Hi all,
I'll be starting Rise of the Runelords with a group of players who are all brand new to tabletop RPGs. I have ran the adventure in the Beginner Box with them (my goblin voice was a great success), but that's as far as their pen & paper experience goes. We are all video gamers and we have all played computer RPGs, so there is some familiarity with the basic systems and tropes.
I am new to the role of the GM myself and I would like them to have the maximal amount of fun and be aware from the start of some of the basics things they can do in a tabletop RPG in general and specifically in Pathfinder.
Here is what I have so far on my "Top 10 (or less, or more) adventuring tips" list that I want to use in a briefing during our first session.
1. Search early, search often. Successful Perception checks can reveal: Treasure! Hidden enemies! Secret doors! Traps! and more.
2. You don't always have to kill them. Sometimes, confrontational situations can be resolved with diplomacy (or bluff, or intimidate), or with straight-up magically charming your would-be opponents.
2a. If you *really* want to fight them, you can use non-lethal options to win. Examples are disarming your opponent or knocking them out with non-lethal damage.
3. Story XP, you say? That's right, your character can gain XP even if they don't fight or kill something. Participating in NPC interactions, solving situations in a clever way, achieving story or character goals or creative bits of roleplaying will grant you XP.
4. Gather information. Use Knowledge checks, class abilities like bardic lore or plain old "talking to people" in order to find out things about other things.
5. You're not stuck forever with your class. Your character can gain levels in a second class if you want to branch out a little. This is called multi-classing.
Anything else you would add to this list?
Bring rope.
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I'd check out the "Tips from Master N." section from my character creation guide, there's 8 solid tips and reasons behind them there.
When in doubt, go left.
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Well I don't have 10 for you, but I have 200 for you.
2. Never share a hiding spot with someone more foolish than thyself.
3. The easy way is trapped. The hard way is an ambush. The right way is hidden.
4. Levers are placed to be pulled.
5. Evil henchmen are often more potent combatants than their bosses. Be ready.
6. If the wizard dies with an uncast Fireball, he deserved it.
7. There is NEVER enough curative power.
8. Doors without traps lead to doors with them.
9. A fountain in a dungeon is a crapshoot.
10. Never trust a dead end.
11. Kill it first. That's what Raise Dead is for
12. When in a dungeon, NEVER let the DM think you're bored.
13. Whenever possible, do not have the slowest movement rate.
14. Posting a strong rear guard can deter the DM from attacking from the rear. This is not a waste. This is proper. If you don’t get attacked from behind, it was 100% worth it.
15. Always know which skill no one has, and be ready to depend on that skill.
16. When turned to stone, don’t panic. Monsters with petrification abilities come with Stone to Flesh items nine times out of ten.
17. Try to look unimportant, it might be low on ammo. If you’re the paladin, don’t b%@~!, you signed up for this.
18. Murphy was a fighter.
19. You’re playing D&D, not Marvel.
20. If it’s stupid and it works, it isn’t stupid.
21. The first time you drop your guard, the DM will teach you a lesson.
22. So what if you met in a bar 10 minutes ago, and now you’re already hired. Learn about your comrades’ strengths and weaknesses ASAP.
23. A comrade that stutters, hems, or haws trying to pinpoint their weaknesses can add “Doesn’t know when they’re screwed” to the list.
24. A character with no weaknesses isn’t really good at anything either.
25. The thief doesn’t complain when the fighter doesn’t help pick the lock, the fighter shouldn’t complain when the thief doesn’t enter melee.
26. HP and damage potential are independent attributes. Four giants at 3/4 HP do WAY more damage than 3 fully healthy giants. Gang up on bad guys, do not make it a fight from Big Trouble In Little China.
27. Trust your experts. Don’t get mad at the thief if he misses a trap, and he won’t get made when the demon saves against your spell or the fighter gets mowed down.
28. You don’t need a body for resurrection, so don’t worry about leaving it behind.
29. Someone who ditches a group plan has signed up for whatever happens to them. Pay to have them raised, but don’t risk your neck for them.
30. When someone is getting themselves killed for something you screwed up on, suck it up and risk yours to get them out of it.
31. Never EVER EVER spend an action saying, “Go Team.” Watching for the impending second wave of baddies is a perfectly reasonable way to spend your time.
32. When the cleric says it’s time to stop, it’s time to stop. If the fighter says it’s time to stop, look at the healer for confirmation.
