/tg/ - Traditional Games

When it comes to motivating your players to chase a plot, the easiest thing you can do is give players something to chase.

The advice of having someone steal from them is great. Players will chase a thief across the whole continent to get back a few coins or a stolen sword.

Have some fugitives or criminals they captured break out of prison.

That priceless treasure they just claimed just grew legs and ran down the street.

Everyone loves a chase.

It should be noted that I have a rough outline of the plot.

>long standing peace in the realm is shattered when a conqueror comes to power in a distant kingdom

>the conqueror's army gobble up the surrounding territories but are currently trying to suppress rebellions

>there are signs that the conqueror has set his sights on the PC's favorite kingdom

>the party wants to help repel the conqueror but they are nobodies

>they quest to raise fame

>something something politics

>PC's are in positions of power in the kingdom

>PC's are field commanders for the war against the conqueror

>large scale battle using mechanics similar to the Total War series

>possibly naval combat

>the conqueror and his adjutants are powerful in combat

>the conqueror has a secret weakness, he loves a woman living in the PC's kingdom. Maybe someone the PC's know very well

>they have the option to use her as a hostage and by sacrificing their honor, they can obtain an easy victory

>PC's defeat conqueror

I have no idea what to do with the defeated kingdom. I also don't know how I'm going to work large scale battles. But I have time and a lot of it.

>playing Pathfinder

Don't play Pathfinder. Okay now that we got this mandatory response out of the way…

Negativity aside, it isn't exactly the worst thing to start off with because its popular right now (or at least was a few years back) and it still has a lot of support and a player base.

Anyway. Don't stress, don't panic, if your players are new or at least know you are new this might actually turn out better than you think. People are actually way less assholes toward a newbie GM than it is commonly assumed. Why, you might ask? Well it is actually quite simple: GMing is a task not every tabletop player is willing to carry the burden of which is why you see more players than GM. Any experienced player who isn't a complete dickwad will know that newbie GM can and will make mistakes.

So why are making mistake a good thing? As strange as it may sound, making mistakes aren't inherently a bad thing. They are the best way to learn. And odds are you WILL make mistakes. The key here is; don't stress it out. Learn from them, roll with them and unless they are mistakes which break the game in half odds are it will slide off and the players will forget about it. It won't necessarily be a smooth ride and that is okay. Your players might (or rather will) eventually do something you hadn't planned for and that's fine. Fuck, sometimes, the best moments arise from these sort of situations.

Now for simple tips, which I know sound like the most common thing people say but its really just that: take it easy and start simple. Don't expect to be building the next Middle Earth with your campaign. However in the event you do, somehow, achieve that well I don't know what to say beside 'holy shit'.

Still, simple and easy is the key here. Even if it mean the game might be somewhat goofy or simplistic or even cliche, which is something some people are utterly allergic to because they all want to be super pretentious and 'avant garde'. Don't aim for that if you are just playing for fun and to learn GMing. Unless you play with pretentious hipsters with a ton of useless degrees about litterature or something in which case please run like hell.

>>223824

I just came from the human circlejerk thread and now I can think about i endurance hunting for chases

>>223825

>start small

well the start of the adventure will be mostly hanging around the main town and accepting quests from high profile people to quickly gain fame. I guess that's small?

>try to keep everyone from being dicks

I planned on excluding evil alignments from character creation. If they still have some sort of conflict, I'll let they sort it out in character and if they draw steel I'll intervene.

>>223837

good points with class related NPCs. I'll keep it in mind

>props

I had ideas about making parchment paper and handwriting diary entries if needed for the story. If a clue or something needs read magic to be read, I could write it in a foreign language like moonrunes or have it in the most unreadable font.

>populating dungeons

never gave much thought to dungeon ecology before. More fun stuff for me to think about.

>>223844

I'm a newbie GM and they're newbie players. We're all learning about how everything works. That said, they are newbie players. Should I give them a copy of the core rulebook? Is there stuff in there a player shouldn't know?

