A question about DM-ing styles

[TGP]

Ok. So on systems and editions. I am liking swords and wizardry but going to splice in anything else I like from other editions. What editions / system do you use and why? What are the strengths / weaknesses and as anyone test played D&D Next and what are their thoughts? :)

 

I did not even know about DnD Next. Went and signed up. I am utterly baffled by the OPTA. (Online Play Test Agreement)

[smokingwreckage]

Having looked here and there I am thinking S&W complete will be a pretty good system. Nice and light, plenty of monsters statted up already.

[TheAuldGrump]

Humph!

 

I had a nice long post done up - then Firefox crashed... taking the post off to eat in a corner.

 

In a shortened version of same

 

I like to set up a situation:

I map out the area - the primary town(s) and countryside, noting places of interest. (The Dungeon Of You're All Going To Die.)

I create a set of NPCs for the scenario, and know their motivations. In particular the antagonist. (Usually, but not always, the bad guy(s).)

I come up with what they are up to.

I create a timeline of what will happen if the PCs do not interfere. I add notes as to likely changes if the timeline gets interfered with.

Hilarity ensues.

 

It is also pretty easy to add a timeline to an existing adventure - so that the folks from the Temple of Elemental Evil are actually doing things in the region of Hommlet, or the Caves of Chaos cannot just be ignored so that the PCs can explore the wilderness.

 

An example is a gang of wreckers that has taken over a slighted keep on the headlands across from town.

The hook: a notice of adventurers of discretion wanted.

 

Places of interest - the town, the slighted castle, the beach. In town the temple of the sea god, which has a bell that rings when a ship is in peril along the reef.

 

People of interest - the wreckers, the leader of the wreckers, the priest of the sea god, an old blind hermit, the dwarf growing apples outside of town.

 

Day 1 - Evening: Traveling along the Cliff Road - As the PCs come within a day's journey of town a freezing rain sets in.

Day 1 - Early Night: If the PCs are camped with a clear view of the road and edge of the cliff they have a chance to see the false beacon of the wreckers.

Day 1 - Night: A distant bell can be heard from the direction of town, followed by the sound of a ship on the rocks below the cliff.

Day 1 Night: Wreckers kill the survivors on the ship. (Unless PCs intervene - the longer it takes them to get down the narrow path to the beach the fewer survivors.)

Day 1 - Late Night: A scurrying, naked, blindfolded figure scuttles around the wreck and the beach - killing any wreckers that the PCs may have left down there tied up with a marlinspike. Figure takes bits from the wreck, scurries away - going straight up the cliff....

 

Day 2 - Morning: Folks from town show up ant take what loot the wreckers and/or PCs have left behind. The town profits from the wreckers' activities.

 

Etc.

 

 

The Auld Grump

Edited September 25, 2013 by TheAuldGrump

[Slendertroll]

I like that idea, Grump. Also, check out Lazarus Form Recovery, an add-on for Firefox and Chrome that saves your field entries in temporary memory in case you accidentally delete them like that. Saved dozens of my posts that way.

[Hellcow]

 

Ok. So on systems and editions. I am liking swords and wizardry but going to splice in anything else I like from other editions. What editions / system do you use and why? What are the strengths / weaknesses and as anyone test played D&D Next and what are their thoughts? :)

 

I did not even know about DnD Next. Went and signed up. I am utterly baffled by the OPTA. (Online Play Test Agreement)

 

 

Just do what everyone else does - d/l it and completely ignore the OPTA. I ran an open playtest at a local con this past weekend - which I think violates some part of that nonsense, but since it isn't legally binding (it really isn't - 'agreements' and 'end user licenses' are not legal documents despite their fearsome language) I couldn't care less what that thing says.

 

I did like how D&DN runs though. Fast combat and simple stat blocks for monsters (gone are the days of 3 page freaking monster stat writeups). Not really like 4E or 3E but more like a mash up of 2E and BD&D (every class has big differences in how they play, magic items are rare and powerful) with a smattering of 3E and 4E (ability score increases, unique powers are pretty much every level and you can still move and get all the attacks you normally would in a round (and fighters are the only ones able to take more than 2 weapon attacks in a round))

[Shogun]

With the right support dnd next could be the rpg every body wants . Has to be accessible to the casual gamer who doesn't want to read manual after manual.

 

@Auld grump always great stuff, the first part hit home especially

[Slendertroll]

Hah, good luck with finding an RPG that "everybody" wants. Someone will always complain they miss THAC0 or something.

[ShadowRaven]

I miss THAC0, but my aim is improving

[(SMD)MadCow]

I like using pre-existing worlds or settings myself, my favorite is Forgotten Realms for DnD, as they tend to make it a little easier on both DM and player to pupl put a huge map and point to the place they want to go. And just because players may know whats what in the setting doesnt mean their characters do, thats what knowledge, history, streetwise, etc checks are for.

[buglips*the*goblin]

Yeah, but you lose the mystery. I think it's more fun to actually not know than to pretend to not know.

[(SMD)MadCow]

Mystery is a plothook for the place they thought they were going to go. Just cause they go Waterdeep doesnt mean it will be there, or it is and is under seige, or on earth motes.

[Shogun]

The good thing about my players are they are all new -ish so they don't read the source material .

 

Bad thing about my players are they are all new -ish so they don't read the source material

[Dadcubed]

Hah, good luck with finding an RPG that "everybody" wants. Someone will always complain they miss THAC0 or something.

I do miss Thaco. But I am getting used to BAB. slowly.

 

If DDN has Thaco then I'm in.

[Bonwirn]

The biggest problem I have experienced with DM's is the power-player-turned-GM. That is to say, a friend of mine is the min-max king. When he DM's, his entire monster groups are min-maxed, and he (by default) expects us to also min-max our characters (as opposed to taking skills/abilities for story development).

 

This leads to TPK, and is generally no fun (unless you're my rogue, and successfully escape with the hot halfling mage...).

-Dave

But... But... I thought EJ played the wood elf Druid. *shrug*

[dispatchdave]

 

The biggest problem I have experienced with DM's is the power-player-turned-GM. That is to say, a friend of mine is the min-max king. When he DM's, his entire monster groups are min-maxed, and he (by default) expects us to also min-max our characters (as opposed to taking skills/abilities for story development).

 

This leads to TPK, and is generally no fun (unless you're my rogue, and successfully escape with the hot halfling mage...).

-Dave

But... But... I thought EJ played the wood elf Druid. *shrug*

 

Unfortunately, her character died. I managed to make it out with our hosts' hot wife's character instead. ;)

-Dave