33. Communism and democracy gets a party killed. Situational Meritocracy gets you fortune and glory.
34. What the paladin doesn’t know can’t hurt him.
35. What the thief doesn’t know CAN hurt you.
36. Fighters get first dibs on tactical placement.
37. Never lie during triage.
38. If you decide to rest after you’ve run out of spells, you’re too late.
39. When the fighter yells for you to cast the fireball, listen. When the wizard tells you you’re going to get yourself killed, you listen. When the cleric flees you follow. When the thief gets killed by a trap, go get another thief before continuing.
40. Fighters are a wizard’s second best armor. Clerics are the best.
41. Spells should neither be whored nor hoarded.
42. What good is the reward if you aren’t around to use it?
43. Just because your cover is blown, charging isn’t plan B.
44. You’ll only ruin the game by turning in the thief for contacting the guild.
45. Listen when you’re not in charge, and lead when you are.
46. Portable Hole plus ballista equals success. See #20.
47. Always know which side the hinges are on.
48. ALWAYS listen after tampering with the door.
49. People can miss obvious sights, or shrug off noise, but scent is never missed.
50. The Atreides had a battle language, so should you.
51. Treasure can be used right away.
52. It costs five copper pieces to shoot an exploratory arrow into the darkness, and five hundred thousand copper pieces to get your Troubleshooter raised from the dead.
53. Know who your DM’s favorite D&D writer is and plan accordingly.
54. Female NPCs with names are suspect. Never score on a named NPC.
55. It’s always an inside job. When it’s not, the BBEG is a higher level than you.
56. Nine times out of ten when the DM wants to know your HP total, he’ll pull his punches. When he never asks, he doesn’t care if your character dies, act accordingly.
57. “Rush In and Act Accordingly” only works when you trust your teammates.
58. Dicing for mutually desired items leads to semi-content parties with less than optimal power. Voting to place the items leads to optimally powered, temporarily less than happy members (minus one). Pick one.
59. Always have enough to get your sorry butt raised, and make sure your party-mates know where that stash is.
60. Always know how many charges are left in the wand of curing, even if you’re not the cleric.
61. If the thief introduces himself with an alias, go along with it!
62. Unless you’re a paladin, when the thief introduces YOU with an alias, go along with it.
63. It’s okay to get screwed for not knowing the game setting, but keep your complaints to yourself starting the with the second offense.
64. When stocking up, assume every dungeon has a rust monster, a troll, a doppelganger, an incorporeal creature, and SWARMS.
65. It doesn’t matter what edition you’re playing, going down stairs ups the ante.
66. Double doors guard things with more HP than singe doors. As a corollary, the square footage of a door is directly proportional to the XP value of the thing behind the door.
67. The player who can name the campaign specific names for various coins gets first dibs on being the bard.
68. Two bards is a waste. I don’t care how different their feat selection is.
69. Two fighters are never a waste, but always use different primary weapons.
70. All other things being equal, enhance your character’s strengths before plugging up your weaknesses.
71. Just because rogues no longer get bonus XP for liberating treasure, and fighters per HD, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to stop playing that way.
72. Assuming people are basically good is asking for it. People by default are neutral.
73. Read the description for Diplomacy. Nowhere does it describe the powers of Bluff, Charm Person, Suggestion, Savoir-Faire, or Fast-talking. Don’t complain when the DM doesn’t let you get away with it.
74. Dragons are dangerous from the day they hatch.
75. A wizard who resorts to melee does so because that’s how they want people to remember how they died.
76. Assuming that every monster in the dungeon was meant for you to kill it is suicide. Sometimes you’re supposed to run away.
77. The party’s strategist may not be the party’s tactician. Any class can handle these jobs, don’t be cliché about this.
78. Even the A-Team accepted the reward. Take it.
79. Don’t make a pacifist character. It’s D&D. Fighting happens. Pacifism is for NPCs.
80. The time to fall back for healing is never lower than 1/3 power. Don’t wait until you’re almost dead, as it’ll become a cycle; heal, get hit, heal, get hit.
81. It’s only worth missing a round to get healed if you’re going to get healed for more damage than you take in 1 round.
82. If the wizard needs to fall back, it’s because everyone else is dead, or the wizard is executing #75.
83. No matter your class, always have a light slashing weapon ready for use.
84. Captain Kirk used red shirts, so should you.
85. If you can’t sum up your character in a single paragraph, he’s too complicated.
86. Everyone in the party should have a common language beyond simply Common.
87. Know your DM. Learn to tell when he’s throwing you a bone, and run with it.
88. “The natural cavern leads off into darkness” is typically DM-speak for, “This cavern isn’t part of the adventure, but is there in case I want to build on it later. Please don’t go down there, because I’ll have to wing it.”
