Hello. I'm a new DM and trying to set up my first game. I am also fairly new to pathfinder as I have only played for what will me my fourth time. I am setting up a new campaign for my brothers friends (the are all around the age of 13 where as I am 19) and I want to make their first experience into tabletop RPG's as enjoyable as mine has been so far.
I am not starting with a beginners box but with how the dm for the campaign I am part of runs things. The major issue is the whole campaign has been his own with out the help of outside sources except for stats. I am wondering would it be best for me to go that route and create my own campaign? Or should I use some prewritten campaigns?
Any other advice so that I can make this experience more enjoyable for these kids would be fantastic and much appreciated. Thank you in advance for any words of wisdom you are willing to share.
I would suggest having a Session 0.
A Session 0 is where everybody gets together and you discuss the expectations of the game you're trying to run, such as by incorporating houserules, the source materials included (is it Core only? What about Advanced Player's Guide, or some other Hardcover source?) and so on. Ask them if they're interested in customized campaigns, pre-written campaigns, or even one-shots, just to get a feel for the game. It's also a good idea so that you can get the players together and create characters for their party, so as to ingratiate them into the mechanics and expectations of the game. If they don't really care about creating their own character, and want to just play the game, then simply giving them pre-gens (such as the Iconic characters from the NPC Codex) works well too.
My personal suggestion is, if you aren't 100% familiar with the rules, to just run a pre-written campaign. I know you said that you've only played the game a few times, but being a GM requires more system mastery than most everybody else at your table (presuming these are brand new players, you do have the most experience), as well as more maturity (based on the age difference, that appears to be covered) and flexibility (which can help when creating your own campaign). It takes a lot of experience to create your own campaign, and while you can learn from making your own campaign, you could learn more by understanding the examples of other campaigns. Bonus points if you run a few one-shot campaigns (AKA they are campaigns that take only one session to complete), as that would probably teach you a generic formula faster than a full-on "1-20" campaign would.
But, if you are still wanting to create your own campaign (perhaps after a couple one-shots), I would still suggest looking over a pre-written campaign. Memorize its format and examine the formula for how several rooms and such are written. Also note that in several cases, not every room or encounter is significant, and are simply there to breathe life and existence into the campaign experience.
As far as making things more enjoyable for the kids, keep things simple. While they may be smart (I wouldn't know, but you seem to, so I'll let you be the judge of that), they are also beginning players, so dumbing down some attributes (if only for the sake of pacing the players), like removing Size bonuses/penalties, may be a smart idea just for starting out. I know when I started tabletop gaming (back when I was barely a teenager), the games I played (such as 2nd Edition AD&D) were extremely complicated to me (because the THAC0 system was just annoying and difficult to calculate, wasting time and thus making me not particularly interested in combat as a whole). But, as they get more experienced and nuanced in the game, peel back more and more of the curtain that covers these extensive rules.
Also, keep them engaged, by shortening/simplifying descriptions and expanding interactive elements like NPC conversations, combat, and so on. Youths tend to have short attention spans, and is especially true in today's age, since they're probably on their smartphones texting or playing some mobile app game when they aren't engaged in anything (or even when they're going out somewhere, either on a date or with family). Make sure that your story is gripping, and that they're (almost) constantly involved, so as to make them more appreciative and interested in the game.
**EDIT**
If the players are unsure as to what decisions to make, give them some tips and insights (though don't help out too much, it is an adventure after all, and not a tour of Disneyland), and put a "time clock" on. If a player doesn't make their turn's (or character's) decisions within a given amount of time (usually 1 minute is fair), then they are forcibly delayed, so as to keep the game flowing; if the game goes to a crawl, that reduces the player's engagement, and makes them more likely to just doodle on their phones or other electronic devices instead of getting involved in the game.
Also, don't be afraid to adhoc some rules elements, and follow the "Rule of Cool." If a player wants to do something that the rules don't fully cover (or at least, you don't think it covers), allow it with some conditions and ramifications (for example, shooting a rusty chandelier to have it drop on enemies would be a fun thing to allow a player to do, even though the rules technically wouldn't allow it). This helps keep the players engaged, and entertained, while rewarding their ingenious decisions.
Outside that, it's all up to you. A GM is there to make sure the players are having fun, and if they aren't interested or care about the game, then that means you need to do something. That isn't to say you should force them to play the game, especially if they don't want to or don't like it, but that you should be accommodating your players and their playstyles as a GM.
