Messages

151

RPGs / Re: An idea for a Shadowrun adventure/campaign [does this sound fun?]

« on: March 27, 2009, 09:16:40 PM »

Then if it's bloodthirsty players who have odd ways of playing, your idea has a good and bad part.

The good part being that if they're somewhat crazy, that makes for a good back story and good roleplaying.  Maybe they, like most homeless, are psychologically unstable.  making many of their choices illogical and odd (which could throw off pursuers!).  I brought up the 'chasers' are like a party of players because they can not only see what it's like when a group of psychotic players chase their prey, but they could get a feel for how their actions affect the mindset of NPC's (maybe I'm getting too into this psychologically...).  Also, for a future adventure after this, you can bring up a quest/adventure of the players chasing their old hobo characters!  They'll never see it coming mwahahahaha...

But a bad point I see is that they may be use to overpowered weapons, and the lack of may cause headaches.  Perhaps they witnessed a murder of, lets say the mayor of whatever city.  The murderer set it up to frame someone, but the setting they did it is a setting the players can get into easily, thus finding the scene first, and maybe taking the weapon of said killing (which was supposed to be used as evidence against the intended target.).
This could then make 2 groups of people who are after the players, the police and the mysterious murderers.

just thought, I like the idea btw.  Im just typing what comes into my head as I type, so I may ramble a bit.

152

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 27, 2009, 06:50:24 PM »

Those are the kind of names I had in mind too!   

So giving magic items names, no matter how unimpressive they are, would be better than calling them "Staff of magic...+1!' or 'Armor of +1 AC'.

Just wondering which is the 'norm'.  I wanted to add in useless items like "The Great Sword with Heated grip" which keeps the players hands warm, or "Eye Patch of Partial Blindness".  Just for fun.  I will add those now.  I want someone to wear the eye patch.

153

RPGs / Re: A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

« on: March 27, 2009, 06:46:34 PM »

OK, so here's what ive managed to get done for the first session.  Just the dungeon, im not going to get into the story again.

The dungeon is a fairly small maze with some of the dead ends of the maze blocked off with doors and in the middle a room with doors leading from one side to the other.  On the right hand side of the maze I have small rooms with Decrepit Skeletons lvl 1 (lowest encounter x4, highest x8 skeletons).  In the center room is where the slaves will have a makeshift hospital for the wounded with a (unique character) Cleric trying to tend to their wounds.  The Left side of the maze has a few traps linked together.  I have two crossbow turrets set to the end of a hallway, after the players set off the trap (which is a scripted effect set off my a slave) the players will need to hid behind a few walls, which have Spear Gauntlets places sparingly.  Most of the dead end room have the guards inside trying to hold off the slaves.  These encounter comprise of some Human Guards lvl 3, [trained] Gray Wolves lvl 2, and the occasional Human Mage lvl 4.  throughout the maze there are dozens of Human Rabble lvl 1 (1hp) who act as both slaves and very very weak guards.  Essentially the slaves and weak guards fight it out while the players fight the more dangerous foes.  if the players want they can help the slaves and increase the chance of them living (which helps alot in the long run, but there's a good amount of slaves who survive no matter what).

At the end of the maze I have a custom Elite Human Berserker lvl 4 which the weapon (i made) Slavemaster Bane's Whip (which has a +2 Resounding enchant).  After he is defeated some role playing goes on and it will be decided that the still living slaves will make a village.  And thus should be the end of session one.

I'm still making a few unique characters who to start just have some helpful advice for players, if they survive the maze I have nothing really planned.  I may have them be something like the town healer, trader, farmer etc.

There are a few rooms I have planned to contain minor magic weapons/armor, Slavemaster Bane's axe being one from an encounter.  I'm thinking of adding a Dagger with Duelist enchant for a combat encounter against the room with most skeletons, a Quarterstaff of magic +1 for answering a riddle, a Magic Holy Symbol of Melora (used later) from a dying paladin/cleric, and something else I haven't decided.

Input/ Ideas/ Information all helpful.

154

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 27, 2009, 06:30:40 PM »

Alrighty another Question!

I'm in the process of making some very minor magic weapons/armor.  I have just a few simple questions:

How does one name the new magic weapon/armor?  Is it simply 'Magic Staff +1' or 'Dueling Greatsword of +6'?  I know with unique/legendary weapons/armor I can name them and stuff, like 'Plague Bringer' or 'Bane's Axe of Fury'.

What should be a limit for a group of lvl 1's in a dungeon with magic items.  Like how many (I had planned 2-3 very simple ones from special rooms, and a Greataxe with the Vicious enchantment +1 from an Elite at end of dungeon) simple magic items should here be?  And if so, what kind of enchantment would be taking it just a little too far.

155

RPGs / Re: An idea for a Shadowrun adventure/campaign [does this sound fun?]

« on: March 27, 2009, 06:22:55 PM »

I like the idea for starting up of a few adventures/campaign.  I think if you added in some sort of element that the players witness some sort of act or come across some information people want, making the players targets for the police/gangs/whathaveyou, it could be an interesting cat and mouse game, players being the mouse...and there's more than one cat.

