Erratic Posting Schedule

Greetings all,

Just wanted to let you know that the posting schedule on the blog is (hopefully) going to be:

Campaign Update on Monday or Tuesday (for weeks when the campaign is run - every other week)
Becoming a DM/GM on Wednesday
Ask the DM on Thursday (assuming there are questions to use - need your help with this one - keep sending/posting questions!)

I'm also going to be doing another blog of just random geeky things, it'll be my random thoughts on geek news, reviews of some of my favorite things (comics, games, books, movies, etc) and basically anything else that comes to mind... Feel free to check that out as well! (http://www.thegeekinreview.blogspot.com)


Remember to drop your questions and comments below or via email thedmsjourney452@gmail.com


Until Next Time,

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Ask the DM (2/14/13)

Welcome to the first session of "Ask the DM"

We'll be answering your questions from the comments and from email!

Question 1:

I have a question regarding the "always say 'you can try'" point you explained at the start of the post. In my previous campaign, the PC's arrived at a village where the 'mayor' was long-absent, without the knowledge of the people. When they decided to search for him they first went to his mansion, and after receiving no response broke in, only to find it abandoned and dilapidated, though still full of belongings. And so, they proceeded to raid the mansion, in search of magical items.

So, how do I react to this? I had not at all thought of this, and found it quite creative, albeit amoral, and so I let it pass giving them a few magical items. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't, since it felt like an extremely cheap way of acquiring them, and some of the items I gave were a bit out-of-context for a mayor (although he wasn't exactly ordinary).
Should I reward their idea and let them have their items, give them another challenge before letting them find the equipment (in which case, what challenge?), or just deny it outright?

Personally, this is why I say "you can try". In this situation, can they search the Mayor's house for magic items? Sure they can, that doesn't mean he had any. If it doesn't make sense for the Mayor to have any magic items, then the heroes don't have to find any.

Another way to handle this, now that you've given them items they found in his house, is to make it part of the story. Why did the mayor of a small village have powerful magic items in his home? Was he in with some organization? Why did he leave them if he left of his own accord?

By having them find things that don't belong, you have a way to perhaps pull them into a larger plot or story...


Don't be afraid in the future when they search something like this to say "you find mundane items, but nothing really exciting". Just remember, allowing them to attempt something doesn't mean it has to be a success, they can search and not find things.

Question 2:

Death becoming a VERY easily overcome obstacle only a few levels into the game, how can I make it an actual considerable consequence, without completely removing the raise dead ritual and company?
I suppose my question is how can I make life or death consequential for the players?

There are a couple of options here. One is to have players lose a level or lose experience from dying and resurrecting. Losing experience you worked for is not fun and generally players will avoid it.

Another option is to make the components for the resurrection spells very hard to find. Perhaps the local religious group holds a monopoly on the market so they can charge exorbitant prices for resurrections (this should be beyond what the characters can afford)

Yet another option is to have the soul of the character not be there when the others try to resurrect him, perhaps they have been resurrected by some bad guy and have to be rescued, or perhaps they are trapped in the underworld by some evil thing...

Another fun option I've seen is to have death/resurrection take a mental toll on the characters. Every time they die and resurrect, the DM assigns them some sort of mental problem. Perhaps they now have multiple personalities, or perhaps they have some other crazy condition... Imagine how traumatizing it could be to die and be brought back... perhaps the PC didn't like what they saw...

Question 3:

Concerning DM-run characters:
The last adventure I ran was for a small group of only 3 PC's, which soon became 2. Not wishing to make combat encounters too small, I decided to make a character for me to run, having read a bit on the subject, and deeming 2 characters per player a bad idea.

I made an actual PC-type character, with a character sheet and all, with all the powers, equipment, etc. I was very careful, however, as to make the character as unnoticeable as possible:
Albain was a human shielding cleric, with essencially nothing but support abilities, making him very easy to run. Also, he was much less noticeable in combat, dealing very little damage, but filling in the much-needed leader role (and very well, for that matter; his healing word restored the bloodied value of the party's striker). 

I was able to make much more interesting encounters, with a larger exp budget, all the while leaving the PC's in the limelight. Albain spoke very little, only when the PC's were stuck or silent, and usually only made perception and diplomacy checks, as demanded by the other characters.
He was however, still a somewhat complex character, at least compared to NPC's, and took some effort to manage. Also, his minimal contributions might have been a bad thing in some ways, since the party size felt like only 2; maybe I could have milked this character a bit more.

I am now starting a new campaign, with players unfamiliar with roleplaying games. Is this the best choice in this situation? Would an NPC be better, contributing a bit more and possibly acting as an an walking "quest hub", or is the very discrete and easy-to-part-with cleric the way to go?

This is a tough question. Most people are pretty split on the idea of the DM having a "member" of the group. I've found that having an NPC be part of the group can be a blessing and a curse. You want to make sure that NPC (or PC if you choose to run a full PC) is not becoming the star of the group and you don't want your PCs constantly looking to them for the "right answer".

There are a couple ways to do this, one of my favorites is to have the "scared healer" approach. If your group needs a healer, you can make an NPC healer who is perhaps afraid to fight. He will always suggest the least violent or dangerous course of action if asked and will try to shy away from fighting. If you give them some personality, this NPC can become a quirky and beloved member of the group.

It is possible to run a full DM PC, but I would recommend treading lightly, and I wouldn't recommend it for new DMs, you already have a lot to keep track of without having to worry about a full character as well...



That's all for today,  a special thanks to Lucas for the great questions...

Post below or email me (thedmsjourney452@gmail.com) with any questions you might have or topics you'd like to see discussed!

Until next time,

Your Humble DM,
-Zach

Quick PS - For those who haven't tried it, I'm absolutely hooked on Fire Emblem: Awakening - great game, check it out if you get a chance!

Becoming a DM/GM (Part 6)

Today on Becoming a DM/GM, we're going to talk player character death.

Let me get this out of the way quickly... YOUR PCs WILL DIE

Unless you take drastic steps otherwise, your PCs will find ways to get themselves killed...

I know I've used this quote on the blog before and it still rings true here...
“The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.”
-Gary Gygax

You will never have to try to kill your PCs, they will do a great job of finding creative and exciting ways to get themselves killed all on their own.

There are a few options when it comes to dealing with PC death...

1.) Don't allow PCs to die...

This is... BY FAR... the worst option. I would highly recommend against this option ever being used.

This option will completely suck the fun and excitement out of your game faster than you can say "god mode".

There's nothing more boring than trying to play a game where your character can't possibly die. Think about the last time you played a game with "god mode" on... how fast did you get bored? It's fun being invincible for a short time, but eventually you run out of things to do and get bored and move on.

