Hello! So i am going to DM my first adventure probably sometime next month. I have a decent grasp of mechanics for fighting (i've been a player for awhile). The story i was wanting to run is basically a fuedal Japan campaign I am building. It will be standard dnd for the most part with just a couple extra feats available that are more Samurai or Ninja like. Anything else besides that is just a reskin (i.e. longswords are katanas, rapiers are ninjato, daggers are shuriken, darts are kunai, etc. etc. and same with enemies such as ninja and samurai you might fight ( orc's might be called Oni). They will be starting at level 5. What I want to know is what should I try to focus on to make my DMing experience fluid? ( besides say yes 99% of the time and make it work). How do I build contingency plans for when the players want to do their own thing? Also, this is basically the story so far, how is it? :D
These are the main points for the story so far. I have in depth notes for each section so i have an idea of what to say to the players, but this is the surface level for the main events:
You were all hired by a lord to do some work, but his manor was raided and you were captured ( basically it was a essentially a small army that performed the raid and even with your) The story starts with you and the others blindfolded and in chains in the back of a wagon. They are carrying you to their shogun's land to work as slaves. You over hear he is secretly amassing a large force to murder the emperor and take his place. The players goal is to have to get out off their bonds and collect their gear, then either take out the guards or sneak away. (freeing the other slaves is a choice with consequences later when you go to this shogun's manor late game.)
You must make your way to the Emperor's kingdom to warn him of the plot. If you stay in this territory, you will be found by guards that will try to recapture you again and again. The players can basically choose to go through towns, or the wilderness to get back to a safe part of Japan. (encounters vary slightly)
Once you reach the kingdom, you must find a way to talk to the Emperor. They don't just let anyone waltz in and talk to him. The players must use what's at their disposal to get an audience ( sneaking into a private manor that the emperor is holding a secret meeting in is the fail safe if they can't manage to get by the guards ). Once you manage to find the emperor, you must tell him about this plot to kill him and the overlord that is planning it.
Apparently the emperor has heard rumors, but you have confirmed his suspicions. In order to test your loyalty as well as find out if you aren't with this rouge shogun, he tasks you with finding out who is the shogun's spy in the emperors manor. He knows their is a traitor, but he just can't seem to pinpoint who. Once you find this man, you must bring your evidence of his treachery to the Emperor, he allows you to temporarily be knighted as ronin in his service, promising you parts of this Shogun's land, title, and money in exchange for your service in stopping him.
He has a couple of things that need to be taken care of before he is able too take on the Shogun. He doesn't want the other Shogun's of the land to join this usurper's side. He trusts them all, but one of them he is uncertain about, so he wants you to meat and confirm his allegiance ( and spy if you have too).
after that, he realizes the Shogun has more soldiers then expected, he asks you to go to the ninja clan and get them to join your side. ( the shogun sent some of his private ninja and samurai to the clan as well to persuade them, and the clan decides you must fight and the winner gets their favor)
At this point you prepare to fight the Shogun. Basically the main armies will clash, and you will be sent to the back lines to attack the Shogun while the armies fight. You have to infiltrate his kingdom before the fighting starts and enlist in his army as common soldiers. Once the war starts, you must get away from your troupe, find the Shogun, and battle him while his guards are on the frontline.
How is the story, and what should I anticipate from the players? and thank you for any help :D
Always expect the unexpected, and always anticipate for your PC's to F$#^ up your game in ways you will never see coming. I can see a few ways what you have planned will get derailed.
you shouldn't focus on the story you want to tell, because players have free will. They will want to play their way and not want to be railroaded, Maybe you will get lucky and they will make it to the back lines with no issue, maybe they will even make it to Shogun as you have it mapped out. BUT the players could easily make Ninjas and bypass most of it go all Tenshu sneak into his room and leave poison race for him to eat, they could make Samurai and refuse to be anywhere but the front line.
I see where you are going with that. That's the plan I believe the emperor is going to put forth, however I did have a backup in case they want to frontline in the fighting. That actually was the biggest problem I was having story wise was that one. Maybe the "plan" is just have them join the frontlines. Thanks for the input. I need to figure out potential encounters they could have when they go away from the main story ( which i don't expect to happen, they progression is pretty clear, although some people like doing their own thing. Like maybe they will want to go free other slaves at the castle first or whatever.) So some backup encounters and characters that I can pull out of nowhere might be good.
