Don't you people ever die?! A DMing thread

[Meister]

If you want to include specific characters as NPCs Nikose's advice is sound. I'd add that it's probably a good idea to not just do that for the hell of it. One DM I know would often describe other adventuring parties we'd hear of as little side jokes and about 90% of the time these jokes would fall flat because either half of us didn't know who he meant (once he clearly described the 8BT cast and I'm pretty sure only I got it) or there wasn't much to do with the information other than go "whelp yeah I guess Roy Greenhilt and Dumbledore passed through here, we get it, but that doesn't actually help us retrieve the Crown of Bollocks from the Lethal Cave."

Basically unless you're playing in their specific setting including known characters as NPCs can get awkward, just be aware of that.

If, on the other hand, you just mean general character ideas or plot elements there's a saying that goes "every DM steals" and I advise you to keep it in mind at all times and apply it liberally. Like, don't make an adventure where the party has to return a magic ring to its forge to destroy it (not without parody elementy, anyway) but reappropriating minor plot elements or adapt characters is totally a-okay.

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

You included a person who included Sephiroth in his game in your game.

Yeah that may in fact be the actual problem and everything I wrote is just so much nerd theory.

[Nikose Tyris]

So, my group is currently in a town that is under Zhentarim Occupation.

Group consists of a Hellbred Paladin of Mystra, a Forestlord Moon Elf Cleric of Io, a Deep Imaskari Wizard, and a Dark Human Shadowcaster/Sorcerer (and now a Noctumancer)

It was an information gathering session. Cleric was antsy and trying to pick fights everywhere we went, so Paladin had to organize our Q&A period and where to look for what information. We split up, so 4 seperate stories.

Paladin: Went to the homes of local business owners to ask how they feel about the Zhentarim occupation, and purposely overpaid for every item he bought. He won a lot of affection, but he spoke to Weregund, the local general store owner- who happens to be a Zhentarim spy. The Spy put him in contact with the 'free shadowdale alliance' which gets rounded up and arrested every two weeks for stirring- up trouble. Which is amazing. Class ability of spies is an auto-undetectable alignment, so Pally-boy had no chance of figuring it out- he relies on his Detect Evil and never Sense Motive.

Cleric went to the different temples in town (To Chauntea, goddess of the harvest, to Tymora, Goddess of Luck), and got some minor information at each location. Also stopped by the enemy barracks to pick a fight with some guards and stole about 4 sets of Zhentarim guard uniforms. He also went to the festhall, which the Zhents had turned into a brothel.
He purchased an hour with a young lady, and offered her a very, very healthy sum (20 gold for a 2 silver working girl) to feed him information from the officers she services.
Which may be the most impressive gather information check I've ever seen.

The shadowcaster swung around to every adept in town and brokered information regarding magic, and found out about sharran activity in the area, and a weave-degredation spell that's ongoing, weaking magic and destroying it all together in some places.

The Wizard (my girlfriend) had a wild moodswing, and decided she didn't want to do anything and didn't want to play, so she declared she'd just stay in her room, scribing scrolls, and went to bed early.

After they met back up, they decided to use their fake mercenary group cover to investigate with other mercs, and went down to the bar.

It took maybe 3 sentences for "What's your merc group called?" to come up and none of them remember the name of it.
Followed up with not remembering what suites they were in, at the inn.
The Paladin is now officially taking notes and keeping track of maps they buy.

[Terex4]

I came up with an idea that should be unique. If I take over as DM one of my players will be a 20 year vet so I've been wracking my brain for something he hasn't dealt with.

I was flipping through the 2nd edition book of artifacts and came across The Apparatus. The idea here is to put the PCs into a situation where they are captured and preferably knocked out. Then put all of their names into a hat and have them draw names (drawing again if they pull their own).

For those unfamiliar with the powers of The Apparatus, its basically a body switching device. It can also split a person into two separate people comprising one half of their alignment choice and competing for the position of the "true" individual (A lawful good character would be split into a heavily lawful twin and a heavily good twin). You can also just choose major traits of the whole character to separate, alignment is just a tool here.

So when the PCs awake, they find themselves occupying the body of the person who's name they drew. They keep the same int and wis scores but all other stats are of the new body.

Make sure that at least one PC swaps gender and hope for the dwarf to get the elf's body for maximum entertainment.

[walkertexasdruid]

Originally Posted by Meister

If you want to include specific characters as NPCs Nikose's advice is sound. I'd add that it's probably a good idea to not just do that for the hell of it. One DM I know would often describe other adventuring parties we'd hear of as little side jokes and about 90% of the time these jokes would fall flat because either half of us didn't know who he meant (once he clearly described the 8BT cast and I'm pretty sure only I got it) or there wasn't much to do with the information other than go "whelp yeah I guess Roy Greenhilt and Dumbledore passed through here, we get it, but that doesn't actually help us retrieve the Crown of Bollocks from the Lethal Cave."

Basically unless you're playing in their specific setting including known characters as NPCs can get awkward, just be aware of that.

If, on the other hand, you just mean general character ideas or plot elements there's a saying that goes "every DM steals" and I advise you to keep it in mind at all times and apply it liberally. Like, don't make an adventure where the party has to return a magic ring to its forge to destroy it (not without parody elementy, anyway) but reappropriating minor plot elements or adapt characters is totally a-okay.


Yeah that may in fact be the actual problem and everything I wrote is just so much nerd theory.

That is very good advice. I do not really have worry about my former player anymore anyway. His main problem was that if it was not his idea, he did not like it. Funny enough, my most successful session with him was when his powerful spellcaster had to reverse my modified version of Chainfire. I thought would take a few sessions, but he managed to find all three Boxes, defeat the crazy archavist who initiated the spell, and correctly open them to save the world, all in one session. I think my problem was that I felt that I had to hit him with something grander the next time, and he told me that it was just too overwhelming, and that his wizard wanted to slow things down. I guess I was too worried about topping myself, and not as concerned with what my PC wanted. I will try to be a better GM next time I try to run a campaign.

[The Argent Lord]

I'm running the 4e conversion of Tomb of Horrors on Sunday for a group containing two 4e virgins, one D&D virgin, and nobody who's played in more than 3 adventures total. I think I'll be kinda and let them "save-state" once per room.

[Nikose Tyris]

Don't do that. It takes away from what "Tomb of Horrors" is, at it's core. Nobody runs tomb of horrors expecting to win. You go in to see how far you can make it.

In 3.5 it was a terrible way to start players, too- it turned off a few friends to the game forever. I'm wondering what it'll do in 4E?

[The Argent Lord]

Well, I'm running it as essentially a one-shot, with a less murderous campaign afterward, because several of my players are disappearing to college in two weeks. I plan to TELL them that it will be a horrible place where they will die a lot, and besides, saves never hurt IWBTG.

[Nikose Tyris]

IWBTG would have been better with no saves.

And no gun.

Zangief Only.

[Meister]

It's got to be a better introduction than Keep on the Shadowfell.

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by Meister

It's got to be a better introduction than Keep on the Shadowfell.

I think it would be hard to be worse!

Casual change of topic: what's IWBTG. I ask, of course, because I want to see if you know*. I, being the self-styled uber-nerd that I am, already know*! Of course*!

*These statements are completely true, given this: a very broad definition of both "completely" and "true".