I will say, there are times I will give the PCs an "extra chance" to save themselves, or will adjust an encounter on the fly if I made it too difficult. I will not however, save the PCs from dying to a bad choice, or even to crappy die rolls. If those happen, they happen, there are other ways to deal with PC death that are much better...


2.) Allow the player to reroll a new character (if they don't want to play the old one anymore)

If I am faced with this situation, I will usually allow them to reroll at the same level as the party is currently, and give them magic items and gold roughly equivalent to what the rest of the party has. Some DMs will start new characters a level or so behind to make sure people aren't just constantly dying/rerolling. Personally, I don't mind if people decide they want to reroll to a different character (I don't ever like "forcing" my players to play a character they don't enjoy, it's no fun for anyone...)

This solution works well, but you will notice that players will tend to become attached to their characters, meaning they may not want to start over... in which case, there is another option...


3.) Bring the character back in some story related fashion

I feel this is really the best option if your player doesn't want to roll a new character. There are multiple ways this can be done, one is to have the party go about getting the character resurrected, including having one of the PCs do it (if they have one that can do so).

Some other options are to have the PCs go on a quest to "save" their friend.

A great example of this is the PAX 2010 Game - the group goes to Hell to rescue Wil Wheaton's character who died.



Not much else to say on this topic...

Comment below with your ideas/ways of handling PC death!

Also, comment below or email thedmsjourney452@gmail.com with questions - we'll be doing "Ask the DM" tomorrow!

Until Next Time,

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

"Ask the DM"

Greetings all!

Sorry about the lack of a post yesterday, unfortunately life got in the way a bit...

Look for a new "Becoming a DM/GM" post on Monday.

Also, I'd like to start up a new section here on the DMs Journey, but I need your help!

I'd like to start an "ask the DM" section... 

Do you have a problem you need help with? Have your PCs completely run off the rails and run amok in your world? Do you have a rules question or need help designing an encounter?

Drop me an email at thedmsjourney452@gmail.com with your questions and see them addressed right here on the blog!

I look forward to your questions and concerns!

Until Next Time,

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Becoming a DM/GM (part 5)

Today's Becoming a DM/GM will be just some general tips and tricks that help you as you DM whether it's your first game or you're a seasoned pro.

1.) Always say "yes, but" or "you can try" when a player asks "can I..."

This is a piece of advice that's thrown around quite often and it's with good reason. Your goal as DM is to encourage your players to roleplay and think creatively, and this rule helps with that a great deal. Telling a player no generally shuts down this kind of thinking instead of promoting it. 

This doesn't mean that you let your players run roughshod over you and do whatever they want, but it means that if they have an idea that it outside the box, as long as they are willing/able to overcome your handicaps associated with the idea, they can do it. 

So if a player decides they want to have a pet dragon, or wants to design their own class, or wants to try something outlandish "I'd like to convince the King to give his throne to me because I'm the long lost relative of an ancient King" If they can overcome the penalties/setback associated with that choice, or live with the consequences if they fail, then let them try it...

Along with this is the idea that I've spoken of before, allowing automatic successes on a natural 20 and automatic failure on a natural 1. Players may try to abuse this idea by trying outlandish things hoping to roll a natural 20, but this is easily overcome. Make the "punishment" or "bad stuff" associated with failure match the difficulty/outlandishness of the action. So using the earlier example, if they try to convince the King and fail, perhaps the King has them thrown in prison or executed for impersonating royalty. 

Using this rule has led to some very interesting situations in my campaigns. I had one player who was playing a Barbarian and the group was fighting a pack of dire wolves. He decided he wanted to try intimidating one of them into "surrendering". He succeeds with a 20, so not only does said wolf surrender, but he has a new companion. 

Also, I never have a problem with players wanting to change or add "cosmetic" things to their characters. I had one player who wanted a pet spider to follow him around. It couldn't/wouldn't attack and gave no real advantages for the most part (he used it in creative ways once in a while). 

If you have a player who wants to have his fireballs be green instead of red, or who wants their lightning bolt to be black instead of white... let them have it. It'll have no real impact on the game and it lets the player do something to "personalize" their character. 

2.) You are not the players enemy and you don't win anything for killing off all the player characters... in fact you lose when you do...

This is something that many DMs, new and old, seem to forget. Your goal is not to kill the PCs, your goal is to tell a story with the PCs, and if they all die, the story ends. 

You will be playing the monsters against the heroes, and it is your job to challenge the heroes. This does mean that sometimes they will get themselves killed. Players are notorious for doing dumb or careless things that get their characters killed. You don't need to actually do anything to make this happen, it will happen naturally as you play. You don't want to be engineering things just to kill a PC, let them get themselves killed instead.

This is not to say that your monsters and NPCs shouldn't fight intelligently or that they shouldn't employ tactics and strategies against the PCs... it does mean, however, that you should  not be designing a world just to kill your players. Design a world that is interesting and let your players loose in it...

3.) If you want your players to do something more often, reward them for doing so...

Do you want your players to RP more? Give them extra XP when they find a way to solve a problem via RP instead of just hacking their way through it. 

Want them to try figuring out a creative solution to a puzzle or problem? Perhaps that creative solution means that the bad guy is more willing to negotiate with them, and offers them a ton of gold and magic items for letting him live... 

If you want your players to use more creative means to solve problems, reward this. If you want them to RP more, reward them for doing so, if you want them to fight more (rare, but it could happen) then reward them better for fighting. Whatever the case, make sure they are aware that they are receiving an "extra" reward for what they did, this will cement the idea that it's a good behavior and it will hopefully click for them that they should continue that behavior. 

4.) Don't argue rules at the table, make a judgement and make a note of it so you can revisit it at a better time...

We've all played with rules lawyers... We've all been wrong at the table on how a certain rule or ability works...

Arguing rules at the table tends to bring the game to a screeching halt. Instead of arguing the rules at the table in the middle of playing, you should be making a judgement as the DM, and the table will abide by that judgement. Later, during a break or after the session, you can always revisit that rule/judgement and fix the ruling for the future.

If you have a player who wants to argue the rule, make a judgement and they can look up the rule while it's not their turn, you can always fix it a couple rounds later if necessary. But you don't want to completely stop everything while you page through a book, it's BORING...

Hand-in-hand with this rule is...

5.) At the table, your word is law, make sure your players realize and respect this, also make sure you don't abuse this power...

As the DM, you are making the world and the rules. Your word is law, no matter what the books say. 

Do you want your NPC to be able to wave his hand and transform into a dragon? Then do it... Even if there's not necessarily a rule for it, make one up, but make sure you are consistent with these rules. If you make a ruling on something, make sure that ruling stands for everyone until you have the chance to all agree to "fixing" it later. 