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Hello! So i am going to DM my first adventure probably sometime next month. I have a decent grasp of mechanics for fighting (i've been a player for awhile). The story i was wanting to run is basically a fuedal Japan campaign I am building. It will be standard dnd for the most part with just a couple extra feats available that are more Samurai or Ninja like. Anything else besides that is just a reskin (i.e. longswords are katanas, rapiers are ninjato, daggers are shuriken, darts are kunai, etc. etc. and same with enemies such as ninja and samurai you might fight ( orc's might be called Oni). They will be starting at level 5. What I want to know is what should I try to focus on to make my DMing experience fluid? ( besides say yes 99% of the time and make it work). How do I build contingency plans for when the players want to do their own thing? Also, this is basically the story so far, how is it? :D
These are the main points for the story so far. I have in depth notes for each section so i have an idea of what to say to the players, but this is the surface level for the main events:
You were all hired by a lord to do some work, but his manor was raided and you were captured ( basically it was a essentially a small army that performed the raid and even with your) The story starts with you and the others blindfolded and in chains in the back of a wagon. They are carrying you to their shogun's land to work as slaves. You over hear he is secretly amassing a large force to murder the emperor and take his place. The players goal is to have to get out off their bonds and collect their gear, then either take out the guards or sneak away. (freeing the other slaves is a choice with consequences later when you go to this shogun's manor late game.)
You must make your way to the Emperor's kingdom to warn him of the plot. If you stay in this territory, you will be found by guards that will try to recapture you again and again. The players can basically choose to go through towns, or the wilderness to get back to a safe part of Japan. (encounters vary slightly)
Once you reach the kingdom, you must find a way to talk to the Emperor. They don't just let anyone waltz in and talk to him. The players must use what's at their disposal to get an audience ( sneaking into a private manor that the emperor is holding a secret meeting in is the fail safe if they can't manage to get by the guards ). Once you manage to find the emperor, you must tell him about this plot to kill him and the overlord that is planning it.
Apparently the emperor has heard rumors, but you have confirmed his suspicions. In order to test your loyalty as well as find out if you aren't with this rouge shogun, he tasks you with finding out who is the shogun's spy in the emperors manor. He knows their is a traitor, but he just can't seem to pinpoint who. Once you find this man, you must bring your evidence of his treachery to the Emperor, he allows you to temporarily be knighted as ronin in his service, promising you parts of this Shogun's land, title, and money in exchange for your service in stopping him.
He has a couple of things that need to be taken care of before he is able too take on the Shogun. He doesn't want the other Shogun's of the land to join this usurper's side. He trusts them all, but one of them he is uncertain about, so he wants you to meat and confirm his allegiance ( and spy if you have too).
after that, he realizes the Shogun has more soldiers then expected, he asks you to go to the ninja clan and get them to join your side. ( the shogun sent some of his private ninja and samurai to the clan as well to persuade them, and the clan decides you must fight and the winner gets their favor)
At this point you prepare to fight the Shogun. Basically the main armies will clash, and you will be sent to the back lines to attack the Shogun while the armies fight. You have to infiltrate his kingdom before the fighting starts and enlist in his army as common soldiers. Once the war starts, you must get away from your troupe, find the Shogun, and battle him while his guards are on the frontline.
How is the story, and what should I anticipate from the players? and thank you for any help :D
What you have is fine but In my experience
Always expect the unexpected, and always anticipate for your PC's to F$#^ up your game in ways you will never see coming. I can see a few ways what you have planned will get derailed.
you shouldn't focus on the story you want to tell, because players have free will. They will want to play their way and not want to be railroaded, Maybe you will get lucky and they will make it to the back lines with no issue, maybe they will even make it to Shogun as you have it mapped out. BUT the players could easily make Ninjas and bypass most of it go all Tenshu sneak into his room and leave poison race for him to eat, they could make Samurai and refuse to be anywhere but the front line.
I see where you are going with that. That's the plan I believe the emperor is going to put forth, however I did have a backup in case they want to frontline in the fighting. That actually was the biggest problem I was having story wise was that one. Maybe the "plan" is just have them join the frontlines. Thanks for the input. I need to figure out potential encounters they could have when they go away from the main story ( which i don't expect to happen, they progression is pretty clear, although some people like doing their own thing. Like maybe they will want to go free other slaves at the castle first or whatever.) So some backup encounters and characters that I can pull out of nowhere might be good.