Long you want long look at some of the things I have said in the past I even had one that wouldn't let me submit everything in a single post.
http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/wp-content/uploads/resources/2_GroupTemplate Questionnaire_Example.pdf
I would suggest taking a look at this and going over that with the players rather than just going ok I take these CR's down ecta.
Often nobody wants to run a healer I don't see why you wouldn't.
But in that case you just vary things so that the enemies can do alot of damage and don't like high damage low attack or just have them doing low damage.
Or run quick and dirty where the players pretty much smash them and move on.
This is just saying thay you don't have a healer.
The thing is to roll with the punches, you go ok you don't have X well what does that do to Y and and figure out how that can work.
If it can't remove it and see if it effects that game.
"Being confidant and having a big gun gets you through most things in life" ten points to the person who says where that quote is from.
They don't know your on the fly if you don't let on.
Carry yourself well and all else should follow.
Plus your the guy with the mooks there not going to question if you have a master plan, his got mooks ofcorse he has a master plan.
GOOD LUCK! :D!
1. Incomplete Parties… I know the rules work off an assumption of 4 to 5, and I know to drop their APL by 1. What other advice would you give regarding smaller parties? Which leads me to…
In addition to reducing APL you should recalculate encounters to match the new APL. That is if an ecounter is composed of tree ogres (800xp/each) CR 6 (total 2400 xp) you can reduce it to a CR 5 (total 1600 xp) enconuter by removing one ogre.
Small aprties can work great, especially for a new GM bu t may require a lot of lenience from you and a lot of preparation (tweaking encounters to fit).2. DMNPCs. I know they can be a challenge, but it will be a very casual, learn-the-system game, and I know the players (a human monk and elven rogue) would be all for it. A couple fleshed out NPCs to fill out the party, let us test drive more classes, and for more story of course. I If I go this way, I really want to try to use these characters to show off the value of some races and classes they always dismissed in 3.5 (like gnomes and halflings, bards and druids), instead of just handing them their token healer, tank, ect. Any ideas?
If you are up to running to party NPCs I think you should give it a go.
To complement a human monk and an elven rogue I think you need characters that cover arcane spellcasting, divine spellcasting and posibly combat.Viable combinations might be:
- a Human Paladin and a Elf Wizard
- a Half-orc Druid and a Half-elf Wizard or Gnome Sorcerer
- a Dwarf Cleric and a Halfling Bard
These can showcase the different classes while making effective complements to the party. In addition the combinations will show case the races in some of their stereotypical roles.
3. Would you suggest Rise of the Runelords for a first time GM, and our first game in Golarian? I have access to it, and it seems really Lovecrafty and awesome. I just worry we’d get bogged down with conversions.
I am myself running RotRL and think it is a great adventure for experienced and starting GMs. It has some minor flaws but you will find ample advice an handling these on these message boards (look for products/adventure paths/RotRL).
What I think is great about this AP is that it is fun and is written for adult players. Really nasty stuff going on.
So the conversions shouldn't be too much of a stumbling block?
You need no conversion really for Burnt Offerings and very little for the Skinsaw Murders. The adventures are so low level that the greatest discrepancies between 3.5 and PF do not really kick in yet.
I would encourage you to start converting as soon as possible though, just to get into the rules. Its a good exercise. but untill Hokk Mountain Massacres it is not necesary.
By HMM you will be confortable enough with the rules to convert what needs conversion. Mainly central NPCs and the boss monsters.
Just like to echo the good advice already given.
If the DM needs to fill the party out then a Cleric in the healer role is a good choice. I personally can't understand people not liking to play a Cleric, it is my favorite class.
If you need an arcane caster I would suggest a Sorcerer;
1. Small spell list so as a beginner you only need to know the ins and outs of a few spells.
2. As a spontaineous caster there is no *memorising* spells so everyone can chip in and everyone can learn abit how arcane spells work.
Most of all have fun!