If the players don't like it, then you can ask them what they don't like, and you, as a GM, can change that rule to accommodate their gaming experience. Again, if they just don't want to play, then that's their decision (and most likely isn't a jab at you or your passion, but perhaps just isn't something that suits their fancies).
Darksol hit the hammer on the- I mean, hit the nail on the head: do a session 0, use a pre-written campaign, and don't be afraid to dumb things down just a TEENSY bit, both for yourself and for the players.
Also, even though you're using a pre-written campaign, don't be afraid to make some minor changes if you think it'd make the game more fun. For instance, let's say there's an enemy caster with a spell list you find BORING. It sucks. It's a horrible set of spells they have memorized. Well, why not change a couple of those spells to make the fight more interesting? Etc.
Also, let me share three of my favorite DMing tricks.
1. Defeat doesn't mean demise. In situations where it's feasible, consider the merits of having a party wipe become, say, a party capture rather than total party death. And in fact, a party capture can be a great place to end a session for the night (cliffhangers and all). Do the classic "The last thing you remember is your vision fading to black... AAAAAAND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL END THE SESSION FOLKS, SEE YA NEXT TIME!" Cue Doritos being thrown at you.
2. Sometimes, you'll make a mistake - like having a character the players know is a vampire being seen walking around in daylight. When the players exclaim "Oooh, wow, how is that vampire walking around in daylight? He must have a magic item or something!" You answer, "Why yyyyyeeeeessss, isn't that interesting?" Don't double back on what you did; it's canon, they saw him walking there. Just play with your mistake - maybe he has a magic amulet that lets him survive in the sun?
3. "You succeed, BUT." In D&D, you usually either strictly succeed or fail. But when I'm DMing, sometimes a player will only "miss" a success by 2-3 points, and I'll decide to let them succeed at their task... but at a cost. Say, for instance, the rogue is attempting sleight of hand on an orc guard to take his key. Well, the rogue gets the key - but as the rogue is about to sneak away with the key, they bump into another orc. Now there's two angry orcs nearby, the key is in hand, and the rogue has to make a getaway. Cue action. (This is a trick I learned from DMing Dungeon World - it makes the game fun.)
Darksol hit the hammer on the- I mean, hit the nail on the head: do a session 0, use a pre-written campaign, and don't be afraid to dumb things down just a TEENSY bit, both for yourself and for the players.
Also, even though you're using a pre-written campaign, don't be afraid to make some minor changes if you think it'd make the game more fun. For instance, let's say there's an enemy caster with a spell list you find BORING. It sucks. It's a horrible set of spells they have memorized. Well, why not change a couple of those spells to make the fight more interesting? Etc.
Also, let me share three of my favorite DMing tricks.
1. Defeat doesn't mean demise. In situations where it's feasible, consider the merits of having a party wipe become, say, a party capture rather than total party death. And in fact, a party capture can be a great place to end a session for the night (cliffhangers and all). Do the classic "The last thing you remember is your vision fading to black... AAAAAAND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL END THE SESSION FOLKS, SEE YA NEXT TIME!" Cue Doritos being thrown at you.
2. Sometimes, you'll make a mistake - like having a character the players know is a vampire being seen walking around in daylight. When the players exclaim "Oooh, wow, how is that vampire walking around in daylight? He must have a magic item or something!" You answer, "Why yyyyyeeeeessss, isn't that interesting?" Don't double back on what you did; it's canon, they saw him walking there. Just play with your mistake - maybe he has a magic amulet that lets him survive in the sun?
3. "You succeed, BUT." In D&D, you usually either strictly succeed or fail. But when I'm DMing, sometimes a player will only "miss" a success by 2-3 points, and I'll decide to let them succeed at their task... but at a cost. Say, for instance, the rogue is attempting sleight of hand on an orc guard to take his key. Well, the rogue gets the key - but as the rogue is about to sneak away with the key, they bump into another orc. Now there's two angry...
1. I think it'd be more fun to do something like "And so, the heroes of the session have fallen victim to the mad wizard's schemes! What will the mad wizard do with them? Will he subject them to torture and horrible experiments? Or will he feed them to his pet gelatinous cube? And will the heroes find a way out of their predicament? Find out, all of this and more, ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF DRAGON BALL Z!!!!!"
2. "He's one of those special vampires that glitter in the sunlight. Yeah. You know, one of those ones that are from that one movie that most every guy hates? Those ones."
3. Fumble and Critical cards can make things interesting. But, most people on here will tell you that they're unfair for the PCs. If you enforce Critical cards for the PCs, and Fumble cards for the bad guys, I think it would help keep them engaged without absolutely screwing them over.
