First Time DM - It's a big world, but I can't find a place for the party

[Malaqai]

As the title indicates, I will be DMing my first campaign. I've spent a lot of the time that I should be using to study for finals to create a playground for my PCs, but while the landscaping is coming along grandly, I've found that I'm having a hard time of putting the slides and swings - the encounters - of my world together in a way that I'm satisfied with.

I suspect that some of my problem arises from the fact that the campaign involves a lot of large-scale events: The campaign begins with the revival of a supposedly-extinguished religion and an inquisition by the established religion which escalates into civil war (and that's just scratching the surface!). These events are the sorts of things that get crusades launched, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how the party fits into these big events. I want to start the party at level 3 with a moderate level progression, and I want my world to be a sandbox for my PCs to play in, but I also want them to feel central to events. Do you guys have any tips or tricks as to how to make my party feel involved and important in the progression of the world's events? Suggestions as to interesting plot hooks or devices? General DMing advice?

If more details about my setting would help you help me, please ask - I'm happy to oblige.

[Kazudo]

Well, it depends. What level do you envision your party starting out at?

Low level encounters are simple. "What would day to day people have to deal with that adventurers could tackle?" There are a few simple encounters like the following:

Bandit encounters (people are always hungry for more stuff)
Vermin infestations (Rats and bats and spiders oh my!)
Small political disputes (Problems with guards, mainly)
Minor exploration (Small dungeons. Maybe a crypt or two)
Minor crimes (Breaking and entering, pickpocketing, beating people up, etc.)


From there, you can usually build a half decent mid-level encounter or adventure (string of encounters):

The bandits were actually all newbies on their trial run. Their failure (or success) has determined how the larger bandit group will react. If they failed and were unable to return, the bandit group seeks revenge. If they failed and were able to return, they were likely killed or banished and the bandit group seeks the cunning group to bring them in. If they succeeded, the bandit group assigns them to the area and they've become significantly stronger than before with time and training.
The vermin were driven to that location by a group of mad wizards taking over their normal homes. The vermin were just the start, the mad wizards intend on spreading their influence to include local humanoid settlements as well.
The problem with the guards was just the start! The real problem is the higher level political scene: There's a baron wanting to instigate a land war with a neighboring duchy with intents of taking it over and elevating his status, but the duchy needs to start the fight so that the baron can call his allies without ruining their names. Should the guards be slain or dealt with legally, he is infuriated at the group and begins to throw his political weight around making their lives hell. He might even send assassins with intent to pin the murder of such righteous people on his rival duke.
The crypts or dungeons that have been cleared out belong to a small sect of worshippers of Nerull who are angry that their sacred places have been corrupted (or blessed) and destroyed (or rectified). They seek revenge on the group (see a theme here?).
The group is beginning to be hunted for their crimes. They broke into an elderly man's house who died of grief at some of the keepsakes they stole. His son has put a bounty on the group's head. Etc.


And of course high level adventures build from there. I won't bother posting how, but it should be obvious.

Just remember: always have a "why" ready. Why did that one guy have a beef with the group? Why was he there? Who did he know? What would they do? Why? etc.

[Nibbens]

I'd say your focus is on the right place. The story/environment is versatile enough to handle all kinds of things. Ask your PC's for a background and/or a family tree - place them in the story and your problems will solve themselves. This covers your requirement of having them feel "central" to the story, and as a story writer, this gives you ammunition for adventures/hooks.

[nedz]

I usually feel the same whenever I create a new setting — it usually works out though. There are a multitude of approaches. One trick is to allow the party to create characters and then weave the PCs into some conflict via their back-stories. Another trick is to create a conflict and then have the players create PCs to fit that.

[Malaqai]

Thank you for the advice. What I've thinking right now is to have the first encounter be something with bandits to warm myself up (and introduce a party member) and then throw them into the story with a burning city and a street battle between Paladins and Pagans (as I've taken to calling the rival religious group) which allows the party to choose a side. I'm not entirely sure where to go from there though. If they side with the Paladins, I don't want to have to subject them to following orders. If they side with the Pagans, they'll have more autonomy, and they may even have a sense of what to do since the Pagans are being led by the party changeling's mother, but I'm not entirely sure what sort of encounters to create for them. Lastly, they could choose not to choose a side - which is perhaps what I am best equipped to handle.

[Nibbens]

Ooooh! That's juicy. lol. I'd like to hear what they decide to do after that first encounter. :) Keep in touch!
With a branching decision fork like that, I think you're going to have to see what direction they go before planning too heavily for one or the other. (But have the basics of each, just in case)

[Harlot]

I like your idea and have just run a campaign based on something similar. Thoughts:

The wonderful thing about a brewing war is the scheming and the paranoia. You never know who to trust and allies may be enemies following a grander scheme, playing you, using you.
Simple ideas/dilemmas is to have commoners misunderstand the situation and attack. How do the group handle the angry mob if they dont want to kill innocents? Remember that EVERYBODY is paranoid doing wartime, the commoners most of all. People are unfriendly and fearful. Getting people to help is hard and most would be unwilling to aid a group of armed strangers, let alone have them in their village.

Also weapons are possibly scarcer to come by, and more expensive, and the better quality weapons are possibly monopolized by authorities.

And if they kill villagers or paranoid guards in self defense, how will authorities react? And if the local governor lets them go, but is toppled the next day, then what?

I think you should try to make the lines between the fractions a bit more blurry. Maybe the paladins hires the group to transport an artefact from A to B but while doing so they realise the artefact is actually evil or that using it for a good purpose could harm innocents, making it an evil act.

They could get diplomacy missions, trying to win this duke or that admiral for the greater cause. Failing will have consequences, either from their unsatisfied employer or more severely, they are simply taken prisoner.

I think i am saying: dont make them chose a side. Let them think they go in one direction, only to realize that they have been working for a traitor. Mess with them. Alliances and betrayals is the core of war and if you give the group a feeling of profound paranoia, you've been true to your awesome setting.