So I'm a first-time DM and I'm running a campaign next month with several aspects: the world is split between humans and dwarves, and while both sides are technically at peace, tensions are high and they hate each other. The players begin in a town called Haven, which is run by a Drow who is promising a refuge from the political/racial tension. The thing is, the Drow is actually attempting to weaken the humans and dwarves and facilitate a Drow uprising.
I'll figure out story beats and the like (although ideas for those are welcome!); what I am struggling with is how to open the world to the players. I'm running them through the Sunless Citadel as an opening adventure, and it's pretty scripted until they finish up. Then they have the whole world at their disposal. Should I have NPCs approach them with quests? Should they ask around for quests? Should I have rumors that lead to cool monster fights and dungeon crawls?
And what are some good side quest ideas? I've got nothing.
I feel like rumors or hidden information are a really great start to shape player's expectations for and engagement with the upcoming world. If you can try to think of it from the player's/character's perspective, they didn't just exist through a module, they're just playing a story. That is to say, hide information on what's coming, plant rumors, show history (eg remains of a human/dwarf fight) and thus build the two worlds together well before you get close to the end of the module. That way when they kill a boss, they've proven themselves heroes worth recruiting for the "real" factions, not aimless soldiers on a quest for something to do.
As far as side quests go, there's likely to be any number of smaller factions that can dish out some really interesting side plots and quests. There should be a group moving creatures in and out of the cities illegally, either to sell or to free, a group that nurses it's own unified human-dwarf revolutionary mission, and a group of a third neutral race who maintain the dimplomatic peace but whose motives are far more motivated by gold than anything loyalty to those who they represent.
I recommend sending them to a town to convert their loot into gold and/or other items they wish to use as they move on. This allows you to present them with any number of options or challenges. Place the town inside a Province (County sized government division) and flesh out the whole political structure of the area so they are moving into an area where they are only a small part of what is going on. They could hear rumors of monsters or treasure (whatever motivates them) as they talk to the shopkeeper when they want to sell stuff they don't wish to keep. They could hear rumors when they visit the tavern to relax that evening. They could be required to meet the magistrate (mayor, governor, …) and be given a quest with the promise of a reward. They could meet up with higher level characters that are able to provide the training they need for the next level and agree to a quest as part of their training. They could find that they have magic items they want to trade for something else but can't convert into gold at the town, and so they find themselves making a trip to the City (or palace, or keep, or …).
I also like to use a network of Bards in my worlds that tour the countryside. The Bards carry information from one magistrate to another and talk to the townsfolk as they move from one place to another. They cross paths with other bards and trade stories, information and ballads. The Bards are perfect storytelling devices to push PCs in a direction and occasionally provide services as a guide (but not active in dungeoneering). They can be met along the road from one place to another, in the towns or shops, or engaged in a tavern after an inspiring ballad. They are generally regarded as aligned with the political leaders of the area so imagine that their stories are often used to further the political leaders with which they are aligned (in my worlds). Of course, after a coup or some other major political realignment, they may be forces for restoring the previous regime. One final point, in the manner I use Bards, they are more interested in getting information than they are in giving it out. However, they use their great charismatic ability to make it seem the other way around. Except for a party that is extremely perceptive and/or skeptical, they don't ever notice that the Bards are masters at telling you only what they want you to know, or sometimes what they want you to believe. In low level encounters they are simply a wealth of information which helps them to establish themselves as friends. There is so much information they don't mind you knowing about the area so they are fantastic aides to the low level party. If you can gain their trust, they can eventually feel you should be told the whole truth so that your efforts can be focused on serving truth rather than just the regime.
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So I'm a first-time DM and I'm running a campaign next month with several aspects: the world is split between humans and dwarves, and while both sides are technically at peace, tensions are high and they hate each other. The players begin in a town called Haven, which is run by a Drow who is promising a refuge from the political/racial tension. The thing is, the Drow is actually attempting to weaken the humans and dwarves and facilitate a Drow uprising.
I'll figure out story beats and the like (although ideas for those are welcome!); what I am struggling with is how to open the world to the players. I'm running them through the Sunless Citadel as an opening adventure, and it's pretty scripted until they finish up. Then they have the whole world at their disposal. Should I have NPCs approach them with quests? Should they ask around for quests? Should I have rumors that lead to cool monster fights and dungeon crawls?
And what are some good side quest ideas? I've got nothing.
I feel like rumors or hidden information are a really great start to shape player's expectations for and engagement with the upcoming world. If you can try to think of it from the player's/character's perspective, they didn't just exist through a module, they're just playing a story. That is to say, hide information on what's coming, plant rumors, show history (eg remains of a human/dwarf fight) and thus build the two worlds together well before you get close to the end of the module. That way when they kill a boss, they've proven themselves heroes worth recruiting for the "real" factions, not aimless soldiers on a quest for something to do.
As far as side quests go, there's likely to be any number of smaller factions that can dish out some really interesting side plots and quests. There should be a group moving creatures in and out of the cities illegally, either to sell or to free, a group that nurses it's own unified human-dwarf revolutionary mission, and a group of a third neutral race who maintain the dimplomatic peace but whose motives are far more motivated by gold than anything loyalty to those who they represent.
Just have lots of small towns with monster problems. That would be plain and simple, but easy to manage.
I recommend sending them to a town to convert their loot into gold and/or other items they wish to use as they move on. This allows you to present them with any number of options or challenges. Place the town inside a Province (County sized government division) and flesh out the whole political structure of the area so they are moving into an area where they are only a small part of what is going on. They could hear rumors of monsters or treasure (whatever motivates them) as they talk to the shopkeeper when they want to sell stuff they don't wish to keep. They could hear rumors when they visit the tavern to relax that evening. They could be required to meet the magistrate (mayor, governor, …) and be given a quest with the promise of a reward. They could meet up with higher level characters that are able to provide the training they need for the next level and agree to a quest as part of their training. They could find that they have magic items they want to trade for something else but can't convert into gold at the town, and so they find themselves making a trip to the City (or palace, or keep, or …).
I also like to use a network of Bards in my worlds that tour the countryside. The Bards carry information from one magistrate to another and talk to the townsfolk as they move from one place to another. They cross paths with other bards and trade stories, information and ballads. The Bards are perfect storytelling devices to push PCs in a direction and occasionally provide services as a guide (but not active in dungeoneering). They can be met along the road from one place to another, in the towns or shops, or engaged in a tavern after an inspiring ballad. They are generally regarded as aligned with the political leaders of the area so imagine that their stories are often used to further the political leaders with which they are aligned (in my worlds). Of course, after a coup or some other major political realignment, they may be forces for restoring the previous regime. One final point, in the manner I use Bards, they are more interested in getting information than they are in giving it out. However, they use their great charismatic ability to make it seem the other way around. Except for a party that is extremely perceptive and/or skeptical, they don't ever notice that the Bards are masters at telling you only what they want you to know, or sometimes what they want you to believe. In low level encounters they are simply a wealth of information which helps them to establish themselves as friends. There is so much information they don't mind you knowing about the area so they are fantastic aides to the low level party. If you can gain their trust, they can eventually feel you should be told the whole truth so that your efforts can be focused on serving truth rather than just the regime.