to be starting off at lvl 5, so right when they start getting to the cool stuff :smallamused:

I'm going to probably be spending the first session largely devoted to everyone finding out about eachother and doing all of the technical stuff the DM guide on OotS says. And I will sadly be having a DMPC :smalleek: Our first campaign will be the Ettins Riddle, so if the do it right I get a DMPC :smalleek: if any of y'all look, it will be several lvls lower than them, I will be using it as a tutorial for them to explain how D&D works and the various rules. I'm also hoping to get a table session or so when I go back to FL :eek: Idk how I'm going to make this great for them, I can't really act stuff out and all :smallfrown:

My fun will also come from introducing things like a Deck of Many Things their joy :biggrin:

[Sithmobias1]

Oh yeah, I was thinking of basing a campaign off of some of Rhapsody of Fire's songs, like Unholy Warcry or Emerald Sword. Do y'all think it is a good idea?

[CTrees]

I thought they cancelled google-wave.


Exactly. My first thought was "Google Wave still exists?"

And a quick check makes it look like... further development was cancelled, but it's being maintained in its state as of 8/4/10, for now (but apparently not forever). So... yeah.

Edit: No, I don't really have anything productive to add. Other people here have better advice on getting started as a new DM than I could give - listen to them.

[Sithmobias1]

Exactly. My first thought was "Google Wave still exists?"

And a quick check makes it look like... further development was cancelled, but it's being maintained in its state as of 8/4/10, for now (but apparently not forever). So... yeah.

Edit: No, I don't really have anything productive to add. Other people here have better advice on getting started as a new DM than I could give - listen to them.

Thanks, I'm REALLY hoping they don't get rid of it, Google Wave is like an online DM's paradise, my Dad used to be my DM, but he was always busy and we never played. I'm hoping me and the party can get on every other weekend or even sooner!

[CTrees]

Good luck! Seriously, I hope it all goes smoothly, and Wave does look like it would be great for D&D, if it works as promised.

[Sithmobias1]

Good luck! Seriously, I hope it all goes smoothly, and Wave does look like it would be great for D&D, if it works as promised.

Thanks, me too, I really enjoy D&D and I want to get other people involved in it too!:smallbiggrin:

[Radar]

I don't know the exact campaign you're using, but if you indeed need the DMPC, then you should remember he should be passive. One of the natural ways of achieving it in-game is to make him venerable and somewhat senile - he will take naps, when party is discussing things or sprout "Back in my days..." comments and will only contribute if asked directly or maybe in combat (if he used to be a combatant).
Other possible personality types:
- squire or servant
- insecure client aware of his incompetence (at most he'll very politely ask, if something is wrong, or reveals a piece of information "Umm... it's probably nothing important, but...")

As for the Rhapsody of Fire and their songs: it's a classic plot (heroes prevent summoning of an old demon/god/eldritch abomination, slay it or seal it again) there is a reason for it to be popular - it can make a good story. It's all about the details (memorable villains and other NPCs, interesting intrigue and unexpected yet foreshadowed plot twists). If you read some books, your players didn't, then you can safely borrow ideas for plot and characters from it.
If you decide for a specific plot, then we can help with the details.

About acting and related stuff: the most important thing for you to know, is how different NPCs should react to a given situation or to what PCs said to them. If you feel uncomfortable or unable to act it out, just describe the reaction - don't force yourself. Try to relax and have fun. :smallsmile:

[Sithmobias1]

The DMPC is a Cleric, good idea about having him passive! I'll use him for healing and for some serious inflict spells if they start to get in a bind, I can also use him in case someone wants to jump in. The "Back in my days..." reminds me of Jolee Bindo from KOTOR :smallbiggrin:

It might be interesting to use Rhapsody, I'll have to see about using some of it. My friend said that I could use the SCS Horror campaign for our first large planar-condemning plot, but I think it is kinda cheap :smallfrown:

I think the party largely wants a Horror campaign with some mystery in it, so I'll have to read some books or what not. If anyone gives me a planar-destroying villain/species, I can see about working with it. My back-seat DM was going to homebrew some Flood, but I don't think it is going anywhere :smallannoyed:

I just haven't figured out a good way to act out anything through Google Wave, maybe I could get snipets of voices or phrases and whatnot from various movies or shows and post them. But I don't really have any other idea besides that :smallconfused:

[Topuz]

Ettins riddle is a nice one, but you might want to avoid it at the start of the campain (its intended to make cleric/paladin think about his over-zealous killing,and since its the start of the campain they probably do want to kill one).
Try to avoid next things:
Political intrigue -new gm's often go for this one, but these reaquire a lot of planing (who is involved, how deap it goes, what are the clues) and the players often tend to go around pre planed destenation
Dont plan one route to the solution, leave room for improvising
Flesh out a character or two. interesting looking old man can turn out to be a wizard
Dont tell your characters what they can or cant do in game, ask them how are they planning to do it, and add apropriate minuses and pluses example: a guy wants to drop a flask of glue while he is tumbling under a thug. regular tumble roll is at lets say 25, you add +4 dificulty to drop it and additional reflex save not to get cought in it him self
And most importantly try to have fun
Best wishes

[Sithmobias1]

Ettins riddle is a nice one, but you might want to avoid it at the start of the campain (its intended to make cleric/paladin think about his over-zealous killing,and since its the start of the campain they probably do want to kill one).
Try to avoid next things:
Political intrigue -new gm's often go for this one, but these reaquire a lot of planing (who is involved, how deap it goes, what are the clues) and the players often tend to go around pre planed destenation
Dont plan one route to the solution, leave room for improvising
Flesh out a character or two. interesting looking old man can turn out to be a wizard
Dont tell your characters what they can or cant do in game, ask them how are they planning to do it, and add apropriate minuses and pluses example: a guy wants to drop a flask of glue while he is tumbling under a thug. regular tumble roll is at lets say 25, you add +4 dificulty to drop it and additional reflex save not to get cought in it him self
And most importantly try to have fun
Best wishes
That is a good point, I chose it because they need a healer, Rangers suck, and lvl 5 ones that can talk to plants suck even worse. They, quite frankly, need a healer. I'm going to try to avoid politics unless the party wants it, I find it boring and annoying, but I also represent Belkar and BM from 8-bit :smallbiggrin: but if they want it, I will provide it. I'll try to remember to allow for PC's ruining my plans, that's a good idea. Thanks for the idea to flesh up a few characters, I hadn't really thought of that. I'll make sure I adjust DC's for when they try that, I'll probably be following: "The Rule of Cool" Thanks, I needed that :smallbiggrin:

[Sithmobias1]

Oh yeah, one of the guys that wanted to campaign in the beginning has come back. So it is now a party of 6: Drow Rogue, Elf Sorcerer, Gnome Bard, Dwarf Ranger, Vampire Archivist, and the new guy wants to be an Undead Steampunk Necromancer. I especially need help with this new guy and how to make it balanced and do-able