If you need an arcane caster I would suggest a Sorcerer;
1. Small spell list so as a beginner you only need to know the ins and outs of a few spells.
2. As a spontaineous caster there is no *memorising* spells so everyone can chip in and everyone can learn abit how arcane spells work.
Most of all have fun!
Also good points.
Start small as well. My favorite way is to run something like a village feast week and have the PCs enter some little challanges just so everyone gets a feel for how the skills work.
Run to a horse and get on (ride) ride it to a fence and get the horse to jump it (ride/animal handling) maybe you fall off (acrobatics to avoid hurting pride/yourself). Ride to a tree and pick an apple(climb) then cross a narrow river (swim). Avoid the dogs (sneak v perception) then search for a token (perception). Then present the token to the maid-of-honor with a flowery "insert Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform skill here". Finish off with beer (Fort save please!) and roast boar.
I think it helps people understand how the skills work in a safe environment.
If it's your first time GM'ing, make sure to know some of the core rules to keep things accurate and flowing well:
1. DCs for saves vs. spells = 10 + the ability modifier + the level of the spell
2. CMB vs. CMD rules in combat
3. Read the whole Combat section thoroughly!!!
4. Understand movement rules thoroughly - newbie characters will try and do too much on their turn - remember pulling something out of a bag is a move action...etc.
5. Help your players think strategically - inform rogues about the importance of moving stealthy into the room in shadows and positionining themselves for sneak attacks, or getting themselves in flanking positions which allow their sneak attacks on each round they are flanked with another friend...Keep wizards in the back lobbing spells, not on the front line...you know - all the basic stuff.
6. Most of all, play for fun, not for rules! A long session should have something special for each character, an event or item or something that would mean something to particular characters - it makes them love the game and want to come back for more. I had a monk once who loved the whole Asian fighting/monk scene. In a home game, he was scouting down a hall by himself and was suddenly faced by another monk - an evil black-robed monk from a sect that he hated...I just threw it in there at the last minute, and he loved it.
If it's your first time GM'ing, make sure to know some of the core rules to keep things accurate and flowing well:
1. DCs for saves vs. spells = 10 + the ability modifier + the level of the spell
2. CMB vs. CMD rules in combat
3. Read the whole Combat section thoroughly!!!
4. Understand movement rules thoroughly - newbie characters will try and do too much on their turn - remember pulling something out of a bag is a move action...etc.
5. Help your players think strategically - inform rogues about the importance of moving stealthy into the room in shadows and positionining themselves for sneak attacks, or getting themselves in flanking positions which allow their sneak attacks on each round they are flanked with another friend...Keep wizards in the back lobbing spells, not on the front line...you know - all the basic stuff.
6. Most of all, play for fun, not for rules! A long session should have something special for each character, an event or item or something that would mean something to particular characters - it makes them love the game and want to come back for more. I had a monk once who loved the whole Asian fighting/monk scene. In a home game, he was scouting down a hall by himself and was suddenly faced by another monk - an evil black-robed monk from a sect that he hated...I just threw it in there at the last minute, and he loved it.
All good points - your games sound like a hoot to play in! :)
To the original poster, one thing I would add is ..... don't sweat it too much. Read these message boards, follow the advice and then just jump in. Your players should be willing to cut you some slack while you learn the fine points of DM'ing, as long as they (and YOU) are having fun.
One other thing I'd advise: establish the rule that if something comes up during the game that your not sure of, don't slow the game down too much while you look it up. If you can't find the answer within a minute or so, make your best choice and move on with the game. Then, later when you are not under 'stress' and have plenty of time, take that extra time to find the answer so you know for the next time - this is how you really learn the game.
And when you have to make that 'seat of your pants' ruling, remember this All Important Rule: When All Else Fails, Roll A D20! Basically, assign some rough odds (say, 50/50 or whatever) and then roll. 1 -10 it worked, 11 - 20 it didn't ... and then get on with the game!
Hope that helps!
