Choices, Choices, Choices, or what's a DM to do?

[bento]

After a six month dry spell it looks like I found a new gaming group through the local MeetUp. Their current DM wants to play more, and they gave me a test spin at the MeetUp yesterday afternoon. Except for forgetting to dish out the monster's damage during the first few rounds of combat, I kept them engaged the whole time and ran things smoothly. I'll be starting in a few weeks, maybe a month while they finish their current game, so I need to make some choices on what we'll play.

I own the following settings: Eberron, Greyhawk, Blue Rose, Savage Tide AP, the Ravenloft book, the DCC box set (with gazeteer and maps), and Kara-Tur material. I have also been buying old modules like The Lost City and Destert of Desolation.

First is deciding on character levels. They've said they'd like to start out around 4th level as 1st level is too deadly. For somethings like running Ravenloft it makes sense, but using the DCC box set they recommend starting the players as 1st level NPCs and running a "trial-by-fire" first adventure. I also like the idea of running the Masque of Dreams (Dungeon 142) 1st level adventure then go through a modified Lost City adventure.

If you were starting with a group you hadn't played with before, would you plan something short that might last three or four sessions at most, or jump into something long like an AP or big adventure like Ravenloft?

Would you introduce them to an entirely new setting like Eberron or stick with a generic fantasy setting like Greyhawk?

I'm worried because on the one hand I want to be able to adjust quickly to their tastes, while on the other hand I want to feel like I'm helping build to something larger.

On the plus side for me, these people are around my own age (late 30s to early 40s) and tell me they prefer story development over dungeon crawls & hack n' slash.

What are your thoughts / experiences with this situation?

 

[Ry]

Do something shorter at first, but leave the door open to more. Don't lock yourself into an AP. As far as levels go, it's hard enough just getting the players to say "Hey, I find this fun, but I don't find that fun." When you get it, it's a gift.

As much as I love the adventures, some of DCC/Necro's philosophy might not be the way to go for your group. For my group, the idea of "there's a dragon encounter that, if the players don't immediately retreat, will likely kill 2 or more PCs, and that'll teach 'em to be careful!" just isn't conducive to the most fun experience. But again, the best way to proceed is to ask your players. "Do you guys like really cautious, room-by-room dungeoneering, or something a little lighter?"

 

[Ry]

Oh, and here's a great tip if you want to get hte sense of something larger: Say "Sure, we can start at 4th level." but then work with the players on a backstory that has the PCs coming together and adventuring to get to 4th level.

That way when you start you can say "tell me about the villain that got away." and that gives you lots of hooks right there (for the games after the one you prepare for session 1). It's a good way to get the "sense of something larger" too, because the players are always hooked into the stuff they created.

Everybody wins.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I'd recommend playing one of the Adventure Paths to get a feel for the group. You don't want to commit a whole lot of your time and energy into preparing a new campaign only to find out the group doesn't want to continue for whatever reason.

Also, I'd be very wary of selecting the campaign world unilaterally. Better to sit down with the group and run through some options to get a sense of what they want to play. Especially with Ravenloft, which can quickly turn into a joke if the players aren't into suspending their 21st century mentalities for the sake of a horror campaign.

 

[bento]

Oh, and here's a great tip if you want to get hte sense of something larger: Say "Sure, we can start at 4th level." but then work with the players on a backstory that has the PCs coming together and adventuring to get to 4th level.

That way when you start you can say "tell me about the villain that got away." and that gives you lots of hooks right there (for the games after the one you prepare for session 1). It's a good way to get the "sense of something larger" too, because the players are always hooked into the stuff they created.

Everybody wins.

I like that! I had planned to ask them for different kinds of character plot hooks before we started. Things like most important person in their life, their goal in life, the thing they fear the most, etc.

I think this group has a player or two that would be willing to write up a more detailed backstory if I asked! Don't want to abuse this, but it might work with starting at a higher level.

 

[hong]

I'd keep it generic at the start. If the group hangs together, you can always try something more outre later on. Unless they specifically said they want something new and different, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

 

[Ry]

I like that! I had planned to ask them for different kinds of character plot hooks before we started. Things like most important person in their life, their goal in life, the thing they fear the most, etc.

I think this group has a player or two that would be willing to write up a more detailed backstory if I asked! Don't want to abuse this, but it might work with starting at a higher level.

See if you can get them to bring a few ideas for their own characters and for some stuff that relates to the other PCs. Then have you and them work together at the first session to turn the ideas into concrete history of the party (that way nobody goes off on a tangent and makes a character that's not fun for the others). After that session, have them write the more intricate backstory. It's amazing how much your players will create if they have "My PC and his PC like fishing together, and we got in a fight over a girl when we were kids."

 

[The Cardinal]

run the Halls of the Minotaur adventure from DCC#35 with them - they'll insist on playing a full campaign with their characters after that

 

[S'mon]

If you were starting with a group you hadn't played with before, would you plan something short that might last three or four sessions at most, or jump into something long like an AP or big adventure like Ravenloft?

Would you introduce them to an entirely new setting like Eberron or stick with a generic fantasy setting like Greyhawk?

1. I'd suggest something short that can be wrapped up in 2-3 sessions, but that has the potential to be the start of a long campaign if the players love it. Ask them. I think BTW it's very easy to beef up low level scenarios a bit; besides which, nobody likes their PC dying straight away. I'd suggest say start at 3rd level (4th is maybe too high, plus it's close to 5th, when Wizzes get Fireball), run a slightly beefed up 1st-2nd level module. Give out 1/2 XP. You can start an AP after that. Even if the AP starts at 1st and the PCs are close to 4th, beef it up a little bit (treasure too) and it will go fine. Stick with 1/2 XP until the PCs are at the right level for the AP. If you want a reason - "This reflects that easier challenges
earn less XP than being tested to the max".

2. If you don't have a big preference, ask the players! Maybe trial Eberron in your 2-3 session introductory adventure, then ask them if they like it or would prefer Greyhawk. If you have a personal preference though, always go with that.

 

[bento]

run the Halls of the Minotaur adventure from DCC#35 with them - they'll insist on playing a full campaign with their characters after that

I liked DCC 35A as well and ran part of it for my old gaming group. They insisted on Level 2 characters and it was a bit of a cake walk for them.

I printed out the free maps for DCC 35A that are on the Goodman site and pasted them together hoping to run it again!