My First time..........as a DM

[Wraithy]

i'm part of a group of 5 people who just started playing D&D (pen and paper) in december.
we've met up twice for 12 hour sessions.
i've been sent this message by the DM of the first 2 sessions:

Casual DnD: Goblins and Kobolds



A bunch of outcast small humanoids have teamed up, trying to survive within a cavern labyrinth. Without their tribes, and with dangerous foes lurking around, all they can rely on is one another, and their combined abilities. Will they survive to see the surface? Will they have a change of heart? Who knows?


Preferred Race: Small humanoids. (Goblin or kobold, perhaps?)


Designated party level: 4.


DM: Volunteer now!!! (Easy campaign to DM. Simple plot, low level; most of the enemies can be plucked straight from the monster manual.)


Difficulty level: Players have a limit of 22 points to spend on their abilities.

Special: No stat above 14.

the previous DM would like me to DM this game so he can play.

i can get help from him on the rules etc.
and i'm generally quite imaginative (at least i hope i am)
but this thing lasts 12 hours!
i have NO IDEA what to do that wasn't mentioned in the letter.
i know that the encounters CAN be plucked from the monster manual, and most likely they will, but i really need help coming up with a story that can hold my friends attentions for 12 hours (one of them is represented by every other post on the "worst kinds of player" thread COUGHdicestackerCOUGH).
any help would be greatly appreciated, and rewarded with cardboard boxes (filled with gratitude).




(the term "cardboard boxes" refers to air)
(gratitude may be replaced with cost effective chemical substitutes)

[Fax Celestis]

Read Goblins for inspiration.

[NullAshton]

..bweeheehee, party of kobolds. Love it because of that. :)

[Thorodin]

I feel that imagination and creativity are the greatest assets that a DM can have. While I cant provide any specific ideas for that campaign, I would suggest flipping through the MM and DMG,(DMG2 if it is available) and let your mind wander over the possiblilities of what would fit into your campaign. Good Luck!

[RandomNPC]

put them in a cave, just have them explore. as they explore the cave gets bigger. they find a small kobold camp, loaded with small kobold traps, that do small kobold damage, and in the poorly locked chest in the middle of camp there are 2 healing potions per party member. then they find a small goblin camp... later on a small goblin camp finds them... if you have time constraints and your stuck with "small critters need to band together to protect eachother and themselves from other small critters" thats what i would do. and get a few balled up pieces of paper to toss at dice stacks, or make a list of "shut up and roll" it was in dragon a few issues back, i took some of the ideas, and i dont know where my list is, but its something like this.

1: know what your'e doing before it's your turn
2: your'e at a game, you knew you'd be at a game, you've had time to plan. turn the anoying ring tones off.
3: if you bother the guy who controls everything, orcus may decide you need to have your insides moved to the outside.
4: it's a game, every time you bring up real world physics a cat girl is killed.
5: roll attack and damage at the same time, it saves time.
6: shut up and roll the dice
7: enjoy.

i don't actively enforce the rules i typed out, but occasionally a player finds it attatched to their character sheet.

[Mewtarthio]

First time as a DM, eh? Well, there's this really nice, friendly, low-level monster called the "Tarrasque" out there (I think it's in the SRD). Trust me, it's a great way to introduce new players to a somewhat challenging encounter. Go ahead and set them up against it: Your players will have a great time.

...Oh, and by the way, you can ignore that "CR" line. No real DM ever pays attention to that.

[Suzaku]

First time as a DM, eh? Well, there's this really nice, friendly, low-level monster called the "Tarrasque" out there (I think it's in the SRD). Trust me, it's a great way to introduce new players to a somewhat challenging encounter. Go ahead and set them up against it: Your players will have a great time.

...Oh, and by the way, you can ignore that "CR" line. No real DM ever pays attention to that.

Did you gave advise to my second DM?

[Wraithy]

wow thanks (especially for the anti-dice stacker stuff)
things are beginning to map out a bit: the story now has a middle
now all i need is a beginning, end, and villain
hmmm......... and i suppose a comedy relief NPC or 2

grattitude boxes for all!

[Desaril]

If you want to suck up time, add some role-playing elements. Nothing takes more time than planning what to say to the Goblin King, having it all come out wrong and then trying to fix it.

I don't know what the background is, but you can start out with the PCs captured by a stronger group (orcs). That gives them a reason to unite. The have to deal with the current scenario (roleplaying) until an opportunity arises to escape (skill use/puzzle solving). They then have to gather equipment and sneak out of an armed camp (skill use/puzzle solving) with some type of small skirmish (combat also takes time). During the escape they get something of importance to their captors, so the orcs (or whoever will chase them). Once they're out, they meet a guide (is he actually friendly or is he leading them to their doom a la Gollum). Then you follow Random NPC's plan...

At the end, big climactice battle like the Bridge at Khaza Dum in Fellowship of the Ring.

[Seffbasilisk]

Noooo! If they're goblins and kobolds, have a human/dwarf/elven/halfling/gnommish adventurer group (all neutral or so) come down and assume they're evil (no paladin and cleric doesn't want to waste a detect evil) and so they just arbitrarily attack!

[Matthew]

You know, Level 4 sounds pretty powerful for taking on a group of Goblins or Kobolds. Is the Party Level 4 from the number of Adventurers or are all the Adventurers Level 4? If the latter, you should probably think about using some Hobgoblins or Bugbears as well as Kobolds and Goblins.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

I once forced my PC's to take three arbitrary levels of NPC classes and take at least four skill ranks in profession/perform/craft to explain where they came from. That was awesome.

[Wraithy]

the characters are lvl 4 goblins/kobolds, there should be 4 of them aswell.
i'm planning to put them up aganst tough creatures, i'm making an abborition which exclusively uses rend to eat it's favourite dish: goblin tripe