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A (very green) Newbie DM Question
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<blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 5674544" data-attributes="member: 2011"><p>Instead of scripting out a lot of detail, try the following type of flowchart:</p><p></p><p></p><p>Tavern 1 - The innkeeper named Kraten is a sour dwarf who doesn't like anyone. But, his ale is good it's the only inn in the village. Nobody knows that the dwarf lost his brother to some Orcs east of the village last year. Karten has been keeping an eye out for a group of mercenaries to seek his revenge. If the PCs express interest in an adventure in the tavern, he will pull them to the side and ask them to help him. The DM needs to create at least one Orc encounter for this.</p><p></p><p>Tavern 2 - Mikey is a merchant from the north. He lost a major part of his shipment coming south to Bandits. He's afraid that if he heads back north without bodyguards, that the bandits will attack again. He's looking for some caravan guards to help him out. The DM needs to create a group of bandits to attack the caravan.</p><p></p><p>Tavern 3 - Rumors are spreading that something is going on in the graveyard outside of the village. Strange sounds and lights occur at night. The local priestess might know more. Rumors here might lead the PCs to the graveyard, or to the local temple.</p><p></p><p>Local Temple - Helena is a low tier priestess that runs the local temple. She has heard of the rumors of strangeness in the graveyard, but she's not powerful enough or brave enough to check it out herself. If the PCs offer to help, she will give them a Potion of Healing and a vial of Holy Water to assist them.</p><p></p><p>The DM has to create at least one graveyard encounter and possible a few rooms of a mini-dungeon under the graveyard.</p><p></p><p>The DM could create 4 or 6 or 8 of these little "locations" where one location leads to one or more other locations. If the DM has a few of these fleshed out in more detail, he always has a way to handle it if the players go off in an unexpected direction.</p><p></p><p>For example, if the PCs head after the Orcs and ignore the graveyard, the DM can take the mini-dungeon that he created and change it into an Orc lair. The PCs wipe out the first group of Orcs, but tracks now lead back to the lair and although the DM was planning the pit traps in the graveyard dungeon for the players, he know uses the pit traps in the on the fly Orc lair instead. He's re-using the same traps, but the scenario is re-fluffed to match the direction that the PCs went in. He merely needs to throw together some Orcs for the lair.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Flowcharts allow the DM to create many different locations with just a sketch of details in each one. As the game proceeds from session to session, the DM fleshes out the details of the locations where it seems more likely that the PCs will head towards.</p><p></p><p>Another good idea is to have the players give the DM a bit of background information about each of the PCs.</p><p></p><p>If one PC hates Orcs as part of his background, then the DM knows he has a pretty good hook for the PCs to go after the Orcs and he can flesh that adventure out more than the rest.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KarinsDad, post: 5674544, member: 2011"] Instead of scripting out a lot of detail, try the following type of flowchart: Tavern 1 - The innkeeper named Kraten is a sour dwarf who doesn't like anyone. But, his ale is good it's the only inn in the village. Nobody knows that the dwarf lost his brother to some Orcs east of the village last year. Karten has been keeping an eye out for a group of mercenaries to seek his revenge. If the PCs express interest in an adventure in the tavern, he will pull them to the side and ask them to help him. The DM needs to create at least one Orc encounter for this. Tavern 2 - Mikey is a merchant from the north. He lost a major part of his shipment coming south to Bandits. He's afraid that if he heads back north without bodyguards, that the bandits will attack again. He's looking for some caravan guards to help him out. The DM needs to create a group of bandits to attack the caravan. Tavern 3 - Rumors are spreading that something is going on in the graveyard outside of the village. Strange sounds and lights occur at night. The local priestess might know more. Rumors here might lead the PCs to the graveyard, or to the local temple. Local Temple - Helena is a low tier priestess that runs the local temple. She has heard of the rumors of strangeness in the graveyard, but she's not powerful enough or brave enough to check it out herself. If the PCs offer to help, she will give them a Potion of Healing and a vial of Holy Water to assist them. The DM has to create at least one graveyard encounter and possible a few rooms of a mini-dungeon under the graveyard. The DM could create 4 or 6 or 8 of these little "locations" where one location leads to one or more other locations. If the DM has a few of these fleshed out in more detail, he always has a way to handle it if the players go off in an unexpected direction. For example, if the PCs head after the Orcs and ignore the graveyard, the DM can take the mini-dungeon that he created and change it into an Orc lair. The PCs wipe out the first group of Orcs, but tracks now lead back to the lair and although the DM was planning the pit traps in the graveyard dungeon for the players, he know uses the pit traps in the on the fly Orc lair instead. He's re-using the same traps, but the scenario is re-fluffed to match the direction that the PCs went in. He merely needs to throw together some Orcs for the lair. Flowcharts allow the DM to create many different locations with just a sketch of details in each one. As the game proceeds from session to session, the DM fleshes out the details of the locations where it seems more likely that the PCs will head towards. Another good idea is to have the players give the DM a bit of background information about each of the PCs. If one PC hates Orcs as part of his background, then the DM knows he has a pretty good hook for the PCs to go after the Orcs and he can flesh that adventure out more than the rest. [/QUOTE]
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