>>223902

>I planned on excluding evil alignments from character creation.

I love having at least one newbie player in the group, because then I can kind of give a piece of advice "to them," when it's really more for everybody, including the experienced players.

I tell the newbie (and everybody), that one of the most common mistakes I see newbie players make is to make some kind of antisocial Lonewolf McBadass. I explain to them how it's often just a natural instinct, but that it's kind of childish. I explain to them how P&P is a group activity, and it's poor form to make a character that wouldn't really work in the group, and I try to remind them that it's not all about their little snowflake, but that it's about everybody, it's a group game. I tell them that squabbling and bickering and going off to brood alone is for the kids playing vampiredemoncatpeopleninjas on internet forums, and that it's a lazy way for people to create something they think is "cool," that usually backfires. I tell them that playing the game is fun, and playing as a group is fun, and characters that are just too antisocial or unable to be part of a group should probably just wander off to be NPCs somewhere while the game's spotlight will focus on the group that is acting like they're actually here to play and engage with the game.

I also either decide on the tone or work with the group to pick a tone, and make sure we're all on the same page, explaining how annoying and counterproductive it is if people are essentially trying to play different games.

I always do this preemptively, before they even start talking about characters. A little communication goes a long way. If you want the group to be a party of heroes, tell them flat out. If you want some comedy, tell them. If you want mature and serious, tell them. If you want backstabbing and paranoia, tell them. If you want a group of off the wall anime furbait bizarro race characters or a group of more traditional fantasy races, tell them.

Whatever it is that you want or need for a smooth game, tell them. Do it from game 0, and don't pussyfoot or beat around the bush. Remind them that game is supposed to be fun. If you don't want interparty conflict, tell them, right off the bat, and tell them why.

>Should I give them a copy of the core rulebook? Is there stuff in there a player shouldn't know?

Yes, you should and no, there isn't anything in there that would be bad for them to know (this isn't the case for every TTRPG though, so it's a good question).

A large portion of the core rulebook talks about how to build characters & play, something that they will all be doing. You might as well if you have GMPCs (NPCs that you control like PCs accompanying the party). Regardless of that, the players will likely turn to you first for questions they have regarding the rules, so you'll also want to be as familiar with the rules as you can be.

Also, having a spare book floating around can make this quicker since players can try to find the answers to their questions while you manage something else.

As a first timer, you should print op a page in massive font the says

Gaming

Operations

Director

(and don't you forget it)

This is as much for your benefit as theirs. I'll explain. Rule zero is, of course, have fun. Rule one is fuck the rules, the GM is always right.

>no, that's not how it works, here let me see the book-

No. the GM is always right.

>but I hate perperoni on pizza

too bad, the GM is always right.

As the GM you're responsible for a LOT of shit. You have to build the world, come up with the plot hook, build the adventure, carefully manage the rewards, rp EVERYONE ELSE, AND be the sheriff that keeps the peace at the table.

That last one goes beyond just making sure your players don't get into fistfights. Sometimes you've got whip out a cattle prod to get shit moving. Or keep it moving. (keeping it moving is also why you do NOT allow players to argue your ruling on the table.Rules lawyering is often the number one reason a session gets bogged down) Sometimes you've got to get that long hook to yank a player off the center stage. players are an egotistical lot, as soon as one thinks up a good plan or witty one liner (in their minds anyway) they'll interrupt to get it out, possibly derailing shit. That's something you'll need to quash.

Lastly, there's That Guy. Every player comes to have fun. Some players think that having fun means making sure no one else does. Assholes like that belong in larps, not at a table. Some players do not make characters, they make a blob of stats to hurl at other blobs of stats and see which one is better. Those assholes should be playing WoW, not tabletop. Some players draw inspiration for their chars from something that just doesn't fit the genre of your game. If you're playing a sword and sorcery game set in hyboria, the last thing a PC should be is an blonde ninja that makes dozens of copies of himself when he fights. Finally there's the player that just overestimates his own competence. They can make a char with an amazing backstory, have a badass sketch, well balanced stats with a few neat tricks, and then utterly fail to live up to expectations. Fine example of that last one was in a 7th sea game where the char made a Montaigne noble who had a double life as a famous thief. On paper he was Lupin with porte magic. In game his plan was *always* throw a bomb, grab the shinny, run away. So really we got the Mad Midnight Bomber what Bombs at Midnight.