You don't want to make arbitrary judgments, but you want to be able to change the rules as necessary. The rules as written are a great framework, but your job is to bend, manipulate and change those rules as you see fit to tell a compelling story. In my opinion (and that of many of the best DMs I've seen) story trumps rules every time. 

6.) Talk to your players...

This seems like a "duh" tip, but you'd be surprised how many new DMs don't think to do this...

Usually, when I start a group, especially one with players I haven't DMd for before, I like to ask the players what they want to see or fight. They like zombies and want to fight undead? Cool. They like battles with big, epic monsters like dragons and tarrasques? Ok. Do they maybe like to wade into combat against tons of minions and hack their way through? Easy enough.

Try to give your players what they want, but with your own twists on it. 

Don't be afraid to outright ask your players what they like or want and tailor the campaign to their wants... Remember, it's their story, you're just helping them tell it. 

7.) Don't be afraid to reskin things...

Don't be afraid to change the flavor of anything. Do you want your PCs to encounter a goblin brute, but only have the zombie brute available? Change the damage and resistances a bit and you can easily use the stats interchangeably.

Changing the flavor of a monster or NPC can make a huge difference and can save you a ton of time.

8.) Your "bad guys" need a motivation...

All good villains have a motivation of some sort. They have a reason why they do what they do, even the crazy ones. 

The Joker is a great example of a crazy one, but even he has a motivation for what he does, he doesn't just do things randomly, he does them to prove a point. It doesn't matter that the point itself is flawed or crazy, to him it makes sense. 

When you look at the best villains in film and books, they all have some overarching motivation that they are trying to accomplish. Voldemort wanted to rid the world of non-magical people and wanted to become more powerful. (Revenge worked its way in as well in his hatred of Harry Potter). Darth Vader and the Emperor wanted to rule the Galaxy. Sauron wanted to rule the world. They all had a motivation of some sort.

When you design a villain for your PCs to encounter, come up with some grand goal that villain is trying to accomplish. Are they trying to eradicate magic from the world? Are they trying to build an empire? Are they trying to become the most powerful necromancer there is? Are they trying to become a god? 

Make sure the things that villain does work towards that goal. It doesn't have to be apparently right away how those actions work towards the goal (and it can be better if it's not at all apparent until later) but they should have some reason for happening in concert with the ultimate goal of the villain.

and on that note...

9.) The PCs should have a motivation as well...

This goes doubly so for evil PCs (if you allow them), but all of the PCs should have some motivation. 

Not just for the current adventure, but also some ultimate goal. Perhaps they want to become a warlord, perhaps they want to be the greatest assassin the world has ever seen, perhaps they want to create a new form of magic, or their own spells through years of study. 

Whatever that end motivation is, the PCs should be moving towards that motivation with things they do. It doesn't have to be a specific goal, it can be something as vague as "I'd like to spread the teachings of my god", but they should have some goal or motivation to work towards. This can also change as their character progresses.

For evil characters, I try to head off the "I'm going to be a jerk randomly because my alignment says evil." If you want to play evil that's fine, but you can't just be a jerk for no reason. If you're doing something evil, it should be to further your eventual goal. 

One way I try to stem off the "random jerk acts" from evil characters is to punish those acts harshly when they are just random, instead of working towards the character's goal. 

"Oh, you decided to randomly kill that barmaid for no reason? Well, she was actually a rather important person and her friends are none too happy about it and are sending hit squads to take out you and your companions."

Also, if you choose to do this, make sure the party knows that they're having a tougher time because of what that character did... they will help to keep the character in check themselves...

10.) Your players will upset or avoid your carefully laid plans... expect this and be able to adapt...

A nearly universal rule of DMing is that your players will always find some way to upset or bypass your carefully laid plans. The rule of thumb seems to be... the more time you put into planning that encounter or dungeon, the higher chance they'll find some way to completely avoid it... 

Be ready to improvise, sometimes that improvisation will put them back on the path you have prepared, other times you'll be improvising a whole new path, either way, your players will always find new and interesting ways to surprise you.

Did you plan for them to fight a dragon at the end of the current dungeon, and they decide to try and negotiate with it instead? Let them, either find some way for the dragon to decide to attack via negotiation, or allow them to actually negotiate their way out of it, perhaps said dragon can even become a "patron" of the PCs, giving them quests to do for him in exchange for rewards...

I hope these tips help you out in your journey as a DM... do you think I forgot some important tip? Tell me below!

Until Next Time, 

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Some favorite things of mine...

Today's post is going to be a rather short one, just a few of my favorite D&D related links...

Videos:

Chris Perkins DM Commentary: This is Chris Perkins commentary about the game he ran for the writers/talent behind Robot Chicken. He gives a ton of insight into how he runs his games and you will learn a lot from this guy...

The PAX live Penny Arcade/PVP/Wil Wheaton games:

PAX 2010

PAX 2011

PAX 2012

I can't say enough about these, you won't really learn as much, but they are great entertainment - I think they're hilarious and entertaining

Gamers: Dorkness Rising This is the 2nd in the "Gamers" series, and I think the best of the two... Here's a link to the first part of the first Gamers as well - check them out for a laugh!

Webcomics:

Order of the Stick: The art style is all stick figures, but the story and jokes are great... definitely enjoyed (and still enjoying) this one...

DM of the Rings: This one isn't still going, but it's worth going back to read. It's basically the idea of what might happen if a DM were to run the Lord of the Rings as a typical D&D game - not only is the comic great, but his comments to go along with the panels are good.

Looking for Group: Roughly D&D based comic - quite funny... worth the read

Table Titans: Fairly new comic from Scott Kurtz - quite funny!

Books:

A Song of Ice and Fire (link to the first 4 books): The only bad thing I can really say about these books is that George RR Martin has been taking a long time to finish the series... There's also a successful HBO show as well... These are completely worth the time to read!

Sword of Truth (link to first 3 books): I really like this series, I started reading it while it was still coming out, and really grew to like it. The later books in the series get a little dicey, but his most recent addition "The Mother Confessor" is a great addition to the series. 

Wheel of Time (link to first book): I actually just got into this series, I'm currently working my way through the 2nd book and really loving the series... the final book in the series was just released recently: "A Memory of Light"...

Podcasts:

"Nerd Poker: Dungeons and Dragons with Brian Posehn and Friends" Is an excellent D&D podcast, it's quite entertaining and you'll get a good laugh (fair warning, they are quite loose with the rules so if you're a rules stickler you might not be as into it)

"Critical Hit": Another podcast of a group playing D&D - worth the listen - a LOT of back episodes so it's quite an undertaking

What are some of your favorite fantasy/D&D links and media? Share below!

