So i just played my first session into the dungeon of the mad mage and as a fairly new DM i'm a bit lost.
Let me explain : i absolutely don't know how to prep for the game, i read all about the first floor but my players got to the Worg's eye watch post of the xanathar guild. They captured two bugbears and the paladin used Zone of truth on them and they failed every saving throws to resist the effect. And then i just didn't know what to say when the group ask more about xanathar to the bugbears and i come up with basic informations about him.
So do you have any tips to help me prep better my future sessions like the notes i should take, how should i take them, what do i need to read before and how to not make that same mistake.
To be fair, there's nothing in the first 10 levels of the dungeon that would have made you any more prepared to answer those questions. There might be in the later levels (I doubt it) or Skullport appendix (more likely, but still not a huge amount). Here's the thing: Xanathar isn't really a big factor in the dungeon itself. The guild is present on the first few levels, if that.
Now, if the players are asking about the defences of the guild in the dungeon, that's worth knowing. Which you probably already did since you preped that level. In the case of some levels, they have wars going on with other levels (which is called out in their descriptions) so it might be worth checking out those levels. You could also consider skimming the "what lives here" sections for each level (they're pretty short) if you wanted a bit of an overview of the whole dungeon.
In terms of your specific issue, this is actually one of those cases where improv is going to be required. A couple ways of handling it:
First, it's always ok to improv. Even if this means you change something in the later levels you didn't know about. Say the players ask about the monster's biggest fear and you say it's the drow boss of level 5. But it turns out level 5 has kuo-toa. Whatever. Now they have a drow boss. And it's cool because the players figured that out on level 1 and they've been prepping all this time.
Second, it's also ok NOT to improv if it makes you uncomfortable. In this situation, Zone of Truth doesn't compel an answer. It just compels that any answer be truthful. So, if you don't want to improve, the bugbear is so completely terrified of Xanathar (or under a magical effect) that means it won't give out information about Xanathar. It just refuses.
Third, you can redirect. Say you don't want to get Xanathar more involved. So you can use a variant on my second point. The bugbear won't tell them about Xanathar because of magic. But man is it scared of them. It will spill its guts. Maybe it starts blabbing about the defences of its enemies. Or where treasure is. Or one of the secrets of Undermountain (how did a bugbear know this you ask? Maybe he saw it in a dream. Maybe it's not even true! Or maybe he stumbled through a magic gate and knows how to open it).
So, in summary:
Consider reading the "what lives here" summaries if you want an overview of the dungeon
Read the level the players are on, any level they're likely to make it to (usually the next one if they're close), and any levels which are called out in the description of the level if they seem important (don't just read levels that have gate connections unless the players are high enough level to use them)
Improv if you feel comfortable and don't be afraid to resist/redirect as makes sense for the story.
Also, relax, the players will be understanding. And, if they're jerks, it's a damn shame that ceiling fell on them, but what are you doing to do? Goblins make crummy architects.
I didn't thought of Zone of truth in this way thanks to pointing it to me ^^
Second, i feel tempted to improv at some point in the interrogation but i'm a kind of DM who love to play as closely as written because i just love so many things in this campaign and i just don't want to touch it. My players are (thankfully) not jerks and know no one is perfect and they seem okay if i got stuck but it is mainly for me that i am looking for advice because i'm lost sometimes in the way to prep as this is the first big project i run. Compared to the dozens of one shot i ran it's clearly not the same type of prep.
All of your advice are great i'll try to keep all of that in mind when i'll do my next prep :D
It's ok for a minor npc or thug like the bugbears to just not know anything. They may simply have a handler or they may have been given their marching orders and sent out to die. Maybe they are exiles or fugitives from the xanathar.
And if it really comes down to it, blab a whole lot of stuff that is untrue but the bugbear THOUGHT was true like that the evil drow (that may not exist) is immune to magic (because he doesnt exist) and that he has a hat of disguise and a ring of invisibility (so he could look like anyone or hide amongst them) and that he secretly hides amongst his minions (meaning anyone could be him). Now the adventurers dont know who has the high hitpoints of a drow leader and are questioning their every move in those areas.
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Hello,
So i just played my first session into the dungeon of the mad mage and as a fairly new DM i'm a bit lost.
Let me explain : i absolutely don't know how to prep for the game, i read all about the first floor but my players got to the Worg's eye watch post of the xanathar guild. They captured two bugbears and the paladin used Zone of truth on them and they failed every saving throws to resist the effect. And then i just didn't know what to say when the group ask more about xanathar to the bugbears and i come up with basic informations about him.
So do you have any tips to help me prep better my future sessions like the notes i should take, how should i take them, what do i need to read before and how to not make that same mistake.
To be fair, there's nothing in the first 10 levels of the dungeon that would have made you any more prepared to answer those questions. There might be in the later levels (I doubt it) or Skullport appendix (more likely, but still not a huge amount). Here's the thing: Xanathar isn't really a big factor in the dungeon itself. The guild is present on the first few levels, if that.
Now, if the players are asking about the defences of the guild in the dungeon, that's worth knowing. Which you probably already did since you preped that level. In the case of some levels, they have wars going on with other levels (which is called out in their descriptions) so it might be worth checking out those levels. You could also consider skimming the "what lives here" sections for each level (they're pretty short) if you wanted a bit of an overview of the whole dungeon.
In terms of your specific issue, this is actually one of those cases where improv is going to be required. A couple ways of handling it:
So, in summary:
Also, relax, the players will be understanding. And, if they're jerks, it's a damn shame that ceiling fell on them, but what are you doing to do? Goblins make crummy architects.
Thanks a lot for your answer.
I didn't thought of Zone of truth in this way thanks to pointing it to me ^^
Second, i feel tempted to improv at some point in the interrogation but i'm a kind of DM who love to play as closely as written because i just love so many things in this campaign and i just don't want to touch it. My players are (thankfully) not jerks and know no one is perfect and they seem okay if i got stuck but it is mainly for me that i am looking for advice because i'm lost sometimes in the way to prep as this is the first big project i run. Compared to the dozens of one shot i ran it's clearly not the same type of prep.
All of your advice are great i'll try to keep all of that in mind when i'll do my next prep :D
It's ok for a minor npc or thug like the bugbears to just not know anything. They may simply have a handler or they may have been given their marching orders and sent out to die. Maybe they are exiles or fugitives from the xanathar.
And if it really comes down to it, blab a whole lot of stuff that is untrue but the bugbear THOUGHT was true like that the evil drow (that may not exist) is immune to magic (because he doesnt exist) and that he has a hat of disguise and a ring of invisibility (so he could look like anyone or hide amongst them) and that he secretly hides amongst his minions (meaning anyone could be him). Now the adventurers dont know who has the high hitpoints of a drow leader and are questioning their every move in those areas.