Seltyiel
Hello, I've played a few Pathfinder campaigns and have decided to start a campaign with the Reign of Winter adventure path. However, I'm nervous about being a DM because I just want people to have fun and I'm not 100% certain that they will by having me as a DM until I get used to the role. Any advice or suggestions for a newbie?
Comments
Welcome to Obsidian Portal. You've picked a fun adventure to run. Are you using the new hardcover version or the old D&D 3.5 adventure path modules? I ran the former many years ago. My logs are still up here: "Rise of the RuneLords":https://rotrllegacy.obsidianportal.com.
I made a few changes to the game as I went, mostly in response to player's decisions.
: Wow. Serves me right for reading your post without my glasses! Sorry. I completely misread Reign of Winter as Rise of the RuneLords. I think I had RuneLords on the brain. I'm currently playing in Reign of Winter and really enjoying it.
My best advice to a new GM is to be flexible but fair. You've got the right attitude - to let your players have fun.
I look forward to reading your logs.
--
Ketherian
"Signs & Portends":https://swtwc.obsidianportal.com/dashboard
Signs & Portends, Dwarves of Lost Koldukar, In a certain realm
Do your prep - make sure you know your next few scenes in advance, read the module, make notes etc.
Have a back up plan - if the players get stuck or suddenly decide to go to a different country, have the plot keep interacting with them some way (did they witness something? Bad guys hate witnesses!)
Remember your not the DM to 'win'. your job is to help the others play out a cool story from their point of view
If your stuck on a rule, or what happens next in the story, don't be afraid to take advice / help from your players - they will have great ideas to
DM ing is fun, once you get used to it, relax and enjoy it. Everyone at the game should be having fun and that includes you!
Listen to your players talk amongst themselves, it will give you hundreds of ideas for stuff to happen next
Read DM / GM advice - try googling "gnome stew":http://www.gnomestew.com/ for example.
In addition to NikMak's advice I would strongly suggest reading all 6 adventures in the adventure path before running the first adventure and having decent understanding of how the major NPCs are involved in the story line.
Feel free to add hooks to your player's backgrounds involving some of these major NPCs. Defeating an NPC that a player has had a grudge against since the beginning of the campaign is always more satisfying.
You may even wish to foreshadow the trip to earth's first world war with a old news paper article that players find when they encounter Rasputin or one of his minions. Of course it will be in a language they can't understand.
They are among us!
XCom: Defiance - Campaign of the Month November 2016
" ... didnt you [ player 1] know that your characters father actually was one of the enraged villagers that killed the wife of the main bad guy and sent him mad? I cant believe dad never told you about that... and you know how everyone says you look exactly like your father... " [cut to chase scene] :D
Ratibor the Bold could be an ancestor for any barbarian (or character from a barbarian culture). Will that character believe his ancestor was rightly imprisoned? And if so, is 200 years long enough?
Vsevolod serves as a good enemy to integrate into a background as a centaur cleric leading Frost Giants would be a fairly recognizable character. Plus the adventure path provides some ideas about his return even after his death.
They are among us!
XCom: Defiance - Campaign of the Month November 2016