[3.5] New DM could use advice

[hennasmith]

I'm new to Dm'ing, but not to 3.5. I've played under the same DM for the last four years or so, on and off. He has finally had enough and wants to be able to play, so I offered to run a game.

Our first week went pretty well. They were hired by the Mayor to investigate and deal with whoever was kidnapping women and torturing/killing them. They discovered a cult to Scahrossar and wiped it out, then got the heck out of town. That's where we stopped. Ultimately, I'd like to build the cult thing into a widespread problem they have to deal with, maybe culminating with a confrontation with her avatar or uber-priest.

The problem I'm having while trying to prep for our second week is creating encounters that will be challenging enough without being too strong. Last week they did have a little challenge with the BBEG, but everything else was kind of chump change for them. So what would y'all recommend for me to throw at them? Also, I'm having trouble keeping the rogue entertained... He wants to go thieving and I'm not sure how to DM that.

My players are the previous DM playing a wizard, his wife playing a dual-wielding fighter, and my husband playing a rogue.

[dascarletm]

First, what are the classes/levels of the players? (any cool abilities they have as well?)
Second, what are their personalities? (characters, and players)
Third, where are they in your world? (terrain, climate, wilderness level)
Fourth, what kind of campaign world is it generally? (I'd hate to suggest something that wouldn't make sense in your world.)

Without knowing all the characters and what they are like I can't really give you a good answer:smallsmile:

[hennasmith]

Our former DM is playing a human wizard, lawful evil alignment, and since he's dm'd for years and years he tends to "know everything," though so far that's worked in my favor when my husband tried to argue with me and former DM backed me up.

My BF is playing a basic human fighter, chaotic neutral, and she tends to be a attack first and ask questions later type player.

My husband is playing a halfling rogue, chaotic neutral bordering on evil. He loves causing mischief, loves stealing stuff, loves fighting. Husband is a by-the-book kind of guy, really OCD with the rules sometimes.

They're all level one, but already have about 600 xp each. And no really cool abilities yet. They're kind of taking pity on the new DM and keeping the characters a little basic until I get the hang of this.

The town they just left I named BlueHarbor. Just a basic, medium-sized port town. They're currently headed north, through a mix of woodland and farmland. The first village they get to will be pretty small, mostly just a farming community, but there's a side-quest available there to go after some bandits nearby. After that I don't really have anything planned out, world-wise or story-wise. I don't have any long term campaign plans at the moment, other than wanting to make the cult a large part of the game later on.

[newBlazingAngel]

What in your experience has made a good encounter at first level? Numbers can be key. I think it's better to have enough moderately challenging opponents rather than one big one. It might be a better or more satisfying encounter if everyone gets to take down two kobolds, than throwing three gnolls at the them. Both of those are perfectly fine encounters, probably equally challenging, but players like to feel like murdering fantasy heroes who can slay an army by themselves.

My other advice would be to give each player something for their specific character. The thief needs to sneak to acquire something. The wizards magic is needed for a puzzle. The fighter needs to talk some sense into someone.

Also gnolls are good wilderness encounters. Just saying.

[Tim Proctor]

Best thing to do it to have them fight an Elder Red Dragon right off the bat and die... the party is just going to gain levels and ruin your plans if you don't.

I would suggest 4 separate encounters, have the cult (I assume a chaotic good cult) brainwashing some people in a town and have the group find a warehouse of their pamphlets and they have to destroy them. I would have them fight a CR 1 trap, then 5 CR 1/3 guard dogs, then 1 CR Adept, and then finally another CR 1 trap. This should use about all of the PCs gear and get them to low health without killing them.

Using the SRD I'd go with the following:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dog.htm

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/traps.htm#cr1Traps

As far as the Adept just grab the one out of the DMG for level 1, and make him the Adept responsible for spreading the faith in the town.

That will propagate the cult situation as well as give them a good match for a level 1 team.

[dascarletm]

I usually for the start of the campaign like to mix in one character-specific thing, at least 1 large battle (lots of little guys such as goblins or kobolds), one Big guy fight (Oger perhaps), and just kinda whatever else I think of :smalltongue:

[hennasmith]

Thank you!!! This tells me I'm on the right track with my next encounter. A warband of Kobolds on the road, and more in a camp if they survive and follow the trail back. Then in the village they're headed to they'll hear about some bandits farther down the road, so hopefully they'll go after them. The kobolds I've devided up into a group of 8 to ambush them on the road, and 6 more waiting in the camp. And I haven't drawn up the bandits yet, so I'm not sure about that, but definitely there'll be more than three or four.

