Silus
2013-04-29, 05:40 PM
I'll be starting a campaign with a group of people within the next few days, and there's some issues that have cropped up in the planning process that I want to iron out, and I feel that I require assistance.
-A "The Great Owl" encounter
So I'm planning ahead with this campaign I'm looking at running, and I want to throw in an encounter that is reminiscent of the Great Owl scene from Secret of NIMH. They players will be traversing through the boughs of a massive World Tree like...tree, looking for the location of this oracle. They are given no information beyond that he is very old and very, very wise.
What I am concerned about is:
1. Which would be more appropriate in a world with supposedly no magical creatures like dragons: An Awakened Gigantean Giant Owl Lich Oracle, or some variety to undead dragon from loooooong ago in the past (would comment on this in a "the world you know was very different thousands of years ago" way)?
2. Any tips on running the encounter aside from said "Great Owl" type entity crushing a very large vermin as a way of saying "Hello, I am here"? All I have at the moment is that he/it would be curt and would provide some exposition.
-Get that robot
One of the first mission/encounters I want to run is the players (level 1-2) get tasked with bringing back a run away, "defective" clockwork creature that is hiding somewhere in a city.
What I am concerned about:
1. For the purposes of this mission, would a Human with the Clockwork Creature and Lifespark Construct templates be sufficient?
2. Given the situation, would a detective type scenario work better than a chase scene type scenario?
3. I've a plan to introduce a moral choice near the end where the clockwork creature pretty much begs for its life ("Please! I don't want to die!" *Cowers*). Should I avoid this or give the players differing rewards on how they opt to handle the situation (Money for bringing it back intact, the creature's assistance later in the campaign should they rescue it, etc)?
-Alternate campaign paths
I've been toying with the idea of the campaign branching off into separate directions depending on the players actions and choices. These all tend to culminate with a battle against some massive monster.
What I am concerned about:
1. How much is too much in terms of monsters? One creature I was toying with was gonna be a sort of Elder Evil Sealed In A Can that would be a Gigantean Amalgam Shoggoth/Qlippoth (not sure on type) Psychic Id Ooze. Ideally the players (currently a table of 8 players) will be around level 20 when they finally try to kill the thing.
2. Would it be..."acceptable" to keep the other branching story lines going when the players opt for another story line? Like they crack open the Elder Evil In A Can on accident. Should I keep the "The initial BBEG is gonna rip a hole between the planes and eventually usher in a Fiendish invasion" if they already have the aforementioned Elder Evil to combat?
-Number of players
As mentioned above, I'll be DMing for, at most, about 8-9 people. Is there anything I ought to keep in mind regarding DMing for large groups aside from the 'ol "spread the spotlight around"?
-A "The Great Owl" encounter
So I'm planning ahead with this campaign I'm looking at running, and I want to throw in an encounter that is reminiscent of the Great Owl scene from Secret of NIMH. They players will be traversing through the boughs of a massive World Tree like...tree, looking for the location of this oracle. They are given no information beyond that he is very old and very, very wise.
What I am concerned about is:
1. Which would be more appropriate in a world with supposedly no magical creatures like dragons: An Awakened Gigantean Giant Owl Lich Oracle, or some variety to undead dragon from loooooong ago in the past (would comment on this in a "the world you know was very different thousands of years ago" way)?
2. Any tips on running the encounter aside from said "Great Owl" type entity crushing a very large vermin as a way of saying "Hello, I am here"? All I have at the moment is that he/it would be curt and would provide some exposition.
-Get that robot
One of the first mission/encounters I want to run is the players (level 1-2) get tasked with bringing back a run away, "defective" clockwork creature that is hiding somewhere in a city.
What I am concerned about:
1. For the purposes of this mission, would a Human with the Clockwork Creature and Lifespark Construct templates be sufficient?
2. Given the situation, would a detective type scenario work better than a chase scene type scenario?
3. I've a plan to introduce a moral choice near the end where the clockwork creature pretty much begs for its life ("Please! I don't want to die!" *Cowers*). Should I avoid this or give the players differing rewards on how they opt to handle the situation (Money for bringing it back intact, the creature's assistance later in the campaign should they rescue it, etc)?
-Alternate campaign paths
I've been toying with the idea of the campaign branching off into separate directions depending on the players actions and choices. These all tend to culminate with a battle against some massive monster.
What I am concerned about:
1. How much is too much in terms of monsters? One creature I was toying with was gonna be a sort of Elder Evil Sealed In A Can that would be a Gigantean Amalgam Shoggoth/Qlippoth (not sure on type) Psychic Id Ooze. Ideally the players (currently a table of 8 players) will be around level 20 when they finally try to kill the thing.
2. Would it be..."acceptable" to keep the other branching story lines going when the players opt for another story line? Like they crack open the Elder Evil In A Can on accident. Should I keep the "The initial BBEG is gonna rip a hole between the planes and eventually usher in a Fiendish invasion" if they already have the aforementioned Elder Evil to combat?
-Number of players
As mentioned above, I'll be DMing for, at most, about 8-9 people. Is there anything I ought to keep in mind regarding DMing for large groups aside from the 'ol "spread the spotlight around"?