The Gems of Teravast

[BigBro359]

Also, does anybody know where I can find some pre-made or template dungeon maps? I have the two sites that Nagol left about the 5 room dungeon, but I am planning a couple of maze type dungeons as well, with many rooms and challenges. Are there any good large dungeon templates?

 

[BigBro359]

Random tips acquired in ~20 years of off-and-on DMing:

Above all else, know your group. No two tables I've ever sat at (as a player or DM) played the game in the same way. I've been around heavy RPers where an entire session can go by without a single die being thrown. I've been in groups that love the puzzle solving aspect of the game - either in surmounting certain challenges or investigating for clues to crack the case. My last table had a very strong video game/tactical board game background and they gravitated heavily towards the thrill of very challenging combat encounters. That's not to say there weren't examples of all 3 elements in each group, only that certain groups gravitate more towards some themes. There's no "right" way to play D&D, only what's right for your specific crew. Try to get a feel for what they enjoy most and tailor your sessions to lean in that direction.

When in doubt, ask them. I conducted a fair amount of campaign business via email in between sessions. Not only does it help you gauge their interests and be a better DM, it can eliminate some of the "busy work" that might bog a session down - like going over crafting rules and some of the other micromanagements.

Encourage one of your players to be a journal keeper. In our group one of the players brought a day planner booklet and jotted down notes from each campaign day. Then, once the campaign has ripened after a while and some seeds you laid in an early adventure are approaching fruition, the players will have an easier time recalling past events if the journal keeper has it written down. Remember, the players will NEVER know your world, your story, your details as well as you do. As the creator and the guy doing most of the work, it is your baby and you can't expect them to recall Charles the Bartender in that town they all visited 8 months ago and that the medallion he wears around his neck looks exactly like the shape of the depression engraved in the block of stone they just discovered in some dark crypt.

Ok, but these guys have never played before. My brother, the only one that has played before, is going fishing for the weekend. So how do I prepare for them?
I have one that is kind of a hipster, but I suspect will chose a bard based on his love of music
I've got a hunch back who will likely end up as the anarchist of the group. No idea what he will play, but he will definitely be Chaotic to the core
I've got a couple of my best friends, both of them are physically large, and huge metal heads. One intends to be a barbarian and call himself and act like a viking, and the other is planning on being some kind of halfling druid.

The point is, I am not entirely sure how to prepare for them specifically, not because I don't know them, but because they have never played before.

Your journalist idea, however, is a REALLY good idea. I will definitely encourage them to keep a journal. Our first session is an overnight thing, but I will absolutely encourage them to keep the journal.

also, sorry for sending this twice. I wanted to quote your thing and forgot to the first time.

 

[BigBro359]

So one of my players is making this back story to his character, and the backstory involves his father being a blackguard, and hiding away some dragonbone armor. He intends to make his character's goal to find this dragonbone armor. Now, because this armor is magical, I can find a way to put it in the story, but the issue is, how do you make sure that it isn't OP. Obviously, I am reviewing it before it is put in the campaign, but I am also worried about the idea spreading. What do you do about characters with backstories involving artifacts and other magical objects? How do you manage them?

 

[BigBro359]

So I came up with a backstory to the world that I am in love with. The general idea is that the Gems of Teravast are still the end game, but there are a total of three suits of legendary, god like power. They represent Order (Law), Chaos (Chaotic), and Balance (Neutral) The Balanced is the most powerful, and is powered by the Gems of Teravast. However, the armor that my player came up with is, unknown to them, the armor of Chaos. The armor's major drawback is that, because it is made of dragon bones, the spirits of those dragons are locked within it. The powers the armor grants come from said dragons, but, they are sentient. And they hate the user of the armor's guts. And so every day, the wearer must convince at least one of the dragon spirits inside to help him through role playing and dice rolling. The other draw back is that the power is only activated by putting on the helmet, but the every time the helmet is donned, they must roll a d20. If the roll is 2 or less, the dragons in the armor take control, and they will kill everything in sight until either A) The wearer is dead, B) Someone else manages to remove the helmet, or C) Every living thing in the immediate sight of the wearer is dead.

 

[BigBro359]

I just came up with an idea for the order armor. Ok, so you know the show lucifer? If you don't it is fine, but basically, as you may know, Lucifer is a fallen angel. He desires justice on criminals, and tends towards a little more evil, but the point is that if I made the armor the suit of armor that he wore as he fell, it would be imbued with both the good law and evil law, therefore still giving the wearer the choice.
My other Idea is to have it be made of the essence of a lawful good angel, and a lawful evil demon. The two essences or spirits act as the devil and angel on the shoulder, both driving the wearer towards lawfulness, but the two different sides. The user remains as neutral, because they always have those two on his mental shoulder.

 

[BigBro359]

Well, I had the first session of the campaign. Miraculously, no one died. We have a half retarded halforc that has, thus far, eaten about half a table, punched a wolf to death, killed a centaur chief and had the centaur chief's woman as his trophy, and intimidated a wolf.
Next we have a gnome bard, that was the closest ti dying out of all of them. He was a rogue before he became a bard, and so he has connections, but he was a bad rogue and so he structured his skills around being a rogue, but his class is that of a bard. He is probably the best negotiator, and managed to talk a 5 troops out of his old rogue guild master. He rolled 5 20's in a row. I couldn't argue with the dice, so...
NExt, we have a druid with the worst aim in the world. He managed to hit something I think once all night. He does have a mildly more successful wolf as his animal companion though.
Finally, from the encounter with the centaur tribe, the half orc barbarian demanded their best archer. I used the standard centaur stats from the book and named him don. They promptly renamed him cruton (As in the salad topping. My spelling sucks) and went on their happy way. Shortly after, they stumble into a formian village, where they are met with 9 workers and three warriors. It is only then that we took a look at the standard centaur bow damage. He obliterated 2 workers and all three of the warriors. Because DAMN.
I guess I am going to have to up the monsters next time. Overall, I would say a total success. I have successfully brought three new people into the D&D brotherhood.

 

[BigBro359]

So question, and I really need help here. The players are starting to become divided as they plan for the next session, and I am not really sure what to do about it. On the one side, they enjoy ravaging and pillaging the world and villages. This side also is kind of meandering along towards my goals for them, but is really more interested in chaos.
The other side is the side that is actually driving them along, furthering the quest.
The issue is, both sides kind of intend to kill each other, and, while traitors are a common thing in D&D, how do I get the game to continue if they won't work together again? It isn't a vendetta, the players themselves are all friends, it is just that they have different goals and styles.

Advice, please?

 

[Deimvune]

Dungeon maps ?
go to donjon.bin.sh/d20/dungeon/