DM's, advice please

[Jafin]

I'm currently DM'ing a AD&D 2e, game with a single player and I need some advice on where to go with it now. It's a bit complicated so I won't post it all here, but if anyone would like to help me out, e-mail me and I'll go more in-depth. If enough people want me to post what's going on in the campaign, I will. I just don't feel like typing a lot right now [img]smile.gif[/img]

-Jafin

[Grand-Ranger]

Hmm


Try having a dead family member come back from the dead, that always works.

[250]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jafin:
I just don't feel like typing a lot right now [img]smile.gif[/img]

-Jafin

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me neither... ackkk

[250]

ok, I have some time anyway!

so I will type a few things

I will not start in order, but the common goal for every campaign is

to let everyone have fun!

remember your goal as a DM is NOT to kill the player, nor will you throw PC vs PC competition (been proved, it is a disastor) lose-lose situation

anyhows, my personal experience

if you are running a PBB (play by board) game, one-on-one section is the best to start with, as player gets most attention and the plot is focused

most ecounters must be either fun or meaningful. it is best to involve with the main plot in one way or another. a pointless encounter can be fun (restless actions), but if you throw in too many of those, it became boring, and less driven

be prepared for player's creativity. remember if a player doesnt do well in RP, it is your job to encourage him doing it more. and NO serious RP effort should be degraded. and if a player come up with a brilliant solution, prize them (but dont overdue, as the rewards became less attractive)

if a player came up with something you had not prepared, there are two ways you can handle that, one is plainly saying

"nope, you cannot do that" this one is the easiest, but it gets les adventuring

while the second way is to swining your plan all together. you must be felxible, and prepare many things ahead of the time. (say, have some encounters that suit mutiplie purpose)

add riddles, and puzzles (whats AD&D if without those?)

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make a bad villian. (or villian's sidekick)

he should always get on player's nerve, always outsmart them, pain them, hurt them and ruin their plans, reputations, goals...

the villian should be shadowing the group through the story, as he is behind every disastor.

a twist is, have your player destroy certain major evil, while at the same time, they furthur the course of the real bad villian

anyway, just something to think of

focus on character growth

sorry for the unorganized random thoughts [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Wulfere]

I thought you did rather well 250.

Jafin...
The only thing I would add is that as you gain more skill you will find it easier to change the plot as you go and still keep your main focus.

Make sure you leave enough clues to help guide the character in the correct direction. But try not to lead them about by the nose. They seem to resent that.

Use books that you have read for plot ideas.

I learned by running one player at a time. Even when you get to running groups, you will find that the same skills you honed now will be used again.

Players ALWAYS find ways to do something you have not envisioned.
So don't worry about it too much. Just adapt and continue.

The main goal is to challenge and have fun. I have also found that after you get more than one player it becomes MUCH more difficult to
kill anyone off permanently. You will think "This encounter is insanely hard. I'm gonna kill everyone!" and in the end they breeze right through and get narry a scratch.

Warning!! I have seen more characters die from Giant Insects than almost any other monster. That is a stat from years and years of gaming and keeping track. After that the next culprit is Drow. Just letting you know that what appears to be a small nothing to it encounter can kill faster than the Dragons.

I hope you have enough help. If not, e-mail me and I will see what I can do to help. My addy is in my profile.