Mechanics of a campaign.

[Yari]

Hi, first post here.

I new as a DM and have a while to put together my first campaign, was hoping to get some idea of how to make my campaign concept work. I don't know the rules for spells etc. very well yet though.

I want my setting to be a level of hell (Minauros) a decade or so after it's been conquered in a holy crusade.
Is there some way a plane of hell could have it's evil qualities temporarily subdued to make it a more habitable place to live? Preferably some way involving structures/monoliths (emitting the hallowed spell?) that can be destroyed and their powers ruined.

Also, what would be a good way to summon a legion of angels (300 odd) centred again on a structure/building? Something that could be diverted by an enemy (like a false beacon)?

My idea is the crusade into hell has stalled and agents of evil are working to restore Minauros and prepare a re-invasion.

Hope you can help.
Cheers

[moritheil]

Hi, first post here.

I new as a DM and have a while to put together my first campaign, was hoping to get some idea of how to make my campaign concept work. I don't know the rules for spells etc. very well yet though.

I want my setting to be a level of hell (Minauros) a decade or so after it's been conquered in a holy crusade.
Is there some way a plane of hell could have it's evil qualities temporarily subdued to make it a more habitable place to live? Preferably some way involving structures/monoliths (emitting the hallowed spell?) that can be destroyed and their powers ruined.

Also, what would be a good way to summon a legion of angels (300 odd) centred again on a structure/building? Something that could be diverted by an enemy (like a false beacon)?

My idea is the crusade into hell has stalled and agents of evil are working to restore Minauros and prepare a re-invasion.

Hope you can help.
Cheers

To be blunt . . . learn the rules first. There is no good substitute for a DM knowing the rules. You don't have to be all-knowing, but if you want to be able to adjudicate combat without constantly stopping to read the books, or if you want to put together something mechanically complicated like a crusade into hell and what does/does not interact with planar rules, you really want to know the rules.

[Righteous Doggy]

And then, after you know and master all those rules... you realize they don't cover everything, don't let you do everything you want, and as long as your reasonable and your have an idea of what the group is interested in and won't kill you over... You do things off the top of your head! Always be prepared for the unexpected. Book delving is one of the most painful parts of the game if you have to do it, and players will often shock you with actions that seem outlandish to you, but to them make sense! You won't always be prepared.

And in a setting of your own, if your making things up... you can in fact change a few rules and make up some cool stuff.(Even in some settings, you just run high risk of angering people.). So hey, if theres a holy battle between the planes in your world thats actually active and they have a way to conquer eachothers lands effectively(like a giant crystal radiating their energies and holding up big gates to their realm?) go for it! Just careful what lands you tread. Some people are super attached to what they think is what you have to do... or maybe this is awful advice, never know! Everyones different.

[Yari]

Sure. I get you and agree but I've got a few months to learn the rules well before I start (a fellow player is DMing for the moment) and just want to know if the ideas I have are doable ruleswise so I can write out the basics and flesh it out later.

Edit:Wow, people answer quick here :)

[Unusual Muse]

There is something kinda similar to what you're suggesting in Fiendish Codex I (p. 148)... Androlynne is an Eladrin stronghold in the Abyss; the fluff is a little different than your idea, but the concept could give you a starting point.

EDIT: But +1 on the "learn the rules first" thing... spend more time as a player until you really get the mechanics down... you and the players you DM for will enjoy things infinitely more.

[moritheil]

Sure. I get you and agree but I've got a few months to learn the rules well before I start (a fellow player is DMing for the moment) and just want to know if the ideas I have are doable ruleswise so I can write out the basics and flesh it out later.

Edit:Wow, people answer quick here :)

Yeah, but the thing is, 3.5 rules can be learned in a day. When I learned 3.5 I literally went from not knowing anything about 3.5 (my group had been playing 2ed) to arguing with power gamers over obscure RAW minutia, in about 48 hours. If you have months, you have more than enough time. Way more than enough time. You could learn everything about 3.5, have a solid working knowledge about CharOp, and still have time to learn everything you'd ever want to know about Faerun, Greyhawk, and Eberron, given a few months.



And in a setting of your own, if your making things up... you can in fact change a few rules and make up some cool stuff.(Even in some settings, you just run high risk of angering people.). So hey, if theres a holy battle between the planes in your world thats actually active and they have a way to conquer eachothers lands effectively(like a giant crystal radiating their energies and holding up big gates to their realm?) go for it! Just careful what lands you tread. Some people are super attached to what they think is what you have to do... or maybe this is awful advice, never know! Everyones different.

Never said you couldn't. But you can't change the rules willy-nilly; the whole idea of rules is to provide some level of consistency. So if you want to change the rules, how are you going to be better at it? By knowing what the rules do and how they interact. And if you don't want to change the rules, well, what does that imply? That you should learn the rules. So either way, I advise any new DMs to learn the rules, so as to have a good understanding of the baseline they are working with.

Furthermore it's confusing as heck to any of his players who try to learn the rules on their own, because then he changes them . . . I'm not saying it can't go well. I'm just saying I've seen many campaigns go bad because the DM didn't know the rules very well, and I consider that an easily preventable problem.

[Righteous Doggy]

@Mori I said you need to know the rules first and be careful! just a reminder, but thats super important if you ever step out of them... like, super duper important. and I meant more of the setting and bending things that aren't quiet in grasp in the name of fun. Not changing the damage of a greatsword or a mechanic or anything.

@Yari A few months should be more than enough time to get things together. good luck with it all.

[Water_Bear]

Again, learn the rules. Not terribly hard, but a DM is held a much higher standard in terms of system mastery.

I would never suggest someone DM even one session unless they have completed a long-running (2+ months) campaign as a Player. Building a good NPC is almost exactly like character generation, you get to see how the rules play out directly, and you get a feel for how people react to plot hooks and NPC characterization.

I learned 80% of what I know about D&D 3.5 in a two-week crash course reading literally dozens of PDFs with borrowed hard-copy DMGs and PHBs open on the table next to me. But everything I learned about DMing I learned either as a Player and in my first (luckily successful) Campaign as a DM.

I am not trying to scare you, but you shouldn't expect to be able to just jump in without actual experience at the table.

[Yari]

Ok, you're right, bit over-eager. I may be back in a couple of months (and I'll check out fiendish codex).

Thanks all.

[Lappy9001]

Well, you certainly need to learn the rules, but experience is a far better teacher. Are your players new to? I'd say go for it.

You'll all figure out the rules as you play; it's far more important to realize that your job is to make sure everyone (including yourself) has fun. This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76474) is an excellent source for learning how to achieve said goal, along with dealing with trouble players, absences, and how to keep a game going.

I do realize I'm telling you to do the exact opposite of what everyone else has said, but that's how it worked for me. We barely knew any of the rules, and slogged through the system as we played, having a ton of fun all the while.

So...I'd say trust your gut. If you feel unprepared, read up on those rule books. If you feel like you wanna jump right in, go for it. Just find a fun, happy balance and have a good time :smallcool: