Formatted this for easier perusal:
Hello fellow adventurers! A sign appearing above you read has an
arrow pointing forward, and the following words etched into the
wooden slab:
"Beware! Adventure lies ahead (TREASURE/GLORY SEEKERS NEEDED!)"
Hi guys! Thursday night is several days away, but I thought it
appropriate to provide some guidance and support so everyone feels
ready and excited for it. D&D can seem daunting, convoluted, and
confusing for new players, and even with some of the simplifications
4th Ed offers, I thought I'd make an attempt to offer some pointers
and tips, in order to help it go smoother.
1. Let's have a fun time, but let's be courteous and respectful of
each other's feelings. That goes for me too. I the DM, am a player
too, making it not my world/campaign/adventure(s), but ours. I'll try
my best to stay open to ideas and suggestions and I'll try to allow
for improvisation and flexibility from time to time.
2. I plan to run a 1-3 level official D&D adventure. I hope no
one will go out and find it, spoiling the surprises and fun. Even so,
I've tweaked it tampered with it, and tried to make it better, and
will have to further adjust it once I know the personalities and goals
of each character. I'll try to do my best to meet each gamers
satisfaction, so please be willing to not demand "too" many off the
path adventures- yet. A preset adventure helps introduce ourselves to
the game, and it helps me focus my time on learning the game instead
of being director/artist/rules lawyer al in one.
3. Rules lawyers are discouraged- it just takes too much time away
from the game- if we have a question I'll allow someone to fade into
the background if they want to look something up. Otherwise, I'd like
to delegate someone to write those ?'s down and we can review them at
the end of a session. I am not always right on rules, so I would like
help learning them- but please remember that disrupting behavior in or
out of character spoils the fun for everyone else.
4. I have a set of pre-made adventurers suggested for use with
learning the game. I think they'd be perfect as they are all roled up
and ready to go, easy to transfer stats over to a character sheet.
However, I of course have no problem if everyone makes a character
from scratch (that's one of the best parts, lest I be the one who
denies everyone the opportunity!)
Rachel is playing an Eladrin rogue, so I would if I may discourage
anyone else from playing this class. I know I've said any
supplemental material can be used, but I think I'd like to recant this
as well. I have all the official 4th edition books thus far, so I'd
like us to stick to that for now.
Here are the races:
PH (Players Handbook): Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Half-Elf,
Halfling, Human, Tiefling
FRPG (Forgotten Realms Player's Guide- note I'd like to strongly
discourage these, but I'd be a hypocrite if I did, cause I DID, and
I've seen others play them out fine as well- "sigh…"):Drow, Genasi,
Warforged Classes: PH: Cleric, Fighter (I think Nate's steering
towards this one), Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Warlord, Wizard
FRPG:Swordmage, Warlock(Dark Pact), Spellscarred 5. Here are the pre-
made suggestions to consider…Dwarf Flighter, Halfling Rogue(Taken),
Eladrin Wizard, Human Cleric, Dragonborn Paladin or Dwarf Fighter,
Half-Elf Cleric, Human Wizard, Dragonborn Paladin, Halfling Rogue
(taken again) these are the two pre-set groups I have available.
You'll understand roles better later, but basically you must have
several roles filled for a group to work effectively by standard
rules. There must be Controller(Wizard), Defender(Fighter, Paladin),
Leader(Cleric, Warlord), and Striker (Ranger, Rogue, Warlock). We'll
need a controller and a leader if Nathan's to play a fighter and
Rachel a rogue.
6. Another issue I'd like to sort out: Do we want to eat
beforehand or bring food each evening? We can meet at 5:30 to chat,
eat, prepare… this is usually good to have some social down time when
preparing
7. Thursday's into Saturdays? It looks like Thursday's won't work
from January and on for me, and I'd like to find a day that will work
well for everyone else. Saturdays finds me finishing up a tent sale
around 6:00pm, so I'd probably want to start around 7pm instead if
that's the case. The Dragon's Keep works well for me because its
close to my place, but maybe BGR would work- I'll check with
Dragonkeep and find out of they can continue to reserve me a room on
Saturday's as they do for me on Thursdays.
8. I know D&D isn't a lifetime/eternal game, but it does typically
equate to a larger time commitment than board games in general. I'd
like to encourage anyone who is only partly interested to reconsider.
Please see this as my way of asking for support and participation. I
am willing to prepare well each week and set this time aside for
gaming, and I do it because I want to run sessions that everyone
enjoys. Let me know if anyone is having concerns now, and I'd be
willing to talk it over and see if we can't figure something out. I
won't be hurt if someone says no, I'd be more hurt if I plan for it
and set up and no one shows.
9. If you can't make it one week that's A.O.K! You'll be at the
inn, faded in the background or something. I don't think I'll play
your character or have someone else do it though- I haven't decided
what to do with experience in these cases- any suggestions?
10. There are several ways to introduce the world and its
characters, so I'd like everyone's help devising a story. Did the
group grow up together in the small village of Harkenwold, mentored by
the village sage, Douven Staul? Perhaps they originate from the
crossroads town of Fallcrest, which has experienced its share of
Bandits and Merchant Caravans? Are they from the city that lies at the
foot of the eastern mountains, Hammerfast, a city just beginning to
catch news of the neighboring villages' plight?
Perhaps it's here a young accolade finds himself, after several days
journeying, in search of a group of heroes to help end the kobold
attacks his town has been suffering under? Or are the heroes members
of a caravan, hired labour looking for a gold piece and a good meal?
Perhaps they are already seasoned adventurers heading to aid a call
for help in the village Winterhaven, far to the west? Let me know,
ok??
I think that's enough for now…character sheets can be downloaded
on Wizards of the coast's D&D page- put it in the search bar- that's
easiest.
Andrew
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