i need some filler


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion


i'm starting a new campaign, but i want the main story plot stuff to start around level 4

because my players are all going to be new, i'm going to start them at lvl 1, and once they get to third i'm going to start pulling them into the main story

before then, they are all going to be meeting up in preparation for some expedition (the main story line)

but sadly the expedition is postponed and i need to have stuff to fill in their levels 1-3/4

i'm just looking for ideas, and i can fill in the rest

the players so far are going to be
aasimar archer (fighter)
tiefling sorcerer
a cleric of some kind
and one other unknown character
and then MAYBE one GMPC in case they don't have a front-line fighter


Levels 1-3 a front line fighter will not be especially important, the AC and HP differences will not be much, and clerics are often close to the front lines anyways (channeling, touch healing, can carry weapon and shield and still cast). If you are really concerned, give them a combat trained and barded riding dog that a PC can directly control.

What causes the delay? Is it Goblin raids along the road that the PC's can deal with? Is the head merchant/trader/leader concerned for his child that went missing a few days before (kidnapped by someone on the expedition, or a rival)? Is there an entry tax that the PC's must pay before being allowed to come along (requiring them to sell their services as mercenaries)? Is there an unusually thick fog around the towns shore and the city closed their gates until the fog dissipates (or the low lvl dragon creating it is bribed to leave, or killed? Do the PC's owe some cash to some thugs, and they need to find a way to defeat the thugs, pay them off, or distract them with rivals so they can leave in peace (or not be kicked out of the expedition for dealing with thugs)? Is the town suddenly overrun with rats (swarm), dire rats, and mutated dire rats (incited by a ratfolk sorcerer)? Did a few members of the expedition suddenly drop out and need to be re-convinced to join up, or replacements found?

The question is do you want combat, or social challenges, do you want to roam around town, or stay within the walls? Or some combination of all these?


i was hoping at 1st lvl to keep them inside the walls generally, and then after that give a hook to take them outside

i was thinking the expedition would be delayed due to important people not showing up on time, so if they take longer than i expect on these side quest kinda things, i can let them have that time instead of needing to rush

the town itself is going to be rather large, and mutants will be a large theme once the main story starts, and the expedition leaves, and them along with it

i intended that first level be mostly social, with a combat that leads them outside and to the start of second level

once they go outside i was thinking more combat oriented
i like the idea of an animal or something like that, one that doesn't really need to be RPed and will probably be left behind

i like the idea of the dire rats and such, so i MAY use that

i plan the PC's to be mercenary guards of the caravan anyways
its going to be kind of a gathering point for groups of adventurers
i was thinking maybe having like
a big competition between the latest groups to arrive, to see which one gets to go along in the expedition (including the group)

which i think would be a good way to introduce them to their rival group

Shadow Lodge

A "test" in a 3 part dungeon (to give them 3 levels) should solve that. Put anything in each part that you like.

Would be a good idea to introduce them to smaller challenges that will prepare them for their main mission in the campaign.


A pet is cheap, easy for PC's to use, and easy to get rid of (loaned to them for a time), and the gear is generally not worth stealing.

I might suggest needing "proof of trustworthiness" to enter the "competition", that way the party can social around to find a reputable citizen to vouch for them (then more social to convince them to help)
.
Then you can "tutorial level" them through important mechanics (skill checks, DR (2-5, -, B, S, P, cold iron, etc), SR (10), Swarms, stealth, theft, CHA skills, utility spells and utility gear, disease/poison, healing, non-lethal, disable device).

I suggest letting them make rumor/KNOW/diplomacy/intimidate checks around town to find reputable citizens. They should be able to find a few. Give each (lets say 5) a unique challenge the party must overcome. Each can give bonus pay in mundane (random?) items (they might not normally choose)/coins/gems/trade goods/potions/weapons (unusual ones)/spell buffs. (this is a chance to get them using uncommon items in uncommon ways like Iron-Spikes).

