D&D 3.5E - New as a GM - Hello guys, I need help with making an adventure :)

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Hello guys :)

I am a new GM and I don't like the published adventures so I want to make ad adventure for my group.

I was thinking about an Orc Village.
I made a group of young orcs attack a town and the town elders not like it.
I want to make the orcs a war base race where they have to win battles in order to gain honor and get a mate(An orc will not merry another orc that didn't won a fight).
I made some factions inside the orc village where one faction want to keep the tradition and the another as revolutionaries.

All will happen in the next game night(I have 18h to finish it).

I will like to know what do you guys think and I want to have your opinion about how to improve it and if by any chance you have some reading material for my that will help I will like to get them to.

[Hellpyre]

Whose side are you expecting the PCs to come down on? How will you handle it if they come down on the other side? What level are the PCs starting at, and where do you expect them to end up. What are a few major NPCs associated with each faction? What else is there to do nearby if the PCs ignore the adventure hook?

Those are all general questions that it helps to know when running a game. By no means do you need to post all of the answers here, but I'd recommend giving each at least a bit of thought.

As far as specific criticisms, I'd say that we need at least a brief overview of class and alignment for the party to give deep advice, but you might want to try and flesh out the Orcs a bit more, either by delving more into their motivation (if the PCs want a dramatic game) or their strong NPCs (if you want a more smashy-smashy adventure).

[LordEntrails]

The orc factions and such is interesting, but if I understand correctly, the players will never have a chance to learn about that.

So, orcs attack a village, the PCs go after the orcs. Are they just going to go attack the orc village? Do they have to track them back? Are their encounters along the way? Is it a simple fight or are they going to have chances to work the orc factions against each other? How?

As for reading material, here's my favorite list: http://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?36014-GM-Advice

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Whose side are you expecting the PCs to come down on? How will you handle it if they come down on the other side? What level are the PCs starting at, and where do you expect them to end up. What are a few major NPCs associated with each faction? What else is there to do nearby if the PCs ignore the adventure hook?

Those are all general questions that it helps to know when running a game. By no means do you need to post all of the answers here, but I'd recommend giving each at least a bit of thought.

As far as specific criticisms, I'd say that we need at least a brief overview of class and alignment for the party to give deep advice, but you might want to try and flesh out the Orcs a bit more, either by delving more into their motivation (if the PCs want a dramatic game) or their strong NPCs (if you want a more smashy-smashy adventure).

The PCs are all level 2. I have a CG Dragonfire Adapt Draconic Tabbit, CN Erudite Draconic Elan and CN Half-Minotaur Human Fighter.

I do want to make it more dramatic, we are all tired from non-stop fighting adventure(we still want some fighting).

Tank you for your advice :)


The orc factions and such is interesting, but if I understand correctly, the players will never have a chance to learn about that.

So, orcs attack a village, the PCs go after the orcs. Are they just going to go attack the orc village? Do they have to track them back? Are their encounters along the way? Is it a simple fight or are they going to have chances to work the orc factions against each other? How?

As for reading material, here's my favorite list: http://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?36014-GM-Advice

I know they will not try to attack the orcs, I am planning to make the patrol they will meet try to talk to them first, maybe some young orcs the patrol are not allow to touch will try to attack the party.

Right now the PCs are stuck in the forest and the guide they will meet will help them get to the orc village after they will rest in the city and the amount of trouble they will have will be determent by the way they act to the guide(the orc are hiding the village very good).

[Honest Tiefling]

These orcs are a splinter group of orcs, after their tribe was taken over by a human druid generations ago who was getting really upset at loggers getting a little too close to a sacred grove that housed a dryad. The druid found out that killing their chieftain technically made him the new chieftain, and he has taught the druidic arts to his new followers...And eventually, offspring.

They have been forced to abandon their former homelands, as the dryad was once again in peril. [Insert hook for next adventure here] They seek to recover their sacred grove, but lack the weapons, food and other resources to do so. So the youngins weren't trying to just get laid, they just thought that the ends justified the means since all non-druids are greedy people taking advantage of the earth.

The players can learn of the tribe's odd ways via:

Orcs killed in the initial raid look...Slightly human. Maybe even have one that looks like a half-orc.
Their gear is entirely non-metal. Further investigation reveals druidic focuses, ritualist fetishes and other items of a druidic faith.
Approaching their camp reveals that someone has druidic magic, as scouts use it and the trees defend them. Maybe an injured treant is in their camp, so spying on the camp will reveal their unusual ally.
Animals will occasionally spy for the orcs, and magic/skill checks will reveal that the animal is watching their camp oddly.


This opens up a potential diplomatic vein, as well as investigating whatever it is that killed the dryad with the orc's help. Perhaps their form of druidism respects strength, giving the half-Minotaur an in with them. Or they could more easily sympathize with someone else who also has human blood.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

These orcs are a splinter group of orcs, after their tribe was taken over by a human druid generations ago who was getting really upset at loggers getting a little too close to a sacred grove that housed a dryad. The druid found out that killing their chieftain technically made him the new chieftain, and he has taught the druidic arts to his new followers...And eventually, offspring.