Smaller parties are ok as long as you have a front-line guy (with full BAB progression and decent armor) and a healer. Ideally the last guy can be a skilled arcane caster (bard works well here), but wizard, sorcerer, rogue, ranger, or even monk also works.
I'll be the odd man out and recommend against DMNPCs at the beginning of the game. I think the game should be about the PCs, and the new DM should have his plate full with running the game. Providing a roleplaying voice in the party is OK, but it shouldn't take the spotlight away from the players. I'd only recommend this if the party is dead-set on not playing a healer or front-line character. I do recommend that you should allow the Leadership feat later on though. Leadership is nice for parties numbering below the classic 4.
Edit: Whoops misread, you meant 2 players and a DM (for a total of 3). In that case, you'll want a combination of front-line character and a healer: a paladin. I wouldn't DMNPC over 1 character, but that's just me. Paladin + Rogue + Monk is a fine team.
Hey everybody, I’m new to the site, but it seems really impressive, the messageboards alone are a great resource. We’re about to run our first PFRPG game, and I’ve been nominated to GM, which I’ve never done before. In addition, a couple guys in our group are in the Army were recently stationed overseas, so until we trick one of our non-nerd friends into it (free beer?), we’re down to three, occasionally a forth. So, if any of this has been covered before, sorry, but I had a few general newbie GM question
1. Incomplete Parties… I know the rules work off an assumption of 4 to 5, and I know to drop their APL by 1. What other advice would you give regarding smaller parties? Which leads me to…
2. DMNPCs. I know they can be a challenge, but it will be a very casual, learn-the-system game, and I know the players (a human monk and elven rogue) would be all for it. A couple fleshed out NPCs to fill out the party, let us test drive more classes, and for more story of course. I If I go this way, I really want to try to use these characters to show off the value of some races and classes they always dismissed in 3.5 (like gnomes and halflings, bards and druids), instead of just handing them their token healer, tank, ect. Any ideas?
3. Would you suggest Rise of the Runelords for a first time GM, and our first game in Golarian? I have access to it, and it seems really Lovecrafty and awesome. I just worry we’d get bogged down with conversions.
Wow, sorry that was so long, I’m not normally this chatty. I really appreciate the help.
1. Some classes are more versatile then others. I highly recomend a paladin for instance. They are a good front liner, and they can in a pinch provide divine assistance as you move up in level. Bard is also a good choice. I have played a 2 person party with a bard and a paladin, and it worked out 'ok'. Druid is also good here. Recomend these classes to your part.
2. Go bard here. He can provide a little healing and some arcane talents where needed. You also have a very small spell selection to worry about so its easier for you to run. Given what your players want to run, you may want to take cure spells but remember cure wands are usable to a bard. Making these available can be realy helpful and also a really simple yet useful action for your npc to use. I recomend against some of the more complicated classes here. You dont want a cleric or wizard as theres much more to keep track of. Druid isnt a terrible choice, but it involves an extra character (the animal companion) and possible wild shaping to track.
3. If you are going to be playing pathfinder for the first time i recomend the newest AP council of thieves which is designed for the game. It sames you the trouble of having to sort out what needs to be changed and what doesnt from the 3.5 AP's.
I would try to keep it down to one DMNPC, especially as you are new to DMing. With only two PCs, not having a DMNPC is probably not an option. Bard or cleric are probably the best choices for DMNPCs, as they have healing spells and are relatively able combatants.
Put markers in your rulebook at the most important points. What are those? I´d say combat, skills, and spells for the DMPNC. Everything else is probably not as important. It will turn out while you play the game, so keep those post-its at hand.
Using miniatures or at least some representation of the scene can help a lot. It does not need to be sophisticated, some playing pieces from any game do nicely for a start, and some graph paper. If it slows down your game, don´t bother.
Stefan
I too prefer running the game without any party NPCs.
But sometimes it is necesary and this situation might be one such time. With only two characters played by neophite players.
But I agree it is important that the PCs reamin the actual protagonists.
