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DM Needs Help with Temple of Elemental Evil
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<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 6229000" data-attributes="member: 3192"><p>If you're accustomed to Pathfinder, then running early D&D is going to feel completely out of whack. There are no plot lines for players to follow in this version. No acts or scenes. Even encounters don't necessarily result in combat. The game is not designed to create a story or follow a predetermined one. What you have in T1 and maybe T2 (T3-T4 have no balancing forces and get a bit dull in the deeper levels IMHO) is the starting state of a game scenario like you would buy for any wargame. </p><p></p><p>Before the game begins you need to generate the future timeline of events by progressing the game forward without the PCs taking action. This will tell you what happens to the world and the people and stuff within it before the Players affect it and what they engage with largely throughout each session. As Players explore the world they are playing the game. They are gaming. They set objectives for themselves and must puzzle out situations in order to achieve them. XP is class specific and rewards class-related successes. Even learning about what NPCs know, met or "named" intelligent monsters basically, and how they behave, based on Alignment and personality, is gamed and game content. Learning is a resource gathering activity in D&D, so being curious generally pays off, but then again... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>D&D is a game because it provides a field of play where players can apply past experiences with the game to current game situations and plan for projected futures. (i.e. think several moves ahead.) Tracking the game board behind the screen, all those maps you have, is also part of your job as Referee. This includes everything on those maps too, like items and creatures. This sounds harder than it actually is, plus you already have an adventure module to use and plenty of books for creatures and items as support. </p><p></p><p>Create your future scenario for a week or two for first session. Implement the changes the PCs did after session. Then run the scenario forward maybe three or four weeks starting from the end of game time to prepare for the second session. How much to prepare depends on the mobility of the characters and how far they've explored already (not just spatial exploration). You'll get the hang of how much to prepare after some practice. You're basically running a wargame without making decisions as the rules should cover everything the Players don't do themselves.</p><p></p><p>If you have prior experience playing big wargames and the like, then you have a significant advantage to running AD&D. Most of the design concepts are the same, only D&D is cooperative in design and hidden behind a screen so the rules are treated as a code for the players to decipher and learn through play.</p><p></p><p>I know there are plenty of opinions on how to play and run AD&D and it's ultimately you and your players' call on how you do that, but the above is my best explanation on what it was designed for. It has its faults from this perspective, but it also has some ingenious game mechanics too. Ultimately as referee you make it your own. You use your best, most highly tuned code and let your players drive learning as they go.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 6229000, member: 3192"] If you're accustomed to Pathfinder, then running early D&D is going to feel completely out of whack. There are no plot lines for players to follow in this version. No acts or scenes. Even encounters don't necessarily result in combat. The game is not designed to create a story or follow a predetermined one. What you have in T1 and maybe T2 (T3-T4 have no balancing forces and get a bit dull in the deeper levels IMHO) is the starting state of a game scenario like you would buy for any wargame. Before the game begins you need to generate the future timeline of events by progressing the game forward without the PCs taking action. This will tell you what happens to the world and the people and stuff within it before the Players affect it and what they engage with largely throughout each session. As Players explore the world they are playing the game. They are gaming. They set objectives for themselves and must puzzle out situations in order to achieve them. XP is class specific and rewards class-related successes. Even learning about what NPCs know, met or "named" intelligent monsters basically, and how they behave, based on Alignment and personality, is gamed and game content. Learning is a resource gathering activity in D&D, so being curious generally pays off, but then again... :) D&D is a game because it provides a field of play where players can apply past experiences with the game to current game situations and plan for projected futures. (i.e. think several moves ahead.) Tracking the game board behind the screen, all those maps you have, is also part of your job as Referee. This includes everything on those maps too, like items and creatures. This sounds harder than it actually is, plus you already have an adventure module to use and plenty of books for creatures and items as support. Create your future scenario for a week or two for first session. Implement the changes the PCs did after session. Then run the scenario forward maybe three or four weeks starting from the end of game time to prepare for the second session. How much to prepare depends on the mobility of the characters and how far they've explored already (not just spatial exploration). You'll get the hang of how much to prepare after some practice. You're basically running a wargame without making decisions as the rules should cover everything the Players don't do themselves. If you have prior experience playing big wargames and the like, then you have a significant advantage to running AD&D. Most of the design concepts are the same, only D&D is cooperative in design and hidden behind a screen so the rules are treated as a code for the players to decipher and learn through play. I know there are plenty of opinions on how to play and run AD&D and it's ultimately you and your players' call on how you do that, but the above is my best explanation on what it was designed for. It has its faults from this perspective, but it also has some ingenious game mechanics too. Ultimately as referee you make it your own. You use your best, most highly tuned code and let your players drive learning as they go. [/QUOTE]
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