89. Your cohort is never more valuable than another PC. Your followers are never more important than a comrade’s cohort.
90. It is, in fact, possible to “win” at D&D. A character who is the subject of nostalgic gaming stories long after a campaign has ended has “won” D&D.
91. If your DM uses plastic minis, but slaps down a hand-painted metal mini, treat it with suspicion and caution.
92. If you tell the party to “trust you”, then don’t let them down. If you do let them down, don’t be surprised if they don’t go with it next time you ask.
93. The DM’s love of the campaign world is directly proportionate to the level of motivation he has for a campaign with in it, and inversely proportional to the patience he has for people being ignorant of it.
94. The more proper nouns that appear in your character’s back-story, the more permission you’re giving the DM to mess with it during the campaign.
95. There’s nothing childish about a character whose motivations include power, riches, and fame. In fact, be honest with yourself, at some level isn’t that your own motivation with your character?
96. Multiple wizards in a party are like a sports team (or the X-Men arcade game). You need to “call the ball”. Don’t both of you waste your best spells at the same time. Alternate so as to maintain your level of firepower (See #41).
97. You might think it’s cool to keep your prepared spells a secret until the party sees you cast them, but it’s even cooler if they can plan around your selection. If there are two casters in the party, talk to each other when planning the day’s spells so as to not create a surplus or scarcity of certain effects.
98. If your DM wants to know which party member is carrying the map, the answer is always plural. (And it’s a good bet he’s the kind of dungeon master that will keep track of food, so be ready.)
99. The player that still uses the level titles (e.g. Veteran, Cutpurse, Deacon, etc.) gets first dibs on playing the thief (and trust me, they’ll call it thief not rogue.) They’re by far the most paranoid player in a dungeon, and likely the one most highly trained at recognizing highly probable places for traps.
100. It’s okay to let the DM know you’re bored when in town (See #4). But before you do, make sure you’re armed and ready.
101. If the DM asks you if you say or read something out loud, the answer is always no.
102. If you meet an NPC in a session with a proper name, be courteous and learn it.
103. If the same NPC appears in another adventure, be smart and learn as much as you can about them.
104. If the same NPC appears in another story arc, be wise and prepare to fight him to the death.
105. Don’t name your character after a famous person/character within the game, it’s distracting and will lead to jokes that break the suspension of disbelieve, which in turn will garner you less sympathy from the DM when you mess up.
106. Never cite The Lord of the Rings as justification for an argument for why something should work, and maybe, just maybe, the DM won’t cite Alien for the same reason.
107. Female NPCs exhibit a parabolic relationship with their comeliness score and their importance. If comeliness is 3 or 18, then pay attention to what she says.
108. If there’s a psionic party member, you can be sure there will be psionic baddies.
109. Assume every dungeon has an underground lake and a river of lava. Trust me, it’s better that way.
110. Unless you’re pressed for time, look for its lair, even if it’s a wandering monster.
111. Sometimes treasure is hidden in the stomach, the tauntaun treasure chest must not be overlooked.
112. You know what psych majors learn in college? Stereotypes are usually true.
113. There’s no such thing as an underground lake without a carnivorous creature in it. See #109
114. No it’s not good role-playing to run an evil character in a group with a paladin. It’s asking for angst that D&D is designed to provide escape from.
115. Never argue physics with the DM. It’s not worth the retribution, and you can never win an argument when the rebuttal can justifiably be “Magic!”
116. Plan C should never be “Every man for himself.”
117. Don’t freak out if the party rogue is neutral. Remember #72.
118. Never assume the BBEG is like a James Bond BBEG. Assume you’ll be killed quickly, efficiently and without warning.
119. Before play begins, find out what skill the DM says is relevant to determining success in the Indiana Jones, “gold idol – bag of sand” switch.
120. Never ever complain your way out of character death. It’s unmanly and you’ll embarrass yourself. If you’ve got a solid logical reason, give it. Once.
121. It’s D&D, “Because he’s evil” is always acceptable.
122. Before you draw from that Deck of Many Things, decide your drawing limit and stick to it.
123. If you’re playing 3rd edition, and you find a lone kobold, it’s obviously a high level sorcerer. If someone laughs at you for making that assumption, let them make theirs next time. If you’re playing older editions, that kobold is bait.
124. If you can’t solve the puzzle in 5 minutes of real game time, break it.
125. If attacked by ninjas, remember the power of a ninja is inversely proportionate to the number of ninjas involved in the fight. Ten ninjas are fodder, but a lone ninja will kick your butt. This goes for psionic characters too.