1- An Elf Wizard in dire need of less than legal spell components for his/her research. The party will need to convince the Wizard of their discreteness, then either buy the ingredients from the black market, steal them from the black market, or hunt down the creature and survival the components themselves (firebeetles/fleas/other vermin with DR, DC12 survival or ruin the components). This can give them tracking, social, stealth, sleight of hand, survival checks, and maybe swim/climb.
They could blackmail the Wizard, or otherwise bargain for payment/silence.
2- A mercenary company leader, a hulking Half-Orc brute who worships the Strong and Hates (capitol H) the weak. The PC's must prove themselves with their martial prowess against him in non-lethal (weapon or unarmed) combat (encourage stealth buffs/heals, combat tricks, grappling, and party support). All members get a chance to participate on 1v1 combat, in the same day (new arena each time to keep them guessing and evaluating natural/manufactured hazards like pits, spikes, poisons, bullrush traps, illusions).
3- A wealthy merchants son who only asks for coins, but, he finds his father has taken his signet ring. The party must stealth past guards and (easy) alarm traps to steal it back from the fathers study. Then escape in creative ways when the father returns unexpectedly.
4- The local master blacksmith for the highest authority in town. He asks the party to help him in his shop (craft), out of his shop to attract customers (perform), and assistance in designing new tools (profession/alchemy/KNOW, purchase books).
5- A renowned adventurer, wealthy from his exploits, who could use some help identifying his latest haul (spellcraft/alchemy/UMD/KNOW/trial-and-error). One item summons a whole room full of creatures that must be put down before they escape and ruin the adventurers reputation (AOO's, tactical positioning, flanking, DR/SR, run/climb/swim checks for chase).

After they have x number of reputation letters recommending them, then they may be allowed to speak with the expedition (and find they need to track someone down who is late? Survival, weather, darkness/concealment/traps).


Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscriber

a thief could pickpocket one of the characters leading them around for a while as they attempts to regain their loot from some small gang.

as the party is walking around the city, a portion of the sewers collapses and they have to find their way out as they fall down in a largish room.

could be something trap oriented, with little or no actual enemies.

they find a box and adventure unfolds as they try to find a way to open it.


I like the idea of using the little competition as a sort of tutorial
I will have VERY new players

The need for someone to vouch for them was something i had planned, but I didn't know how to implement it so thanks

I also had an idea about giving them little in-game bonuses for rping their characters early on
Like, if there's a fight going on in the alleyway that he party happens upon
Say someone attempts to use diplomacy to stop the fight and succeeds
I would give them a +1 to diplomacy for the game, and that takes up the third and "bonus" trait
Maybe someone threatens them and gets an intimidate bonus

I like the third option you listed, but the second and fifth are very viable

I've managed to confirm that the group will be
A witch ( probably a small character for some reason )
The archer
The cleric
And the sorcerer
So I wil probably end up giving them a slightly beefed up riding dog or something like that

The thief and small gang idea is similar to one of my original ideas, and I will keep it in mind as well

I like the idea of them needing a certain number of recommendation letters or something like that
And sending them to go find the missing person was part of my plan
I am hoping to have at least like.... 3-7 sessions before the main campaign begins
I don't know if that seems like a lot, but I'm worried if I let it go too fast I won't have the time to write he campaign and it will get out of hand very quickly

I've got a while before the campaign starts, and I'd really like to keep this thread going because it is really helping me getting it ready, and it's really awesome to get ideas from outside sources


Does your campaign have a patron of some kind the PCs work for? If so, he could be testing them before he actually hires them for plot-reasons.
Another option is a "hero academy" - kinda like Hogwarts but without the class-discrimination. Gives you an excuse to print spiffy Hero Academy Graduation Certificate handouts for your players to hang over their beds.
Third possibility: read over your plot - the main lines only - backwards. Start at the end, work your way to the start, linking the steps in a logical way - and when you get to the end (or rather, the beginning) think about how you could perhaps add another step in there to get the ball rolling. Try to dress it up as something mundane that eventually links to the main plot.


