I've never actually DM'ed before and my usual DM asked if I was interested in making my own game (and he thought this idea would be cool, but would have to be done right). I've had years of experience playing and I am generally the one to help new players, but I've had very little experience as DM. So I had an idea of playing a game in which the party is somehow stuck within a giant labyrinth type underground structure. The idea is that the party (on the first or second game) was to kill an evil wizard and is almost successful. Before they can do this, the wizard uses a magical teleportation device (scroll, wand, w/e)and teleports them underground. This dungeon would be magically entombed. The only way out is to defeat the wizard (who will be much more powerful later on). I'd try for creepy dark monsters. Any helpful npcs would be kind of odd, isolationists that are untrustworthy but the only ones that aid the players. If you guys had any advice or helpful ideas, it'd be much appreciated.
I would give them at least one or two trustworthy NPCs, even if those NPCs have their own motivations. Put another way, maybe the PCs were not the first to be trapped here by the wizard, and so others are also trying to get out. At least as far as getting out is concerned, those NPCs can be trusted. Personally, I just think its a bad idea to not give them anybody they can trust. If everyone is untrustworthy, then the players will probably not become invested in the NPCs, knowing that they'll have to kill them eventually anyway.
Hmm, I didn't think of it that way. Yeah you're probably right. Anything else that might be useful? I'd also want to make it sort of a surprise that it happens, so that no one is exactly prepared to be fighting underground the entire time. I would give them hints as to what characters will be hindered (mounted combat classes especially) but try to keep it hidden. I'd also like it so there aren't merchants/stores to buy new equipment, but rather they'd have to pick it up (loot will more commonly comprise of magic items, potions, weapons, etc). It doesnt make a ton of sense to have a merchant living in a wizards labyrinth after all. If you have any other advice, it'd help as well.
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Depending on how long the campaign is, you could include the merchants and such. IF you wanted to. Such as a svirfneblin village (or a village made of other entrapped people) in a section were the floor collapsed into another set of tunnels, or extra planer travelers who access the dungeon at certain points or only at certain times for a limited time. Depending how large it is you could also incorporate abandoned cities and such.
Aye, whether or not to have merchants available is entirely dependent upon how large you want to make the labyrinth. If its sufficiently large, then its entirely plausible that small communities have been established over the years.
However, I think that you are right in approaching it from the standpoint that there won't be much magical gear created by the locals. For starters, your wizard is likely the toughest foe out there, and if you a decent number of fellow "prisoners" in the maze, then the wizard is probably the toughest by a wide margin. As such, its unlikely that theres a caster sitting around with all these resources and sufficient power to create high level items unless he's actually in league with the wizard, in which case, he's unlikely to help the PCs.
One final thought on the issue of trustworthy NPCs: always give your NPCs motivations as this will dictate what they will do in game and how they will respond to the PCs. It also gives the PCs something to work with in building alliances, including temporary ones with NPCs that they might not otherwise trust. After all, even Drizz't and Entreri have worked together. So in this instance, you might have that powerful caster who is nominally in league with the wizard, but maybe that's because the wizard has his beloved sister held hostage. Or maybe the caster ultimately dreams of becoming a lich, but needs to get out of the maze in order to do so. Now he or she has a reason to ally with the PCs, even if she's likely to stab the party in the back at some point. The PCs, if they figure out the caster's true motivation, then have a decision to make. Do we agree to work with her in order to get out, or is releasing her a bigger problem? Essentially, if you give your NPCs motivations, rather than explicitly stating what they will do, you can use those motivations to determine how your campaign unfolds. Brewer's first DM guide has great examples of this btw.
As for what to tell the players, I would probably tell them that its a relatively low magic setting, if for no other reason than so that somebody can plan on picking up crafting feats if they desire (realizing that they won't be able to just go to town).
The question you need to ask yourself is whether the PCs will start the first session already in the maze, or if they will be imprisoned during the course of the early stages of the campaign. If the former, then I would probably tell them that much at least. i.e. "Your merry band of heroes set off to investigate a local alchemist and upon confronting him, he gave you a cruel smile, waved his hand, and after a brief, bright flash, you found yourself in some sort of underground tunnel."
You are not necessarily telling the players that the majority of the campaign will play out in the maze, but at least giving them the heads up that they will start there. Personally, I think this makes sense since their characters presumably know what lead up to them being sent to the maze (though there are ways around that through DM fiat, etc.) The only real downside to this approach is that some of your players may slightly change their starting gear in order to have some provisions for underground travel, but personally, I doubt that it would be much of an impact considering how relatively little starting gold you get.
I think the idea of having a few small communities would work well, it would help to advance the game as well as showing the magnitude of the labyrinth. Like there is some kind of evil plan that the wizard has for all of these people but he needs to keep them underground and collect more before he can go through with it. I also think that they could use it to gain allies through the different factions that want control of the area. Like they've been there so long that everything is already well established and people are beginning to have children underground and what not.
True, I'll talk to them about the benefits of crafting their own stuff instead of just hoping that gear will pop up.
Yeah, I've already began making some npc concepts and what their motivation is, which will help quite a bit. Ill make sure to check it out.
I think what ill do is closer to the second scenario. I don't like the idea of players designing their entire character off of something I've told them about the campaign. I think it'll make it more interesting if they have to adapt to the given scenario. Otherwise I'll end up with a bunch of darkvision-rogues who can stealth kill everything I throw at them. I would however, tell them that they will need survival gear and then I'll hint them as to what kind. Just so that they arent completely caught off guard.
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I would simply tell the players that its a relatively low-magic setting and that there might not be a lot of vendors around. You can tell them, especially if they ask, that you will allow crafting provided they can locate the needed resources, etc. I wouldn't necessarily stress that they need to take crafting feats, just give them a heads up that it won't be "Magic Loot R Us" around every corner.
I agree that I certainly wouldn't tell them that the majority of the campaign will be underground, but it would be a bit different if you were to say "FYI, your party went to investigate Maximillian the Mad and wound up in a maze. The campaign will start with you arriving in the maze." That; however, is really only necessary if you want to start out in the maze. Personally, I think that the idea of starting them out just before it is good for a bit of background, the only problem you run into is if the party throws you a curve ball and says "Nah, we really don't care about the Mad Wizard. What's over there?" Fortunately, in my experience, most groups are willing to work with the DM so long as you don't put them too firmly on the tracks.
To give you an example of how it can work by shedding a bit of light on the scenario, I recently started playing in a new campaign. The GM there sent out the char gen details and included a bit about how everyone in the party were slaves who had been enslaved right up until the start of the campaign. Now, Mother Nature has intervened and enabled our escape. The campaign began with us having just effectuated our escape and with us completely devoid of gear.
This provided an obvious challenge for casters (who did not spell books or material components) and even made most other classes a bit of a challenge. It also made our initial motivations clear (we need water, food, and gear -- probably in that order). Finally, it also provides the GM with room for a certain amount of creative license. We each were enslaved for 1d4 years prior to our escape, and I would not be at all surprised to learn that there are other consequences to our enslavement that we have yet to discover. The little bit of information really didn't sway character creation much (except for background perhaps). About the only thing noticeable was that we wound up with a Sorceror, who would obviously have a leg up on a wizard, but I can't say for sure that the player would have chosen a wizard but for the enslavement.
In any event, both methods can work really well, so feel free to start them outside the maze. Just know that the PCs might throw a wrench in the works -- which quite frankly, is one of my favorite parts of DM'ing. I love trying to figure out what to do when the players take me completely by surprise.
More to the point, welcome to the GM ranks, good luck, and have fun!