126. Playing a character of the exact opposite of the stereotype is also a stereotype.
127. Unless the DM forbids it, during character creation talk to the other players, otherwise don’t complain when the characters are hopelessly incompatible or everyone’s a fighter.
128. Default template for single file marching order is, in order of front to back, Troubleshooter, fighter, wizard, cleric. Always leave 5' of space between
129. There’s nothing wrong with making requests of the spell-casters for what spells to prepare for the day. Just like there’s nothing wrong with saying “no” to those requests.
130. Always carry a missile weapon. Unless your class prohibits you from using it, use it.
131. Before you do something REALLY stupid, make sure you know the DM’s policy on Atonement.
132. Burned out Ioun Stone + Continual Flame = best torch ever.
133. If you’re a middle level fighting class (cleric, druid, etc.) don’t rush in on round 1. Doing so will annoy the fighters trying to execute #36, and you’ll end up needing to use more curative magic. Round 1 is a buffing and assessment round for you.
134. Monk + Silence = premier anti-caster tactic.
135. Know when to retreat, and know which characters in the party would rather die than do so.
136. Once fireballs are added to the mix, the city watch doesn’t care who started it.
137. Behold the power of the Cantrip: Ghost Sound can save your butt against dumb giants, and Mending can redo the seal on the royal letter you stole.
138. If the reward seems too good to be true, be prepared for a double cross. This doesn’t mean don’t take the contract, it just means be ready to fight the person who gave it to you.
139. Whenever possible, use cover and concealment.
140. Flanking is key. Do it, and don’t let it happen to you. When moving to flank, the melee-tank-anchor should arrive before the sneak-attacker.
141. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough. Better to have overkill than be killed.
142. Unless the details of your class require you to honor last requests, don’t.
143. After having finally slain the BBEG, take the precautions necessary, using whatever books the DM allows, to ensure that he cannot be True Resurrected.
144. When entering combat with a truly dangerous foe, don’t save your most powerful spells for “just in case”. Use them first.
145. Unless you have some kind of trump card, resist any and all urges to do melee battle with anyone on a ledge.
146. If you wipe the floor with the first wave of baddies, assume the next wave is going to be the toughest. The instant you have determined the level of toughness, first hand, of the next wave, be ready with #144.
147. It’s D&D, the moral implications concerning bribery are relevant to the mark, not the PC. Bribery is as valid a tactic as intimidation.
148. Magic items in which the word “of” appears two or more times will invariably become either a plot device or a homing beacon for trouble. Be prepared.
149. Monks will never be as good at melee as fighters or as sneaky as rogues. Monks are a “variable support class” They make excellent wing man melee fighters, and wing man rogues.
150. If you have a familiar, keep it in mind at all times. Otherwise you’ll have no recourse when it’s time to rely on it and the DM says Fido’s still back in town.
151. If you suspect a character has been replaced by a doppelganger, ask them to let you cast sleep on them. If it doesn’t work, they’re either an elf-blooded PC or a doppelganger.
152. If the DM asks if you’re setting watch, the answer is always yes.
153. Whenever reasonable, make the baddies come to you as you rain missile fire on them.
154. If you prepare spells, it’s worth it to have a “default non-adventuring day” list of prepared spells, so when the DM springs the adventure hook on you, you’re not caught with your pants down.
155. You should always know how each person in the party would answer the question, “You’re lost in the desert and the water supply is dwindling, how should you split it?”
156. If the DM forgets to include a penalty you’re suffering from, point it out. If he doesn’t return the favor, then stop. Immediately.
157. Take notes at the table. If you recall the name, race, and nationality of an NPC, it shows the DM that you care about the hours he put in on making the adventure. It may come up in rewarding you later. It’s also good gaming.
158. If your character can’t swim because of encumbrance, then you need a solution that will protect you from drowning. You need this before you approach anything wet.
159. If the DM takes the time to describe a new pattern of floor tiling, do not advance until the troubleshooter gives the go ahead.
160. Everyone in the party should know who the fastest talker is, the best diplomat, and the most intimating member. Don’t use numbers at the table, but know who each is.
161. The order of operations is always Diplomacy, Bluff, then intimidate. Never reverse these.
162. There should never be any excess space in an extra-dimensional storage container. If you’re successful enough to have one, you’re wealthy enough to fill remaining space with food and water (and ammo). As space is needed, ditch the ammo, food, and water.
