Our work started a DnD group, all as beginners, and our manager has been the DM as he's watched a lot of Critical Role. I've been asked to do a one-shot for a new colleague and looking for help with the details.
They're not overly serious and likely to get themselves into all sorts of mischief, I thought it would be a funny plot for them to be chained together, including one massive Lionel barbarian and a tiny sorcerer gnome all trying to drag each other around, throw each other etc.
For 5 players, 4 of them are mercenaries hired to rescue the 5th for 200GP each. The game starts in a dungeon, where they've been captured by a powerful sorcerer or diety. They are chained together at the hands with magical glowing chains and have to go through a series of puzzles/battles to break each link, then escape with the prisoner.
I can probably think of fun puzzles and interactions, but I don't know much about balancing - What levels are they and how difficult and frequent are the monsters? Are there some default encounters for a fair but challenging game? How much of a game should be dedicated to a battle/puzzle/conversation? As a first time DM I've taken these things for granted. Thanks for any feedback :)
I might suggest you read through Ch. 3 Creating Adventures to get a baseline to run from. Really, the majority of the DMG has some good guidelines for 1st Time DMs. Your DM might have access to the DMG that they might share with you.
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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Ive done three of the "everybody starts as prisoners" campaigns now. They are definitely possible, and sometimes really rewarding, but I will say, they can be tough to pull off. When making the adventure, you need to make it obvious that there is a concrete way out of the prison. Making a dnd style escape room for your players may sound fun, but it rarely is. Better to send them through traps in puzzles in a fairly linear fashion, making it clear that they are on their way out.
Ive also run a campaign with this chains idea. Its got some fun aspects, but mechanically it gets tricky fast. You need to have a clear marching order all of the time, and you are going to need to plan out the traps and puzzles with the fact that your players will need to pretty much always be in a straight line, with little sleight of hand, limited dexterity, and so-so combat abilities.
Personally, I would segment the gameplay. Maybe have one battle early on with really easy enemies, then all of the puzzles to get them free, and then the final battle in a big climax, cause its just going to be a pain figuring out who can do what and where with the chains on in combat.
As far as balancing goes, just start throwing monsters around! Unless your players are really adverse to it, start them all at the same level (1, 3, or 5 are probably your best bets) And then look for monsters by that cr or lower to throw at them. I use this site to balance out the difficulty of a combat encounter: https://kastark.co.uk/rpgs/encounter-calculator-5th/
You can do the balancing yourself, but this is honestly so much easier. I hope some of that helps. good luck!
Just to add to what mysticflame said. Keep in mind that as prisoners, they’ll have no gear. Monks won’t have much problem, but casters won’t have components and martials won’t have weapons. Most characters will see many of their abilities completely removed. It can be fun for a few minutes, but be generous with allowing them to find their starting gear fairly quickly.
Also, the thing with chains is, when one link breaks, the whole chain does. So maybe make it clear that each character is chained to two others — except the two on either end of the line. If it’s one long chain, the first time they break it, they’re free. Unless that’s what you’re going for.
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Our work started a DnD group, all as beginners, and our manager has been the DM as he's watched a lot of Critical Role. I've been asked to do a one-shot for a new colleague and looking for help with the details.
They're not overly serious and likely to get themselves into all sorts of mischief, I thought it would be a funny plot for them to be chained together, including one massive Lionel barbarian and a tiny sorcerer gnome all trying to drag each other around, throw each other etc.
For 5 players, 4 of them are mercenaries hired to rescue the 5th for 200GP each. The game starts in a dungeon, where they've been captured by a powerful sorcerer or diety. They are chained together at the hands with magical glowing chains and have to go through a series of puzzles/battles to break each link, then escape with the prisoner.
I can probably think of fun puzzles and interactions, but I don't know much about balancing - What levels are they and how difficult and frequent are the monsters? Are there some default encounters for a fair but challenging game? How much of a game should be dedicated to a battle/puzzle/conversation? As a first time DM I've taken these things for granted. Thanks for any feedback :)
Welcome to the other side of the screen!
I might suggest you read through Ch. 3 Creating Adventures to get a baseline to run from. Really, the majority of the DMG has some good guidelines for 1st Time DMs. Your DM might have access to the DMG that they might share with you.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Mark Twain - Innocents Abroad
Ive done three of the "everybody starts as prisoners" campaigns now. They are definitely possible, and sometimes really rewarding, but I will say, they can be tough to pull off. When making the adventure, you need to make it obvious that there is a concrete way out of the prison. Making a dnd style escape room for your players may sound fun, but it rarely is. Better to send them through traps in puzzles in a fairly linear fashion, making it clear that they are on their way out.
Ive also run a campaign with this chains idea. Its got some fun aspects, but mechanically it gets tricky fast. You need to have a clear marching order all of the time, and you are going to need to plan out the traps and puzzles with the fact that your players will need to pretty much always be in a straight line, with little sleight of hand, limited dexterity, and so-so combat abilities.
Personally, I would segment the gameplay. Maybe have one battle early on with really easy enemies, then all of the puzzles to get them free, and then the final battle in a big climax, cause its just going to be a pain figuring out who can do what and where with the chains on in combat.
As far as balancing goes, just start throwing monsters around! Unless your players are really adverse to it, start them all at the same level (1, 3, or 5 are probably your best bets) And then look for monsters by that cr or lower to throw at them. I use this site to balance out the difficulty of a combat encounter: https://kastark.co.uk/rpgs/encounter-calculator-5th/
You can do the balancing yourself, but this is honestly so much easier. I hope some of that helps. good luck!
Strangely Changed- 99 new curses for 5e https://www.dmsguild.com/product/415251/Strangely-Changed?affiliate_id=2763792
Just to add to what mysticflame said. Keep in mind that as prisoners, they’ll have no gear. Monks won’t have much problem, but casters won’t have components and martials won’t have weapons. Most characters will see many of their abilities completely removed. It can be fun for a few minutes, but be generous with allowing them to find their starting gear fairly quickly.
Also, the thing with chains is, when one link breaks, the whole chain does. So maybe make it clear that each character is chained to two others — except the two on either end of the line. If it’s one long chain, the first time they break it, they’re free. Unless that’s what you’re going for.