I'm running my first campaign, I've been trying to organize my group for months now but still they are hardly a party.
It's very difficult to get them interested in the same npc let alone a task. I have two CN, a wizard obsessed with the sea, and a cleric shadow god cultist, a CE mercenary, and a LN AWOL soldier who's om a vengeance path for his master.
I dont like railroading but literally there hasnt been any in character interaction unless I railroad. It feels like I'm forcing stuff but nothing would get done if I didnt. I can barely get them into the same questline to do a dungeon so they're not leveling up at the right pace. Any solid advice or serious critisisms? Help :(
I explained that at session 0 or would be story based, and each character needed an individual reason to have wanted to come to a specific town. Once at the town I was quick to introduce the problem antagonist. Sadly it seems "have a good reason for traveling to the town" must not have translated to "be prepared to have common grounds". It's been impossible feeling since then to try to ask them to find it. I have most likely gone wrong there.
Two of them are over 3 years at least, one of those two is a dm and I have a highly experienced dm who has helped when I have questions even. I have a new player who joined as well.
Have you considered having this conversation directly with the group, outside of gameplay? Tell them how you're struggling, and ask them for ideas on how you could DM differently or if they would be willing to support you as a new DM by looking for ways to come together as a group/taking the bait you put out as DM?
looks like they're playing the chaotic bit of their alignment quite well. first you should ave a proper talk with them, to see if there's a reason for it. rob them so they're poor and they have to get out and do something to earn money or starve, then give them a job as hirelings to do something simple fetch quest is best for this, give them a time limit make it hard, they will then have to work together or die,
the other possibilities are they don't like the characters they've got, they don't actually like the game, they don't find the story you're giving them interesting, there's always a possibility that they're not a doing stories group, in which case revert to old style hack and slash dungeon crawls, some people do actually like that.
there is a method of solving a don't like our characters and don't like the story either, that can leave things being memorable, simply give them a set piece heroic death where they fall one by one saving the lives of other people from an invading hoard, then have a re think based on your conversation and start over
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All plans turn into, run into the room waving a sword and see what happens from there, once the first die gets rolled
I'm running my first campaign, I've been trying to organize my group for months now but still they are hardly a party.
It's very difficult to get them interested in the same npc let alone a task. I have two CN, a wizard obsessed with the sea, and a cleric shadow god cultist, a CE mercenary, and a LN AWOL soldier who's om a vengeance path for his master.
I dont like railroading but literally there hasnt been any in character interaction unless I railroad. It feels like I'm forcing stuff but nothing would get done if I didnt. I can barely get them into the same questline to do a dungeon so they're not leveling up at the right pace. Any solid advice or serious critisisms? Help :(
Before making any suggestions, a couple questions for you:
I explained that at session 0 or would be story based, and each character needed an individual reason to have wanted to come to a specific town. Once at the town I was quick to introduce the problem antagonist. Sadly it seems "have a good reason for traveling to the town" must not have translated to "be prepared to have common grounds". It's been impossible feeling since then to try to ask them to find it. I have most likely gone wrong there.
Two of them are over 3 years at least, one of those two is a dm and I have a highly experienced dm who has helped when I have questions even. I have a new player who joined as well.
Once every week.
Have you considered having this conversation directly with the group, outside of gameplay? Tell them how you're struggling, and ask them for ideas on how you could DM differently or if they would be willing to support you as a new DM by looking for ways to come together as a group/taking the bait you put out as DM?
Consider that for the characters that don't take the bait, they don't get fed exp.
You are for one reason or another within earshot of hearing the blacksmith say he needs help, his daughter has been kidnapped by goblins!
The ones that help, get rewards, the ones that decide to stay in the tavern and get drunk..get drunk.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I'll try both of these things! Thank you a bunch for the advice guys
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
looks like they're playing the chaotic bit of their alignment quite well.
first you should ave a proper talk with them, to see if there's a reason for it.
rob them so they're poor and they have to get out and do something to earn money or starve, then give them a job as hirelings to do something simple fetch quest is best for this, give them a time limit make it hard, they will then have to work together or die,
the other possibilities are they don't like the characters they've got, they don't actually like the game, they don't find the story you're giving them interesting, there's always a possibility that they're not a doing stories group, in which case revert to old style hack and slash dungeon crawls, some people do actually like that.
there is a method of solving a don't like our characters and don't like the story either, that can leave things being memorable, simply give them a set piece heroic death where they fall one by one saving the lives of other people from an invading hoard, then have a re think based on your conversation and start over
All plans turn into, run into the room waving a sword and see what happens from there, once the first die gets rolled