I am Looking for Feedback

[egomann]

Hi everyone.

I just started running our game. Our regular GM had to take a couple of months off for family business (nothing bad), and I decided it was time for me to take up the shield again. I have not run a game since '87 or so, and I am a bit nervous.

I have posted our first four weeks of adventures in the story hour fourm under the title "The Ballad of the Dukes". If anyone can give me some advice or critisism, I would really appreciate it. Thank you all very much.

Tony

 

[kengar]

Not hard to search for, but you might put a link to your Story Hour in this thread for convienence. It might increase feedback too.


Off to scan the story so far before giving feedback myself...

 

[Piratecat]

Cool! How has the game been going? Any special problems, or successes?

 

[kengar]

OK, read through it quickly. Here's my initial reaction:

Stuff looks good in general. For your write-ups, I wouldn't bother with so much detail about the treasure, etc. Like Josh said in the other forum, summarize more, list less.

Your players are having fun? Then you're doing good. Parts do seem a little linear, but I'm not familiar with the City of Brass adventure (I know of it, but haven't read it), so I'm not sure how linear it is. Different players like different things, though. If your group just likes to move along with the plot and get to the action, then don't sweat it. My group has a couple people who just HATE anything plot-driven/linear. If they aren't free to go nuts in the middle of the adventure without wrecking the game, then it's a bad adventure (in their opinions). They aren't as bad as I make it sound, but linear isn't everyone's cup of tea.

The best thing you can do is keep things rolling and pay attention to when any or all of your players seem to be bored (if ever). Think about what parts of the adventure gets them psyched and which parts leave them snoring. Then tailor things accordingly.

 

[egomann]

Thanks. I know I hit them over the head with the plotstik, especially in the city of Brass. I have got to let them figure things out on their own more.

The reason I list so much stuff like treasure is that I originally was writing these up to keep our old GM informed on what was happening in the game for when he comes back. At this point though, I am having so much fun that I think I will keep running the game for a while, and when he comes back he can play.

Anyway, Here is the link to my post in the Story Time forum.

 

[egomann]

Cool! How has the game been going? Any special problems, or successes?

The game is going well, as I hope you can tell from my writeups. My players are having fun, but I am worried that maybe I am not challenging them enough.

On the other hand, I do not want to throw something at them to kill them all, and destroy the campaign. I am just trying to make sure that everyone enjoys themsleves and has something to do.

 

[Desdichado]

On the other hand, I do not want to throw something at them to kill them all, and destroy the campaign. I am just trying to make sure that everyone enjoys themsleves and has something to do.

Challenging them in what way? Combat-wise? It's a fine art to balance that just right, I've discovered. I've been lucky my current campaign to have thrown encounters at my PCs that left them limping back, having used pretty much all their tricks in the book to survive, but having survived nonetheless. It's a tricky thing, though; in the past I've been guilty of boringly easy walkthroughs and too-tough TPK-threatening encounters. I don't have a whole lot of specific advice except to practice, though.

Or do you mean other types of challenges? Puzzles, moral quandries, or the like?

 

[egomann]

Or do you mean other types of challenges? Puzzles, moral quandries, or the like?

Well, I have a good enough handle on the rules and the characters to be able to sufficcently handle them as far as combat goes. That is, to me at least, the easiest part. Actually, they have surprised me by taking out some things that I thougt would be more of a challenge. I may have underestimated their combat prowess, but I do not want to overcompensate. What I am trying to do is challenge them by throwing unexpected plot developments at them, without being to ham-fisted. I try to drop hints here and there about what is coming up, but I do not want to be too obvious. On the other hand, I do not want to throw them in a situation that they had no way of telling was going to happen.

 

[kengar]

*double post*

 

[kengar]

Well, I have a good enough handle on the rules and the characters to be able to sufficcently handle them as far as combat goes. That is, to me at least, the easiest part. Actually, they have surprised me by taking out some things that I thougt would be more of a challenge. I may have underestimated their combat prowess, but I do not want to overcompensate. What I am trying to do is challenge them by throwing unexpected plot developments at them, without being to ham-fisted. I try to drop hints here and there about what is coming up, but I do not want to be too obvious. On the other hand, I do not want to throw them in a situation that they had no way of telling was going to happen.

A couple general rules of thumb that have served me well:

1) Always have more than one way for the players to succeed: In other words, if they blow their roll when searching, don't have the secret door they missed be the ONLY way to get to the rest of the dungeon. Or have something like a goblin guard carrying a map with the door marked on it that they can find on his body. If they screw up both chances, then tough cookies. Though -in the interests of keeping things fun- you may consider dropping a few hints here and there. ("Are you SURE you checked the WHOLE level??")

2) Plot Points are your friend: Let events happen whether the party is aware of it or not. I tend to have subplots I've loosely mapped out going on in the background. This shouldn't be instant death to ignore, but they could lead to future adventures or be mysteries to solve, etc. From time to time a clue might cross the party's path. If they pursue it they might find out more, but it's their choice. If they don't follow up on these clues, then stuff still happens. Eventually, timelines can come to a head, and unobservant parties might find themselves scratching their heads saying things like "Where did this demon army come from?"