I'm trying to kick off a D&D campaign with three friends.
Problem is, I'm not ready to buy all of the stuff yet.
It's a tryout and my friends might not like the game. Which would make it a huge waste of funds if I were to invest in the books and campaign books etcetera.
Plus, I do want to do this from homebrew, not following som campaign. As the deputy DungeonMaster, that's pretty much wat seems the most fun part about D&D.
So; little experience playing D&D.
No experience being the DM...
And little enough material to work with.
I have the rule books online, luckily. And a free subscription to DND-beyond. If we continue playing past the first few sessions, I'll probably get a full subscription.
I found a cheap paper I can use with approximately correct squares to draw the battle-maps on. I have the dice.
For pawns, I'm going to use cardboard with pictures glued to them.
Story and enemies for the first session are nearly complete. Just gotta invent some extra stuff, some traps, ...
The three PC's are just about done and attuned. Starting the three of them off at level 3. A half-orc warlock, a dwarf barbarian and a human druid.
But now I've come to a fase in which I have to draw some larger maps (not battlegrounds but the wider area's).
I'm not a very good artist but here is my first 'larger map' for the starting point of the adventure.
Is it somewhat clear?
(https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/272008049_10224016428096104_6814008204237386677_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=QAW8lmyndLEAX8HKv3x&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=00_AT-qvFHTjdhy2doFWARjy8cl3_W-t1jAmATLqGBn40dGBA&oe=61EA4199)
Luckily It's a snow-covered region, so the white is in theme.
The shattered teeth is a glacier, by the way. The Spit is a river.
The most important locations and such have been added for this particular map. (Drawing 'The Last Light' and 'The Mark' and 'The Last Door' next.)
When it's finished, I'm going to photocopy it and then add hidden things like staches of supplies etc. to the map in my own possesion.
But any added idea's are usefull; seems a bit barren for now.
(Even just appealing stuff, like I'm thinking about adding a compas in the bottom right corner.)
Any and all input welcome, you guys.
P.S., you can be honest. If it looks like dog-shit, I'd rather know.
Looks good to me, but I haven't played DND since the 70's. What is that on the left side of the river? Doesn't look like another forest. Cliffs maybe?
Yeah, it's a clifside. Not sure how to draw it better,
The river is down in a valley between two clifsides.
Quote from: Mr.Obvious on January 16, 2022, 06:27:58 PM
Yeah, it's a clifside. Not sure how to draw it better,
The river is down in a valley between two clifsides.
My experience with paper D & D comes from the 70's, so my memory of all that is sort of fuzzy. This idea may be of no value, but I remember there being quite a few solo dungeons and most had great maps and good instructions. You might think of looking up a few and seeing if you could adapt some of that material to your needs. In any case, looks like you have a good handle on it right now.
DMing isn't the easiest, but it's not terribly hard, either. You're essentially setting the stage and rules. The players are essentially saying "my character tries to do X" and you tell them what happens. You're there to facilitate their adventure (to give them interesting things to do) and they're there to explore and affect your world.
QuoteAny and all input welcome, you guys.
P.S., you can be honest. If it looks like dog-shit, I'd rather know.
To be honest, all you really need is a rough idea of the terrain. You don't necessarily have to make it very detailed. As players progress deeper into the storyline, you might want to make it more detailed. But if they veer off into a sidequest or different area, making the area they're not using more detailed is pointless. You only need to "render" the area that PCs are exploring.
QuoteA half-orc warlock, a dwarf barbarian and a human druid
Ooooh! Some interesting backstories are likely there! You could definitely draw upon that for adventure seeds in the future. A burgeoning empire encroaches on druid lands and war seems inevitable, how will party druid react? The party needs to go to a holy city for some MacGuffin and a local pally takes notice of the warlock and launches a vendetta against the party, tracking the party and trying to slay the warlock at the most unexpected and unfortunate moments. The party needs the help of a dwarven tribe, but they refuse to cooperate with the barbarian. They might abduct him in the middle of the night and try to force him to abandon his barbarian ways and become a more "proper" fighter dwarf in service to the tribe. Can the rest of the party find him before they break him? Can the barbarian break free and turn the tables on his captors?
Oh and if you ever need the party to head out somewhere, have someone steal from them - especially a magical item or some gold/jewels - and head out in that direction. I guarantee the party will head out after the thief.
(https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/272101909_10224021357699341_2190386893739586660_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=uzNUHeJs54MAX9vmrX1&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=00_AT9CHolWEsEEnBqPgXjVDxTY1IKBMZ_YHvCd9CqHbs5CXA&oe=61EB5338)
Update: I showed it to one of the soon to be players. Couldn't help myself.
He started digitalizing it and improving it. Love it.
(https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/272071758_10224021649066625_1758054913749682844_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=beTk3rmonBIAX_1XVwV&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=00_AT9z805NQNjZ0BuMoMqsLM562LDNuWVL9tJLU5N4bKK2Xg&oe=61EB6F73)
Quote from: Hydra009 on January 16, 2022, 10:16:19 PM
Oh and if you ever need the party to head out somewhere, have someone steal from them - especially a magical item or some gold/jewels - and head out in that direction. I guarantee the party will head out after the thief.
Imma remember that one for sure.
I’m only familiar with it from Big Bang Theory….seems like you make up a list of what if’s and assign a what happens to it…….but hey..they had Sheldon.
Quote from: aitm on January 18, 2022, 11:24:37 AMI’m only familiar with it from Big Bang Theory….seems like you make up a list of what if’s and assign a what happens to it…….but hey..they had Sheldon.
Essentially, it's a Choose Your Own Adventure story with math. :P
(https://scontent-bru2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/p180x540/272454194_10224051720658396_5614094514437882573_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=vhEpOq5UBqQAX9qfjTb&tn=dgbOnalmGJIRt4Gp&_nc_ht=scontent-bru2-1.xx&oh=00_AT9MMxvlhhwHU3r2c7gJYAkRUR9ZgPWzufl_2FYqbqCeJg&oe=61F2693C)
So, been trying to figure something out.
Decided the world would have about a year's rotation around it's sun.
Day would be equivalent to a day.
But I wanted to give it two moons. But not just two moons: two moons that circle eachother as they circle the planet.
Probably impossible to remain a stable system, but hey it's a fantasy world.
But I'm trying to figure out what it would look like if the two moons were to circle one another at exactly the same time as the planet would rotate around it's axis.
I'm guessing the orbit of the two moons going in a circle around one another would lead to small differences in each night in the amount of waxing and waning the moons do, right? Because their rotation around one another makes for a shift to and back in their lunar cycles. Right?
Hoping the drawing somewhat explains what I'm getting at.
S = Sun
M1 = Moon 1
M2 = Moon 2
P = Planet
Quote from: Mr.Obvious on January 23, 2022, 02:29:32 PMBut I wanted to give it two moons. But not just two moons: two moons that circle eachother as they circle the planet.
Probably impossible to remain a stable system, but hey it's a fantasy world.
*stares in Martian*
Hell, the Earth might've had two moons at some point.
Can't help you on the orbits, but imo that's going way above and beyond for a DM.
Is there supposed to be a picture? I don't see anything.
Not that smart but assume it would play hell on the tides.
Quote from: Blackleaf on February 10, 2022, 05:13:23 PM
Is there supposed to be a picture? I don't see anything.
Huh, there was.
I´ll see if I can reupload.
A quadrille desk pad is a very good map matrix. I kept forty levels of the old (80s) Dungeons and Dragons on one.