DMing help plz!

[Volug]

after escaping being the DM in the last 3 campains they are finally making me do it.... this is my first time since the 2 years ive been playing DnD.:smallsigh: im thinkin on making a Lycanthrope based campain and already got some stuff down. But i was wonderin if any1 with more experiance would be able to give some pointers or anything else.
i have 4 other players and they are starting at lvl 1.
Ranger
Druid
Barbarian
Wizard
and a rouge npc that comes in play now and then

the campain starts out in the forest (for the druid and ranger)
any part of city ( for the barbarian and rouge)
and in some study for the wizard in the city mentioned above
the towns ppl are starting to spread rumors of some valuable that got stolen recently (by the rouge) no one knows what got stolen besides big authority figures.
of course police or law inforcers are looking for ppl to find the theif.
the way the ranger and druid get involved are from ppl asking about the robbery, and if they know who did it.

im still building on this next part a little bit. i really need some more help and maybe i can get the rest done.

thanks for helping out, if u are.

[Aquillion]

I would be careful about starting people in different locations for your first campaign. It sounds simple enough, and a lot of books start that way, but it can lead to problems. What if the ranger and druid don't react the way you thought they would? What if they wander off, or start a fight, or whatever? If you're going to take that route, make sure the players know in advance how they're going to meet up, so they can play along... And don't take too long bringing everyone together.

A more serious problem is that it just might take longer than you expect to bring everyone to the same place. Nobody wants to have to sit around bored while their character isn't present yet.

Tell us more about this rogue NPC. Are they going to be a recurring villain / troublemaker? Are you all right with the players killing or apprehending them? That can certainly be fun, but if you're planning on having an "NPC party member", that can often cause problems. The story is about the players... nobody wants to sit and watch you fight against your own monsters, that's just silly.

Different groups play differently, of course... what sort of games do your players like to run? Do they like having the DM subtly leading them through a boxed-campaign-like story, or do they like more open-ended gameplay where the DM provides the setting and they decide what they're going to do with it?

[Volug]

...good idea i'll change starting positions.

i didnt word the rouge NPC good enough srry. He pops up now and then. Doing strange things for an unknown cause. first just robbing money to killing inocent ppl, he doesnt fight against the PC's. at first anyway.

as for the PC's they like surprises. mostly kept to the campain with some time to do what they want. of corse the free- time stuff wont take long it doesnt usually to long. and its not too boring. thanks for helpin out.
i think i'll take a better and more sure way of getting the PC's together.
maybe forcing them to chase the thief cause 1 of their valuables have been stolen.

thanks alot

[slexlollar89]

do NOT force the characters to do things through other npcs, or the world around them. for example, my PCs woke up in a house, and were being hunted by the people of the town. the owneer of the house helped them and said to escape out back. it led through some caves, to a bridge and guards were shooting at them if they crosses the bridge, so they tried to flee backwards. i said the door was immovable, they got pissed.

basically do not force the players in aparticular direction, but hint that it is a good idea, or give subtle rewards for doing so. if they are supposed to run from the evil mage walking towards them, but they wont, show how an NPC charges the BBEG, wh casually fries him and continues after them. that will make them run fast.

[Volug]

well acting through that NPC isnt going get them to any immovable doors... im just brain storming. cause i cant really think of any other good idea to get them together. any1 have a suggestion?

[AslanCross]

For my campaign I had a festival taking place in a large city. I revealed this much to each of the players and asked them to come up with a reason for them going to the festival in that particular city.

While they're there, the ruler of the kingdom sends recruiters to help them with something (retaking a border garrison that has been seized by an unknown party).

You don't really have to do everything yourself. If your players are the type to RP and like making backgrounds for their characters, you can leave some of the work to them.

[Volug]

*smacks head* of course. i can get something like that done without any problems thanks alot guys. i've got it down and don't have too much problems now. :smallbiggrin:

thank you

[I'm da Rogue!]

...and a rouge npc that ...
:smalleek:

...i didnt word the rouge NPC good enough ...

:smalleek: :smalleek: :smalleek: :smalleek:
Stop saying this word !!!!!!!! It sounds so humilliating, if you're not used to that!

