Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

Off Topic
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This person agreed to DM (GM) a continuing game of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D (D ‘n’ D)) without any prior experience to the game (playtime just shy of 2 hours (with a different version than the others requested (they requested 4th ED))) and without modules (for some reason, they have an aversion to them).

If you guessed me by now, you are 200% correct.

I bought 3 of the books (DM Guide, Player’s Guide and Monster Manual), I bought those little glass stones people use in… fishtanks maybe… to work as player and enemy markers (player markers are different colors, with a plan to paint a little indication as to who it is in the future, and enemy markers are clear glass with numbers) (as I did listen to the Penny Arcade and PvP guys play one of the modules, and I do understand there seems to be some grid-work at play)… and I bought a large graph paper pad to work as the map (like hell is this girl going to pay for dungeon tiles and miniatures). Oh, and a notebook for adventure notes and one of those spiral-bound things of index cards for specific monster info.

All I have down for the adventure is one “town (it’s actually a fort)”, and a few ideas as to what I want them to encounter first.

I think I need all the help I can get, and since you guys don’t qualify under the curtain of mystery since I won’t be playing this one with you, I figure I could share what I have, and possibly get some idea help in return.

I was thinking of putting this in advice but… it didn’t seem right to me at the time.

Oh, and while I don’t know what a few of the others will be making, I did get tricked into letting one of them make a Ranger/Wizard. Yes, I was taken for a fool, but I did talk him out of Paladin/Warlock, the combination of which just makes my head hurt.

So, yeah, if any of you want to start a dialog about this and help me, send a reply and we’ll get started. This post is running long already, what with my rambling.

Oh, and if there is a book I MUST have and I made a total mistake in not buying yet, tell me that too. And please, no 4th bashing. Make your own topic for that.

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

Ranger/Wizard isn’t that bad when you compare them to some exploits you can use by cross-referencing books to create something called the “Locate City Bomb.”

It does not locate a bomb within a city, but rather, it locates and destroys the city itself (or anything within the area) simply by using radius rules to a players advantage.

It honestly depends on what type of game you’re trying to come up with. If you’re doing the Lord of the Rings “Travel” based campaign, you might check out the books Sandstorm, Frostburn and Stormwrack. If you’re doing a War game, Heroes of Battle, Arms and Equipment guide and Stronghold Builders guide are good books. Or if you’re just looking for all around fucked up craziness, get the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting.

Oh, and that reminds me, if you’re looking for a campaign setting, Eberron is pretty damn good IMO. They left a lot of things open to interpretation in that book, allowing you to customize your adventure any way you want with little limitations.

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

snickers Pencil and paper isn’t my thing. Ask me if you need help implimenting a MUD or editing a piece of literature or an essay or fixing a computer or putting one together. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

Pencil and paper isn’t your thing, yet you’re happy with literature and essays; something doesn’t compute?

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

Well, low-level plotting advice would probably be most helpful, as I don’t want to immediately kill the players in the first 3 seconds of the adventure. I’m sure that will probably happen given the choice of making up the whole thing from my imagination.

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

For monsters, Kobolds. Kobolds are the end all useful throwaway battles, followed by goblins and orcs of course.

Need a little more than just plain kobolds, add a class level to them, and make them commanders or shaman or something. Hell, really make use of an armada of kobolds and one first level bard kobold. Need a big boss, add two or three levels to kobolds.

Plot ideas, “Mercenary services” is a good transition to motivate the players. Bounty hunters, treasure hunters, monster catchers, whatever you want and feel you can put a gold value on. If the players are on a lawful side, Bounty Hunting is a particularly fun way to start a game (for a first time DM). It allows you to skip pass the evil mastermind villain plot and go straight to the roleplaying of the hunt itself. Do remember, combat isn’t everything, so it’s not a good idea to make every session combat based. Even in a bounty hunting style game where your end result is a fight, the hunt itself can be very unique.

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

For monsters, Kobolds. Kobolds are the end all useful throwaway battles, followed by goblins and orcs of course.

Need a little more than just plain kobolds, add a class level to them, and make them commanders or shaman or something. Hell, really make use of an armada of kobolds and one first level bard kobold. Need a big boss, add two or three levels to kobolds.

Plot ideas, “Mercenary services” is a good transition to motivate the players. Bounty hunters, treasure hunters, monster catchers, whatever you want and feel you can put a gold value on. If the players are on a lawful side, Bounty Hunting is a particularly fun way to start a game (for a first time DM). It allows you to skip pass the evil mastermind villain plot and go straight to the roleplaying of the hunt itself. Do remember, combat isn’t everything, so it’s not a good idea to make every session combat based. Even in a bounty hunting style game where your end result is a fight, the hunt itself can be very unique.[/quote]

So no setting them up against Orcus in the first five minutes? writes that down

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

For monsters, Kobolds. Kobolds are the end all useful throwaway battles, followed by goblins and orcs of course.

Need a little more than just plain kobolds, add a class level to them, and make them commanders or shaman or something. Hell, really make use of an armada of kobolds and one first level bard kobold. Need a big boss, add two or three levels to kobolds.

Plot ideas, “Mercenary services” is a good transition to motivate the players. Bounty hunters, treasure hunters, monster catchers, whatever you want and feel you can put a gold value on. If the players are on a lawful side, Bounty Hunting is a particularly fun way to start a game (for a first time DM). It allows you to skip pass the evil mastermind villain plot and go straight to the roleplaying of the hunt itself. Do remember, combat isn’t everything, so it’s not a good idea to make every session combat based. Even in a bounty hunting style game where your end result is a fight, the hunt itself can be very unique.[/quote]

So no setting them up against Orcus in the first five minutes? writes that down[/quote]

Nothing like fighting an immortal near all-powerful vampire demon lord.

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Guess Who Did Something This Stupid

The plot could be that they have to save there friend Lord Swaggerbottom from the psychotic Duchess Fingerswine. She has taken him to her tower to keep as her baby because shes mad like that. And use dragons, lots of dragons, the only thing more rewarding then slaying a dragon is slaying two dragons.

If you havent guessed by now i have no idea about DnD but i have lots of experience in warhammer and warhammer 40k, i Also dabbled in Inquisitor, i think thats spose to be like DnD, but yeah i gave up on that because i was shooting a guy with a glue gun, when by some freak occurance the glue gun exploded and crippled my left arm. That game was complex indeed