They can’t ransack the barracks prematurely if they don’t know where they are. Control the information, and you control the game.

Even if they think they have it covered, they don’t. They capture a guy and torture him to find out where the barracks are? Fine, the guy tells them — except when they get there, the barracks aren’t there. The wizard in charge of keep tabs on the gang scryed that he was going to reveal the location so he teleported the whole kit ‘n’ kaboodle to a new location.

Just make sure it all makes sense logically. If he can do that, why can’t he just teleport the PCs away? Because the barracks were heavily enchanted over a long period of time so they COULD be transported. And when you DO want the PCs to find it, the wizard can’t do it again because the PCs got there one day before the enchantment recharged.

Eh, I have big beefs with 4ed, I still play 3.5. I think it’s just way more versatile than cramming everything into a few skills, and the whole ‘no rolling for hitpoints’ thing just throws me off.

MC: Hmm… that sounds interesting. Now all I gotta do is learn how to implement that in my games… Q.Q

Chawin Posted:

and if being high level gets a bit confusing for new players, then just nerf the dragon a bit

One of my games started with the low leave group of avengers coming upon a VERY young blue dragon getting money from a town. They, of course, charged in a killed the dragon…

Turns out the dragon’s very old mother was using the town to baby sit her son. (blue dragons are lawful evil so she thought he might have fun playing ‘tyrant’ for a bit)

Anyway, the long adventurer then was the party trying to stay one step ahead of the blue dragon that wanted them all dead. Her enemies would help them and she went crazy with the death of her son.

I like having the players first game set up the end game, but an experienced group would not fall for something as simple as “there is a baby dragon yelling at townsfolk in front of you, what do you do?”

Also, I do think running a pre-made adventurer is a very good idea. Gives you a feel for the game and your group. Whenever I start a new roleplaying system I like at least READING a pre-made to get a sense of the ‘world’ an a feel for the game setting itself.

Also, what KIND of people are playing your game is very important. The 4th ed dungeon masters guide has a very good section identifying kinds of players. Its worth a read, took me years of playing to get all of the info they just HAVE in that section. Great for new DMs.

Aaight, I rolled up the treasure, and I think it’s okay. In total, one CR2 encounter, 4 CR 1 encounters, and one CR1/2 which I just rolled for CR1 and divided it. Here it is:

3,000 cp

800 sp

420 gp

Masterwork melee weapon

Wand of Invisibility (I rolled a 99!)

How’s that sound for a 1st-level haul?

Good! Custom treasure s nice, but I tend to overdo it. Maybe in a few more levels when I grasp it more easily. Eventually, I want to throw a Rod of Wonder in there. XD

I might be on later tonight, but I gotta run to work, now. Post for me! Thank you for your help!

Hey, all! I finally have a basic structure for the adventure made, and thought I would share the fruits of my labor with you. I know most don’t have the concentration necessary to read something this long, but you may or may not get a kick out of it.

Characters start in town, hear that the lady of the manor needs help. They talk to her, and she hires them to find her husband, dead or alive. They go find him in a cave filled with orcs, where their chief, if questioned, tells them that they captured him as tribute to the Ogre chieftain that threatens to ransack them.

Another opportunity for information arises when bandits ambush them on the way back; one of them is carrying a message to kill them, written by someone by the name of Grak, in Water’s Edge.

If the lord is brought back to the manor, the lady rewards them, but the lord has something else on his mind. He takes them aside and says he went into the woods to meet his mistress and run away with her, but was captured by a scouting party from the orcs. Now, he offers to pay them a hefty sum to make his mistress disappear.

Another avenue is that the characters go to find the ogre chieftain. In order to find the ogre’s lair, they can either Gather Information from travelers in the town, or they can pay the local sage to spend a few days researching it.

When and if they find the ogre’s lair, whether they manage to kill him or not, a mysterious stranger appears outside the cave and reveals that he’s been watching them since they got back to town with the lord, and offers them an opportunity: to come with him to the main city of Renthar, and gain employment from the Adventurer’s Guild.

If they accept and kill the lord’s mistress, a witness comes forward the next day and alerts the guard, throwing them in jail. However, if they decide to tell the lady, she has one of two reactions. If they don’t have evidence, she has them thrown in jail for implicating her husband. If they have evidence, she enters a fit of rage, kills her husband, and then herself in the realization of her mistake. In the commotion, guards come in to find the characters standing over the dead lord and lady, and throw them in jail to be hung the next day.

Whether they succeed or fail to produce evidence of the lord’s unfaithfulness, the characters are visited by a stranger in the night at the jail who offers them an opportunity, due to seeing their work clearing out the orcs and the ogre chieftain: he will spring them free if the characters wish to come with him, and work for the Adventurer’s Guild in the main city of Renthar.

Constructive criticism is appreciated! I know it is somewhat cliche, but at least its not just straight-up hack n’ slash, because my characters have asked for SOMEthing that leads into RPing.

Styzzyx Posted:

LMAO Sounds awesome. I really wish I could run an evil-themed game with the people I play with, but they’re the ‘power-gamer’ types that would try to ransack the whole town. Frankly, I don’t want to generate a few hundred copies of the town guard to have them slaughtered, and my characters more powerful in the beginning of the game than they should be. Log in to see images!

Them: “Okay, we’re going to totally enjoy and pillage the town.”

You: “Okay, you get [X REWARDS]”.

—An hour later, or a few days in game time—

You: “A unit of soldiers led by Sir Henry **** shows up to arrest and execute you.”

Them: “Okay, then we’ll fight them.”

You: “Yeah, he’s l.20, and the rest are l.18. Have fun with that.”

Them: “Wait what that’s unfair!”

You: “Well, maybe you shouldn’t have terrorized that town earlier, huh? I’m sure you’ll remember that when we start a new campaign after you’re all horribly killed here.”

Point being, just apply reasonable yet inescapable consequences when you’re players go out of their way to be jack-offs. Or, as a more lenient example…you could allow them to escape the previous encounter, but bumure them that they’re still fugitives, and that any outrageous act of brutality will attract attention to the authorities.

SoronTheBeast Posted:

I do also want to remind you of one thing, something I, myself, sometimes forget when I run a game. You have to work WITH the players to have fun. The game is about fun, your fun, their fun, everyone’s fun. It can be hard because everyone has their own idea of what ‘fun’ means, but your running the game, and it falls on you to make that ‘fun’ happen whatever it maybe.

QFT.

And as Soron says, it largely depends on your players. But generally, I’ve found remaining flexible is the key to any GM/DM/ST success. Sometimes, being one is like herding cats; don’t be surprised if a large part of your carefully laid plans end up by the wayside. At the same time, you can always turn old plans into new plans…bwa ha ha.

Invaluable GM resource: Seventh Sanctum. Lots of good idea starters, generators, and quick ideas for coming up with stuff on the fly if needed.