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First time playing D&D and I'm the DM. Anyone feeling helpful?
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<blockquote data-quote="hastur_nz" data-source="post: 7146664" data-attributes="member: 40592"><p>I've only got some general advice - try not to script the plot too heavily. </p><p></p><p>For example, in session 1 you didn't expect the PC's to flee from your snake, you wanted to make sure they had a fight - IMO you should always try and set up Encounters, not Fights; let the players decide when it's time to fight, flee, talk or whatever. In session 2, I love how you presented the players with a Dilemma in the hag's hut, but it almost sounds like you wanted the players to do something else and a fight ensues - as a casual reader, it's not clear what the hag's actual motives / goals were here, but I'll assume she was trying to drive the PC's to her goal and in anger she snapped and tried to bully them into it?</p><p></p><p>In terms of your specific questions, I'd rather leave them and say that you're better focusing on a smaller number of questions, along the lines of "what kinds of options can I help guide my players towards, and what kinds of plans should I try and be prepared for?" For example, let them decide whether they sneak in, attack it outright, or whatever - if they fail, allow Capture to be an outcome rather than TPK, and prepare for how the players might still escape and continue. Have a think about various Clues the players can find, and which ones you want to definitely happen vs might happen if the players do certain things (don't assume your players are hard-core detectives, and don't make everything random). Don't script Akira being captured - by all means, put her in jeopardy, but leave her ultimate Fate up for grabs depending on what the players do in response.</p><p></p><p>Basically, always try and remember that the players want and need Agency, i.e. their Actions should have Consequences. Even if that's not always strictly true, i.e. there's stuff hidden from their view so to speak, players need to feel that they have a part to play in shaping the story. That's exactly the reason that your players would have loved the scene and fight with the Hag - they found themselves in a Dilemma, made some Decisions, got a Response, and ultimately they kicked her Butt (3 rounds vs a solo is a decent duration BTW - it's all about quality vs quantity).</p><p></p><p>OK, so looking back at your questions, I'd say</p><p>1) look at the MM - yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods, while bullywugs consider themselves the right and proper rulers of the swamps. Your average yuan-ti is kick-arse compared to a bullywug, so I'd say the yuan-ti want to enslave the bullywugs, but some form of deception is likely in order because there's probably way more bullywugs than yuan-ti.</p><p>2) let them get some useful information, but make it challenging to get truth vs lies</p><p>3) the diplomat should TRY and escape at the most convenient time, and the PC's should most likely have some chance of preventing this, or at least seeing them disappearing into the swamp.</p><p>4) didn't you already answer this? They are seeking to increase their numbers and workforce...</p><p>5) the Anathema sounds like the BBEG / end-boss - it should be encountered towards the end, of course, i.e. hard to get to, which also means your PC's should have gained a level or two and stand a chance of defeating it, yeah?</p><p>6) this is a story question for you... it sounds like your temple is sparsely populated, but maybe the yuan-ti have already gathered a number of slaves to help guard the place? that gives the PC's potential allies, too, not just sneak vs fight options.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hastur_nz, post: 7146664, member: 40592"] I've only got some general advice - try not to script the plot too heavily. For example, in session 1 you didn't expect the PC's to flee from your snake, you wanted to make sure they had a fight - IMO you should always try and set up Encounters, not Fights; let the players decide when it's time to fight, flee, talk or whatever. In session 2, I love how you presented the players with a Dilemma in the hag's hut, but it almost sounds like you wanted the players to do something else and a fight ensues - as a casual reader, it's not clear what the hag's actual motives / goals were here, but I'll assume she was trying to drive the PC's to her goal and in anger she snapped and tried to bully them into it? In terms of your specific questions, I'd rather leave them and say that you're better focusing on a smaller number of questions, along the lines of "what kinds of options can I help guide my players towards, and what kinds of plans should I try and be prepared for?" For example, let them decide whether they sneak in, attack it outright, or whatever - if they fail, allow Capture to be an outcome rather than TPK, and prepare for how the players might still escape and continue. Have a think about various Clues the players can find, and which ones you want to definitely happen vs might happen if the players do certain things (don't assume your players are hard-core detectives, and don't make everything random). Don't script Akira being captured - by all means, put her in jeopardy, but leave her ultimate Fate up for grabs depending on what the players do in response. Basically, always try and remember that the players want and need Agency, i.e. their Actions should have Consequences. Even if that's not always strictly true, i.e. there's stuff hidden from their view so to speak, players need to feel that they have a part to play in shaping the story. That's exactly the reason that your players would have loved the scene and fight with the Hag - they found themselves in a Dilemma, made some Decisions, got a Response, and ultimately they kicked her Butt (3 rounds vs a solo is a decent duration BTW - it's all about quality vs quantity). OK, so looking back at your questions, I'd say 1) look at the MM - yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods, while bullywugs consider themselves the right and proper rulers of the swamps. Your average yuan-ti is kick-arse compared to a bullywug, so I'd say the yuan-ti want to enslave the bullywugs, but some form of deception is likely in order because there's probably way more bullywugs than yuan-ti. 2) let them get some useful information, but make it challenging to get truth vs lies 3) the diplomat should TRY and escape at the most convenient time, and the PC's should most likely have some chance of preventing this, or at least seeing them disappearing into the swamp. 4) didn't you already answer this? They are seeking to increase their numbers and workforce... 5) the Anathema sounds like the BBEG / end-boss - it should be encountered towards the end, of course, i.e. hard to get to, which also means your PC's should have gained a level or two and stand a chance of defeating it, yeah? 6) this is a story question for you... it sounds like your temple is sparsely populated, but maybe the yuan-ti have already gathered a number of slaves to help guard the place? that gives the PC's potential allies, too, not just sneak vs fight options. [/QUOTE]
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