**EDIT** Engrish is hard.
3. Fumble and Critical cards can make things interesting. But, most people on here will tell you that they're unfair for the PCs. If you enforce Critical cards for the PCs, and Fumble cards for the bad guys, I think it would help keep them engaged without absolutely screwing them over.
Yeah - I bolded the best advice here. Keep your players engaged without screwing them over. Darksol's advice is, again, pretty sound: crit cards for players, fumble cards for enemies.
Also, if your players roll a 1 in a fight, don't describe it as "Bill the Berserker just completely flails around like an utter ass and fails to hit the orc, lol." Describe it instead as "You swing true, but the orc hefts his sword up in front of him and blocks your blow with a defeaning 'clang,' negating your attack." Basically, by treating the enemy as a skilled opponent rather than poking fun at the player's failure, you make them feel less antagonized.
And to expand on the "You succeed, but" thing...
I use the "You succeed, but" rule to push plot forward and to keep players engaged. It's basically a means of saying "You did what you wanted to do, but a new and distinct challenge has arisen." I use this mostly for things like skill checks and the like.
Examples:
- Player barely fails acrobatics check to leap across a chasm just slightly. They land on the other side, but the ground gives way beneath them; they're dangling from the edge and someone needs to help them NOW or they'll fall.
- Player fails a diplomacy check to negotiate a deal just barely. The NPC makes them a counter-offer: "How about you do a little job for me and I'll let you have that magic ring you want so badly..."
- Player fails a stealth check while sneaking into the enemy camp to poison their water supply - again, just barely. The player manages to sneak into the camp, but as they reach the water supply, a patrol comes by. This forces them to choose between finishing their mission or alerting the whole camp.
You get the idea. "You succeed, but" gives players some agency by letting them "pass" but blunder into a slightly different situation. It's not something that's fit for every situation - I actually use it pretty rarely in Pathfinder - but there are times when it can help progress the story.
|
Use prewritten adventures. You're new and there's no reason to add the additional stress of coming up with writing your own adventures to "I'm new at the GMing thing."
Don't commit to a long term adventure path or anything like that yet. Play a series of shorter adventures. This will give everyone, including you, opportunities to try a variety of adventures, characters, and playstyles until you can settle into your comfort zone. Stay in your comfort zone for a while until you've got some experience, then start nibbling away at the edges of your zone and expand it.
Your players are young. Keep it fun and don't pour it on heavy. Let them figure out what level of "roleplaying" they want to engage. You'll start to figure out what they all enjoy and you can zero in on what's most fun for them and you.
Session 0? Meh. It's good for setting expectations, coordinating PC roles in the group, and discussing houserules. However, you guys don't have enough gaming experience, as a group or individually, to know what your expectations should be, what roles each will find enjoyable, and what houserules are going to maximize the enjoyment and minimize the drag for you and your group.
Be mindful of the rules, but don't dwell on them. If something is getting in the way, feel free to ignore it.
-Skeld
I am new to GMing Pathfinder, and I just started a game to interest my sister into RPing -- she's turned her nose up at it before. So far, I seem to be doing great! In this case, I did my own homebrew world, because I wanted to modify catfolk as I thought she'd like and give her a world with only anthro-furs -- no humans, etc. The moral here would be to look at what your players want to play and make it possible. If that takes building your own world...
OTOH, I'm also running a group with a Paizo Adventure Path (AP). It's a whole lot easier, and frankly, the maps make it a lot more vivid. I'd actually recommend pre-published as a place to start.
However, NOT an AP. I bit off way more than I want to chew! Paizo has published a lot of modules; I'd think you could find one that peddles to your group's interests. At that point, all you have to do is to modify it a bit to accomodate them fully. You've got a rogue? Give them traps & locks & chances to be sneaky. To shine. You don't? Skip most of that stuff; put in just enough that the barbarian has a chance to shine by smashing down a locked door or two. That sort of thing. It doesn't matter what the module printed for locks & traps; you'll set it by your group. But the module will still give you the map of the house!
{PS: Limit your source material. If you're only familiar w/ Core, you can run purely out of Core. Or add a couple more books to get a bit more variety of classes. I recommend the Advanced Player's Guide and the Advanced Class Guide, but you can get other recommendations. The key point: don't use d20pfsrd. It's got the sun, the moon, and all the stars. You want to hand-pick what you'll have to adjudicate.}