Hi everyone! After watching Critical Role for quite some time now, I've been inspired by the illustrious Matthew Mercer and decided to begin creating my own world for campaigns to take place. I've gotten fairly developed so far - right now, I'm just mapping out what I'd like the world to look like and thinking about an overarching quest/villain/etc that will eventually reveal itself over time, all that jazz. Though, I have been a bit stuck as to what a first level quest might look like for the players. I have a small group who's interested in playing, though none of them have much experience with Dungeons and Dragons. I've been attempting to take some cues from The Lost Mines of Phandelver, along with copious amounts of searching forums, but I'm a bit stuck at the moment. Does anyone have any tips or ideas as to what a first level quest could consist of?
So far, in an attempt to connect it slightly to the big baddie that they'll get to in the far, far future, I was considering there being small attacks on the town that they'll start in, little scuffles with goblins or what have you, and they're sent out to try and deal with it. Thoughts?
That sounds like a good start. Or dealing with a goblin incursion in town. Or both. Can you port LMoP into your campaign and just tweak it for you setting? It's a great first adventure.
LMoP being integrated into a larger world is a useful way of picking up lots of things as a new comer DM or player with the way the starter set adventure slowly integrates different factors and how to do things. For example the first location is a fairly routine cave, then you start getting traps, secret doors and different challenges as you go along through it all introduced by chapters. You can then deviate into your world (easy enough to change location names if you so choose) at a point of your choosing, whether that's after clearing out the mines and finding the Rockseeker brothers completing the starter adventure or at an earlier point (such as clearing out Cragmaw Castle) with relative ease. For example, using the published adventures as guidelines for some new players that I ran for I've completed the Lost Mines and then on returning to Phandalin found the village under attack with a dragon circling overhead and straight into the opening of Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
There are a lot ways you could link in to your homebrew, as an example perhaps Glasstaff is replaced by your big bad and escapes the Redbrands hideout and begins plotting to get his revenge on the party. Perhaps the Nothic in the same location has visions relating to your overall plot, on the same note maybe the banshee can warn of visions she's had. In gratitude for your assistance Sildar Hallwinter or the dwarves give them a contact for something else that needs being dealt with. The book that the priestess at the shrine is looking for has come into the possession of the big bad. The big bad is after The Forge of Spells so once it's rediscovered decides to try and seek it themselves. The Black Spider is there as an underling for your big bad rather than being in total control as it appears. There is a map somewhere (I think in Wave Echo Cave) that is literally designed for you to use as a plot hook for your next adventure which you can use to tie in if they find it.
Welcome to your first steps into a much larger world!
LMOP is a good starting point, you can change a bunch of NPCs in town to be whatever you'd like.
What I would recommend, particularly if you are just beginning, is to look at things in the short term for the first few adventures, then gradually lift your eyes up to the horizon.
Take a few sessions to get a sense for how your player play/interact with the gaming world and what motivates them. Also, don't forget yourself, what things are you interested in, and what makes you happy when DMing? It's a shared narrative created between you and your players.
To be more specific in answering your question, a first level quest should be something simple.
Some examples would be:
1. Escorting a wagon that then gets attacked by goblins
2. Helping a tavern get rid of a few unruly clientelle
3. Delivering a sensitive message from one town to another
4. Helping a town defend itself against bandits/orcs/goblins etc.
I recommend starting linear, and then as you get a feel for what you and your players like, start branching out. Dangle some number of plot hooks for them and see what they bite on.
Cheers and good luck!
.
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I enjoy critical role too, but I would recommend not falling prey to the Matt Mercer effect. They are all trained professional actors and so their campaigns will look a certain way. Yours may not, and that's okay. Personally, I like telling stories so I balance my love of Matt Mercer and Mark Hulmes from High Rollers D&D with my experience of MMORPGs to create a questing experience similar to those found in such games. Don't try to make things like Matt does, just do what feels right and work with your players. if they're inexperienced, take the time to explain things. Don't rush it. Give them a start simple enough that they can just whack stuff and test the waters and grow from there once everyone starts to get more comfortable.