163. Scouts should always return to the group for planning, never should the group advance to the scout.
164. The place to plan is never close enough that a double move will bring the enemy within their striking distance.
165. If the DM ever needs to vividly describe the specific actions of a trap, you must assume that they are using something more than the DMG for their traps. This brings a requirement of checking for traps immediately after disabling the obvious trap. If you see a "Grimtooth" trap book, GET A THIEF.
166. Choose your attacks wisely. It might seem like a good idea to hit a melee monster with a physically devastating spell, but it likely won’t work. Blast the slow tanks, manipulate the weak willed, and debilitate the weak bodied.
167. The fact that Undectable Alignment is still a Paladin spell should give a clue as to what a Paladin is actually allowed to do. Nowhere does it say that the Code requires you to wear a neon sign that says, “I’m a paladin and I will judge you!”
168. Defense will only protect you, for a time, from defeat. It takes offense to actually conquer a foe.
169. The cheapest item in the PHB is a mundane item with the following abilities: potential circumstance bonus when used for nose plugs or earplugs, works as a timer for anything up to an hour, can check for air currents, can be a minor decoy, can make subtle markings on a wall to indicate exploration progress, and sheds a weak light. It weighs virtually nothing, so even the wizard can carry some. It’s called a “candle.”
170. Just because it’s gone from the game, doesn’t mean there’s no longer a need for bending bars and lifting gates. Make sure you have this covered. It’ll make your DM happy if you know what the best result a party can muster is on taking 20 for a STR check.
171. Always know how you’re going to spend a turn before your name is called to act. It keeps the game smooth, and encourages others to do the same. Your DM will thank you, and you’ll come off as having a more confident character.
172. Never split the party. Just don't do it.
173. If you are paired up. Never leave your wingman. Do Not Leave Your Wingman.
174. Know they escape route.
175. Every party should have a policy on when it's time to make a last stand.
176. If you can pull off an ambush, hold the line until the enemy is within melee range. Shooting a target from far way isn't an ambush.
177. Never ford a river at the ford.
178. When the plan goes wrong, go back to the beginning (or some other clearly designated point.
179. Never return from the dungeon the way you went in. Foolish is the bandit who attacks the party prepped to kill them all and let Heironeous sort them out. Wise is the bandit who attacks the resource depleted, treasure laden party.
180. Attack HVTs first. These are the blasters and characters with Save or Die abilities. (piles of easily fireballed minions not withstanding.)
181. If your character has a schtick, know they rules. Expect to be called upon to show the sourcebook. Have page numbers ready.
182. Thou shall not sunder treasure. If you're playing in an organized game, this does not apply.
183. Do not look down upon mundane equipment. Keep pitons, flour, and empty sacks on hand.
184. It is okay to tease someone at the table. It is not okay to tease them such that their fun is lessened.
185. Read the fluff first, and the crunch second. It's poor gaming to take a class, especially a prestige class based solely on crunch.
186. Pay attention even to trifles. This includes casting times, numbers of targets you can affect.
187. Even if the DM doesn't do it, pay attention to ammo.
188. Roll all your dice at once. Miss chances, attack and damage. This is more efficient. If you miss due to concealment, you can save time on the math.
189. Do NOT roll all of your attacks on a full attack at once. Your 5' step could be life and death. Use it appropriately, redirect your attacks as the situation demands.
190. Know which rules are often misapplied. You don't need to memorize them (though you should) but you do need to know where to find them.
191. Remember, in a no holds barred contest Batman bested Superman.
192. It is okay to think in terms of aggro, DPS, Uber. It is not okay to use these at the table. Ever.
193. Never keep a side mission a secret from your party unless ordered to do so.
194. Know thyself. Inside and out. Be familiar with your abilities, equipment, and spells. Prepare. Use note cards. The player with an entirely different sheet for their raging barbarian knows what's up.
195. Embrace the abstraction. An unexpected plan can surprise the DM forcing him to wing it. You have the advantage. Here is where you reap the rewards from #87 and most definitely #93.
196. Immerse yourself ahead of time. Playing a primitive fighter? Read some Robert Howard. Thief? Read Gord the Rogue. This will give you the language, attitude and aura of the character you're playing. Your newfound adjectives will increase everyone's enjoyment.
197. Beware of symmetrical dungeon levels. These contain Very Bad Things.
198. Beware of almost symmetrical dungeon levels. There's a secret door.
199. When expecting trouble it is not a waste to buff ahead of time. A 10 Round Bless cast 4 rounds too early is still 7 rounds of benefit. Six with the spell, and one where you didn't have to cast it.