Fine tune your That Guy radar. Soon as player pings, take them aside, tell them why they pinged and work them to fix it. If they don't fix it, show them the door. Not all That Guy's are malicious. The worst That Guy I've ever played with was just an idiot. But they ruin everyone else's fun. You can't keep them around, no matter how sorry you feel for them.

One last caveat, you don't have to be a hard nosed sherrif all the time. You may find your prefer a more relaxed gaming atmosphere, and your group may be the same way. I'm telling you all this because this is your fist time. You should learn all the jobs a GM has, and do them by the book until you know you can do them. Then you pick and choose which ones you focus on.

>>223902

>I'm a newbie GM and they're newbie players. We're all learning about how everything works. That said, they are newbie players. Should I give them a copy of the core rulebook? Is there stuff in there a player shouldn't know?

No. Its a GOOD thing that they read the rules.

>>224000

>I'm GOD.

I'm entirely certain that's a matter of personal playstyle and preference. It's not a hard and fast One True Way, so I'm just going to talk about the other way. Keep in mind, both ways can be valid, it's what works best for you.

Some gaming groups work best with a "Mother-May-I?" approach, where you never know what's going to happen until you ask the GM who is carefully orchestrating things to fit his vision. Some game groups work better with the rules as impartial arbiter, interpreted by the GM, who nudges things, but is often as surprised by the outcome of events as the players.

Nine times out of ten, when I talk to another GM and they're all about how they're god, and they're all-powerful, and they're always right , it pings -MY- That GM radar. It's not always the case, but most of the time it means that the GM is married to his plot or his NPCs or something, and if the players do something he doesn't expect or doesn't like, even if it's brilliant or would make for a good game, he will quash it because it doesn't fit HIS VISION. Most of the time it means that if he creates a baddie, and he thinks that baddie should be a challenge, if the PCs completely squash the baddie with great tactics, luck, and smart play … he'll just ignore it and start fudging numbers and dierolls behind the screen, which completely invalidates any reward for smart tactics, gameplay, or character design.

Again, that's most of the time, not all he time. You referenced Tick and you play 7th Sea, so I'll work with the assumption that you're cool, but in my opinion "The GM is always right," is really, REALLY bad advice.

No one at the table is always right. It's a group game, it's not the GMs story or game anymore than it is any other player who wants to control everything and hog the spotlight. It's okay to have a player correct you on a rule, that doesn't take away your authority or ability to make judgment calls. It's okay for the party to surprise you, you don't need to control the story with a deathgrip and have it play out to your exact vision. Roll with it. Roll with the game and the story. Roll with the punches and the dierolls and the surprises.

>>223817

If that's a full world in your pic and is Earth-sized, it'll be mostly barren desert, given how massive all that land is (clouds won't reach most of it meaning no rain) and how little water there is.

>>223906

It's not likely that they'll make a lonewolf edgelord since they all are friends with each other. Well, there's one guy. He probably would. I'll advise him against it.

>>223924

>>224007

I'll give them the rulebooks now so they have plenty of time to read them before the campaign.

>>224000

nice trips but I'm not the type of person who always thinks they're right. Everyone makes mistakes, including the GM. If they challenge a rule because it doesnt sound right, I'll gladly look it up.

>>224025

I'm not particularly picky with details like those. I mean, it is a FANTASY world.

>>224027

>I'm not particularly picky with details like those. I mean, it is a FANTASY world.

Ok, so what mechanism governs rainfall in your fantasy world? Does the god of rain make clouds gather out of nowhere and drop rain down? If so, that's fine.

