DM techniques

[BeholderBurger]

When running D&D how do you DMs manage low level adventures. When starting an adventure do you give the players choices or do you say here is the adventure, just do it, and if the adventurers dont pick that path say goodnight and go home early?

 

[LostSoul]

Generally, I like to have an adventure that focuses on the PCs backgrounds. Drop in some secrets and mysteries for them to wonder about.

I also like to start off with COMBAT! It helps everyone get into the game.

 

[Quickbeam]

Generally, this is what I do to bring a new low level party together:

** Tie a primary story hook to one of the PC's backgrounds so that he/she is motivated to begin pursuit of the adventure.
** Find a way for several of the characters to know one another (even if only as a face in the crowd) based on their travels or homelands. Usually a couple of the players work this out themselves so that the entire party isn't just thrust together out of the clear blue sky.
** Make the goals/objectives of the PC's intertwined. If one character wants to avenge his family's murder committed by the orcs living beneath Stone Mountain, another character might be seeking a special plant that only grows in that region. Etc., etc.
** If none of these methods are working, then I begin forcing play a bit using local authority figures; NPC's; other time tested standbys.

 

[Jolly Giant]

I use a bit of this, a bit of that. If the players are experienced enough, they get options by the barrelful. However, I've run two campaigns with players of little or no experience. In those cases I started by saying "You have all agreed to perform job X for NPC Y, and you are now on your way to remote wilderness location Z. And here come the goblins!".
This way the players are forced to work together to survive, hopefully forging some sort of bonds between the PCs and making them think it's a good idea to keep sticking together in the future.

 

[alsih2o]

bring them in one at a time...


have a one on one session with a charismatic or mighty type, give him(her) a reason to set off and have them pick up the others one or two at a time. this allows for a roleplaying setup instead of the traditional-"hey, we killed that gnoll together, let's be friends for life" shtick



good luck

 

[LostSoul]

The best beginning to a game I've played in was where the PCs were standing before a huge evil army. We ended up together (ah, fate) and the fire to our backs pushed us on together.

Maybe the only way to escape something like this is to head into a dungeon. There's the start of your first adventure.

 

[Jolly Giant]

bring them in one at a time...

have a one on one session with a charismatic or mighty type, give him(her) a reason to set off and have them pick up the others one or two at a time. this allows for a roleplaying setup instead of the traditional-"hey, we killed that gnoll together, let's be friends for life" shtick

Reply: Yeah, that's fine with experienced players, but with newbies (as in my example) I feel it's a better bet to take control and lead them by a short leash initially. And did you notice I wrote "...REMOTE wilderness location..." ? That means there'll be many gnolls (and other meanies) before any of them could possibly think it safe to wonder off on his own.

Another thing is, it's d**n dangerous basing the start of a campaign around one character like that. What if he should get killed early on in the game? Then what's left to keep the rest of the gang together?

 

[Xarlen]

Actually, in my campaign, we started at 5th level, so the party members had been working together for a brief while.

It was the first time I DMed, and the Adventure was the basic 'Hire to go get something' starting, so I could gauge the group.

But, for low level... Hm. Having a PC knowing the other is good. Perhaps an NPC tries to hire one PC (A mage, or noncombattant character) and the NPC suggests that he hire a bodyguard, or some assistants. The NPC will pay them, but the person's reward will be divided amid all those he hire.

This will let the PC find the others, and get some RP in before the adventure.

 

[Tonguez]

My games tend to have two factors which seem to balance out for the good of everyone

1. I have a setting (and island, country, world) which has things happening in it which the PCs may or may not encounter as they explore.

2. The PCs are NOT random adventurers they have a defined vocation which acts as motivation and thus a Base of Operations. (in my current game they are leaders of a new settlement on a newly discovered island - the game is explore/meet the locals/survive and build a nation). Previously PCs have been Agents of the Church (sent to escort clerics, recover Holy Artifacts or stop heretical demon-worshipping cults). another -looser - grouping was PCs as members of a travelling circus)

Anyway I set up the Setting and the Base of Ops (NPCXs) and then Players create characters and in their backgrounds explain how they got from their repective origins to this particular Base and how they happen to know each other. (eg Bob and Sam have been friends since childhood, both were raised in the Church orphanage but whereas Bob was studious and became a priest (alt.cleric) Sam was more athletic and outdoorsey and has become a scout (ranger) in the Temple Guard...)

Now both myself and the PCs know why we are here and what our 'motivation' is. They are then set loose to inact this motivation as they explore the setting.

The Agents of the Church one probably works best for newbies - "We're on a mission from a god"

PS You know I might just rerun my Agents of the Church setting using Spycraft hmmm...

 

[Sodalis]

i tend to write a general plot for them to follow- and then modify it as we go along. I dont like it when DM leads you by the nose- but soem peoople do.

My Dm always says "well if you choose not to, you can go home cause i dont have anythign for you to do..."

and that akways bugs me.

i like having options, or the illusion of having options. Even if it means, that there are three doors, and i pick xthe worng one, but the Dm has the same description behind all thre doors....

i di that once- the players noticed when i wouldnt let them into the other two doors...