I enjoy critical role too, but I would recommend not falling prey to the Matt Mercer effect. They are all trained professional actors and so their campaigns will look a certain way. Yours may not, and that's okay. Personally, I like telling stories so I balance my love of Matt Mercer and Mark Hulmes from High Rollers D&D with my experience of MMORPGs to create a questing experience similar to those found in such games. Don't try to make things like Matt does, just do what feels right and work with your players. if they're inexperienced, take the time to explain things. Don't rush it. Give them a start simple enough that they can just whack stuff and test the waters and grow from there once everyone starts to get more comfortable.
Good advice! Would you mind elaborating on your method of balancing Mercer, Hulmes and MMORPG questing? I'm curious what you mean by that. I've got several party members that basically only know D&D through Critical Role, and I think they're going to expect a similar experience.
Start off with random generated characters of level 3 and have them do random one off games you find out there for lvl 1 characters. This gives you and them some breathing room but is still very deadly. Dont worry about to much of the story, just keep some notes for your farther reaching game you have planned. After a couple completed games of randoms, if everyone feels good, start Lost Mines with their created characters at level 1, and just put everything that has happened in some area of the world you have been building. My group had alot of no shows for a bit do to work/life and did one offs. I kept some notes on the important stuff. I even ran one group threw the same adventure after the first got party wiped and had the second group come right behind were the first ones had gone through (just be minutes) so all the effects of the first group were in the dungeon. By the last boss room (were the first party had wiped itself) most of the players had realized they were in the same dungeon from last week, the surprised result of the one guy who didn't realize till I talked about all the body parts of the first group in a pool of water.
For new players and new campaigns i always add a 'tour guide' NPC character (like an npc that usually joins or travells with the party or directs them) to guide the party through the adventure to keep the story flowing the way the way the DM unintended and keep the party on task until they dont need him or then he either goes his own way for maybe another adventure or dies horribly when hes outgrown his use
My favorite firs combat/mini quest intro. Find the overdue traveling merchant. NPC points you down the road the merchant should arrive on, perception to see where merchant wagon went off road(maybe catch up with an NPC that ran into the merchant to show the players overshot on a failed roll).
Then survival to follow the tracks (determines when an encounter happens, soon or after hours of searching).
Find the cart, maybe a guard corpse. Players hear some noise nearby, if they investigate they find a goblin boss and two goblins beating(all in monster manual) up the merchant (keeping him alive because cruel goblin meanies)
Stealth check to see if players get the drop on them. I play the goblins like the three stooges, and adjust how smart they are to how good the players are doing.
Do also use James Haeck's random encounters on here too, perfect for one shots to help you and your players get used to various aspects of D&D. They can also fit into a larger campaign too.
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Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Another idea here I have used for comedic effect; instead of going the combat route you could also have them start off with a stealthy quest. An art aficionado has asked you to break in and steal some maps or scrolls (or something small) and he asks you to do it very secretly and quietly (lock picking and stealth checks) as the world depends on it. It turns out the small paintings were actually pinup girls (or guys) and the reason the party wasn't supposed to look at and be stealthy is that it's an adult bookstore or something and the man asking them to do it is embarrassed. Subvert expectation!
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I'm liking this website more and more; currently playing a Blood Hunter! Roll20 is where I play DnD 5E.
I enjoy critical role too, but I would recommend not falling prey to the Matt Mercer effect. They are all trained professional actors and so their campaigns will look a certain way. Yours may not, and that's okay. Personally, I like telling stories so I balance my love of Matt Mercer and Mark Hulmes from High Rollers D&D with my experience of MMORPGs to create a questing experience similar to those found in such games. Don't try to make things like Matt does, just do what feels right and work with your players. if they're inexperienced, take the time to explain things. Don't rush it. Give them a start simple enough that they can just whack stuff and test the waters and grow from there once everyone starts to get more comfortable.
