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<blockquote data-quote="Gargoyle" data-source="post: 289338" data-attributes="member: 529"><p></p><p>The most important thing is to keep the game moving. Make sure the players know that you will be making quick rulings during the game, and will look up the right answers between game sessions. (But do try to learn the rules as best you can!)</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I agree that having a fourth NPC is a bad idea. My problem with doing that is that I forget he's there, or I tend to devote too much time to him and not to the players. </p><p></p><p>However, I'd strongly recommend not forcing anyone to play a cleric. Instead, make healing potions cheap and available. As far as the monk not being an adequate substitute, I agree (and stated so on one of the threads you're referencing). But I think it's more important to let players play the characters they want to play. Gently suggest they play a fighter instead because the party is so small, and remind him that he can multiclass into monk later. If he resists, accomodate the monk by giving him lots of chances to show off his fighting prowess. Lots of low AC/ low hit point enemies, and enemy spellcasters is the way to go. (and evil monks!) Don't insist that a player play or not play a particular class or race, unless it just doesn't fit the theme of your campaign. Players only get one character and deserve some control over it. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It sounds like you've got enough ideas for several sessions. You don't have to design everything out for more than one or two sessions in advance. If you want to avoid railroading them, this is key. Give them choices, but don't spend hours designing stuff they may never encounter. </p><p></p><p>My advice is to lay the location out like a dungeon, with scheduled events that may or may not happen based on their actions. Don't design more than five or six encounters in advance of the game. You probably won't get through more than three or four encounters anyway. (YMMV depending on how long your session are, of course, and the types of encounters. But typically my 5 hour sessions feature only thre or four good encounters). Be sure to drop 2 to 4 hints about future courses of action they might take in the next session.</p><p></p><p>After your session, plan your next session based on the PC's actions. Find out what they want to do at the end of the session while you're awarding XP. (picking a time to quit in advance helps this tremendously, while motivating everyone to keep the action going) </p><p></p><p>Revolve the adventure around them. They may decide that they're bored with the city and want to explore the gloomy forest, or that they want to disguise themselves and infiltrate the enemy camps. Find out their intentions at the end of the session, then make the world focus on these actions in the next game.</p><p></p><p>Try to think of it as a series of sessions consisting of several encounters each rather than as an adventure like a game designer would write. Railroad them within the session, but give them choices at the end of each session. </p><p></p><p>Hope this helps; good luck.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gargoyle, post: 289338, member: 529"] [B][/b] The most important thing is to keep the game moving. Make sure the players know that you will be making quick rulings during the game, and will look up the right answers between game sessions. (But do try to learn the rules as best you can!) [b][/b] I agree that having a fourth NPC is a bad idea. My problem with doing that is that I forget he's there, or I tend to devote too much time to him and not to the players. However, I'd strongly recommend not forcing anyone to play a cleric. Instead, make healing potions cheap and available. As far as the monk not being an adequate substitute, I agree (and stated so on one of the threads you're referencing). But I think it's more important to let players play the characters they want to play. Gently suggest they play a fighter instead because the party is so small, and remind him that he can multiclass into monk later. If he resists, accomodate the monk by giving him lots of chances to show off his fighting prowess. Lots of low AC/ low hit point enemies, and enemy spellcasters is the way to go. (and evil monks!) Don't insist that a player play or not play a particular class or race, unless it just doesn't fit the theme of your campaign. Players only get one character and deserve some control over it. It sounds like you've got enough ideas for several sessions. You don't have to design everything out for more than one or two sessions in advance. If you want to avoid railroading them, this is key. Give them choices, but don't spend hours designing stuff they may never encounter. My advice is to lay the location out like a dungeon, with scheduled events that may or may not happen based on their actions. Don't design more than five or six encounters in advance of the game. You probably won't get through more than three or four encounters anyway. (YMMV depending on how long your session are, of course, and the types of encounters. But typically my 5 hour sessions feature only thre or four good encounters). Be sure to drop 2 to 4 hints about future courses of action they might take in the next session. After your session, plan your next session based on the PC's actions. Find out what they want to do at the end of the session while you're awarding XP. (picking a time to quit in advance helps this tremendously, while motivating everyone to keep the action going) Revolve the adventure around them. They may decide that they're bored with the city and want to explore the gloomy forest, or that they want to disguise themselves and infiltrate the enemy camps. Find out their intentions at the end of the session, then make the world focus on these actions in the next game. Try to think of it as a series of sessions consisting of several encounters each rather than as an adventure like a game designer would write. Railroad them within the session, but give them choices at the end of each session. Hope this helps; good luck. [/QUOTE]
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