WotBS Samursus' WotBS 4e Campaign

[samursus]

Last night was the first game in my WotBS Campaign. Just thought I would share some of the highlights for anyone starting it themselves.

First of all we have 3 PC's, and I used the DMG 2 Companion rules to have a 5 character party, allowing me to use the encounters as written. After seeing them in action I can honestly endorse this method. I have 2 of the players control the extra 2 Companions in combat, but I control them outside of combat. I created them with the DDI Monster Builder and printed them out, which was only about 3/4 of a page.

Because of the simplified character sheets, they are quite easy to run as a second character.

I had 1 player who had read the Player's Guide, but the other 2 hadn't got around to it, but I REALLY wanted the players to know the setting flavour as it one main draws for me and the reason I chose WotBS.

So I decided to roleplay the time from the Emperor's disappearance to the beginning of the module, using this time to develop backstories for the characters and have them experience the drama unfold. I kinda did it in 4-5 day chunks...revealing the events in the Player's Guide as they happened and affect the residents of Gate Pass. This bit took us about 5 hours! Even without a single combat the players loved it. I also had the characters do a 2 week scouting mission to the West of behalf of a friend who was a member of the Resistance. So it was they who first discovered the presence of the invading Ragesian army; as well as giving them their first look at the Black Horses and their tactics. This worked really well when in the first combat they saw the insignia of their attackers. This also gave me a chance to give the Player's a natural segue into the Resistance, as by now they were so wrapped up in the unfolding events, it was a no-brainer for them to join... which made things a bit easier to initiate.

I must really commend the writer's and the WotBS team for a rich, exciting backdrop. As for most others, the first combat encounter was easy, but the series of encounters that immediately followed really shone. I could see the tension in my players faces as they ran through the district, fires and terrified people everywhere, trying to get to where they needed to go, and being constantly delayed by people in need!

And man! the 2 Arcane characters in the party are SCARED of the Inquisitors and the Scourge! They want to high tail it ASAP!

I also really enjoyed the information supplied for Kalthor, as it gave my players a very memorable conservation and end to the first combat...

About the Companion characters... I really took advantage of the advice on them in the DMG2. I used them to inject some story elements without railroading the players. And it even helped one of my new-to-RPGs players flesh out her own character, as I made the companion her aunt. It helps to have memorable personalities if you can pull it off, and in my case, helps demonstrate to the newbies ways to flesh out their own characters and converse in character.

First time Dm'ing 4e and first time Dm'ing in at least 10 years. I must say I really liked how easy it was to run the out-of-combat stuff without a ton of rules to adhere to. I used the skill checks to indicate levels of success rather than win/lose, preferring to let my players use their imaginations more freely. I think I will end up converting any actual skill challenges to Obsidians SKill Challenge system though.

All in all a great start, with some room for improvement on my part and a greater study of the tactical encounters.

 

[Daern]

That sounds like an epic session! It also sounds like you were using alot of that vignette stuff from DMG II. Good on ya.

 

[Burchard]

I'm going to shamelessly steal your vignette and companion character ideas. One of our group just got married and I think we might have lost him. If you have any notes or suggestions for running the vignettes, I'd love to hear them! Feel free to post or PM!

Cheers!

 

[samursus]

@Burchard

Regarding vignettes, tailor them to your group. One of the main reasons I decided to introduce the Player guide information that way is because one player in particular had issues with ever doing any actual reading on her own time. This way, she was exposed to all the info she needed to know in an exciting personal way.

For example: The players didn't read about the Burning Sky effect, they were actually present when a courier attempted to Teleport in and witnessed the horrific after effect... even trying to save the poor soul.

The players were given tiny rumours about what was going on in the Empire. And one Player learned of the Scourge from vignette with an NPC, concerned about the players Arcane friends. This also had the side effect of creating an NPC that, through the role play, became a trusted friend of the player.

I had another vignette, where one player woke in the middle of the night to a presence in her bed chamber. Fearing the worst (she was an infernal warlock)... she was relieved to find out it was one of the 2 Companion characters I created .. an elf with Seeker powers...who I dictated to be the Players relative of some sort (she was a half-elf). The PLayer decided that the Seeker would be her mother's sister... and so I used this vignette to have the Seeker be worried for her niece and suggests that they head out for the hills (the Seeker was a major tracker/hunter and not really comfortable in cities anyways, and just stuck around to keep an eye after her niece). The Player said "No, this is my home...I will not run.."...so the Seeker said she reminded her of her mother when she said things like that". It was a bit awkward for me adding in the tender Hallmark moment stuff, as in the past my entire group was made up of males who might not appreciate such sentiments, but , without sounding like I am generalizing, women appreciate such personal ties much more themselves and I am confident it helped her immerse herself in the story.

This vignette was to try and help the Player, who is COMPLETELY new to RPGS try and get into the story. The previous few sessions we played with another DM were %99 combats... and I was getting worried we were losing her and the other new player (my GF) to boredom and frustration. So I really wanted to bring in waaaay more RP'ing and story/drama elements. This new player also was unable to offer ANY kiind of ideas or background regarding her character.... so I told her how about "you are good person, but gained your powers in a dark way, and you have secrets unknown even to your closest friends. You are not well known in town, but when people walk by you they feel uneasy, and give you a wide berth. You have no siblings or parents around, although only you know what happened to them...." etc etc...

She seemed to really like that, and the cool thing is she started actually playing her character that way! I made sure to leave lots of holes for her to fill as she feels comfortable.

I have forgotten how hard it is to role play when you have NO experience at it, and you are not a natural born actor or a ham

So I am finding I have to lead the new players by the hand right now more or less, and the vignettes really help to bring the NPC's (Companion and otherwise) to life, and make them people the Players care about.

Another vignette was having the 2nd Companion character (Halfling with Rogue powers) be a member of the Resistance and dragging the players along on a scouting mission to see what the heck is going on in Ragesia... during this mission they ended up seeing a large troop of Black Horses and what they are capable of.

Ultimately after rescuing a poor Wizard from the Black horses, they stumbled upon the Ragesian army, making its way to Gate Pass.