It might help to have some moral decision making situations early on to see how the player characters get on. A problem of character conflict has arisen in the group I play with and while party conflict can be enjoyable 3 characters have died thus far as a result.

The Exchange

Have you considered a classic treasure hunt? No major arch-enemies, just occasional incidental enemies and environmental/travel hazards before they get to where the swag is buried?

Following from Propsken's suggestion above: during this search you could even have them encounter forces loyal to their (eventual) enemy, who would not yet have a reason to fight the PCs - thus making them go "Oh, them" when they do eventually find out what those minions were up to.


Bar fight in a tavern.

Clean the sewers of rats.

Gather material comps for a spellcaster.


What campaign setting are they playing in?

Take the extra "filler" time you have to introduce them to the world, build up their connections to NPC, or set-up recurring motifs or themes that will arise later on down the road.

-A public official approaches them with a mission. Use the conversation that ensues to drop in bits about the city/nation's political structure and ongoing intrigue.

-There's a local festival of some kind. Get the party drunk (the characters, not the players!) and let them enjoy the shenanigans. Let the festival also be part of some local custom that introduces some interesting culture/religion from the campaign setting.

-The party witnesses a crime of some sort, and are called to act as witnesses at a trial. I've used this setup to introduce a fun, recurring lawyer NPC that was loved by players, but hated by their characters. You could also use this situation to let the players learn about the city/nation's legal system.

-An encounter that, at first glance, seems to be leading up to a typical "Kill lots of goblins/kobolds/other early-game combat-fodder" scenario, then pull the rug out from beneath your players by turning it into something more complex

-An NPC gives each of the party members an invitation to an underground gladiatorial troupe. "Don't talk about Fight Club? Of course we're going to talk about our fight club! Word-of-mouth is a very important form of advertising!"

Think about what you want to prioritize in your campaign, what tone you want to set, what world-building elements you want to draw your players attention to, and what their play style is.

It'll be fun. Don't worry too much about it.


Protip: If you do decide that a frontline fighter is needed, I heartily recommend either giving them the option of a hireling who'll do the job, or else have them as a Warrior 1 level below the party level. Try making them friendly and helpful enough that the cleric will try and keep them alive, but ensure that they are not the center of attention or part of the plot.

Had a bad experience with a GMPC lately, so figured I should chip in with my two coppers.


wow
okay
i just wrote like a three page essay explaining the campaign in a nutshell (not really that much, but took me a long while to figure out how to explain certain things)
but my computer just derped and refreshed the page for some reason, and all of it is gone
so this is what y'all get
i really really love all the ideas i'm getting, and they are really really helpful

@Splode (sorry i dont really know how to do the whole... i copy this persons post into mine thing)

i agree that the "filler time" is basically going to be used so i can learn the players and their characters, and so the players and their characters can learn the world, and the rules of the game
i want the characters to be intelligent and creative when dealing with stuff, so i don't plan on it being super combat oriented

@Guardianlord

i plan on using the "letter of recommendation idea" and that will allow them to join in the expedition and get them free seats to the tournament for the people that still want to go, but couldn't earn the letters

i plan to use the tournament to teach a lot of combat mechanics such as DR and fighting defensively, along with attacks of opportunity
ill try and keep it short and to the point
the only reason i'm going this is because they are like
brand new shiny penny players
like they probably haven't even looked at the core PDF i gave em

they know they have a few months before the campaign will start, but i asked them to put thought into their characters back-story and personality, and they seem very enthusiastic

oh god this is turning into a long post again

@FuelDrop

i will make sure the meat-shield in front isn't a hyper-optimized awakened riding dog monk
i promise

@lincoln Hills, i like the idea of giving them clues to the later story arc that will make them go "oh yeah remember those guys?"

