GM Ryne
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 2, 2014 17:24:29 GMT
so i am about to start my first Pathfinder campaign and im a little nervous. never even played a game like this but i want my group to have fun and enjoy the world that i lay at there feet. started crafting then i found DM Scottys page and i went full berserker with all the info and great ideas to use for the start of my campaign. I just hope that my dungeons aren't too short for my first newbie group and me.
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uncledog
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I'm going to take a few points in White-glue Mage.
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Post by uncledog on Jul 2, 2014 18:56:29 GMT
Firstly, welcome. Good to have you here and I hope you find it as fulfilling as I have. On to the meat! Don't worry about short dungeons, don't worry about anything but you and the players having fun. I've been in some long dungeons that I just wanted out of. Leaving them wanting more will get you a stable playerbase, even a veteran knows quality over quantity.
Think of it like a movie, would you rather see a short, but awesome film OR a long, but o.k. one?
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GM Ryne
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Posts: 9
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 2, 2014 19:15:44 GMT
thank you ill be keeping that in mind, i figured i would keep it short anyway because im running a group of 5 and only 1 is experienced in tabletop rpg so it will be loads of fun
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uncledog
Paint Manipulator
I'm going to take a few points in White-glue Mage.
Posts: 108
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Post by uncledog on Jul 2, 2014 19:17:26 GMT
That is great! Remember the comedian saying: "Know your audience". Or art of war style: Know yourself and your enemy(player not enemy) and you can win every battle".
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Post by dungeonmistress on Jul 2, 2014 19:37:11 GMT
Short dungeons for a newbie group are best. You can always add on and give them a good reason to go back at some point and discover that secret passage that lead to... Even for a seasoned group, a short dungeon, jam packed with evil, scary goodness and rewards is a good thing. And Pathfinder is my favorite, too. Just remember, your the DM, which, in-game, translates into God. Meaning that if you don't like a rule or game mechanic or the location of a city, or you want to add something from another game, you can change it. Just be sure you keep a balanced game. And ask your players, every now and then for a report card, so you know how you are doing and what their expectations for the game are (you don't have to follow up on that, but at least you'll know). Oh, yeah! and don't forget a good set of house rules! BTW: Welcome aboard!
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Post by blackrosebronwen on Jul 2, 2014 20:03:53 GMT
Welcome! Glad to see another person joining us and taking the dive into Dming. If you and new players are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of rules don't shy away from starting with the vary basic and then slowly bringing in the rest as you and your players become comfortable with them. I was in a similar position when I started running my campaign and this panned out really well. I had about 6 new players and 2 veterans, and all of them were fine with slowly integrating the rules,you just have to let them know at the start of the game. Also don't be afraid to tap into the information of your experienced player if you forget something. If you both forget something just do a d20+[relevant ability mod or skill] for the task at hand and look up the rule after the game.
As for short dungeons, as everyone says, quality over quantity. Also to begin with the new players will probably have a lot of questions, aren't going to be as quick to figure out what they want to do or can(usually if someone is stuck I give 3-6 suggestions), and just over all blurry eyed from all the information they will be receiving so that what you might think will take only a little bit will probably in reality take longer at least until everyone gets into the grove.
Wow I've rambled on. So again welcome, and hopefully I just didn't wall of text you with useless information, or bad suggestions.
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GM Ryne
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Posts: 9
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 2, 2014 20:30:00 GMT
no all the info you gave is awesome thank you so much. only problem i seam to have since this is my first campaign is how to balance the difficulty of my monster encounters, i dont want them to be too easy with so many players, im going through the core book and using the formulas it gives to create encounters but it seams lacking in some spots
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Post by blackrosebronwen on Jul 2, 2014 20:39:57 GMT
That's a tough one. Some times I throw monsters at my party that shouldn't be a problem for them but they'll struggle. Other times I throw something that is supposed to be near impossible and some how my players just wipe the floor with it. I feel monster difficulty is something that depends on the party. During my player days my out of the box application of spells and items(that were logical) used to frustrate my DM because I'd figure out ways around difficult monsters easily. >.>; reason why I still scoff when anyone say bards are underpowered. So my suggestion is to aim for a middle ground then have back up monsters to toss into the fray if you need to up the difficulty.
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Post by dungeonmistress on Jul 2, 2014 22:33:05 GMT
There is a formula that is really helpful. I'll try to find it and post it here.
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GM Ryne
Cardboard Collector
Posts: 9
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 3, 2014 14:33:25 GMT
thank you, i will keep many pop up encounters set aside if the one that's happening seams too easy : and i cant wait to see that formula
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Post by skunkape on Jul 3, 2014 18:53:24 GMT
Welcome! As long as you guys have fun, no matter how long or short your adventures are, you've been successful as a GM!
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Post by teazia on Jul 5, 2014 2:46:45 GMT
Yes, fun is the key. As long as people are smiling and laughing it is good times. In fact, the GM is not so key to the fun, the peeps also bring the fun.
One thing that might help is to make some of the modular tiles that DMGinfo show in his vids. This way you can have a few more options in reusing tiles if the need comes. Scotty for set pieces,dmginfo for the more mundane. Or have some grid paper/battlemat on hand as a backup.
Again, don't stress yourself out. Roll with it! You need not even need to be a rule expert, it is all flexible.
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Post by Jason on Jul 5, 2014 12:29:45 GMT
Firstly.. Welcome!!!
Secondly.. Don't Panic.
Remember that it is just a game and supposed to be fun. If you make an realize that you make an encounter too difficult during a game, just lower the monsters hp and such without the PCs knowing. You can also fudge the die rolls a bit. It isn't cheating if you are the DM and you are doing it for the sake of the game.
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Post by Pagemistress on Jul 5, 2014 16:48:47 GMT
Welcome! I too like the Pathfinder system and I am starting a massively ambitious project to turn the Rise of the Runelords adventure path into a 2.5d extravaganza.
Good luck and have fun!
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Post by dungeonmistress on Jul 7, 2014 0:30:15 GMT
Still looking for that formula, GM Ryne. Everything got moved around when we put down the new sub-floor in the kitchen, which is where my computer and craft area are, and I'm still putting it all back together! Lol! Soon as I find it, I'll post it!
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GM Ryne
Cardboard Collector
Posts: 9
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 7, 2014 12:28:42 GMT
thanks for all the tips guys, i have been crafting 2 weeks in advance to set up for this first session and i went gridless my crafts turned heads at my table because of the tips on this forum and of course to DMGinfo and DMScotty. i didnt get any pics of the game as it happened but i will definitely post some pictures of key moments that happened with everything set up
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Post by curufin on Jul 7, 2014 12:45:58 GMT
Welcome! And we look forward to seeing what made for your first game (and all other games too).
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Post by dragon722 on Jul 7, 2014 15:24:19 GMT
Welcome dude. You found the right place for help and inspiration on a huge magnitude here. Keep us posted on how you fair with the game and post ALL your builds
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GM Ryne
Cardboard Collector
Posts: 9
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Post by GM Ryne on Jul 7, 2014 16:17:34 GMT
i will begin posting all ASAP sir
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Post by dragon722 on Jul 7, 2014 16:18:51 GMT
i will begin posting all ASAP sir We here in the Realm wait with anticipation
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