Tips for a new GM

[The Indescribable]

I've learned from past experiences against rail roading, (or making stuff up on the fly til I have more experience) I was hoping for a few tips on my rise of the runelords campaign I want to set the tone towards roleplaying and wanted to do it through how I handle the beginning of the adventure path, also, ideas on creeping up the noble who wants to go boar hunting, I'm forgetting his name at the moment.

[slayer_of_gellcor]

The best advice I have to not railroad is to build ties with the town before hand. Even the Chaotic Neutral merc or Rogue needs to have a reason to defend, and stick around this town. As to creeping out the noble: watch any movie where an actor portrays a stalker (Cable Guy, Single White Female, Fear, the Fan, Fatal Attraction, etc.) I think at the time of the boar hunt, though, I played him as a helpless loser. He was more pitiable, which made the next events more dramatic (IMO).

[Haladir]

Definitely build relationships between the characters and the NPCs. You need to get the players emotionally attached to at least a couple of Sandpoint NPCs. My biggest regret in my RotRL game was that I failed to do so, and it was kind of a chore trying to finagle reasons for the PCs to return.

I ended the game after a side-quest I ran between books 3 and 4. When the PCs found themselves outside Sandpoint, the players audibly grumbled, and one said, "Really? Here? Again?" And this was after they learned that giants were planning to attack the town.

[Latrecis]

Good advice from slayer and Haladir already - make sure the pc backgrounds are tied to Sandpoint or Magnimar, use the character traits affiliated with Varisia (in Advanced Players Guide) and encourage the pc's to read and use the RotRL players guide (free download.)

Don't miss out on opportunities to use the tasks the pc's want to do to encourage role-playing. Example: at startup have them determine starting money but role-play the purchase of their gear from the merchants in town. Or if they fail a knowledge check, remind them they could ask the question of someone in town who knows - alternatively tell them they would get a bonus to their check if they spoke with someone knowledgeable first. (This of course depends on the timeliness of the situation and availability of the knowledge in town.) Definitely make any magic item purchase or weapon/armor upgrade be role-played.

At some point, any published material is a "railroad." That is why DM's use them - it makes their life way easier. You can support as much "open-worldness" as your creativity, interest and free time allow but if you have limits on those characteristics you will need the players to "follow the script" at some level. I suggest you talk directly with your players and try to align their expectations with the AP - if they want to be political spies, explore the vast unknown or re-unite the dwarven clans, this may not be the AP for them. Mercenaries with a heart of gold? Yes. Ruthless assassin who worships Norgorber? Not so much. If what they expect is what the AP is going to provide, it'll be a lot easier to keep them in the corral (as it were.)

[TyrKnight]

I also like to incorporate things into their character backgrounds, when they give me good backgrounds. They did things before coming to Sandpoint. Get some ideas of where they have been and see if you can use that -- or their class archetypes -- to your advantage.

I had one character who wanted to be a magus blackblade and asked if I could incorporate that in the campaign. I had his blade activate briefly when the runewell activated, and give him visions, leading him to Sandpoint. Once there he spent some time with the sage. He's hooked because his blade his hooked into the Runelords. That's its purpose.

I have a sorcerer who wanted to have amnesia. I've made him an Azlanti (without his knowledge) and had him cursed to live forever (by either one of the runelords or Xin). His dreams were filled of nightmares of being tortured. He wasn't the best roleplayer, but when he got to the torture chamber under Sandpoint, he freaked out and started leaving the dungeon.

I haven't even decided yet how the curse works -- maybe by killing the runelord who cursed him. Then does he age normally from that point or does he instantly age 10,000 years and die? How will he respond to the idea that winning may mean his death?

The first Sihedron medallion from Nualia: I had that bond into the character holding it overnight, becoming a magic artifact tattoo. The medallion has been growing in power. In the mid levels, 5-6, he discovered he could use it to examine other people's sins. But now it's starting to interfere with the cleric's link to his deity, and he's looking for solution to get rid of it. They are about to start the Runeforge section, so could there be a solution there?

It kind of depends on your party and how open they are to you going outside the rules. I like to try to throw things into the game to customize it and make it their story. It's how they'll remember the game in 20 years when we've done 10 more campaigns. "Remember that curse sorcerer I played."

[TyrKnight]

All of those hooks -- and stressing that Sandpoint is linked to this -- keeps them coming back for more. When they found out about the pending attack on sandpoint, they rode hard to get there in time.

[TyrKnight]

For the noble, when I played, we didn't go hunting with him. As a DM, I have a bard who absolutely wanted to impress him, and insisted that everyone go hunting. It doesn't matter either way -- as long as you roleplay the party saving him well. Make him grateful. Make him interesting. Impress on them what he looks like. They'll remember enough for Misgivings to be interesting.