dm looking for help

[kolikeos]

hello enworlders, in a few days i'll be running a d&d session, and while i'm certainly looking forward to it i have no real plans as to what i'll do.
i am also introducing two new players to the d&d game, and i must make their first session as exiting and as entertaining as possible if i'm hoping to make them a permanent part of my gaming group.
too many times before when i invited new players they got bored at the first session and never came to play again.

the story so far:
the group of adventurers are sailing back to the human mainland from an orc infested island. they are on a mission to find several maps that together should lead them to the enemy's hideout. the group, while certainly a bunch of do-gooders, appear at first glance as a gang of misfits and criminals. the whole world is currently at war, there are mainly two sides to the conflict, the bad guys (mostly orcs humans and also mind controlled humans and orcs) and the good guys (which are not united under one banner). the humans and dwarves on the mainland are preparing for war.

please give me any advice you can think of, weather it be about the plot or about how to make the game exiting for the newbies.
thanks in advance.

 

[smootrk]

Three suggestions for new players:

1. Make most NPC's dialog directly with their characters, rather than just the group. Gives the newbies a quick chance to roleplay, without the other seasoned players taking over the conversations.

2. Several quick combats that play towards their character's strengths. (undead for clerics, simple humanoids for fighters, traps or sneak attack opportunities for rogues, etc). Quick and easy combats allow for exciting first forays into D&D, and gives them a better idea of their characters capabilities in a very short time.

3. For new players, plot is not so important, as they are still trying to grasp the mechanics of the game. Best to make very simple motivations. Time for the classic 'save the princess', 'raid the temple', 'track down bandits' type senarios.

 

[BSF]

Be absolutely sure that the new PCs have relevance immediately. Remember that the established group is like a clique and if you don't make an extra effort to bring in the new players, they will feel like outsiders.

 

[twofalls]

Well, this might sound a little silly, and its most certainly hack intensive, but for a group with new players I'd suggest Keep on the Borderlands (I think there is a 3.x conversion on Enworld). You can place the keep on one of the boarders with an orc nation and the caves can be a place where many different humanoid types are gathering to cement tribal alliances or some such. Enter the characters to spoil their plans through bloodshed. Thin on plot, but it fits your overall framework, and it's heavy on the old D&D favorite of gratuitous bloodshed to break in new players on mechanics.

 

[Haltherrion]

3. For new players, plot is not so important, as they are still trying to grasp the mechanics of the game. Best to make very simple motivations. Time for the classic 'save the princess', 'raid the temple', 'track down bandits' type senarios.

That's probably a good idea for new players (to go lighter on plot) but on the otherhand, be sure to introduce some good mood. Go for something creepy or sinister or whatever mood fits your game.

Mood is something they will remember years later. I remember little about my first D&D game 28ish years ago except the part where we were in some sort of ruin walking on a straw-strewn floor wondering what was coming next and being surprised when one of us fell through a hole under the straw. The mood lingers (and the fact that I had a dwarf fighter with 2 hp )

 

[EdL]

What level are the characters? I suspect that Keep on the Borderlands will work well. But if they are actually 1st/2nd level you might try to find The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. Nothing like a 'haunted' house and pirates!

 

[Lord Ipplepop]

You said they were traveling by boat... and that the world was at war...
How about having the boat capsize, and the characters washing ashore right in the middle of an orc camp? They have no gear, and they are now prisoners... and they only have 2 days until they arrive at the main orc encampment, where the orc general will certainly put them to death... or perhaps a prisoner trade....

Once they escape (IF they escape) and they are able to get a bit of gear, then take them through the Keep, or some such.

Hope It Helps

 

[LostSoul]

please give me any advice you can think of, weather it be about the plot or about how to make the game exiting for the newbies.

My advice regarding plot is to make it about the characters. Ask the players what their characters want and go from there.

 

[Talgian]

I agree with smootrk that it is essential to develop an encounter or two that plays directly to the new characters strengths. Preferably in a dramatic way, like a door that can't be opened unless the rogue uses his skills, or a monster that can't be defeated unless the fighter uses a special abilitiy from a feat or whatever it is that makes that fighter unique.

Also, if the mood seems to drop and the new players seem to get bored, have a couple DM tricks up your sleeve to shake things up and get the adrenaline flowing. A pit trap that drops the characters into combat with an exotic and exceedingly dangerous creature. A sudden run-in with the king of one of the good kingdoms trying to unite everyone under one banner that turns sour when ambused by orcs. Their ship getting attacked by a sea beast- if they can't defeat it, then face untold perils on the bottom of the sea. Just different things that can be dropped in almost anywhere to ensure the players stay engaged.

Best of luck, it's always important to guide the ignorant onto the path of light.

-Talgian

 

[kolikeos]

thanks a bunch everyone who posted.
the compaign i'm running is totally homebrew and i don't have any ready made adventures nor do i intend to buy any in the near future. some of you suggested adventures that i know nothing about. (Keep on the Borderlands, Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh)
i'll be really glad to get as much advice as i can, especially on how to deal with the new players