I too prefer running the game without any party NPCs.
But sometimes it is necesary and this situation might be one such time. With only two characters played by neophite players.But I agree it is important that the PCs reamin the actual protagonists.
I agree that the PC's should remain the protagonists, which is why I like the idea of an npc bard. With proper spell choice you can make the character almost completely a support character. He puts up songs, throws out heroism and the occassional healing, designed to make the two actual players work better, as opposed to taking out the monsters himself most of the time.
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Re: GMNPC's. Well, my Beloved Spouse (Kobold chorus: "We love you!") gives AWESOME NPC, so we always have a few GMNPC's knocking about. When run well, they can add a lot to the game. And they are a very good way to learn the system.
Overall, my big piece of advice for a new GM is to relax. There's a sidebar in the GURPS 3e book that reads "When in doubt, roll and shout!"
Which summarized, means that if you need a snap decision, rather than pause the game, flip through books, and then find it and resume... just pick up the d20 and roll it. High = "You do it!" Low = "You fail!" and then just keep the flow moving. You can always go back and look up the rule later for future instances.
Just my 2cp.
Hearken to the insane insights of the Void, and know answers and despair. Or just the answers - despair is optional!
1. Incomplete Parties:
Well, you can always try to make up for the general lack of knowledge by being more generous with player power (allow a better ability score generation method, for example) instead of throwing weaker enemies at them.
The other option is always to use less enemies (which doesn't really work for a main villain)
One very important thing to consider - and not just in the case of missing comrades - is the lack of particular skills. This happens most often in parties that are not at "full strength", but can also happen if there is some overlap in class choices.
You must plan according to the characters' talents (or lack thereof) - An adventure with many a magical trap for a party without rogue is going to be an exercise in frustration.
On the other hand, the players are, in part, responsible that they don't completely ignore party composition.
2. GMNPCs:
They're not for everyone, but they can be a real asset. I usually have a GMNPC running alongside the party. Sometimes, he is my mouthpiece to nudge the players in a certain direction if they just don't get something that I thought was obvious, or to dissuade them from a particularly unwise course of action - stuff I'd otherwise just tell them myself.
Other than that, I generally keep them in the background when it comes to talking situations - he'll respond to players, but won't initiate his own discussions (unless I want to draw someone out of his shell). Their "personal affairs" (i.e. buying and selling stuff) is done completely off-screen, and they usually won't actively participate in negotiations.
I also tend towards support characters rather than direct actors.
Bards make wonderful support characters - they can provide the other characters with background information (whenever I want them to know something, it's a morsel of information the bard happened to pick up), contribute to the fight without intervening directly (with bardic performance) and can support the party with magic. Since they're often chroniclers who follow around heroes doing deeds (though there certainly are many bardic heroes!), they don't have to get involved too directly in things.
Other than that, anything that can heal and buff is a decent choice, especially if no player wants to do that. A GMNPC cleric will spend most, maybe all of his magic resources for curative purposes and won't complain that all he does is patch up others.
Of course, you should use something that the party otherwise lacks. In your case (monk and rogue), you are in sore need of healing, and some offensive spell assistance will probably be welcome as well. And they lack a real solid damage dealer and tank. You could do worse than a cleric, or maybe oracle of battle.
3. Runelords:
One thing about Runelords: There are some teething problems, especially in the first couple of adventures. For example, the final boss for the second adventure is too tough even for a regular party of the level the adventure is supposed to end with. You will have to change that one or it will make mince meat out of your undersized party.
The thing is pretty brutal in general. Nothing for a weak party.
Other than that, you don't really need to convert that much. Gives the players an edge to fight against 3.5e enemies that are often weaker than they'd be in PFRPG.
If you're going to do it, be generous with rewards and character creation options (i.e. generous ability score generation and so on) and make sure they have a capable healer.
But maybe you want to start with Curse of the Crimson Throne instead? The first half takes place completely in a city - perfect for a monk and a rogue.