Good advice! Would you mind elaborating on your method of balancing Mercer, Hulmes and MMORPG questing? I'm curious what you mean by that. I've got several party members that basically only know D&D through Critical Role, and I think they're going to expect a similar experience.
I’ll gladly elaborate, and hopefully it makes sense. I love storytelling, and I love the way Mercer and Hulmes tell their stories. I try to immerse my players as if I’m immersing myself, and I do this through the following:
1. Don’t skimp on detail, but don’t go overboard either. When watching or listening to Critical Role or High Rolers, the DM will often be very descriptive in what the players should see in their mind’s eye. I personally start by listening to how they describe things, and think it over for my own scenarios.
2. MMORPG campaign experiences are often structured around quests and quest giving NPCs. What I do is when I’m planning out a world zone (my starter town of Duskhaven for instance), is I come up with a number of set quests to do. These will help characters to get comfortable with their roles, get acquainted with the world and the different things they can do, and it will give them opportunities to gain exp (or milestones if that’s the system you’re using) and rewards. In the case of my campaign, this is also the main progression system.
3. Don’t try to be perfect. This is designed to build things up and create a learning environment that eases both DM and player into progression. Remember: you are not Matt Mercer, and you are not Mark Hulmes. Your style and experience will be different, and if you’re drawing inspiration from them, the difference you’ll see may at times be frustrating. Take a deep breath. You’re not in Critical Role or High Rollers, and these aren’t those players. Take time to learn about these characters and see how you can play to their strengths, or present them with challenges that will be fun to overcome. What’s easy to forget as a beginner DM is that D&D is a group game, and the players will not always follow your vision for the game. You will learn to improvise, compromise, and create.
I am having trouble myself but for a level one quest I put one vampire spawn in the encounter builder for 5 level 1 characters and I needed to add 3 level 2 characters to balance it I put a vampire spawn because my main villain is a level 17 sorcerer vampire.
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I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
I'll give my thoughts on this and say that overall, it is important that you don't expect it to be perfect right away. Some really good campaigns can start off as messes of cliches and cringe. Have patience. From what you've said so far it seems that your campaign will last a while, and that means it has plenty of time to develop into something incredible. And even if the story or world building or justification behind why the bad guy is bad doesn't improve as the campaign goes along, all that matters is that you and the players have fun. Be yourself while being the DM; playing DnD with your friends usually isn't professional or formal at all.
I know I probably just re-stated what someone else said, but that's just what I had to say. Take care, and good luck with your campaign!
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Hi everyone! After watching Critical Role for quite some time now, I've been inspired by the illustrious Matthew Mercer and decided to begin creating my own world for campaigns to take place. I've gotten fairly developed so far - right now, I'm just mapping out what I'd like the world to look like and thinking about an overarching quest/villain/etc that will eventually reveal itself over time, all that jazz. Though, I have been a bit stuck as to what a first level quest might look like for the players. I have a small group who's interested in playing, though none of them have much experience with Dungeons and Dragons. I've been attempting to take some cues from The Lost Mines of Phandelver, along with copious amounts of searching forums, but I'm a bit stuck at the moment. Does anyone have any tips or ideas as to what a first level quest could consist of?
So far, in an attempt to connect it slightly to the big baddie that they'll get to in the far, far future, I was considering there being small attacks on the town that they'll start in, little scuffles with goblins or what have you, and they're sent out to try and deal with it. Thoughts?
That sounds like a good start. Or dealing with a goblin incursion in town. Or both. Can you port LMoP into your campaign and just tweak it for you setting? It's a great first adventure.
I feel I could probably adapt it into my setting :0 Thank you for your input!
LMoP being integrated into a larger world is a useful way of picking up lots of things as a new comer DM or player with the way the starter set adventure slowly integrates different factors and how to do things. For example the first location is a fairly routine cave, then you start getting traps, secret doors and different challenges as you go along through it all introduced by chapters. You can then deviate into your world (easy enough to change location names if you so choose) at a point of your choosing, whether that's after clearing out the mines and finding the Rockseeker brothers completing the starter adventure or at an earlier point (such as clearing out Cragmaw Castle) with relative ease. For example, using the published adventures as guidelines for some new players that I ran for I've completed the Lost Mines and then on returning to Phandalin found the village under attack with a dragon circling overhead and straight into the opening of Hoard of the Dragon Queen.