If you're using the fantasy defense you still need internal consistency.

>>224029

sure I can roll with that. I doubt my players will even bother asking about that though

>>224030

That works, then. I bring it up because in the OP you mention worldbuilding right at the top so I assumed it was important to you.

>>224010

Yeah, this all is why I had the caveat. I think it's pretty important for a GM to learn how to put their foot down first, then they can figure when they want to. It's the same thing as when you take art classes. Every art style has certain rules for creating good art, and you've got to learn all of them before you can figure out which ones you throw out the window to make your own style.

No offense, but lack of "little" details or them just not making sense kind of disappoints me in games. I like for things to have an internal consistency and a logic that works. Verisimilitude is important for my immersion, and settings and locations that "work" are just more enjoyable for me than settings that are just a backdrop for the encounters or whatever.

But that's just my personal taste, and I know a lot of players couldn't give two shits about the isolated border fortress' source of water or what exactly the monster was doing in the dungeon.

>>224032

>>224034

Dungeon ecology is really interesting once I started thinking about it. But thinking about how weather patterns happen in a fantasy world is just as boring as talking about the weather.

If they're adventuring outside and I say it's raining then it's raining. They really won't question it. They won't like that they get a penalty to perception checks during the rain but it makes sense logically.

And as for worldbuilding I meant something more along the lines of setting. Establishing kingdoms, borders, factions, maybe some history if it's relevant.

>>224039

>If they're adventuring outside and I say it's raining then it's raining. They really won't question it. They won't like that they get a penalty to perception checks during the rain but it makes sense logically.

Ok, well we don't know your group, and being as this it /tg/ we assume you would have had somewhat knowledgeable players who would question such massive, glaring errors. So that sort of thing is usually better stated up front.

>Establishing kingdoms, borders, factions, maybe some history if it's relevant.

Which all basically comes down to geography. Human migration, competition over resources and ideal locations, impact of climate on racial evolution, etc.

>>224045

>>224039

All this autism about rain and water distribution when you can literally say there is a god of rainfall. It's good to point it out, but do so and move on. Hell, you can use something pure fantasy like that to set up quests. "The local temple to the rain god has been desecrated, the area will turn into a desert if you don't repel the monsters infesting the temple!" or "Someone is manipulating the rain spirits and threatens to flood the kingdom!".

You do want to figure out basic climates, though, regardless of how or why these climates exist. Towns have needs just as much as a dungeon, they needs ways to get to and from, such as roads, rivers or air travel. As long as you can explain what type of town it is (farming, fishing, industry, etc) and how they transport goods to and from other towns nearby, where they worship and who, you basically got it. Any place that doesn't have easy paths in and out should be self sufficient or deserted (magic can make a lot of places self sufficient in odd climates, and curses can make a lot of perfectly situated towns abandoned). Places that are very extreme can also simply have a closer connection with certain elemental planes. The main thing isn't that your world has to make perfect sense, it just has to make ENOUGH sense. If you want there to a reason that you don't have to worry about the how and why of weather, work one into the game and let the players be aware.

All that said, if that is your world map, you might want to gouge a few more lakes into it. Water travel is a pretty quick way to get the group to different spots, so having it fairly available is always good.

>>224045

>Which all basically comes down to geography. Human migration, competition over resources and ideal locations, impact of climate on racial evolution, etc.

I wish I had more players like you anon.

But yeah OP, geography and climate determine cultures, borders, people, languages, history, etc. So when world building you either go "this culture is here because the fertile river valley enabled them to grow here," or you go "this is here because I want a kingdom here."

The second is fine if you don't have players that ask where they came from or who they trade with or how they feed themselves or a host of other questions. It entirely depends on the type of game you want to run.

History and Geography are linked, and taking them into consideration, even just a little bit, will make your world sexier. Building a world without them is fine for some, but "here's an encounter or a faction for no reason other than that the game needs one," seems really silly to some of us. As silly as a living, breathing, eating monster locked in a random room in a dungeon, guarding treasure, waiting for his encounter.

