criv
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Post by criv on Apr 27, 2014 22:27:29 GMT
I'm playing in two campaigns right now with the same group of people, one for a year the other for about half that, so I've been able to watch and learn from two fun GMs. Some friends of mine outside of this group want to play, so I offered to GM, being the one with the most experience (which I know is still very little). All of us will be learning as we go, and we all understand that, so we'll be taking the campaign slowly. Having found this board via the recent publicity post on FJ, I figured I'd ask for some advice from fellow junkies The campaigns I'm in now as well as this one I'm planning are with the Pathfinder rules. The campaign will be the 'The Crimson Throne' Adventure Path. I've got a group of 5 willing to play, one of which actually wants to be a cleric, making this easier for all of us.
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Post by z49203 on Apr 28, 2014 1:56:19 GMT
There are a couple bits of advice I'd give a new GM.
1. Take it easy, it's meant to be fun. Try to not over think things, and don't plan too far ahead as it will only cause stress for yourself.
2. Encourage Party balance, you want a good mix of abilities (Generally a skill monkey, a tank, a divine and arcane caster) However it is undoubtedly going to happen when one of the party members becomes slightly more powerful than they should be (Perhaps due to a fault of your own, perhaps not) and they outshine the other players. Try to solve the issue with as little GM BS as possible (Hey that really powerful magic sword that destroys anything in one hit IS vulnerable to a maximized disintegrate from the Lich)
3. This may be optional, but most groups enjoy it. Encourage and reward active RP, that bard with a high charisma isn't going to fight all those creatures oh no he is going to offer to sing them a song while charming all of them so he can escape and live another day or that Knight might be a big hero in public but when no one is looking he has a less than pristine record.
4. Admit you are human, your going to make a mistake. Yes at the time giving the paladin that +5 sword of badassery seemed like a good idea, but in the long run maybe giving that to a lv 2 character broke the game a little. Accept that you made a mistake and think of a way to fix it (and get the players to see your point), who knows maybe the enchantment was a bit unstable and degraded after oh so many uses...
5. This is not a rush through and kill everything in the way kind of game, unless you want it to be. RPGs like D&D allow you to give the players freedom to do things and think outside the box, maybe we don't need to fight those guards if the rogue can sneak past them and get the item we need or maybe we don't need to fight that dragon when the Wizard prepared Transmute Stone to Sand, and we just so happen to be in a cave...
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criv
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Posts: 5
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Post by criv on Apr 28, 2014 6:58:40 GMT
Thanks, I really appreciate it! I'll have to come back and read this every now and then just to check myself, I feel like I'm a little excitable when it comes to handing out cool trinkets and helping characters become broken; but I still have one thing that Id really like a pointer or two on. Since the initial post, I've learned a little more about what the party will consist of, which is the source of my curiosity.
Now, in addition to a cleric, we have a Sorcerer who plans on building towards massive self-buffs and melee combat, and a pretty standard sneak attack/crit rogue, another party member has said he's planning on breaking a combat class, and the final member (with the least experience) also wants to do something combat heavy.
So when the point comes that the whole party seems to be pretty overpowered in respect to where they are in the campaign, how should I deal with it, in general? We've hit that point in both of the Adventure Paths that I play, and I really don't want to resort to just giving the monsters attack/damage/health buffs. I want the party to still feel like their characters are powerful and worthwhile, but I definitely feel like it's less fun for everyone when there's no challenge.
TL:DR, how could I help balance the campaign against the party if they start getting to strong as a whole?
I know this is a key point of GMing that I'll have to learn on my own for the most part, and I know that second advice point addresses this, but I was just wondering if you, or another kind reader, could give a little more depth to it.
Thanks again!
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criv
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Posts: 5
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Post by criv on Apr 28, 2014 7:02:31 GMT
Or, maybe it'd be better to ask how I can help guide them towards non-combat solutions when they all feel confident in their brute force abilities?
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Post by z49203 on Apr 28, 2014 7:45:30 GMT
From my experience with parties that can brute force anything into submission there are a few ways to go around it:
1. Maybe there's a job that doesn't need the target dead (Captured alive kind of thing), which will make the party need to rethink how they handle a situation when the Sorcerer can't go blasting with ANY combat spells (Most spells are restricted to only lethal damage, and would kill the target)
2. Being a creature does not mean being stupid. Sure on even terrain those Vampires don't pose a threat, but how about if one manages to sneak behind the party and starts drinking the sorcerer? Or those spiders that seemed like an easy battle have more of their kind burrowed everywhere ready to pounce?
3. Two words: Antimagic Field
4. If it is magic that is overpowering a fight, Golems will quickly fix that. If it's melee that is making magic seem useless, say that to a ghost.
5. NPC Hype: NPCs are generally laymen who have no true combat skill, and sure that big bad barbarian may only be a level above the party. But do you think they will enter that fight with the same mind set if the NPCs are saying things like "Yea, that band of barbarians are causing some real trouble" compared to the bloodied knight walking into the town saying with his final words "He's here" It's more of a mental warfare against the players kind of thing, if you can make a battle seem like there is a very narrow chance of winning then the odds are that the PCs will try to avoid a direct confrontation.
6. Describe the area in enough detail to where they get ideas themselves. Compare: The cartographer places his hand on the map, pointing to a small dot. "They were last seen here in an abandoned fort"
The cartographer places his hand on the map, pointing to a small dot. "We've traced them down to this Siege armory"
While both of these locations are the same fort, the second one describes it as being a fort (Armory is used in it's place) however it also states a potential work around. Siege, meaning the possibility of gunpowder or other explosives.
7. I cannot point this out to enough people, Nothing wants to die. Unless the creature they are fighting has less than 1 INT, odds are it does not want to die. Meaning that it will run or attempt to escape (Most smart creatures will have an escape plan or two), so if they really needed that big bad guy dead they are going to have to hunt him down (Possibly extending the mission indefinitely). Once the big bad guy escapes once, the PCs are less likely (Hopefully) to try to engage in direct combat if they really need that guy dead.
8. Time. If we have 30 minutes to get to the alter at the end on this temple and it will take atleast 25 minutes to run there, I am not going to stop to fight those three slimes. I'm going to get the wizard to cast fly on all of us and get us out of there.
9. Not every creature fights with it's body, some use guile and wit. There is a bit of a difference when that Lich you have to kill has polymorphed himself into an ambassador of the King, and in the King's own court nonetheless!
10. Encourage good roleplay. Yes we all know that the King of the Underdark slew his brother and usurped the nine Kingdoms of Azendial and now rules with an iron fist, but if the PCs just run in there and slay him would they know about the seal he maintains by sacrificing his own body to prevent it from breaking open and spilling the abyss and blighting the land?
All in all, there is no better way than another (I prefer the last one, however it can very easily go over the top... "Wait a minute, the king is half elf... half human... half dragon... AND he's committing racial genocide?!") and a combination will likely suit you better than using only one.
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criv
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by criv on Apr 28, 2014 8:50:39 GMT
Honestly, I was not expecting such concise points and examples lol I know it all seems like pretty basic stuff from an experienced point of view, but you just addressed just about everything that I've been nervous about so far, thank you!
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Post by z49203 on Apr 28, 2014 8:58:20 GMT
Not a problem, once you've got a few campaigns under your belt you have to think of ways to surprise your players. I'm just glad I can help
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