There are a lot ways you could link in to your homebrew, as an example perhaps Glasstaff is replaced by your big bad and escapes the Redbrands hideout and begins plotting to get his revenge on the party. Perhaps the Nothic in the same location has visions relating to your overall plot, on the same note maybe the banshee can warn of visions she's had. In gratitude for your assistance Sildar Hallwinter or the dwarves give them a contact for something else that needs being dealt with. The book that the priestess at the shrine is looking for has come into the possession of the big bad. The big bad is after The Forge of Spells so once it's rediscovered decides to try and seek it themselves. The Black Spider is there as an underling for your big bad rather than being in total control as it appears. There is a map somewhere (I think in Wave Echo Cave) that is literally designed for you to use as a plot hook for your next adventure which you can use to tie in if they find it.
Welcome to your first steps into a much larger world!
LMOP is a good starting point, you can change a bunch of NPCs in town to be whatever you'd like.
What I would recommend, particularly if you are just beginning, is to look at things in the short term for the first few adventures, then gradually lift your eyes up to the horizon.
Take a few sessions to get a sense for how your player play/interact with the gaming world and what motivates them. Also, don't forget yourself, what things are you interested in, and what makes you happy when DMing? It's a shared narrative created between you and your players.
To be more specific in answering your question, a first level quest should be something simple.
Some examples would be:
1. Escorting a wagon that then gets attacked by goblins
2. Helping a tavern get rid of a few unruly clientelle
3. Delivering a sensitive message from one town to another
4. Helping a town defend itself against bandits/orcs/goblins etc.
I recommend starting linear, and then as you get a feel for what you and your players like, start branching out. Dangle some number of plot hooks for them and see what they bite on.
Cheers and good luck!
.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I enjoy critical role too, but I would recommend not falling prey to the Matt Mercer effect. They are all trained professional actors and so their campaigns will look a certain way. Yours may not, and that's okay. Personally, I like telling stories so I balance my love of Matt Mercer and Mark Hulmes from High Rollers D&D with my experience of MMORPGs to create a questing experience similar to those found in such games. Don't try to make things like Matt does, just do what feels right and work with your players. if they're inexperienced, take the time to explain things. Don't rush it. Give them a start simple enough that they can just whack stuff and test the waters and grow from there once everyone starts to get more comfortable.
Good advice! Would you mind elaborating on your method of balancing Mercer, Hulmes and MMORPG questing? I'm curious what you mean by that. I've got several party members that basically only know D&D through Critical Role, and I think they're going to expect a similar experience.
Hi. You can steal lot of ideas from my project Clam Island: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/By3s5Uqqf
In general common quest lines are:
- Kill monsters to protect town
- Kill monsters to gather stuff
- Gather stuff from nature (Merchant needs it, Monsters attack)
- Deliver stuff to another place (Merchant needs it, Monsters attack)
- Hear a rumor about interesting location (Dungeon, Monsters)
Who is the big bad of your campaign? All big baddies have lot of smaller friends.
Start off with random generated characters of level 3 and have them do random one off games you find out there for lvl 1 characters. This gives you and them some breathing room but is still very deadly. Dont worry about to much of the story, just keep some notes for your farther reaching game you have planned. After a couple completed games of randoms, if everyone feels good, start Lost Mines with their created characters at level 1, and just put everything that has happened in some area of the world you have been building. My group had alot of no shows for a bit do to work/life and did one offs. I kept some notes on the important stuff. I even ran one group threw the same adventure after the first got party wiped and had the second group come right behind were the first ones had gone through (just be minutes) so all the effects of the first group were in the dungeon. By the last boss room (were the first party had wiped itself) most of the players had realized they were in the same dungeon from last week, the surprised result of the one guy who didn't realize till I talked about all the body parts of the first group in a pool of water.