200. Knowledge is power. Invest and use knowledge skills. If you have a regular party, spread the wealth. Ignorance is a choice. Don't make it.
I'd suggest they set up a loot system or guideline early on. A lot of sessions can be wasted when your party members are arguing amongst themselves.
In other words, avoid situations like this with treasure drops.
Another important suggestion is turn timing. In the later levels, gameplay can grind to a screeching halt when you are given more options and abilities to utilize. You may need to implement a "Timer" for players' turns if players are taking approximately 5-10 minutes for their turn, if not more.
System knowledge is vital for players; they should keep the rules referenced regularly. It's also important for you, as the GM, to bring up any houserules you plan to implement before the game starts, and to be concise in how they're ran. Players don't like surprises, especially when it's a "You can't do that" or "That's not how it works," when by the normal rules, they actually can do that, or that is how it works.
Lastly, and this is perhaps the most important thing: DO NOT METAGAME. This not only applies to the PCs, but the GM as well. There are a lot of games where Players are using...well...Player knowledge, when the PC would otherwise have no idea. Similarly, there are cases where the GM would use out-of-character knowledge to justify an NPC's or BBEG's actions. If the PCs do it, they'll be out of a table. If the GM does it, he'll be out of a game.
It is a cooperative game, there is no "bind on pick up/equip". Early on pooling resources to buy a wand of cure light wounds (or other consumables which may come in handy) to share between the party members can prevent deaths and ease encounters that may have gone badly.
It is pretty much standard operating procedure in any of our games with low level groups.
This also branches out to things like Flanking and Aid Another actions. If a character is having a hard time hitting an opponent, use your action to aid someone else who will do more damage.
there is no "bind on pick up/equip"
Except for specific cursed items :P
Obviously, this game doesn't behave with MMO mechanics, I'm not suggesting that it does. But even if it's a cooperative game, you're going to have players argue amongst themselves between builds, character behavior, and yes; loot. See that +6 Strength belt? See the Fighter and the Barbarian trying to argue who should get it? That's exactly the sort of thing that needs to be addressed when a GM gives out loot. (This can also cause a side-effect where players believe other players are receiving favoritism from the GM, but that's a whole separate issue.)
I'm not saying that Players shouldn't have the "Teammate" mentality, it'd be exactly the opposite. I'm saying that not every table has Players with "Teammate" mentality, and is something that the GM should get a feel for, and if it becomes a problem, address it and get it resolved so that all parties are happy and content.
2- Don't Get Attached to Your NPCs. Chances are they will end up dead or forgotten. Memorable NPCs are a real thing, but you should always think of them the same way you think of characters in Game of Thrones. ("This guys is kinda cool. He'll probably die.")
3- Learn to Improvise and Be Willing to Adapt. Your players will often surprise you with completely unexpected ideas. Learn to accept them and mold the story around their choices instead of forcing their choices to match your preconceived script.
4- Give Them Real Challenges, But Don't Get Adversarial. Remember, the PCs are the heroes! They are supposed to be the stars of the game. Don't be pissed off just because they one-shot'd your villain. Sometimes it happens.
5- Assume Players Will Kill Everything! I'm exaggerating, of course. My point is: Always be prepared for the possibility of the PCs killing (or at least attacking) anything you place in front of them. Sooner or later they will attack someone or something when you were sure they had absolutely no reason to do so. Be prepared.
6- Remember: Your Priority is to Make Sure the Players Are Having Fun! I know it sounds cheesy, but it's true: The GM has the most fun when the players are having fun. You'll quickly notice that you enjoy the game the most when your players having a blast.
Also, give your players the following advice:
2- Carry backup weapons. Because you'll eventually be disarmed or have your weapon destroyed. Have a back up. It doesn't have to be as good as your main weapon, but it has to be good enough to keep you alive until you find a better one.
3- Remember: There are no aggro mechanics in Pathfinder. If you want your enemies to focus on you instead of the squishy wizard, you have to give them a reason to! Most often, this reason is raw damage output, but there are other ways.
4- Don't underestimate consumables. I know potions/scrolls are wasted after you use them, but sometimes, they're all you need to get through that one encounter/challenge.
5- Don't overspecialize. Be awesome at whatever it is that you want to be awesome, but don't do it at the cost of being ineffective at everything else. Sometimes, your usual course of action will not be a viable solution.
6- Knowing is half the battle. Always try and get as much information about your next challenge/enemies/puzzles/quest/etc as you can.
7- Carry wands of Cure Light Wounds and wands of Lesser Restoration. They'll save your life more often than your party. ;).