Until next time

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Becoming a DM/GM (part 4)

Today's topic on Becoming a DM/GM is party balance.

This topic is something that comes up often when players are deciding what character they want to play. Some DMs will require that their party have some sort of balance or follow the basic "holy trinity" (tank/healer/DPS)

Personally, I would rather have my players play whatever class/race/kind of character they want. I find that when players are forced into a role like tanking or healing that they don't really want to do, they end up not having fun and quitting...

As the DM, there are multiple ways to adjust for a party that is missing a piece or is not balanced.

1.) Design

You can design encounters based around the lack of a certain archetype. This is easier for some things that might be missing and a bit harder for others. For instance, the lack of a rogue or any character with thievery skills can be compensated for by giving traps and locked doors a solution that doesn't require thievery. Perhaps you use traps that can be disarmed through the use of the arcana skill, as well as thievery. Perhaps the players can break down the locked door (not exactly stealthy, perhaps they have to fight a group of guards that respond to the noise)

Designing around not having a healer or tank is more difficult but still quite possible. 

For a healer, perhaps you make things like healing potions and "charged" items of healing more plentiful. Perhaps the group gets items like a wand or belt "of healing" with so many charges, or perhaps they receive plenty of healing potions...

The other design option for not having a healer is to make the game feel more "real" in the sense that getting into a fight is a dangerous thing and doesn't happen as often. 

Working around the lack of a tank can be difficult as well, and I honestly haven't found a solid way to deal with this from an encounter design perspective aside from just making the encounters easier...

2.) Running a Dungeon Master Player Character (DMPC)

This is a pretty hefty subject. While this can be used to help balance the party, it can also be a slippery slope to a really bad gaming experience for everyone.

The biggest downfall or temptation here is to make your DMPC the star of the show and to make them more powerful than the other characters are. This is a terrible thing. Your players should be the stars of this show and they should be the ones driving the action. Your job as DM is to make the world unfold before them and let them tell a story in that world, not to just tell a story to the players where the DM is just talking to himself. 

Some DMs run a PC in every group they run, others will never run a PC or even play in a group where the DM is running one. 

So while this can be a solution, I recommend you use it with caution and sparingly. 

3.) Putting an NPC (or a string of them) into the party to fill the gap

This is, in my opinion, the best option presented. You can fill party gaps fairly easily using an NPC, and it's a much better solution than using an running an actual character as the DM. 

There are a couple of ways to make sure that the players won't lose the spotlight or use the NPC you give them as a crutch. 

For example, perhaps in a party with no healer, the king sending them out to do his bidding offers a healer from his court to go along. This healer is part of an ancient sect that takes a solemn vow of silence and pacifism, going so far as to not even defend himself if attacked. Perhaps he gives them a healer who is great when it comes to healing, but is an enormous wuss. He will always recommend the course of action that shows the least risk if asked, and will try to avoid fighting at all costs.

For a tank type character, think perhaps a character like Ser Ilyn Payne from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Great with weapons, but had his tongue cut out and can no longer speak or perhaps a half-orc who doesn't have the ability to speak beyond a few words but can understand what's being said. Another option here would be a character similar to Chewbacca - he can understand everything but speaks a different language that can only be understood by one (or none) of the party members. 

These are some of the options you can take when trying to fix a party that is not balanced. 

PS - currently reading Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" Series - if you haven't checked it out yet - pick it up! It's an excellent series and completely worth the read!!

(link to the first book)

Becoming a DM/GM (part 3)

On this session of "Becoming a DM/GM" we'll be talking adventure and dungeon building.

Where do I start?

There are a lot of different ideas on where to start, and where you choose to is up to you. If you're designing an entire campaign, you will likely find that your dungeons and adventures kind of build themselves based around what your campaign needs. If you're designing a standalone campaign, there are a few options for where to start.

1.) The Villain 

This is a good place to start either as a standalone or as part of a campaign. If your campaign has a villain already, he/she/it can be a good jumping off point for the current adventure or maybe the villain is a subtle presence driving the events that the heroes won't actually face until much later. Either way, using the villain can give you both a theme and a reason for the dungeon. 

Perhaps the villain in your campaign or adventure is a powerful wizard who has stolen a powerful artifact and locked himself in his keep to do horrible things with it leaving the PCs to have to storm his keep and take it back?

Perhaps your villain is a warlord who has taken over a village and enslaved it's people to work in his mines as slave labor and your heroes must fight their way through to free them. 

Or, perhaps your heroes are going to try to stop a local crime syndicate and eventually will find out that the big bad villain of the whole campaign was behind the crime syndicate they went after, and they work their way up to confronting him. 

2.) The Setting

What do you want to design? What do your players want to run? Do you feel interested in designing a dragon cave? How about a jail or the tower of a crazy wizard? Some great advice is if you have an idea you really want to use, find a way to use it! You never know when your group might split up, or when they might go off in another direction completely away from what you expect and you might miss your chance... If you think it would be fun to do, DO IT!

3.) A specific trap/puzzle or room

This goes right along with that last advice... If you have a specific trap or puzzle or encounter in mind that you really want to use, DO IT! Find a way to work it into the adventure or dungeon you're creating. Do you really want to put in a dragon? Are you really excite for this great puzzle you came up with? Do you want your PCs to fight against a Lich and his undead minions? Put it in! 

Creating the Map

Useful Tools:

I personally use some regular graph paper to draw my maps to begin with, I note everything important I will need to remember like the locations of monsters and secret doors/traps. I also recommend numbering the rooms in order to make it easier for yourself. Personally, I'm a big fan of using straight lines to make it easier to adjudicate for movement and LOS. 

For the map itself that you will use for minis, I recommend a couple of things. If you want to pre-draw your maps, I recommend 1" grid lined easel paper or a Gamemastery 2-sided battlemat and some wet erase markers. If you have the money, using both is nice as well - the paper will allow you to pre-draw your maps, while having the battlemat on-hand will allow you to improvise when your players decide to do something completely random and you need to come up with something on the fly (that's not if, but when for sure, your players will always find something to do that you couldn't possibly prepare for in a million years.) Another option is using the Wizards premade dungeon tiles - although some DMs want to be able to be a bit more creative than these can allow sometimes as you are limited by what Wizards has printed.

For minis, there are a few options... 

Unfinished Wooden Discs one of my players turned me on to these. You can use a pencil to draw or write on them, your players can draw a symbol to represent themselves or just write their name. They are quite useful, and also exceptionally cheap compared to other options...

Official D&D Minis These are a more expensive option to use. If you have the money, go for it!