For new players and new campaigns i always add a 'tour guide' NPC character (like an npc that usually joins or travells with the party or directs them) to guide the party through the adventure to keep the story flowing the way the way the DM unintended and keep the party on task until they dont need him or then he either goes his own way for maybe another adventure or dies horribly when hes outgrown his use
My favorite firs combat/mini quest intro. Find the overdue traveling merchant. NPC points you down the road the merchant should arrive on, perception to see where merchant wagon went off road(maybe catch up with an NPC that ran into the merchant to show the players overshot on a failed roll).
Then survival to follow the tracks (determines when an encounter happens, soon or after hours of searching).
Find the cart, maybe a guard corpse. Players hear some noise nearby, if they investigate they find a goblin boss and two goblins beating(all in monster manual) up the merchant (keeping him alive because cruel goblin meanies)
Stealth check to see if players get the drop on them. I play the goblins like the three stooges, and adjust how smart they are to how good the players are doing.
Do also use James Haeck's random encounters on here too, perfect for one shots to help you and your players get used to various aspects of D&D. They can also fit into a larger campaign too.
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
Another idea here I have used for comedic effect; instead of going the combat route you could also have them start off with a stealthy quest. An art aficionado has asked you to break in and steal some maps or scrolls (or something small) and he asks you to do it very secretly and quietly (lock picking and stealth checks) as the world depends on it. It turns out the small paintings were actually pinup girls (or guys) and the reason the party wasn't supposed to look at and be stealthy is that it's an adult bookstore or something and the man asking them to do it is embarrassed. Subvert expectation!
I'm liking this website more and more; currently playing a Blood Hunter! Roll20 is where I play DnD 5E.
I’ll gladly elaborate, and hopefully it makes sense. I love storytelling, and I love the way Mercer and Hulmes tell their stories. I try to immerse my players as if I’m immersing myself, and I do this through the following:
1. Don’t skimp on detail, but don’t go overboard either. When watching or listening to Critical Role or High Rolers, the DM will often be very descriptive in what the players should see in their mind’s eye. I personally start by listening to how they describe things, and think it over for my own scenarios.
2. MMORPG campaign experiences are often structured around quests and quest giving NPCs. What I do is when I’m planning out a world zone (my starter town of Duskhaven for instance), is I come up with a number of set quests to do. These will help characters to get comfortable with their roles, get acquainted with the world and the different things they can do, and it will give them opportunities to gain exp (or milestones if that’s the system you’re using) and rewards. In the case of my campaign, this is also the main progression system.
3. Don’t try to be perfect. This is designed to build things up and create a learning environment that eases both DM and player into progression. Remember: you are not Matt Mercer, and you are not Mark Hulmes. Your style and experience will be different, and if you’re drawing inspiration from them, the difference you’ll see may at times be frustrating. Take a deep breath. You’re not in Critical Role or High Rollers, and these aren’t those players. Take time to learn about these characters and see how you can play to their strengths, or present them with challenges that will be fun to overcome. What’s easy to forget as a beginner DM is that D&D is a group game, and the players will not always follow your vision for the game. You will learn to improvise, compromise, and create.
i hope that helped a little.
I am having trouble myself but for a level one quest I put one vampire spawn in the encounter builder for 5 level 1 characters and I needed to add 3 level 2 characters to balance it I put a vampire spawn because my main villain is a level 17 sorcerer vampire.
I exist sometimes, especially when I'm DMing Curse of Strahd.
I'll give my thoughts on this and say that overall, it is important that you don't expect it to be perfect right away. Some really good campaigns can start off as messes of cliches and cringe. Have patience. From what you've said so far it seems that your campaign will last a while, and that means it has plenty of time to develop into something incredible. And even if the story or world building or justification behind why the bad guy is bad doesn't improve as the campaign goes along, all that matters is that you and the players have fun. Be yourself while being the DM; playing DnD with your friends usually isn't professional or formal at all.
I know I probably just re-stated what someone else said, but that's just what I had to say. Take care, and good luck with your campaign!