I was thinking some more about my campaign and it hit me. Is my campaign too long? Too grand in scale? Just the part of gaining fame can be a whole campaign in of itself.

Outline here >>223839

So I'd like to ask, about how long do you estimate this campaign to be? Can it even be estimated at this point?

>>224112

I suggest planning only 2 or 3 adventures ahead for sure, but see what the players react to the most. If the game falls apart, you might still want to use the world as is, and just start a new game with a new characters in the same or a different area. Just recently I had a group that was 12th level, and the 3rd player dropped out, so we put those characters on hold for now. The town our characters run is still in the middle of providing for a region our characters liberated from an evil group, refugees from those areas coming to our town, and overall increasing the defenses and better preparing the city if our enemies attack. I got two new players who are just starting in D&D, and we started a new group of 1st levels who work under the underlings of our old group, so we're like another pet group for our old characters to foster and keep the overall campaign setting alive. When I get back to sessions with the 12th level guys, I also have plans of starting a spy network run by my rogue, which would probably also include my friend's (now 5th level) rogue (I'll have to see how quickly our people can produce sending stones, or if I can find something cheaper and easier while we are returning a book to the library in the Shadowfell). That would give my higher level character a chance to semi-retire and still stay prominent as a NPC, and allow me to focus on my lower level cleric (who worships a nature goddess whose temple my rogue helped liberate when he was 10th level).

So it's fine to have grand ideas, as long as you are reasonable and flexable. Think where you want the characters to be by 4th or 5th level, and then see if that's where the players would like to be. Then move on from there, expand how important and grand things get as they level up. Maybe enemy scouting units or deserters turned bandits are becoming a problem for them at low levels, and by mid level they are infiltrating encampments of soldiers to steal plans to assassinate key commanders. And if they keep with the characters and survive all that, they'll move on to commanding armies and handling large battles.

I know there was a supplement or at least a dragon issue for handling large battles in 3rd ed, so you might want to look into those if that's one of your goals. I know there is a similar series of rules for 5th ed on the site, which I have around just in case (a wrap up to an adventure coming up might have a large scale battle in it). Make sure there are NPCs who will grow along side them, if the key party in Star Wars was Luke, Han, Leia, Chewy and the droids, than characters like Wedge and Lando not only keep the players invested but can be used for a while if someone gets incapacitated. So if you want to build up to navel combat, introduce a captain early one who helps them from time to time, maybe have a cavalry commander save them from a tough fight one day, so they can return the favor later on. Even if the group falls apart, you have those characters and they can provide assistance to the next group of adventurers you run through your world.

>>224058

>>224062

Having some knowledge of climate and geography is good for filling in blanks, but it can get in the way quickly if you already have a map you like.

Realism is just another option and tool, not an obligation or necessity.

>>224123

>Think where you want the characters to be by 4th or 5th level, and then see if that's where the players would like to be.

When I was a player, I never made it past level 2 because people couldn't consistently come to the sessions, GM included. So I really don't know where I would want to be at 4th or 5th level

good ideas though

>>224158

Sadly that's how most games are. I've played for decades by this point, but have only had a small handful of decent sized campaigns. A consistent, dedicated group is a thing of wonder.

>>224160

Key thing is to make a group out of the people who stuck around when everyone else flaked.

>>224173

Sadly, there are times when finding people who will stick around, in general, is tough.

>>224123

ah I found rules for mass combat in the Ultimate Campaign PD. I'll look them over when I have the time

>>224362

Careful with these. Use it too much and you get the singing sword form Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I prefer sentient weapons without speech. The classic anime trope of the blade rattling in it's sheath when it senses battle. Give it that, and some powers that only the weapon itself can decide to use. Maybe Empathic comunication with it's wielder. Say a lawful good blade with a vampire bane power directs powerful hate at the noble with all the items and spells that cockblock divination, giving the player their first real clue as to what is under all that magic jamming.

