Advice for running a desert game? And being a DM in general

[Seer_of_Heart]

I am trying to be a DM for the first time and run a game set in a desert setting. I was planning on being a bit restrictive with classes requiring entry into walker of the wastes at level 6 but I am making the prestige class generous making it 10/10, arcane entry possible, and a couple more modifications to make it friendly. So are there any resources I can use in making a desert sort of game? And any general advice in being a DM? The game starts at level 5 and I have loose plans until level 6, although I have no idea about what monsters I should run. I also am a bit overwhelmed in creating a setting in general so any advice/ideas would be very helpful.

[Invader]

The Sandstorm supplement has tons of info about deserts. It's probably the best way to start.

[Seer_of_Heart]

Yes, I have been looking at that but there are definitely not enough monsters for one problem to level my players to hopefully ~16/17 with varied encounters. And I haven't yet found the time to fully read it yet :smallfrown:

[Gildedragon]

Start early with dehydration and heat rules if you will be using them; higher level chars can bypass them too easily for them to be flavorful, and they feel odd if they come in too late.
Don't feel restricted to the sandy deserts of Arabian-style fiction. Keep water scarce and precious, limit the power of create water.
A mirage mullah is a cute paranoia inducing encounter early on

[Jungian]

While sandstorm does not list a ton of desert specific critters, there are more than enough in the monster manual.

In the central portion of the desert have reptiles, insect and small mammals. The boundaries near more habitable land can support larger and more diverse fauna, throw in some larger mammals and such. The unearthed arcana has desert varieties of the core races, perfect for nomadic tribes. Personally, I like the idea that sources of water are the site of huge predatory creatures (Dinos) that prey on those who seek the water.

Sandstorm has the waste rules for characters dealing with heat. It does require extra bookkeeping but adds a degree of realism.

I'm in a desert campaign now and it is quite enjoyable.

[Palanan]

Here's a fairly recent thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=261120) on a desert campaign, which went into a little detail on different kinds of deserts and some of the factors in surviving them. You'll find some good ideas here, on desert environments and campaign plotlines in general.

As Guigarci says, don't be constrained by stereotypical ideas about deserts--they're not all sand dunes and palm oases. Watch Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with an eye to the incredibly beautiful deserts of western China; you can also consider an arid high-mountain zone like the Andean altiplano, or salt flats like the Salar de Uyuni (http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/salt-flats-bolivia-steinmetz/) in Bolivia.

Start exploring, and you'll find enough to build a world of deserts.

[laeZ1]

In regard to DMing in general, it would be easier to answer this question if you told us a bit about your players.

Do you all know each other?

Are they experienced D&D players?

Do they have more experience than you do?

What are their personalities like?

Why do they play D&D (more specifically, what aspects of the game do they enjoy)?

Answer these, and advice will be much easier to give.

[Seer_of_Heart]

1. There are 2 groups of friends although some know others from the other group.

2. One has 4e and a bit of AD&D and has started looking at 3.5 experience the others just have little or no 3.5 experience.

3. No, I'm certainly the most well versed on 3.5 in general at least for 3.5.

4. Varied, one of them is really organized, another is really erratic and nonserious about d&d, another is really serious but not necessarily organized,

5. I think its just because its a thing that you do with friends and its because you just have fun goofing off or whatever with friends. I haven't played enough with them in other games to really tell what they've done.

Sorry, I don't know how to do the quote blocked off in seperate parts :smallfrown:

[Pandoras Folly]

Dark sun. Is a great place to look for some nasty nasty ideas. no oceans just elementally messed up silt that chokes you and suufocates you, undead sand sharks, psychic cactus, brain eating bamboo, cannable halflings, very very little metal, 9 kinds of desert, and the list goes on and on. The hunger aNd thirst rules are really good as well as heat, cold and other survival aspects.
2Nd and 4th editions have books. 2Nd Ed has a coupledozen all online somewhere. Its a really great setting with lots of original content and aspects.

I do say dont play it unless you and your gamers are experienced, but has tons of stuff u can borrow.. Takes place thoisands of years after magical WW3...the bad guys won not that there is much left really.

Easy
Medium
Hard
God mode
Dark sun

[laeZ1]

1. There are 2 groups of friends although some know others from the other group.
Good. It helps to have all of your players be your friends. They'll (hopefully) be more patient than "local D&D player X".


2. One has 4e and a bit of AD&D and has started looking at 3.5 experience the others just have little or no 3.5 experience.
Alright.


3. No, I'm certainly the most well versed on 3.5 in general at least for 3.5.
Sounds good. Though it may be an attractive idea to new DM's to have their players be more experienced than them, it can be difficult to layeth down the smack on some rule-lawyers. (especialy if the rules deny you a really cool scene)


4. Varied, one of them is really organized, another is really erratic and nonserious about d&d, another is really serious but not necessarily organized,
As DM, your responsability is not just to tell a good story, it's to run a fun game. This means settling disagreements out of character as well. You know your friends better than I, but with what information you gave me, I'd like to wager some advice: keep the nonserious player engaged enough that he makes appropriate decsisions, don't let people touch each others' character sheets without permission, and be quick to reprimand if tempers rise.


5. I think its just because its a thing that you do with friends and its because you just have fun goofing off or whatever with friends. I haven't played enough with them in other games to really tell what they've done.

This is the trick to being a great DM. Find out if your players prefer combat, role-play, world exploration, hijinks, etc. Would they appriciate a humor-filled game? One that feels like they're watching an anime? Or a horror filled adventure?

Try to warp the game to suit your players, but make sure to keep it fun for you as well.



Sorry, I don't know how to do the quote blocked off in seperate parts :smallfrown:
I push quote, then I just copy and paste the part in between the brackets. It's a bit of a chore, but I think it makes my post look nice.