BTW
i just wanted to thank everyone who has posted on this thread
you've been an awesome help to me getting the setting ready for the players
i really appreciate your comments, and will try to take all of them into consideration
i have a general idea of how the beginning is going to go, story wise anyways, and that's a huge step in the right direction for me
once i get things going i can generally improvise based on the players choices, but getting started is always the hardest thing for me
so yeah
thanks for the help
if y'all have any input, your welcome to post it, even if its ideas for BBEG's or later stuff
i don't have a HUGE amount of information on the campaign here, because i plan on starting one of those Google drive things for its lore and such, and i didn't want to spend the time typing it all out again (even though this post is probably just as long and feels more ranty)


Didn't read all the responses but if it hasn't been mentioned, Burnt Offerings, the first part of the Rise of the Runelords AP, makes an outstanding little setpiece, will take you just as far as you're looking to go and even gives you a fully fleshed out village not too far from a major town that could literally be set anywhere. Highly recommended.


iv'e played through RORL up until the giant king mountain thing ( i'm assuming that is in the AP and not just my old DM)
i do really like the beginning bit, and i can see myself leaving the AP around where the PCs are done with the goblins ( i think that's generic enough to not need spoilering)

if i just changed up the names of the towns to fit the setting, then it would probably be a good starting point

i have one question
is it free?
because that is like... the limitation of my budget

if it is i may consider it
if not then i'm going to stick with my current plan and start writing the main story plot (backwards of course)


A quick tip. One that you likely already know, have a list of names and traits/physical features/personality quirks ready at hand for when your players ask "Hello random citizen, tell me about yourself" or for the inevitable "lets question these unconscious random goblins". Your players WILL go off script (sometimes quite hilariously, or for seemingly minor reasons), and it is nice to reward exploration with more than random encounter tables and a randomly generated cave map (a list of humorous mundane items could be fun too - why did that cave troll have a nice chandelier and dining table?).
In your extensive planning (good thing to do), consider changing loots from mere gold to mundane items with some story to them, my party had a fun time getting a 40ton marble statue to town safely then selling it (I had not planned on them actually TAKING A FIXED STONE STATUE!).

WBL and APL make a lot of assumptions about your party, mine has 6 players, 5 are casters. APL is generally +8-12 for hard events, APL +6 is measured in rounds for them.
As for BBEG's, I find many smaller enemies around the boss, or a lieutenant and the BBEG of near equal ability can make the fights much more lasting (I cast prismatic spray, he misses his turn, I use cluster shot/rapidshot/manyshot, I charge, trip, and bleed him. I sneak attack for 10d6. Dead BBEG, round 2, loot.).

Some handy (free) resources.

http://donjon.bin.sh/pathfinder/dungeon/

http://inkwellideas.com/2009/07/rpg-resources-of-the-day-101-fantasy-city-t own-and-village-maps/

http://dmtools.org/encounters.php

http://strolen.com/viewing/101_Uses_for_an_Iron_Spike

http://zenithgames.blogspot.se/2013/11/7-tips-for-new-gms.html


I planned on finding a random loot generator to give it at least a bit of flavor
I probably won't be using WBL because they are newer players and I like people spending money on magic items "for the Lolz" as stated by one of the two VERY SLIGHTLY experienced players that I have previously dmed for


There's lots of ways to fill in time at low levels. Here's 1 tack I used:

1. the marketplace is attacked by monsters! Cliché I know but the PCs meet mid-fight and have the chance to save 2 little girls. Post fight they meet other NPCs

2. one of the NPCs will be handing out the major quests later on. He tells them he'll have an assignment for them soon and then disappears off-screen. The other NPCs begin badgering the PCs w/their problems

3. a barmaid wishes someone would go across town to the hangout of the wicked woodcutter foreman and his crew. She suspects they got her husband killed and stole the man's heirloom axe. She wants the axe to prove her claims.

4. one of the town's ratcatchers has found a cache in a bricked up ruin under the town. He needs help clearing the path and recovering the loot.

5. a simple grippili bard has gotten his flute stolen by faeries. They've left clues all over town but he needs help following them.

6. the local herbalist needs some adventurers to scour the hinterlands for a rare herb; it's the favorite food of some very aggressive goats

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