That said, you can make the smartass weapon that wont shut up if the weapon itself is a McGuffin (if you're not familer with the term I mean an item with plot power and revelence. Think "Evil Dragon goes on rampage, is too powerfull to defeat. Must quest to find Sword of Dragon Slaying") since McGuffins don't stay in the party after their plot point resolves.

>>224362

Another way you might play it is to have the weapon be under the effect of a spell that gives a false read on basic alignment detection. Law turns to chaos, Evil reads as good, or even both. Then let the weapon slowly turn a PC to the Dark Side.

>>224409

Ah also, when dealing with Rules Lawyers, the best tip I can give you is distract them with things that are more important.

They talk about "that's the incorrect fashion to undergo that spell" or "well technically" remind them that it's a game by awarding them paltry sums of EXP depending on allegedly how serious this "crime" is.

I gave small 5 pointers of EXP to silence my party rule lawyer and then one day he stopped because he realized that he can go ahead and do the research, but he's missing out on the game.

I also forced the party rules lawyer to have to do things. Oftentime the best way to deal with them is to keep them busy, after all their desire to see things neat an tidy is born either from pettiness or a desire to do the right thing to give a better experience.

You know, carrot or rod and all that.

>>224362

>>224407

Remember that a sentient weapon is basically going to be a major NPC, and thus a lot of work and part of the group dynamic.

Sentient/living/empathic items are cool on paper, but easy to neglect or become obnoxious, so handle them carefully. And best to only have one at a time.

>>224413

Either that or press-gang rules lawyers into doing your work for you.

I sent the players information about the different classes and archetypes. I told each of them to send me their preferred role or their chosen class to me individually (so I could get a read on their playstyle)

But here's a new problem. How do you deal with an unbalanced party? Here's what we got so far:

>dwarf or orc barbarian

>human? ranger

>kobold cleric

>grippli rogue

>a magic user

>"support" character

Keep in mind that these aren't set in stone and haven't really had any time to talk with them face to face about all this yet.

>>223817

>world building

>creating a plot

First timers should run an adventure module or path. There, I said it. Established world, established story arc, established dungeons.

I can understand wanting to do your own thing and expending the effort to detail, balance, and nuance the shit out of it, but get a handle for how the professionals do it

>dealing with inter-party conflicts both in and out of character

in character, the combat rules apply to pvp as well as pve

out of character you've got a problem

>utilizing NPCs

treat them like they are a character you are playing. They need not be that deep, they just facilitate the world. Story NPCs and iconic NPCs can have a good deal more thought put into them.

Using Rise of the Runelords as an example, Shayliss Vinder is a massive slut who wants to shag anyone with a high CHA score. This is kind of the extent of her character though her family is involved in later events. At the same time, Ameiko Kaijitsu is no longer necessary for inclusion after chapter 1 but is a noblewoman who owns an inn, hates her father, can give players free room and board as well as other bonuses after a certain story event, etc etc.

Both of these characters can be played up or down as much as you wish

voicing NPCs is its own trick. Trust me on this one, stand up. And work on a girl voice. It's not that hard to pull off alto without sounding like falsetto. personally I say the word "oniichan" as cute as I can and try to hold the tone

>dealing with combat efficiently

use combat manager. set up the players. use its auto-roller to handle generating combat order.

roll both the d20 and the damage dice at the same time

read the Pathfinder Society Play GM guide more advice

while it isn't quite a matter of efficiency, command your monster with zeal. GO GOBLIN 12, STAB THE LONGSHANKS IN THE DORK!