And since your group seems to like people dying, have them desperately look for help, but eventually the people who help them die by the hands of the 'chaser'.  And have them die by the hands of like an adventuring party, characters that could be players (Or what I plan to do in my DnD game is mention old characters my players played or interacted with).  Have the group chasing them be old characters they played.  That way they know just how fked up they can get.

But yes, the idea is plausible, but what's the hook (or hooks)?

156

General Chaos / Re: Best of Youtube

« on: March 26, 2009, 09:18:26 PM »

I'm just tired of underage japanese sexual adventures. I don't know, does their culture considers sex as such a shameful thing? I'm honestly wondering.

If I remember correctly the consensual age for Japanese girls to have sex is 14 or 15.  I don't know if this has changed anytime recently but it was 14 last time I checked.  I know odd things.  Don't ask how or why.  Pretty sure this has something to do with the creepy obsessiveness of underage girls.

157

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 26, 2009, 01:30:32 AM »

Good saying!  Ill keep it in mind!

158

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 26, 2009, 12:05:48 AM »

Can do!  Oh, how do you think a group of 5 players lvl 1 would do against lvl 3 enemies such a the Human Guard listed in the monster Manual, using the recommended 'currency' of xp to 'buy' my enemies for the encounter at 500 xp total, making the Guards worth 150xp each, how would a few groups of 3-4 of them do?  Ive got a few encounters where there are mixes of Fire Beetles, a few Archers, a couple Guard Drakes, and the Human Guards being the most difficult.

159

General Chaos / Re: Best of Youtube

« on: March 26, 2009, 12:01:43 AM »

Best horror movie ever

<a href="" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win"></a>

omfg I laughed so hard the whole time.  One of my favorites to last the ages.

160

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 25, 2009, 11:11:37 PM »

Excellent, thank you!

161

RPGs / Re: Question or two about DnD 4 ed.

« on: March 25, 2009, 10:49:11 PM »

Woo!  Another question.  Really simple tho.  When I'm rewarding XP, lets say that through out the session the encounters the players kill off award a total of umm...7,000 xp.  Is this 7,000 xp rewarded to each player, or divided up among the amount of players present (so for 4 players it would be 1750 xp apiece)?

I'm assuming it's divided up.  Just checking   

162

RPGs / Re: A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

« on: March 25, 2009, 10:20:13 PM »

Roll wise, I use a little screen and will roll while having a conversation with a player in game.  Sometimes I roll, look at the result and laugh to myself or swear under my breath.  and these rolls will mean nothing, just there to throw players off.  Ive talked again to some other GM friends of mine and they say to let Bob live and have the players do something about him, whether it be befriending him or killing him in the end.

I have enough experience to know that if the players need or should notice something, Ill just let them notice it or have them roll and whatever comes up it passes (if not Ill have them notice something that makes them notice it) that way I keep the story moving.  The only time Ive had to stop the story is due to either forces outside my power (people outside the game interrupting for instance) and if a player questions a rule or effect then we briefly pause the game (at a point where stopping briefly would be acceptable).

But yeah...I think I'm going to start mapping out the dungeon and looking over encounters.  Hopefully this will turn out well.

163

RPGs / Re: A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

« on: March 25, 2009, 12:35:14 PM »

Hmm...that is interesting...

But yes mainly what the slaves will be there to do is such things as remove skeletons or put them in proper places that look scary, re-arm traps, put back any monsters that live long enough since most died, and sweeping up the passageways.  Simple things really.  Ill have those tedious jobs be the players for a few minutes while explaining how the more veteran slaves are actually rebuilding some collapsed passageways, that way there's reasons for pickaxes, shovels and the like for weapons.

The thought of Bob possibly having a change in heart crossed my mind.  However I know there's a player who could see through that and possibly kill him on sight, claiming that Bob has tortured him so much that he would recognize him anywhere (metagamer...).  Hmm, Ill have Bob try a Diplomacy check as a way for me to gauge how he acts when he encounters them, and a quick Bluff check as he tries to pass himself as a lowly mage (which the players would like as help when fighting the archers).

So yes, there's a way I can incorporate that into this.  Maybe Bob has temporary amnesia and really believes he may be a slave.

164

RPGs / Re: A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

« on: March 25, 2009, 03:07:15 AM »

Ah yes...its funny, I'm in a Game Design class and the basics is to ask questions...which I forgot to do in my case     It's embarrassing...

Ok, let's see here...

1. and 2.
Why was the Dungeon built...hmm...Alright, how about it's being built over an older dungeon in which the upper floors needed remodeling due to all the adventurers coming in looking for treasure over the course of generation after generation (Sounds as a joke, but if someone goes to all the trouble to make a dungeon, and they're still alive, they want it to at least look nice  ).  The original dungeon itself was built within the now abandoned lair of an Elder Green Dragon.  The Dragon itself has not been seen for generations.  However, the main boss, lets call him Bob now, is the heir to a massive fortune he inherits from generations pasts.  The treasure he has is actually what still remains from the stash the Dragon left behind.  So Bob is 'refurnishing' the dungeon with new traps and putting in new enemies.  In a sense he's 'refreshing' the dungeon.  He does this not for adventurers, but because the items he has locked away beneath the upper floors are too valuable to be left anywhere else.  The top floor or two are simply there to make it seem too easy and thus turn away more determined adventurers (that's Bob's thought anyway).

