PDA

View Full Version : New DM, Advice and Campaign Journal



Oindoth
2012-01-23, 09:43 PM
So, my DM has recently been overloaded with new players, so, as the most experienced player in my group, I've been elected to DM a group that will, essentially, consist of PCs who oppose the interests of the PCs of the other group. There will be occasional joint sessions, in which there will be conflict over their main goal; I'll get to that when I start posting the campaign journal. We've got a bunch of 6th level PCs, I think with 5 to 6 players, all of which I'll be helping to optimize to the same degree.

So, I guess I'll be posting here to ask for specific help, as well as a place from which to get some general advice for a new DM. So yeah. When I have some specific questions, or when I have the first session (this Friday!) I'll post again!

nihil8r
2012-01-24, 06:06 AM
what system is it, i assume 4e?

Oindoth
2012-01-24, 09:24 AM
Nope, a lightly house-ruled 3.5, with some PF classes mixed in if the players want them. I'll have a "prologue" post up some time before the session happens.

Storm Bringer
2012-01-24, 05:12 PM
So, my DM has recently been overloaded with new players, so, as the most experienced player in my group, I've been elected to DM a group that will, essentially, consist of PCs who oppose the interests of the PCs of the other group. There will be occasional joint sessions, in which there will be conflict over their main goal; I'll get to that when I start posting the campaign journal. We've got a bunch of 6th level PCs, I think with 5 to 6 players, all of which I'll be helping to optimize to the same degree.

So, I guess I'll be posting here to ask for specific help, as well as a place from which to get some general advice for a new DM. So yeah. When I have some specific questions, or when I have the first session (this Friday!) I'll post again!


i take it your not looking for general advise like "understand what Rule ) means amd how to use it"?

Oindoth
2012-01-24, 05:44 PM
No, I'll be more likely to ask something like "I wanna pull of X, what do you think is the best way to do it?"

STsinderman
2012-01-24, 07:38 PM
This is a really good campaign idea and have wanted to do the same for a while.

Kol Korran
2012-01-25, 08:16 AM
i'll try and keep an eye on it. an intro would be good.

good luck DMing! :smallwink:

Oindoth
2012-01-26, 10:04 AM
Okay, so I'm writing one of the first encounters, and I was wondering whether 3 Dire Tigers would be too difficult a challenge for a moderately optimized group of 5-6 level 6 characters.

Grinner
2012-01-26, 11:21 AM
So, my DM has recently been overloaded with new players, so, as the most experienced player in my group, I've been elected to DM a group that will, essentially, consist of PCs who oppose the interests of the PCs of the other group. There will be occasional joint sessions, in which there will be conflict over their main goal; I'll get to that when I start posting the campaign journal. We've got a bunch of 6th level PCs, I think with 5 to 6 players, all of which I'll be helping to optimize to the same degree.

So, I guess I'll be posting here to ask for specific help, as well as a place from which to get some general advice for a new DM. So yeah. When I have some specific questions, or when I have the first session (this Friday!) I'll post again!

Dungeon Bastard - The Other Side of the Screen (www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6PIfrTas4g)

Storm Bringer
2012-01-26, 04:53 PM
Okay, so I'm writing one of the first encounters, and I was wondering whether 3 Dire Tigers would be too difficult a challenge for a moderately optimized group of 5-6 level 6 characters.

maybe, maybe not. depends on the dice and such. Also depends on how much more fighting they are going to do after the combat before they rest again. If it's the only encounter they are going to face before having a rest period (i.e long enough to regain spells), then you can make it a very hard challenge, because the players can afford to throw everything they have at it. if it;s a warm up, then the party needs to beat the tigers without expending too much in the way of spells and potions on them.

that said, if the Tigers are mauling the party, then start having them roll poorly, or have them make poor tactical choices, like leaving a wounded party member alone for a round or two so he can heal. Also remeber, a human might be willing to fight to the death, but very few animals are, Most would break off and retreat if it felt the party was too risky for the amount of food they'd provide. a hunter can ill afford to get seriously wounded and be unable to hunt. The party can defeat the tigers (and get the XP for them) without killing them if that proves too much.

Just remember the players only know what you tell them, and if you tell them the tigers are fluffing thier rolls and missing a lot, then thats what happened. Simmilay, if they are finding it too easy, have another one come out of the bushes, or score a "luckY" critical.

the dice are thier to provide randomness. the DM is their (among other things) to prevent that randomness form getting in the way of the fun.

Oindoth
2012-01-26, 05:30 PM
Alright, fair enough. I intended the have it be the lead-in to a stealth portion (you'll see once I do the first session's campaign log), and then a final battle with a leveled Rakshasa by the end of the night. Three encounters, one which, if done right, should have them expend very few resources. I figure the two that would should be very challenging.