Some other options to represent characters include things like beer bottle caps, glass aquarium beads or even the figures from the Dungeons and Dragons board games (again, rather expensive) Castle Ravenloft, Legend of Drizzt and Wrath of Ashardalon.

Other Important Tips

1.) Don't give the PCs only one way to pass an obstacle

If you put in a puzzle or a skill challenge, make sure that it doesn't stop the players completely, there needs to be some other way around the challenge or some way for you prod them in the right direction. Perhaps the puzzle they're trying to solve doesn't stop them, but when they fail to solve it they set off an alarm and the next encounter is more difficult, or perhaps you can sprinkle around hints about how to solve it or allow them to use checks to figure out pieces to help them put it together. 

2.) Don't be afraid to steal

"Good writers borrow, great writers steal." -Oscar Wilde

Don't be afraid to steal traps/puzzles and encounters from other sources. I've used puzzles, traps and even just single enemies from all kinds of places including movies, video games and books.

(Indiana Jones is always a fun place to look for traps and puzzles, as is the Tomb Raider series)

3.) Don't be afraid to ask your players what they want

Feel free to ask your players what they like and what they want. Do your players like fighting big, epic monsters like dragons and tarrasques? Do they love HUGE encounters against tons of minions so they can wade into battle and just murder tons of bad guys?

Don't be afraid to give them what they want. I usually like to ask my players what kinds of things they want to see, and take note of them to work them into my encounters when it comes up. 

Well, that's all for now - as always, comment below and let me know what kinds of things you'd like to see on the blog here and any questions you might have...

Until next time,

Your Humble DM

-Zach

Campaign Update

Just a quick update, sadly our group wasn't able to meet to play this week due to weather, so no campaign update this week...

Look for a "Becoming a DM/GM" post later today though instead!

We'll be talking adventure/dungeon building with some tips and tricks!

Campaign Update

Just a quick update today everyone...

Tomorrow will be the 2nd night of the campaign I'm running, so Monday look for an update about the campaign (at least some more in-depth introductions of the characters)

My goal is to have a post up every weekday from now on, I'm looking for some ideas on new sections to start posting. I intend to continue the "Becoming a DM/GM" section that has been pretty popular along with the world building section. What other topics bear discussion? Perhaps a general tips and tricks section?

Look for a longer post Monday about the campaign and don't forget to comment and let me know what new sections you'd like to see!

Until next time,

Your Humble DM,

Zach

Building the World

Today I'd like to start on the topic of building a world. Your players need a place to play and it's up to you as the DM to give it to them.

First and foremost to this topic:

Do I use a pre-made world or make my own?

The answer to this will vary between DMs and even from the same DM depending on where they are in their "career" as a DM. Personally, the first adventure I ever DMed in Dungeons and Dragons was a pre-published adventure, after stumbling a bit through running someone else's adventure, I decided to build my own world to play in from then on. 

Some DMs prefer to use one of the pre-made worlds associated with the game itself (things like Eberron or Forgotten Realms for Dungeons and Dragons). Personally, I truly enjoy creating my own world to play in for a couple of reasons:

1.) I can create my own style, architecture, culture, geography...

I like the freedom to create my own world with it's own features. I don't have to remember the history or geography of a world that has already been created by someone else. The freedom to say "I really want my PCs to visit an island where everyone dresses and acts like they did Ancient Rome" and make that happen. The style, feel and look of the world is what I want it to be, instead of what someone else says it should be. I would much rather use things I like from the worlds others have made than to use the whole world just as it is. 

2.) My players can have a part in building the world as well

I enjoy the fact that when I create a world, my players can have a part in shaping that world. The world I'm currently using has had some of the areas fleshed out, but much of the world remains "unexplored" at least as far as the players are concerned. This allows them the freedom to decide where they're from, and flesh it out as much as they wish, without it clashing with what already exists there.

3.) I enjoy the act of world building itself

I really enjoy building worlds. I love being able to give it those little quirks that people will notice and enjoy, or to make it seem like a real place that someone might actually want to visit. I like telling stories, and I love creating a world to tell those stories in.

There are, however, some downsides to creating your own world:

1.) It's a lot of work

I've put a lot of time into the world I made, and I continue to put even more time into it. If the PCs decide to go off in a new direction that I didn't expect, I need to have something there, it can't just be a blank spot on the map... (or can it - time to explore!). If this happens in the middle of a session, you will need to think on your feet and create things on the fly, this takes a bit of experience and some preparation. You should ideally have a few things such as towns, cities, NPCs and the like sitting in reserve for a situation like this. Creating all these things takes time. You will spend a lot of time creating maps of places, as well as coming up with people to populate those places. If you want your world to feel real, those people need to have personalities and character. 

2.) You need a system to remember what you created

You need to make sure you have some system to remember what you have created. If you have to suddenly throw together a town on the fly, or create an NPC and give them a personality, you're going to want to remember that for the next time the PCs meet that same character. Some DMs take insane amounts of notes and leaf through papers when necessary... others use programs or technology to help them keep track of it...

Personally, I use a combination of both. I do use my laptop in preparing and keeping notes straight, but a lot of times when I am at the table I will take notes on a pad of paper and transfer them over later.

Box and Dropbox (or other similar programs) can be a good way to share information with your players. I have all my players as collaborators in a folder on my box account, and I can post information there for them to see, as well as have them post information like character sheets and backstories there for me as well. 

Also, Onenote (part of MS office) is a good app for DMs as well, I really like using that to build a campaign, and it can be used at the table to take notes pretty efficiently as well...

So I want to build the world, where do I start?

Come up with the overall idea for your world:

There are a couple of different schools of thought on this, but I'll give my suggestion. I recommend starting with the concept. Decide what you want your world to be like. Do you want to have one or two large landmasses with areas of the landmass that each have their own distinct features (similar to how it's handled in George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series). Would you prefer to have a ton of small islands and each have their own culture/style? 

From here, decide what kinds of quirks your world might have. We'll use GRRM's ASOIAF series as the example here as well, in his world, summers and winters last years instead of merely months. What gimmick will you use?

The world I made had the distinction of having multiple continents, each with their own "style". So there is an island that is mainly dragons and dragonborn types, one that is mostly undead and "evil" things, one that is an Empire based on Ancient Roman/Greek style, one that is all desert, one that is a frozen tundra. They started this way, but the cultures/styles have bled into each other. For example the Empire (Ancient Roman/Greek style island) began an invasion into the "main" island, which was themed as a "generic" Dungeons and Dragons world (medieval fantasy), so those styles kind of bled into each other.

