Need DMing Pointers (D&D 3.5)

[Greyfeld]

So, since I'm getting heavily into PBP games and my ability to improv on the spot is considerably lacking, I decided now would be a great time to try my hand at DMing (after about 7 years as a player).

After talking to some people and getting advice, I decided to make a Midgard-ish campaign (big city-state forcefully taking the resources of the smaller towns), wrapped within a larger campaign about two countries warring against one another.

The long and short of it is, the players will have the choice of:

A) Helping the high lord put down the state's rabble uprising.
or
B) Helping the uprising overthrow the high lord.
or
C) Helping the two groups come to a compromise
or
D) Play both groups against each other and wipe up the mess afterward

Any way they choose (even if one of them ends up bumping off the high lord and takes the crown for themselves), they will find themselves drafted (or otherwise entangled within) a brewing war between this city-state and the well known state across the sea (or more probably the state border, so i don't have to try to deal with high seas combat on my first attempt at DMing).

ANYWAY, my very long story short, I would like to know how you DMs typically handle campaign stories that can branch wildly depending on key decisions made by the PCs.

 

[Gilladian]

I would decide in my head a BASIC course of events given each of the possible choices by the PCs. I'd flowchart a rough timeline of events of the "most likely" choice, and then go branching out from there.

In other words, I'd say, hmmmm - since in the first adventure they're going to meet someone working for the high lord who is a real ass, I doubt they're going to like and want to work with him. Therefore I'll first focus on the idea that they will try to contact the rebels.

But you have your NPC to fall back on if they choose to side with him. So create an access point to both entities, and wait.

A lot of DMing is waiting to see what the PCs do.

Create NPCs for both sides. Know their motivations. Know what their goals are, and what they may ask of the PCs. Expose the PCs. See what their reaction is, and then plan from there. It doesn't pay to plan too far ahead.

 

[IronWolf]

Gilladian makes several good suggestions for a starting point.

Since you have a rough idea of the events you see unfolding in the campaign think up some NPCs for each group and figure out their motivations as that will help you determine their future decisions. Figure out a rough timeline of events and what moves each side is making to put their own actions into effect.

Once you have that, figure out where you will be starting the characters at. Now add detail of the events and actions you've roughed out above and how those actions are immediately impacting the area the characters are in. The first scene can be those events in that smaller microcosm and how they effect the characters.

After the first scene you will likely have an idea of what direction the characters are leaning towards pursuing. From there you can start adding the detail of the path they have taken. It should get easier from there.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Greyfeld]

hmmm...

Another question popped in my mind. How do you, as a DM, typically wrap up a campaign whose story has ended? You can't really reward players for beating the BBEG by giving them gold and magic items, because the game is over and there's no way to use them.

Obviously, the end of the game deserves an epic wrap-up, but to be completely honest, in the 7 years I've been playing, I've never actually played in a campaign that ended. So, I'm a little unsure how most DMs go about it.

 

[Gloomshroud]

hmmm...

Another question popped in my mind. How do you, as a DM, typically wrap up a campaign whose story has ended? You can't really reward players for beating the BBEG by giving them gold and magic items, because the game is over and there's no way to use them.

Obviously, the end of the game deserves an epic wrap-up, but to be completely honest, in the 7 years I've been playing, I've never actually played in a campaign that ended. So, I'm a little unsure how most DMs go about it.

How does a BOOK end? A good narrative romp? Discover this and you'll be set. The reward is seeing all the "loose ends" tied up, a dramatic climax, and most of the questions answered (an exception here would be if you do a followup campaign) in which you may end with a cliffhanger.

It's all about denouement and resolution of conflict, my friend. Intro, Iising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Denouement. In that order. The recipe for success.

 

[Greyfeld]

lol fair enough.

I've started writing up my NPCs. I want to start the characters at level 1, so I'm not sure what level to put the NPCs at yet. Thusfar, all I've written up is a short description of each, giving a general idea of what sort of character they are. I've got the High Lord, his court Sorcerer (disguised as the court jester), the Watch Captain, and 4 leaders for the farming community. I'm trying to think if there's any others I should write up specifically.

Edit: Oh! I should probably write up the master of the spy network, since that's kind of important.