Theory-Related Questions and Advice (First Time DM)

[ClericalTank]

As the title says, this will be my very first game DMing a game. I am going for a simplistic approach that's not necessarily Kick-in-the-Door, but not exactly narrative heavy either. I have established rules akin to previous campaigns I've been a player in, such as full health and spells upon an eight hour rest. The books are 3.5 core only save for PHB II and UA. My two players want to play Duskblade and Wizard.

The first issue here is that neither of those classes have any social skills (as far as I know, they are cross-class). I know Wizard can get spells to help him face, but I don't know how often he'll want to learn and prepare them, let alone how powerful they can be. This game is Play-by-Post, so I would like some interaction and dialogue with NPC's, but at the same time I don't want to shove anything down my players' throats.

The first question is...
1. What, if anything, should I do about this?

The second issue is the Wizard. This player has a habit of building characters who aren't even fully optimized yet they manage to annihilate entire adventures (he used one of the Frostburn spells to blow up the Tomb of Horrors, but that was just extraneous circumstances; we had to go through there once before in the same campaign, when he had a Dragonfire Adept walk all over it...it was a mess). I have never played a Wizard myself, but I have seen how annoying it can be to give one a good challenge. He also understands this, being our group's usual DM. He says he's gonna go crowd control with walls (which isn't necessarily game-breaking, but...it still sounds strong in terms of encounters).

The next three questions, therefore, are as follows:
2. How do I give the Wizard a challenge without accidentally killing the Duskblade? I understand it will be easier at level 2, but what about level 10 or 20? I've very recently had a situation where a DM tried to challenge the muscle (at his own game, no less) and ended up killing the face in one hit.
3. When/how do I create moments where the Duskblade can shine?
4. Is there anything else I seriously need to consider when it comes to Wizards?


Finally, any further advice for a newbie?
Thanks in advance!

[Eldariel]

As the title says, this will be my very first game DMing a game. I am going for a simplistic approach that's not necessarily Kick-in-the-Door, but not exactly narrative heavy either. I have established rules akin to previous campaigns I've been a player in, such as full health and spells upon an eight hour rest. The books are 3.5 core only save for PHB II and UA. My two players want to play Duskblade and Wizard.

The first issue here is that neither of those classes have any social skills (as far as I know, they are cross-class). I know Wizard can get spells to help him face, but I don't know how often he'll want to learn and prepare them, let alone how powerful they can be. This game is Play-by-Post, so I would like some interaction and dialogue with NPC's, but at the same time I don't want to shove anything down my players' throats.

The first question is...
1. What, if anything, should I do about this?

They'll manage. Just because they don't have good social skills doesn't mean they can't talk - D&D social encounters are only half checks, the other half is the information and content actually being passed around. Poor checks just mean they are less likely to be able to do any ridiculous things with bluff or diplomacy, but they can still certainly interact with people. People who are inclined to be helpful are likely to be helpful, and hostile people are likely to remain hostile with words but if they offer services or payment or something the other party wants, no reason they couldn't just change peoples' minds all the same. And it doesn't mean they can't have engaging conversations finding key tidbits or such.

And if they want to, they can use some character building resources to gain some social skills or acquire underlings who have some. Note that even just some Charisma (Wizard can often afford a 14 or so, and it has utility for many Wizard-spells including Charm, Planar Binding, Shapechange and company) can enable some successful checks even with no ranks. However, given how small their party is, a Bard cohort singing of their adventures and helping with some buffing could well fit in and one of them could take Leadership to acquire one though.


The second issue is the Wizard. This player has a habit of building characters who aren't even fully optimized yet they manage to annihilate entire adventures (he used one of the Frostburn spells to blow up the Tomb of Horrors, but that was just extraneous circumstances; we had to go through there once before in the same campaign, when he had a Dragonfire Adept walk all over it...it was a mess). I have never played a Wizard myself, but I have seen how annoying it can be to give one a good challenge. He also understands this, being our group's usual DM. He says he's gonna go crowd control with walls (which isn't necessarily game-breaking, but...it still sounds strong in terms of encounters).

The next three questions, therefore, are as follows:
2. How do I give the Wizard a challenge without accidentally killing the Duskblade? I understand it will be easier at level 2, but what about level 10 or 20? I've very recently had a situation where a DM tried to challenge the muscle (at his own game, no less) and ended up killing the face in one hit.

If the Wizard sticks to party support and cooperative tactics, this should be okay. Duskblade is still worlds more versatile than Fighter or something so they can get in there and hit things hard and teleport around and deflect attacks and such - they have in-combat flexibility so as long as the Wizard isn't doing things like Planar Binding things into forced servitude (just remove the Cha-check servitude clause from the spells to make those a bit less abuse), Animating Zombie Hydras or such you shouldn't have much to worry about.