Some other things I would consider important here are things like "how old is this world?" Are the PCs exploring a continent that was just recently discovered or does the culture have a history spanning eons? You don't necessarily have to flesh these things out completely, but you want to have some idea where this world "came from".

One you have this idea...

Start Small:

This sounds like it runs directly counter to the first point, but it's not. You want to know the overall idea of the world, but as far as fleshing out the details, keep it to things your players will likely experience. You want to have a backup of some places in case they go off where you don't expect, but if they won't likely see the far north for a few sessions, there's no reason to fully flesh it out yet. 

Focus on fleshing out the nearby cities/towns/dungeons/NPCs/etc. of the things they will likely be exploring right away. (This seems like common sense, but you'd be amazed how many DMs are just overwhelmed by the enormity of creating a world, but when you break it down it's not that difficult at all)

In later sessions, we will cover creating things like towns, cities and NPCs to fill this world with.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Books:

I read a LOT of fantasy books, as well as things from multiple other genres. Some of my favorites, where I've gotten my inspiration:

A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin (be warned, you will likely get hooked... and the series isn't finished yet... and the most recent book - A Dance with Dragons - took over 10 years from when the one before it was released)

The Sword of Truth Series - Terry Goodkind (link is to the first book - Wizard's First Rule)

The Belgariad - David Eddings (Link is to first book)

There are tons of others, but those are the big ones. I also get some from movies and from forums such as Reddit and the Wizards Community Forums.

There are some other great resources to use, here are a few of those:

The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Middle Ages

Life In Medieval Times

The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves and Other Monsters

The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference

Quick note on this book - it's AMAZING. It really helps you to make worlds that feel real and that people would want to visit or live in. Check this out ASAP!

That's all for today

Until next time, 

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Becoming a DM/GM (part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of my "Becoming a DM/GM" ongoing series. In this part we will look at some of the preparation necessary before you even start your first game as a DM. This will differ based on a couple of things, but there are some things that all brand new DMs need to do to prepare.

Learn the Basic Rules:

This seems like a no-brainer, but it's an important step many people don't think about. I'm not saying you have to know every rule or that you will understand exactly how they all work but you should have a solid grasp of the basic rules. How do skill checks work? What kinds of things should be what kinds of skill checks? How do the basics of combat work? 

You will have some reading to do. I wouldn't recommend necessarily reading the Player's Handbook (PHB) and the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) from cover to cover, they aren't (at least in my opinion) made that way. There are a few chapters you will want to read for sure though.

In the PHB: 

You'll want to read (at minimum) the sections on Character Building and Combat. You can read through all the feats/classes/races/etc if you like, but I prefer to use them more as reference, if you're not familiar with the races and classes available, I would at least recommend reading the small overviews on each race/class.

For the most part, the only section you really NEED in here is the combat section, however reading the character creation sections will allow you to help your players create their characters if they need help, or rule on any rules/what's allowed questions they might have while creating their characters.

In the DMG: 

I won't necessarily recommend reading this cover to cover, but you will probably want to cover all the information here at some point. I would recommend getting at least the basics like the chapters on combat and skill challenges.

The chapters on building an encounter and the DM's toolbox are not quite as necessary if you're using only pre-published adventures, but are a great help if you want to create your own adventures and stories. The section on experience and rewards is good as well. 

Rules Compendium:

If you do decide to subscribe to DnD insider, there is a rules compendium included with it that has every rule for the game. It's a great resource for when you need to look something up quickly and I recommend it.

A Couple of Notes About "The Rules"

“The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” -Gary Gygax

This really illustrates how many DMs feel about the rules. There could be a rulebook thousands of pages long and it still would not be able to cover every situation that might arise in a game and they shouldn't have to. This is part of your job as DM, being able to think on your feet.

You will invariably have a player want to use a skill in a way you never imagined. 

One "rule" that is tossed around when it comes to being a DM is to "always say 'yes' ". This is often misconstrued though. The idea behind this is that you don't want to shoot down a player's good idea. If your player says "can I do this?" instead of saying "no" a better answer is "you can try". Saying yes doesn't mean that the action will succeed, only that the player can attempt it. Perhaps that action will have a ridiculously high DC or perhaps it will have some added measure of danger should the player fail, that doesn't stop them from attempting it.

House Rules:

Since we're talking about learning the rules, this seems to be a good place to touch on the subject of house rules. 

Everyone uses them. I have never run with a single group that plays the game exactly as it is written, every group has their own little rules that they come up with while they play, or that they've used before and like. 

For example, my group really liked the auto-success/auto-fail when rolling a 20 or a 1 (respectively) on a skill check, as well as the idea of a botch in combat. (rolling a natural 1 is was called a "botch")

Some people don't like the idea of a natural 20 being a success on any skill check, personally I think this is fine as long as you balance it so people aren't going to constantly try outrageous and ridiculous actions just because "I might roll a 20". This is easily done. In our group, usually the more outrageous or crazy an action, the worse the penalty for failure. 

ex. "Oh, you tried to sneak past a group of goblins in broad daylight? Well you failed, you get out into the open and are in the midst of the group before you realize that they've seen you. They all get a surprise round before you get to act... roll initiative"

Is this a little mean? Yes, but it will ensure that players won't try outlandish things just because "I might roll a 20 and succeed"

There are a few important things to remember when modifying the rules or ruling on a situation.

1.) BE CONSISTENT

I cannot stress this point enough. Be fair and consistent in your rulings. Did you rule that the heroes have to make a DC 20 Athletics check to climb the tree? Then the goblins coming after them have to do so as well... 

No one wants to play a game where the rules are constantly changing on the DMs whim. Imagine playing something like Mario with your older brother or sister (yep, that means you're stuck as Luigi, deal with it). While you watch your sibling play, every time they press the A button, their character jumps and they're having a pretty good go of it. Then comes your turn to play, but you find that when you press the A button, your character only jumps 1/2 the time, or not at all. You're really not going to have much of a chance of keeping up are you?

The point here is that changing the rules is fine and encouraged, but make sure you are being fair about it. Personally, I'm always of the mind that story trumps rules. I would much rather tell a compelling story that my players enjoy and are interested in than to have the game devolve into a hack and slash or a hours-long sessions of people trying to figure out and argue over rules.

During the game, I try to limit the looking up of rules. When you are first starting out, you will have to look them up, one of the best ways to handle this is to assign someone to look them up for you when the situation arises. Once you are more familiar with the rules and more comfortable as a DM, you can forego looking them up and just make the decision on the spot. The caveat to this is that you make sure you notate your decision so you can either address it later (by looking up the rules) or so that you can continue to rule that way in the future. 

2.) Be Fair

One thing that new DMs (and some much more experienced DMs even) seem to forget, or never learn, is that it's not you vs. the players. You are working with the players to create a good story. Your job is not to kill the players... 