They have been forced to abandon their former homelands, as the dryad was once again in peril. [Insert hook for next adventure here] They seek to recover their sacred grove, but lack the weapons, food and other resources to do so. So the youngins weren't trying to just get laid, they just thought that the ends justified the means since all non-druids are greedy people taking advantage of the earth.

The players can learn of the tribe's odd ways via:

Orcs killed in the initial raid look...Slightly human. Maybe even have one that looks like a half-orc.
Their gear is entirely non-metal. Further investigation reveals druidic focuses, ritualist fetishes and other items of a druidic faith.
Approaching their camp reveals that someone has druidic magic, as scouts use it and the trees defend them. Maybe an injured treant is in their camp, so spying on the camp will reveal their unusual ally.
Animals will occasionally spy for the orcs, and magic/skill checks will reveal that the animal is watching their camp oddly.


This opens up a potential diplomatic vein, as well as investigating whatever it is that killed the dryad with the orc's help. Perhaps their form of druidism respects strength, giving the half-Minotaur an in with them. Or they could more easily sympathize with someone else who also has human blood.

That nice, I can change it to something that will feat my world.

Thank you for your help.

[Aneurin]

I know they will not try to attack the orcs, I am planning to make the patrol they will meet try to talk to them first, maybe some young orcs the patrol are not allow to touch will try to attack the party.

How do you know they won't attack the orcs? Are they specifically going there to conduct diplomacy or something? What are you going to do if they just go "Oh, random encounter? Okay. We attack"?

[BloodSnake'sCha]

How do you know they won't attack the orcs? Are they specifically going there to conduct diplomacy or something? What are you going to do if they just go "Oh, random encounter? Okay. We attack"?

Because I know the players and the PCs, this is my first time as a GM, not my first time with my group.

I will make the patrol talk to them about the attack and ask them if they want to talk about it in a nicer place, after all, because of the attack the patrol need to work extra time, they want the attacker to have some bad time.

BTW, thank you for asking about it, it help me with getting it ready and my guys are almost here to play.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

And my PCs didn't got there because they wanted to do something alse, I have 2 more weeks to improve it.

[afroakuma]

Just posting to mark this thread for the moment, I'll be engaged this evening but tomorrow I can scratch some material together for you if you'd like.

[Mars Ultor]

I don't know how established the orcs are in your campaign, but how are they normally? Will they negotiate, are there good orc and bad orcs? In my campaign orcs are just evil, they're like the world's most evil motorcycles gang, I find that fitting with their alignment of Chaotic Evil.

Hobgoblins are Lawful Evil and that suggested to me a more organized society. I imagine them as stereotypical Spartans. Honor is important to them, battle tests their courage and proves their value in society. Their intelligence and wisdom are higher than orcs, and they aren't just brute strength, so they use tactics; shield walls, reach weapons, Improved Trip, bugbears for scouts, goblins raiders. In my campaign it seems reasonable that you might have hobgoblins that negotiate and have different motives. Some groups might work with humans when they think they'll benefit.

If you've just decided that you would go with orcs but you hadn't given it a lot of thought, I'd suggest you plan for the future a little. When the players encounter a different group of orcs will those orcs also be willing to negotiate, or is their behavior like that for this adventure only?

Giving a little thought to how the societies are set up for the most common monsters makes it easier to find situations where they'll come in useful. The players will learn that orcs usually act a certain way, goblins usually act a certain way, they'll make more sense because they're more consistent.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I don't know how established the orcs are in your campaign, but how are they normally? Will they negotiate, are there good orc and bad orcs? In my campaign orcs are just evil, they're like the world's most evil motorcycles gang, I find that fitting with their alignment of Chaotic Evil.

Hobgoblins are Lawful Evil and that suggested to me a more organized society. I imagine them as stereotypical Spartans. Honor is important to them, battle tests their courage and proves their value in society. Their intelligence and wisdom are higher than orcs, and they aren't just brute strength, so they use tactics; shield walls, reach weapons, Improved Trip, bugbears for scouts, goblins raiders. In my campaign it seems reasonable that you might have hobgoblins that negotiate and have different motives. Some groups might work with humans when they think they'll benefit.

If you've just decided that you would go with orcs but you hadn't given it a lot of thought, I'd suggest you plan for the future a little. When the players encounter a different group of orcs will those orcs also be willing to negotiate, or is their behavior like that for this adventure only?

Giving a little thought to how the societies are set up for the most common monsters makes it easier to find situations where they'll come in useful. The players will learn that orcs usually act a certain way, goblins usually act a certain way, they'll make more sense because they're more consistent.

The orcs live in a tribe like societies, they are not good or bad but fighting is the natural solutions for most of the problems they have.
Some of the tribe are more like the traditional group, some like the revolutionaries and some have the two main factions in them.

Some of the orc will try to negotiate and some will try to attack, base on the situation.

For example:
-If you meet a patrol they will ask you why you are in the area, but If you charge a patrol you will get some arrows, grate axes and noise from the gourds huts.

-If you will meat orcs in a raid you will need to fight if you didn't try to convince them that you are an ally.