Again, work with your players - the Wizard-player will likely be all too happy to give the Duskblade spotlight. Also, areas where magic is unreliable or momentarily turned off might favour Duskblade at least over other casters: it's still a full BAB heavy armor chassis with likely some martial feats. Don't make those too frequent or dangerous though or they'll begin walking in with minions and that's where the issues of Wizard's minions taking over the Duskblade's shtick begin to crop up.


3. When/how do I create moments where the Duskblade can shine?

As above, work with your players. Wizard can do anything but it's more efficient for the Duskblade to use up their many low level resources than for the Wizard to do everything. Doubly so if the Wizard plays CC/control; someone needs to mop up the blind/prone/whatever enemies.


4. Is there anything else I seriously need to consider when it comes to Wizards?

Wizard's power is mostly strategic. Scrying, Contact Other Plane, Teleport, such. Let the Duskblade also participate in that stuff (at least for posing questions, picking targets, acquiring foci for Scrying, Teleporting along, etc.) and don't shy away from letting the party use those powers, but ensure that there's enough combat for the Duskblade. And speak with the Wizard about excess minionmancy - that's the #1 problem that can occur. The most dangerous Core-spells are (any) Planar Binding, Simulacrum, Animate Dead in about that order (before 9th level spells; Gate is superbull**** but without the free servitude clause it's only very strong) so nerf them (remove Cha-check based servitude from Bindings forcing social skills and enchantment spells instead, nerf spell-likes of any Simulacrums and be careful about Hydras in particular as Zombie beatsticks) ask the Wizard to not (ab)use them too much.


Finally, any further advice for a newbie?
Thanks in advance!

Have fun, focus on making an interesting world that draws the players to it, don't plan the adventure in too much detail and give the players room to make their own choices, offer them more a world to play in than a set of tracks to walk on. That's something 3.5 shines in thanks to the amount of rules it offers for adjudicating various things.

Don't be afraid to buff/nerf things and even say "No" if need be, but avoid kneejerk reactions to things like lots of damage.

Calibrate your expectations; the game is very different on level 1, level 5, level 10, level 15 and level 20. Don't worry about the Duskblade hitting for 100 damage on level 10+ in a full-round attack - that's kinda what they do.

Trust your players and work together to make the game engaging and listen to their wishes. Also, you can kinda fudge treasure towards the Duskblade a bit more than the Wizard to give him particularly tools he really needs to keep up (mostly spell effects he has trouble accessing himself [strategic teleportation, divinations, freedom of movement/the like, etc.], and buffs towards his martial prowess/spellcasting).

EDIT: Oh yeah, ensure they can somehow heal more efficiently than with Potions (superexpensive in the long run). A cohort, someone investing in Use Magic Device for Wands of Cure Light Wounds, etc. Particularly if you plan on starting on level 1, this is superimportant; we had one campaign where the party just got attritioned out before hitting level 2 (ran out of wealth) since the only healer was a Paladin and he couldn't Lay on Hands yet. Otherwise you have to rest for ridiculous amounts of time for natural healing, particularly without Heal-checks. And Duskblade is the one likely to take most of the punishment since he needs to be in the enemy's grill to do his thing so this hurts him more than the Wizard. Anyone who can use Wand of Cure Light Wounds will do though as those are very efficient; mere 3ish gp per HP (750gp total for 50 charges of 1d8+1 averaging 5.5 healing per casting for a total of 275 HP per Wand). On level 11, Wizard can summon Bralani Eladrins that can heal but that's quite the ways away.

The more trouble they have doing the basics, the more they have to overoptimize and try to make 100% clean fights only with enemy having no chance at striking back - and the more FUBAR'd they are when someone gets the drop on them. Thus, ensure they don't have to worry about just plain running out of HP or basic equipment (give them reasonable rewards and ensure they have some way to keep their HP near-full).

[ClericalTank]

Well, I suppose the thread is over now, just like that. Thanks a bunch, Eldariel; that was all I could hope for and so, so much more.

[AnimeTheCat]

Well, I suppose the thread is over now, just like that. Thanks a bunch, Eldariel; that was all I could hope for and so, so much more.

If the wizard should become too overbearing, a kobold spellthief with rapid shot against a flat-footed wizard can wreak havock on the wizard's prepared spells at early levels. You'll likely be dealing 1d3-1 damage so you won't kill the wizard (Probably) but you will be able to steal 2 spells from the wizard, effectively cutting the wizard's spells prepared in half. This works as well for the duskblade, but the duskblade has the full BAB and armor to wade in and attack that the wizard doesn't. At later levels invisibility+high hide checks on low strength, small (or smaller) spellthieves can very quickly ruin a caster's day.