Let me quote Gygax again...

“The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own.” 

There is really no situation where you should be actively trying to kill your player characters. Yes, you do control the monsters, but you should not be focusing on killing your characters. Respond the way you think the monsters would to the situation and let the dice fall as they may.

Your players, when left to their own devices, will come up with new and creative ways to get their characters killed, much more interesting than anything you could have planned... trust me.

3.) "Fudging" rolls

I wasn't entirely sure where to put this, but a rules discussion seems to be just as good as anywhere else. This is another situation that will garner split answers depending on the DM you ask. Some DMs (Chris Perkins of WotC falls into this category) fall into the "let the dice fall as they may" category. Others advocate for "fudging" rolls to save their players or even a quest-important NPC.

Personally, I don't fudge a die roll to save a player from something stupid they chose to do, however I have been knowing to "tune" an encounter mid encounter. This is a talent that is particularly useful for a new DM, or for one who is brand new to a system. If you are building your own encounters/adventures, there always runs the risk that you will design an encounter that is much harder than you originally thought. Perhaps you didn't really realize that the monsters abilities have a ton of synergy and the heroes are getting wrecked by something the shouldn't be. Adjusting these kinds encounters on the fly is an important skill  There are multiple ways to do this, and they can depend on how transparent you choose to be with your players.

If you are putting things like defenses and HP on a whiteboard for them to see, it's much harder to fudge things in the midst of combat. If you are keep track of it somewhere the players can't see, you can fudge it, but they may start to wonder why "I missed on a 20 vs AC last time, but Jim the Barbarian just hit on a 19 vs AC." 

One of the best ways I've found is to leave Defenses where the players can see them (to make turn taking easier/faster) and keep the HP yourself. This allows you to do things like change a monster to a minion (1-hit kill) on the fly or even just reduce the number of HP before something is dead.

I feel that a crucial part of fudging rolls to save players is to make sure they are not aware you saved them. You don't want you players getting into the mindset of "I can try this because if I fail the DM won't let me die."

The DM Screen:

To finish off, I'll throw in a post about the DM screen. I use one (actually borrowing one currently) of the official Wizards 4e DM Screens. I've seen people who use everything from a piece of cardboard with post-it notes to a handmade screen complete with artwork of their own and the information they want themselves. 

The official one is excellent, and I would recommend it to a new DM just starting, it has all kinds of great references on it and will generally save you a TON of time when you're just starting.

Finally - some links to items I enjoy and would heartily recommend to any new DM:

Pound O' Dice

Gamemastery Battlemat

4e Monster Vault

That's all for this installment... Next time look for us to cover pre-made adventures vs. making your own and some tips on adventure building.

Until next time,

-Zach

Becoming a DM/GM (part 1)

This is going to be part one of an ongoing series I'd like to start up. The idea will be to give new DMs a place to look for all those questions that come up with you realize that you are going to be in charge and don't want to "ruin" it for everyone else.

I spend a lot of time browsing the Wizards Community Forums, the Giant in the Playground Forums and the Dungeons and Dragons Subreddits. There are frequent posts on those websites about the same topic. "I'm a brand new DM and I don't know where to start/what to do, help!" The goal of this segment will be to give those DMs a place to start and hopefully to teach a couple of tricks to even the experienced DMs out there.

So, first things first... 

What do I need?

A group (duh)

Normal group size is 4-6 players (not including the DM). For a new DM I recommend sticking to the lower end of this, but getting to 6 still isn't unmanageable. Any more than 6 and I would strongly advise towards splitting into two groups. When the group gets too large, it gets very difficult to get into roleplaying (too many people trying to talk at once and usually too much disagreement on what to do). It also will get very bogged down in combat. Combat can take a little while to begin with if people are new (and also if the DM is new) but with a large group it will take forever and it will be BORING to anyone who's not currently acting. 

Going smaller is definitely viable, and I've heard of DMs running groups as small as juts 1 player and the DM, or 2-3 players. This can be done if you want to either add NPCs (non-player characters) to round out the group or if you want to build the campaign around have a smaller (and usually less balanced) group. 

The other options for coping with a smaller group are generally not liked by most groups/DMs. These are: Running a DMPC (Dungeon Master Player Character). I recently posted a couple of threads on reddit discussing this and there have been plenty of them before. The feelings on this idea are mixed, and I'll likely cover this issue in a separate post (it's a big issue with a lot of differing opinions). The general wisdom here is that you have enough going on as a DM (especially as a new DM) that managing an entire character is going to significantly slow down the game and make your life much more difficult. The other problem that many people run into with DMs running their own player characters is the DM giving preference to those characters or having them take the spotlight from the heroes. Both of these are possible to avoid, but it's difficult. 

Another option is having players run more than one character themselves. This is not a popular option for a couple of reasons, one of the most important is that it makes it really difficult to get into roleplaying. It's much harder for the players to keep multiple different characters personalities and knowledge separate.

"Supplies"

Here are some of my recommendations for what you will want to run a 4e game:

Books:

Player's Handbook (PHB)
Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG)
Monster Manual (MM)

These books are all you actually need to get the game up and running. You can actually get away with one copy of each, but having multiple PHBs can come in handy. Only the DM needs a copy of the DMG and MM. Additional supplements are great, but you can run a game just fine with only what's here.

Also, the Dungeons and Dragons Insider subscription is a wonderful thing. I love the monster building tool and the character builder makes creating characters a breeze, it's worth trying out if you are running 4e, and while it is $10 a month, if you can get your group to split it, it can be a measly $2 a month each for a 5 man group. 

Dice:

I haven't had to buy dice in a long time, they are an investment that will last you a long time if you take care not to lose them. The "Pound o' Dice" from Chessex is a great choice, it's random what you get, but you will definitely get everything you need to run a game. It's not too expensive and will give you everything you need (and should be plenty for a whole group if you can get the group to split the cost).

Maps and Miniatures:

There's a few things here that are pretty good options. The GameMastery Battlemap is really good. It's reversible and you can use wet-erase markers on it. Another option I've used is a easel pad with 1" grid and some markers as well but this one can get a bit more expensive. I've also used things like a roll up chess board and chess pieces and just about anything else you can imagine. 

For minis there are a great number of options. My group has used everything from actual miniatures (this can get very expensive) to re-based Mage Knight figures to things like our favorite beer bottle caps... 1" round wooden discs (can be found at most craft supply stores) are really good, and can be written on with a pencil and erased, making them very reusable. Also, the monster vault comes with a ton of discs that can be used for monsters, this is a great option as well, and not anywhere near as expensive as miniatures are.