>music?

yes

>props

your players will love you for it. And not everyone can do theatre of the mind

there are tons of papercraft sites if you don't want to drop dosh. I recommend http://minipapermodels.blogspot.com/

i also recommend getting a Super Dungeon Explore 1st edition set (50+ models for like $75 and they're fucking adorabel) http://sodapopminiatures.com

>populating dungeons

not everything wants to fight. depending on the dungeon's theme, throw in some skittering about as local denizens hide from the PC badasses

>>225139

I have the 1st edition of Super Dungeon Explore and the Forgotten King expansion. Never got around to painting them but at least they can be solid representations of the characters and some of the weaker monsters

>papercrafts

these look really cool and all but how would I safely move them?

>work on a girl voice

I don't think I can do that. There are a few girls in my group so maybe I could write up the lines and have them read. Who knows, maybe it'll be fun for them too

>world building

Figure out what your basic idea is first, stuff like genre. Then come up with the ideas you want to define your world and make it unique (everyone wears masks or whatever). Then expand on those ideas, taking them to their logical conclusions. Why is the world this way, and how does it affect everything?

>creating a plot

Come up with good characters. Give them motivations that put them at cross purposes. Put the characters in the setting. Improvise.

>dealing with inter-party conflicts both in and out of character

Out of character players should come up with ideas for how to shape their characters' stories. In character, PCs should follow their motivations and only care about the rest of the party if it fits the character.

>utilizing NPCs

Never give them the spotlight except when they're villains or some other kind of nemesis. Have them introduce the story. Have them fight the PCs. Have them challenge the PCs in other ways by obstructing them. Have them reward the PCs for help. Have them die to establish danger and to clue the PCs in to the nature of the danger. Flesh them out as much as they will actually appear in the game. Give them a few signature traits that everyone will remember. Make sure they behave like actual people; don't have an NPC who sits around in a dungeon all day waiting to give exposition to the PCs.

>dealing with combat efficiently

Have a sheet or some small cards that you can use to keep track of the important stats and to write down stuff like damage and conditions.

>is music a good idea?

Yeah, just don't fiddle with it too much during the game. Best thing to do is have a couple playlists set up depending on context so you can have "battle music" and "puzzle solving music" or whatever.

>props? good? bad?

Depends on the group. Remember that anything like this is going to be more work. You may want to go for something you'll get more mileage out of, like bags or rings rather than something you'd only use once.

>populating dungeons

Ask yourself some questions. What exactly is this dungeon (cave, artificial structure, etc.)? Why is it here? Who has used it? What did they leave behind? Why did they leave? What lives here now? What does it eat? What other creatures might scavenge leftovers and waste from the main inhabitant(s)?

>>225141

>these look really cool and all but how would I safely move them?

if you're lacking plastic bases, print a graphic you want onto some cardstock, cut it out, and glue it to some foamcore board. use it as a template and cut out the foamcore. I use an exacto knife but YYMV

glue the feet of the assembled papercraft model onto the base

you can get some nice graphics for the purpose here:

http://www.onemonk.com/bases.html

moving them is surprisingly easy. grab a shoebox, toss them in, keep it level. There may be some untangling but they won't be damaged–they're fucking paper after all

>>224000

You forgot my favorite that guy "The newbie player who makes a very niche near useless character and then refuses to do their niche role" like the 18 int 9 dex rogue. These players will often forget what they're doing, try to rule lawyer, and use obscure rulings in order to get their way.

the GM is always right rule will make them horribly upset, as their "perfect" character in their mind and how it actually plays are at complete odds. You need to remain firm on it

This is a very common that guy for newbie campaigns

>world building

>creating a plot

>dealing with inter-party conflicts both in and out of character

>utilizing NPCs

funny voices are best. Don't bother getting invested unless you're sure either the PCs will come back, or your making them in a plot centric location.

>dealing with combat efficiently

unless the PCs know everything every combat takes an hour

>is music a good idea?

absolutely. use spotify and sort playlists into action, suspense, tavern, etc

>props? good? bad?

depends on your friends. Mine would laugh then ignore them. can work well, useful props like maps are legendary dm tier

>populating dungeons

not too many traps.

biggest thing is reward your players. it's not you vs them so don't be afraid of laying on gold and magic items.