So, the dungeon is being built to keep the secret treasure beneath it safe from adventurers.  Simple enough for now.  And as a quick note, they refresh the dungeon about 2-3 times a generation due to the severe lack of adventurers, we are talking about a valley in the middle of nowhere.

Now for 3...Why would a man who is using his fortune to uphold his family tradition of keeping the dungeon safe leave his slaves for long enough time for the slaves to not only escape but use the resources left behind to create a small village...I've got it!  It changes the story just a tad bit, but it works...
Alright, so Bob is the evil guy calling the shots at the dungeon sight...But, after the entrance of the cave collapses he find himself trapped inside the dungeon too!  His cohorts on the outside know he's trapped, or worse, dead (and when the slaves find out he's inside the dungeon, he may well be dead).  So, when Bob's cohorts leave, they're returning the Bob's father...the man who gave Bob the task of 'refreshing' the dungeon!  So when Bob's father hears the news (he lives really far away.  Like, really far) he panics for his sons life and orders a large portion of his guards to save his son.  And thus an oncoming army that the players will find out about later.

Whew...tough work...alright...now for 4.

The slaves themselves come from small villages and towns from across the land, a few taken here and there, secretly so as not to arouse suspicion.  Most of the slaves are just that though, slaves.  Bought and traded, eventually ending up here.  This will give the players the main community of their village, people who want to stay and settler, out of harms way of the whip and beatings.  But the ones who came from families and had lives want to return to them.  This way after the town has grown enough supplies and can live on it's own peacefully for now in the valley, these npc's that had lives will gather what they can, and leave.  This will be when the players themselves leave the village, after all their work is done and they are not needed.  The village community will encourage that the players go out and make a name for themselves in other towns as they did in this one.

The majority of encounter in the top floor of the dungeon can be the guards ordered to watch the slaves.  As the slaves revolt after they realize what's happening, the guards will try and barricade themselves in rooms, using the few archers inside to keep the slaves away.  This is one way the players will then be able to get weapons and armor.  After they've settled with most of the guards, they could try their hand at a few 'prize' rooms that have some treasure and maybe one lesser magic object to make them happy.

So that's back story, reasons for dungeon, reasons for army coming, where slaves came from, and item issues.

I want to thank you guys so very much for helping me with this.  I know I seem a bit rash and really annoying, but it's something I'm really excited about and I want to get this right as best I can.  It means a lot that I can get help from experienced people like you guys and it means a lot, criticism on my work and all.

165

RPGs / Re: A tad bit of help with my Campaign please.

« on: March 24, 2009, 08:09:06 PM »

That's an interesting idea indeed.  Im liking the idea that its a huge labyrinth and the entrance collapses (Was it an accident...?  Interesting...) and then the players work with the slaves.  I can only get so much down typed when so many ideas go through my head.  I talked with a GM of mine from college and he said one of the major flaws was the players not starting with items, so including them going about getting the items they were creating a dungeon to protect is interesting.  But the overall idea, whether the players get it or not, is for the main bad guy to come back with evil intentions.

The main point about players starting in this dungeon is that its going to be a way for them to learn how the mechanics of the DnD game work.  The puzzles are mainly them learning how they can deal with future traps and puzzles and the encounters will give them a good idea as their role in the group.  This way the dungeon will be the introduction to the rest of the campaign, the town building being the part where it gets much more sand box, choosing where and what to do next.

NPC's I was going to role play them out, having them shout to the players what to do (both good and bad advice) having the players end up working together with a few key NPC's who would in a sense represent the overall mood/ideas/fears of the slaves, but not do the tasks themselves.  in fact the more helpul of the unique NPC's i plan for them to die, by thinking the traps are clear or the encounter over.  Mindless NPC's would add nothing, Im having them be fearful for their lives now that they believe they are trapped within their new tomb, wanting desperately to get out, needing some kind of...group, of heroes...to save them.  I know almost 100% one of my players is playing the heroic 'Lets save everyone cause I'm an awesome bad ass' character (He's a Dragonborn paladin haha).  So immediately people will start asking them to go forward to do the 'trials', more or less making the players the main characters they look up to for help and guidance, getting more scared and angry at the heroes if they falter.

So...slaves, players, labyrinth, entrance destroyed, gather slaves, go though getting items through trials, umm...oh!, Keys with the items that lead the an Exit door, AND to the lower dungeon areas, uhh...and then it brings them to the outside.  The political aspect is something that if they pay attention to how the NPC's act, and how the village is growing they could see how their actions affect it, otherwise to them it'll be the simple "Oh noes!  Gnolls is attacking!  Kill em!  Argle Bargle!" which I know my players are fine with too.

I realize my players are very open to everything and will try hard, if not attempt to give everything a try.  Unless I'm missing something I guess all that's really left is to figure out a reason for why the evil boss guy would leave, and why he would come back.