Rogue is such a cool word, but rouge? come on! why you guys keep calling my fav class like that? :smallfrown: What is the matter with u people? Lawful evil, that's what you are.

*goes to the corner sobbing*

[Volug]

srry about my spelling just chill out XD

[Citizen Joe]

Could I suggest starting with the party all accused of murder, vis a vis in the proximity of a victim of a lycanthrope. Set it up so they seem like they are about to be steamrolled and then have your NPC rogue guy bust in with evidence that will clear them. His proof amounts to various weaknesses and strengths of lycanthropes. Then cut each one slightly with a knife. If they bleed, then they don't have the Lycanthrope's DR/silver. Have another NPC defendant not bleed, and then transform. In the chaos, the party can defeat the were-creature (maybe a were rat) with help from the rogue. Impressed by their courage, the Rogue indoctrinates them into "The Hunters"...

[Wraithy]

tu est une rouge rogue! rouge! rouge! rouge! would you like some lipstick with your lock picks madamoiselle?

mwa ha ha ha haa!

(begins tormenting people who can't fight back, as the lawful evil alignment dictates)

I agree with slexlollar89, you can't lead your players by the nose. all that'll happen is you'll get frustrated and they'll get bored.

adventuring guilds recruiting is quite a good hook if you can manage to get your players to join, but like most things a gentle touch works best.

[Volug]

Could I suggest starting with the party all accused of murder, vis a vis in the proximity of a victim of a lycanthrope. Set it up so they seem like they are about to be steamrolled and then have your NPC rogue guy bust in with evidence that will clear them. His proof amounts to various weaknesses and strengths of lycanthropes. Then cut each one slightly with a knife. If they bleed, then they don't have the Lycanthrope's DR/silver. Have another NPC defendant not bleed, and then transform. In the chaos, the party can defeat the were-creature (maybe a were rat) with help from the rogue."...

O.o i may put that in there.... but change it a little bit. thank you.
and im making it clear that im not forcing the PC's to do anything now thinking that its boring if they dont chose for themselfs.
once again thanks for the help

[Citizen Joe]

Make you stress how dangerous the lycanthropes are and how 'The Hunters' can help, not just the general populace, but also the characters. Express it as an invitation and tell them to think carefully about it. The rogue will then depart until a week before the next full moon. If they wish to be indoctrinated, that will be their opportunity.

[Kiero]

How about you start all the characters in the same place, and ask the players to tell you why they know each other/are working together?

[Volug]

technically im starting them off in the same spot. and between us im planning on the rogue being a lycanthrope.... just hope one of my friends isnt looking at this. and the rogue most likely isnt going to help them. i'll probably leave it to the PC's how to deal with this. probably a knowledge check or 2.
i pretty much got the start down.
and i know how much a lycanthrope is dangerous ive played/fought one

[slexlollar89]

you could make the PCs get knoked out/drugged, and they wake up in a seedy tavern together and have to escape. turns out the tavern was a lycanthrope HQ, and after escaping, they now have good reason to adventure and jion the Hunters

[Volug]

may i ask who the hunters are? lycanthrope hunters or what?
another good idea btw but im changing some of it as usual to fit my campain idea. WHICH IS SECRET!

[slexlollar89]

oh i thougt thad to do with your campaign, but someone just sorta mentioned it... so what is the campaign about?

[Volug]

im changing some of it as usual to fit my campain idea. WHICH IS SECRET!

does that answer your question? and some other guy mentiond the "hunters"
i have no clue who or what they are. citizen joe i think

[Kiero]

you could make the PCs get knoked out/drugged, and they wake up in a seedy tavern together and have to escape.

Ugh, a hackneyed and justifiably-loathed device.

[Citizen Joe]

'The Hunters' is the name of a mysterious group which I made up on the spot to fit with the lycanthropy thing. Original Idea (tm)

[Volug]

so just a mysterious group? well i wasnt going to use it anyway.
now that i got most of this done guess i can start the campain

[Volug]

one of my friends suggested that i run 1 of his campains on here, he says that it will help so in the future i may run it on this site.
i did this campain once and i loved it. it uses the core rule books (v3.5) and the libris mortis. and a monsters that he made templates for.
im getting ready now and hope to put it on this site soon. maybe next week i'll start recruiting ppl for it