I kind of also want to have a hermit they can search for, who maybe has some wizard spells for the wizard in the party... but I'm not sure about that one.

[Deth Muncher]

Just as a side note here, I notice a distinct lack of healer here. I'd be sure to include healing potions (or even a Belt of Healing or two in a few levels) here and there as loot. Since all but the Wizard are merely dependent on their HP to keep on fighting effectively, making sure they can heal up after a fight is vital to make sure it doesn't bog down into the "Uh, guys? I'm at half my hitpoints, and we have no healer. And I'm broke. Guess we better wait three weeks for my HP to recharge."

That being said, make sure it isn't TOO overly present. If they feel like they can't die, the PCs will start to do stupid things.

EDIT: With regards to the hermit? I'd say that's a pretty good idea, but maybe on the level of a "Ooh, hey there, I was rummaging through my things and I found this scroll! Perhaps you want it?" level of spell granting, not "Ooh, hey there, I used to be an all powerful wizard, here, please copy these spells into your book!"

[killianh]

first bit of advice I would give with cults or background organizations is that they should be kept active during a campaign, though a few sessions apart to avoid it turning into a G.I joe vs. cobra kind of game. From the sound of it you're on the right track and it looks like the game will turn out to be a lot of fun for you guy :smallsmile:

Since you're new and you have a nice low level party to work with try out this website (http://www.monsteradvancer.com/). It has a random encounter generator and other goodies to help give you a flavour of what is considered an appropriate challenge.

[only1doug]

I'm new to Dm'ing, but not to 3.5. I've played under the same DM for the last four years or so, on and off. He has finally had enough and wants to be able to play, so I offered to run a game.

Our first week went pretty well. They were hired by the Mayor to investigate and deal with whoever was kidnapping women and torturing/killing them. They discovered a cult to Scahrossar and wiped it out, then got the heck out of town. That's where we stopped. Ultimately, I'd like to build the cult thing into a widespread problem they have to deal with, maybe culminating with a confrontation with her avatar or uber-priest.

The problem I'm having while trying to prep for our second week is creating encounters that will be challenging enough without being too strong. Last week they did have a little challenge with the BBEG, but everything else was kind of chump change for them. So what would y'all recommend for me to throw at them? Also, I'm having trouble keeping the rogue entertained... He wants to go thieving and I'm not sure how to DM that.

My players are the previous DM playing a wizard, his wife playing a dual-wielding fighter, and my husband playing a rogue.

Have you seen all the free adventures (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b&page=1)available on the wizards of the coast website?

Perhaps instead of trying to design each encounter yourself you could grab one of them and reflavour slightly to fit your campaign?

Either
dark and stormy knight
sealed Catacombs below a hill, seal breaks during a storm, party investigates.
or
The burning plague
evil cleric in cave system causing an affliction on nearby village
could easily be reflavoured into activities by your cult and both are suitable for a 1st level group.

Don't worry if the group find some encounters less challanging, not every battle has to be a life or death struggle, sometime the players enjoy being able to completely walk over threats.

[Pilo]

You have an evil group, do not expect them to do good things, like protecting villagers or saving people from an evil cult.

You should change your main foe. You may make the mayor call a local paladin organisation for help to protect the people. Maybe they will arrest some non-cult related but not-so-innocent people that someone want to free and who hires your PCs to do so.

Regarding the thieving, stealing a purse is DC 20, it is hard at first level.
Explain him that most of the shop valuable are/must be trapped and/or hidden so maybe he can steal from regular people, if he agree use the profession skill rules regarding earning money. For DC15 he can earn his rank in sleight of hand in gold coins, if by day in argent coins. if he want to steal something more specific like a crossbow or so, let him do it (skill challenge maybe: hide, lockpick, sleight of hand 3 success in 5 attempt and he get what he want (skill challenge is one of the good improvement of D&D4)) but the crafter may report the stealing and as he has got a new crossbow and everyone can see it, he may be arrested by the local law enforcement.