8- Put skill ranks in Perception. Even if your Wis score is not very good and Perception is not one of your class skills. You'll be rolling Perception skill checks more often than any other, so you might as well invest in it. It'll probably save your life at some point.
9- Carry a scroll of Daylight. Seriously. Sooner or later your GM will throw a vampire or shadow demon in your way. They all do. (Admittedly, this advice is based more on personal trauma and paranoia than actual game analysis)
Good Luck & Have Fun!
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1. Have fun!!!!!!!
2. Work together as a team. Unlike most games, PF is collaborative.
3. Read and take notes about your class, feats, skills, spells, and equipment.
4. Listen and be respectful
5. Do not argue with the GM. If you disagree with a ruling, make a single objection, then play through. After the session, you can discuss it with the GM.
6. Remember, it's just a game and have fun!
7. Take notes! Map! List found equipment.
8. Seriously, learn the rules. Especially about the actions your character can do in combat. Know how to make melee attacks, ranged attacks, combat maneuvers, spells, and special class abilities. Learn the grapple rules. The more you know, the quicker and smoother your game play will be.
9. Write down ALL the stats for your animal companions, familiars, summoned monsters, cohorts, eidolons, intelligent magical weapons and items. They should all have their own character sheets.
10. Know your spells. If you need to, use index cards.
11. Hand write your character sheets, spell cards, combat matrices, etc. Writing it down by hand helps you learn it. It's a lot like studying. Repetition helps you learn. If you do all this before your gaming session, you'll know what you need to know when it's time to play.
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Misc:
1. Be Excellent to Each Other. If a player describes his character as an intimidating badass, have your character react as if they are. If a player describes their character as an ugly weirdo, react as if they are.
2. Party On Dudes. Don't split the party.
3. When the GM Talks, You Listen. There's nothing more disheartening than players who aren't paying attention, or ask you to repeat something three or four times.
4. Colour in the Lines. If your GM has crafted a specific type of setting, don't try to break the setting by insisting on a character that doesn't fit: Halloweenpunk settings don't do well with goofy prankster gnomes, Light-hearted anthro settings don't really need a bloodthirsty CE Drow.
5. At least learn the basics. Know what d20, d6, d10 etc means. Know you need a d20 for Initiative, Skills, Attack Rolls and Saves. Learn where your Initiative, Attacks, Saves and Skills are on your Character sheet.
6. Use notecards to write down temporary bonuses and penalties. Having the notecard on the table will help you remember to apply those things.
7. You don't have to talk in character, but if you don't then be descriptive so your actions are clear. Saying: "I grab the bartender by the lapels and growl 'give me ALL the bacon' into his face." is just as effective as affecting a Batman voice and lets the GM know you need an Intimidate check.
8. Role Play the Roll: If you roll first, and then decide how your actions fit the roll you'll find that the narrative is a lot smoother. If you roll a 1 on your Intimidate check for a grand total of 4, then something like: "I mumble something about bacon, but forget what I was talking about half way through."
9. GM - MAKE FAILURE INTERESTING: Don't just gloss over failure, either justify it due to the environment/circumstance or add a complication to the scenario. AVOID blaming the character for failing due to bad rolls. A character didn't trip because they were clumsy, the stone gave way beneath their feet. A character doesn't just fail to unlock the door, they scrape the lock loudly enough whoever was on the other side comes to investigate.
10. Treat the campaign as seriously as you'd treat any other commitment to a sports team, or volunteer organization. You should set a regular time to play that works: Once a week, once a fortnight or once a month, on a fixed day, at a fixed time. It's easier to plan AROUND a time sink like a tabletop RPG than it is to plan a tabletop RPG around the dozens of other things that we have to do in life.
11. Be friends with everyone in your group. It makes everything smoother.
Things I've learned:
1. DO NOT GET IN FRONT OF THE BARBARIAN!
2. Bring a 10 foot pole
3. Do not strap the 10 foot pole to your back so that you will flip upon entering a door
4. Do not look into the arrow slit the monsters were shooting at you from
5. Poking an angry mob with a flaming 10 foot pole is not a good plan
6. Setting your 10 foot pole on fire is a good plan
7. Bar fights are a must
8. Bar fights should end in a fire
9. If you have two rogues in the party, make sure at least one of them can do roguish things
10. Death is but a minor inconvenience.
11. Chalk is considered to be weightless. Subsequently, you can buy as much as you like and carry it everywhere. This is a good plan. 500 pieces is a good start.
12. If you think there's a trap, there's a trap.
13. If one member of the group can take the entire rest of the group in combat, kill him/her in their sleep before the GM uses mind control.
