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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jbear" data-source="post: 5390594" data-attributes="member: 75065">I think what you are doing is different from what most people, or at least myself, would term railroading. To me, it seems you are giving your campaign a very concrete start, which sets the tone, allows the characters identify with each others cause, as it's one they all share, and introduces them to the world their characters live in right from the get go.They must already get the notion that their goal is to get rid of that blasted collar around their neck.I began playing 4e with a group of people almost entirely new to RPGs. I only had one adventure available to me at that stage and not enough time to make my own. So that was where the campaign began out of sheer necesity. I think the players may have felt like they had lots of options and seemed quite miffed that I seemed to always know what they were going to do. I chuckled when one of them made a comment about that. I guess a lot of the initial choices were merely minor divergences from a fairly straight road. When the game got under way I began to create side tracks that would shoot off from that road. And as new players they chased the hook down each one of those sidetracks. When they reached a certain point in the adventure I told them they had reached a cross road. I had only prepared so far because I didn't have a clue what they would decide to do from there. The cross road lead in 5 or 6 different directions. When the group chose the direction I prepared the next path, with side roads a plenty of course (which they continued to merrily explore).But that is how I run my game at least. Few options that lead to a moment where options expand. Players choose one of those options narrowing the road again until they reach the next point where the adventure expands in different directions and players choose a new direction. I don't have time to prepare everything beforehand. I only have time enough to prepare the stuff where I know the PCs are going. So my campaign world expands and grows as my PCs explore it.When I got this new group into D&D I actually just jumped in with both feet. I prepared 12 different characters before the first session and as we sat at the table on the first game night I gave a quick flavour description of about a paragraph for each one. Based on what each player liked the sound of they chose their character accordingly. So 10 minutes later we were playing. I think I began with something like: 'This is a 20 sided dice. When your character attempts something you have to roll it to see what the outcome of the action is. Depending on the task and the situation the number you need to be successful will be higher or lower. Lets not worry too much about the rules. We'll learn them as we go along. For now just imagine the situation I describe and how your character reacts to that situation. When you let me know what your character wants to do I'll tell you how we are going to resolve that. Right so you're sitting in a smokey, run down, dirty tavern in the town slums...'The interaction before the first combat was when I introduced them to their skills.The first combat went slow as I introduced them to their powers and game mechanics like hps, defenses, attack and damage rolls etc turn by turn.They story ... paper thin. But I guess the advantage of having pretty clear options from the start kickstarts the game, gets straight into the action and the dice rolling.New players are great. Everything is new, shiney and exciting to them. And you can teach them good habits. I never allowed anyone to get away with: 'I intimidate him' from day 1. They have to tell me what they say or do and then I tell them what they need to roll or not.As for skill challenges, I have a few tactics I regularly use to keep everyone involved. For example in a social interaction where the  Sorceror is by far the most able negotiator, I have my astute NPCs observe the rest of the party to see if their body language backs up the story. So everyone has to Bluff if the sorceror is telling a lie. If they don't make a medium DC then the main check gets a +2 added to the Sorceror's Bluff check, due to all that nervous fidgeting and lip biting that the NPC picked up on. Only  the sorceror's check counts towards teh challenge, but the others are all actively involved.Anyway, your campaign sounds like it's going to be really cool. I wouldn't worry too much about over challenging new players. They might surprise you how well they meet your challenges. I gave mine hell from the word go and they did just fine!</blockquote>

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