 Misc.:

I would recommend a good supply of pencils and paper for players to take notes. For the DM, a pad of regular graph paper can come in very handy for creating maps of dungeons/cities/etc. 

Technology can be quite helpful here as well. Some people have strong opinions of "virtual" dice rollers, there are apps that can be found on every major tablet operating system... Personally, as long as people are being honest about the dice rolls, I don't care so much if they're physical dice or virtual. I've used both and the virtual programs can be great if you want to play but don't necessarily have the space to actually roll dice.

Some other virtual programs can help with things like keeping track of initiative and statuses on combat.

For this, I personally used a large white board. On it I would write the initiative order with a magnet to mark whose turn it is currently. I also was able to list off the monsters and note any important info/status effects on the board where everyone could see it. For some of the groups I've run, I've listed the defenses of the monsters on the white board next to their name, allowing combat to move a little faster. The player could have already decided their turn and could usually roll to hit and damage very quickly without having to constantly ask "do I hit". For some DMs they feel this is giving the players too much info, personally I don't have a problem with it, but it's really a preference thing. 

We'll end here for now as this gives a good idea what you want to collect together when preparing to DM for the first time. Keep an eye out for more posts as there is much more info to come!

Did I miss something that you use all the time? Something you think every group should have? Comment below and point it out!

Until next time, 

Your Humble DM,

-Zach 

Campaign - Week 1

As an aside to this post, we started with Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition, but are deciding to change over to 4th edition as we are finding we prefer it (most of the group is much more familiar with 4th, and I have a great deal more experience DMing 4th edition)


The week started with some brief introductions, which I was planning to post here, but I'm going to hold off until after the next session so I don't have to go back and retcon any characters that people choose to change (with the update to 4e)

The basic story (trying to be a little vague here on the characters themselves - see above)

The characters are recruited by "The Iron Merchants" a mercenary/adventuring company located on the island of Ungor, in the port city of Arafa.

They were asked to head to a small town named Ebana, located to the north of Arafa. The town is having a problem with people disappearing in the woods outside the walls of the town. They have been closing the gates at dusk every day and not allowing people to leave while it's dark out, but they're still losing people. The PCs are being dispatched on behalf of TIM to deal with the problem however they deem necessary.

The group sets off after being outfitted with mounts and provisions by the company. The ride to Ebana is a couple of hours at most and they decide to speak to the guard at the gates about the problem. He explains that people have been going missing. Upon further search in the city, they find out that the last group of five people (3 travelers and 2 soldiers) that left the city did so approximately a day and a half ago and has not been heard from since shortly after. The heroes are able to determine that they left through the eastern gate of Ebana, which is the path most often taken, it leads to the main path through the island, which is the best way to reach the other cities and towns on the Ungor.

They set out and find a small path into the dense underbrush leading to a small clearing. In the clearing, they find a hastily abandoned camp. While searching the camp, they are set upon by four human zombies, all dressed in the manner of the villagers or soldiers of Ebana.

They defeat the zombies and bring one of their heads back to Ebana for identification. They verify that he was from the town but they are pretty sure something else is taking the people in the woods and turning them into zombies.

We stopped here, with them resting inside the town for the night and planning to head out the next morning to investigate the woods further.

Not a lot extra to tell here. This campaign I really kind of threw the group together instead of having them all meet each other and work that out themselves.

Some DMs seem to prefer one method or the other, personally I think it depends on the group and the story itself. In the case of this story, the way they met seemed to be a better way to bring the group together.

That's about all for this session, not sure yet what the post from the DM tips and tricks front will be about, but it'll be something relevant and interesting...

Hope everyone is enjoying so far and keep tuning in for more!

Your Humble DM,

-Zach

Greetings all and welcome to "The DM's Journey"!

This blog will be an ongoing record of the DM campaign I'm running with some friends. When we play, funny things happen and we'd love for others to be able to share in the fun.

We will be playing 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons, with some of our own house rules thrown in of course. The world we're playing in is a homebrewed world. I've used it twice before for campaigns, and I'm taking the same physical world and advancing it ahead a couple hundred years to come to our current setting.

The world consists of multiple continents. The main continent used to be one kingdom named Cenala, ruled by a king. Its style was that of the "standard" Dungeons and Dragons (medieval fantasy). There was a slightly smaller island named Lak'damia. It was home to the Imperial Legion. It was an empire run by a man named Jaren. He united his empire under the mantra of the hatred of magic and all things magical, claiming them to be evil and an abomination against his "one true God".

He took over Cenala, working to eradicate anything magical within.

The very large continent to the north is a frozen tundra. Few can survive there. It was inhabited by a group of tribes. These tribes were eventually united under one leader named Rivek Bearclaw and his sister Rina. The previous party of adventurers (PCs) went through trials and were accepted as part of this Northern tribe (some were already part of it, but were exiled for various reasons). They set out, along with Rina Bearclaw, to meet with the tribes of the southern continent in an attempt to get them to join a growing rebellion against Jaren and the Imperial Legion.

The shaman in the group fell in love with Rina, as they had been together growing up as girls in the same tribe.

The southern tribes were nomadic, rarely coming anywhere near a city. The bulk of the southern continent is desert and the tribes would move from oasis to oasis. The PCs set off to find these tribes. Not much is known about what happened to this group. Many believed that they died on the sands, never having found the southern tribes. Some believe they died in combat, others think perhaps they went to another plane and just haven't returned yet.

The tribes were never able to join forces, and while they did try to rebel separately, they were easily crushed by the might of the Legion. Jaren ruled much of the known world for many years. It was a brutal time. Many of the magical beings became refugees and sought out life on some of the smaller islands or in remote places. Many of them moved to the island of Ungor, where even the Imperial Legion feared to tread. The island was well known for being inhabited by all manner of undead and evil things. The people on the island now live in heavily fortified cities to try and keep them safe from the undead and other evils of the island.

Jaren eventually died, no one really knows how he died, but when he did he had no heir and the empire crumbled. The lands were split up among many "kings" and "lords" who now hold petty squabbles over these lands. There are constant fights and wars among these different "nations".

The current campaign will be starting on Ungor, in the city of Arafa.

They are being called to meet with Kotan, the founder and leader of a group called "The Iron Merchants" a mercenary/adventuring group.


I'm going to attempt to keep this blog updated (we're planning to play every other week or so) as best I can... On the off weeks I'm hoping to make posts about the world of being a DM, perhaps some tricks and tips and really anything else I find interesting in the world of Dungeons and Dragons.

I'll also happily post any information requested (at least that I have) on the world I've created, in case people would like to use it for themselves (even if as just a base).

Thanks for reading!

Your Humble DM,
-Zach