14. Do not walk into the boss room without resting.
15. The vampire in the basement will eat you.
16. If you can't win, stand your ground and fight because if it can kill you in battle, it can kill you while you run.
17. Having one rank in profession sailor is different from knowing how to sail a boat.
18. If it comes to it, you can hide and flood the place by spamming create water.
19. Play Dwarven Dungeon Dash as much as possible.
20. When in doubt, refer to the 70 Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries
1. Make sure everyone undestands what sort of game it will be. If you prepared for a Game of Thrones-type intrigue but got a dark dungeon crawl a la "Resident Evil" instead, it will be less fun and your character may be frustratingly powerless. It pays to know what the other people at the party want from the game and how the DM plans to run things (key word here being "plans" :) ).
2. Check with the other players what they have in mind and work together when possible to create a cool group, even if your characters do not know each other beforehand.
3. Every player and GM has a comfort zone. Respect it. For some people, torture, sex, vivid racism / sexism or animal or children suffering are not okay even in a game.
4.Know both what your character can do and what the whole group can do in the game. First and foremost, know how the things your character does actually work in the game and make sure s/he can do them well. On the party level, it is best if you have some utility magic, some combat magic, someone to beat things into a paste, and people who know stuff and can get people to do things you want them to do. In general, however, everyone should try to at least be useful in and out of a fight.
5. There will be fighting. You can probably avoid a fair bit of it, and not all of it will be to the death - many enemies won´t mind surrendering if they see they have no chance to win. For every defeated minion who plans revenge, five will be glad enough to leave with their lives that they may tell you useful information, and some of them can even be turned into allies (barring extreme cases like undead, some outsiders, blackguards etc). Make sure the GM understands this, too. Keep in mind that by default, you get experience for handling an encounter, not just for killing the enemy. You can and should get experience if, say, you bribed that giant with 3 barrels of low-quality wine to be your best buddy or fooled the cultist into revealing the cult hideout by pretending to be the new recruits.
6. Know how combat rules work, they will be coming up quite often. It makes the game run a lot smoother if everyone knows what they can do and the game does not bog down. Sometimes, when people disagree, use common sense -talking to your allies or enemies in combat is a free action, but discussing the finer implications of their political alliances to get them to switch sides is not really plausible. The DM is the judge in such matters.
7. Treasure in a chest is not the only type of money and power you can get. There may be a bounty on the head of a known criminal, and dealing with a goblin menace, subversive cult or a demonic invasion is the sort of thing that tends to get rewarded - either financially or with clout and favors (including things like noble titles). Check for things like that before or after your heroics.
8. Taunts and minor nitpicks are usually okay, but once you are on adventure, you are in big trouble if the other guy/girl/gnome does not have your back. In return, you should have theirs and you better not do things to piss him/her/it off. If you want to be a jackass, it is much better to be a jackass to someone whom your life does not depend on and who is not on your level. Interparty backstabbing kills characters - and games.
9. Be prepared for how the story may go. This includes both being ready for what is likely to happen once you go in that ruin/palace/ninja guild and for what is likely to go wrong. You will probably not be able to plan for everything that goes wrong, but every problem avoided may make the big difference between going out alive and successful and ending your careers as worm chew or at the guilottine.
10: if all the players and the DM are having fun, you ARE doing it right.
1. You mentioned your goblin voice went over well. Keep that up for as many characters as possible. Dramatize conversations as much as you would combat. This is a good sign that your group will have just as much fun in and out of combat. From this, I would guess that...
2. Background music themed to the adventure will also go over well and helps with role-play immersion factor
3. Start with what the players/character want to do, then use game rules as needed to play out what they want. Don't just present the game rules and mechanics as their options to pick from. (Careful on promoting the overuse of Perception - it can quickly turn into routine "scanning" that just adds overhead to every room and corridor.)
4. Keep on the lookout for what things your players appreciate - sometimes the smallest house rule can keep someone excited about the game (i.e. let druids spontaneously swap in heal spells like a cleric can - it's your game - do what makes sense to you, another is letting players start combat with whatever weapon they want, regardless of what they were actually holding a second ago). Look out for easy ways to make them happy with the game.
5. If the party puts a bad guy to 1 or 2 hp, and it just "makes sense" to have him be dead instead, then he's dead in some fun dramatic fashion, and not dragging combat out another round and the new wizard decides to blow a spell. This is where your power lies - taking what could easily be viewed as annoying and end it on something fun just by how you describe the outcome of one attack. Don't be a slave to the rules.