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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 16, 2011 21:17:43 GMT -5
so im starting a game with some friends V3.5 and i had some questions, 1. im building my own world around the adventer im making. is this a good idea.?
2. is it good to plan everything out or leave some things to work them selfs out. like should i assume what they will do or should i write a few different paths.?
3. if i know one friend will mess everything up should i keep that friend out of it.?
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Canex
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Post by Canex on Aug 17, 2011 4:41:29 GMT -5
That's a perfectly fine way to develop your campaign setting. Some people like to build things around a plot hook just like you are, others prefer to build the setting starting with a small local area, and others like to begin by designing the whole world and then narrowing things down. It's just a matter of personal preference.
That depends on what will be motivating your game development. Some GMs focus on the plot, some on character development and roleplaying, others on simply playing the setting as well as they can and seeing what happens. If you're focusing on primary having plot development inform your game, then you also have to decide whether you are going to take a heavy-handed GMing approach or allow the players to take the lead in that regard.
If you're running the game for the players, how will they mess everything up? If the reason is because they won't willingly follow the plot hook you've drawn up, I recommend reexamining why you're running the game in the first place. If the reason is because your friend is intravenously injecting large amounts of crystal meth and picking fights with the kids playing outside, holding a dog fighting ring in the basement, and calling "Princess Street Patricia" over for sexual favours, then yes, I think you should keep your friend out of it... or else run an entirely different kind of group activity. Chacun son gout.
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Post by LizardTau on Aug 17, 2011 5:29:20 GMT -5
Jon gave you some good advice there i would defiinatly listen to him, about the preparing it will really be on your inprove skills actually. if you are good at making stuff up on the fly, then prepare what you want them to do story wise even just in your head, make up some encounters and thats it. If your not very good at that then work out a couple things that could do fully. Cause if you have the encounters worked out and your good at improve you could work them into what ever they decided to do. Like they are supose to fight a dragon, but they are in the sewers for some reason, well maybe there is a fire breathing alogater in there or something. well just some ideas
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 6:18:09 GMT -5
thankyou both. and my friend always wants to fight stuff. in one story i did a long time ago the opening story was us being chashed by a colosue scorpion into a deadend pashage and some hunters lower a rope and yell clime up. when i said what do you do? he turned and ran to fight the scopion. i spent so long making that game i had the hole world map done like i mean on graph paper. down to building location. it filled my livingroom floor. after that i let him make a new toon and he did the samething again aganist somthing ealse.... the main reason i asked about the friend is. in my new campain we are shiprecked in a new land and when we get to the first road we see a carage coming towords us. most of my friends will ask for a ride into town. he will kill the dirver and speed off.
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 6:21:06 GMT -5
quick thought should i plan what my world should be beond my main plot line just in case they want to go exsplore so i can do it on the fly. like i have plans to put the main plot in motion with sudle hints of whats to come. but i have like 3 ideas.
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 7:04:10 GMT -5
also how do you do time/days in a game im new to dming well new in the aspect of i know nothing. and this is the consept i never got.
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Canex
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Post by Canex on Aug 17, 2011 7:21:29 GMT -5
Even if you don't write up a whole bunch of details, it's often handy to have a broad outline of what the setting is like immediately surrounding the players. This allows you to more easily adapt to how the game spontaneously develops and it also allows you to make GMing decisions consistent with the setting and what's happened in the game to that point.
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Post by redshirt2375 on Aug 17, 2011 7:54:59 GMT -5
and my friend always wants to fight stuff. in one story i did a long time ago the opening story was us being chashed by a colosue scorpion into a deadend pashage and some hunters lower a rope and yell clime up. when i said what do you do? he turned and ran to fight the scopion. i spent so long making that game i had the hole world map done like i mean on graph paper. down to building location. it filled my livingroom floor. after that i let him make a new toon and he did the samething again aganist somthing ealse.... the main reason i asked about the friend is. in my new campain we are shiprecked in a new land and when we get to the first road we see a carage coming towords us. most of my friends will ask for a ride into town. he will kill the dirver and speed off. Ahh sounds like they have a Leeroy in their group too Jon
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 8:28:13 GMT -5
thanks again. also i think every group has a leeroy lol well my friend has a different name but you know lol
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Post by LizardTau on Aug 17, 2011 9:06:58 GMT -5
well do it if he kills the driver that the guards of the town come for him
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Post by LizardTau on Aug 17, 2011 9:09:04 GMT -5
well u could always do it that if he kills the driver the guards from town come after him
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Post by Jack Shrapnel on Aug 17, 2011 11:45:27 GMT -5
Sometimes what helps is rewarding the efforts of the players to work together, develop their characters, and have fun...
our Sunday game uses "fun points"... each player has two they can give out... plus the DM gives out "fun points" when you do a journal entry, whenever a character does something particularly noteworthy or furthers the plot along...
when you get ten you can roll on the "fun chart" for one time benefits... such as "immune to slow for the encounter" or "reach extends by one for the encounter" or "+10 to diplomacy"
basically nothing game breaking, but these fun little benefits are nice rewards for those who contribute meaningfully to the group experience... and reinforce that kind of behaviour you like to have occur...
if someone just keeps detracting from everyone's fun, then you might want to consider not playing fun games with them... kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it?
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 13:08:55 GMT -5
thats a good idea. or i will put a mind controle slug on his head that prevents him from killing the inisent lol. hell if he runs off to kill a old red dragon solo let him die.
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Canex
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Post by Canex on Aug 17, 2011 13:40:33 GMT -5
Personally, I try to play the setting first and foremost, and allow the players to do what they want, kind of like an Elder Scrolls game... free to follow plotlines as much or as little as they want. That's simply one approach. It's going to be up to you to decide what kind of game you (and your group) want you to run. hahaha: let's watch to see how many attacks of opportunity he thinks he can survive as he charges alone through the barbarian horde ( and then becomes sad panda when the answer is 'not many' )
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Post by pmlizardmen on Aug 17, 2011 22:21:23 GMT -5
i worked hard today and i have just added the main plot of my story into it. i also have the first enemy. and a potential stronghold for the group. and its a good location that i can add off of.
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