What do you have in minds for your players?

[Harley Stroh]

[/threadwin]

//H

[jonchappellnow2]

James over at Grognardia wrote an excellent blog on how when D&D first came out, one of the best ways to understand it's intention, flavor, and the application of the rules was to study the early modules like B1, B2, and the Village of Hommlet. It sort of gave early players of sense of the dynamics of the intended play world and play style.

I have little prep time so I'm more interested in interpreting commercial and play tested adventures than in creating my own, or even running a campaign. So we'll like do module hopping.

For those reasons I'm very much interested in pretty running in order:

(level 0) The Portal Under the Stars
(level 0) Sailors of the Starless Sea
(level 1) Doom of the Savage Kings
(level 1) People of the Pit
(level 2) The Emerald Enchanter
etc...

That said, I'm also interested in weaving in the options of running:
The Grinding Gear,
Death Frost Doom,
Idol of Orcs,
and Shadowbrook Manor by converting them to DCC RPG.

[arcadayn]

It's one of the ironies of D&D, and more so for DCC. How do you tell these stories like Conan or Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser with ensemble casts without it turning into the Avengers (i.e. Super-Hero Teams.) People have to die, I guess.

The real secret is to have a smaller party size. Part of what I remember about the "good old days" is that we used to have 1-2 players and a DM. When you have smaller party size several things happen:
1. Emphasis on the individual rather than the party.
2. Each gets to do more and watch less.
3. You can have higher level characters without upsetting balance.
4. You as the DM can bend some rules (e.g. allow characters to multiclass) without upsetting balance.

Your Avengers analogy is a solid one. For any Avengers comic you really need a "lead character of the week" with the rest following. Otherwise, you get a story that is really fragmented where no one gets to do much. This was my big problem with 4E D&D, the fact that each player's turn seemed to drag on and a large party size had a dynamic which was mostly one where everyone was waiting all of the time.

Smaller party size fixes most of those issues, but since D&D and DCC are class-based games it might be prudent to allow characters to gain levels in more than one class so that they have a party-type range of talents.

Take for example Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. Fafhrd is a fighter but also a thief. Mouser is a thief but also has a touch of magic-user. Together they cover most of the skills needed in a larger party.

Just my two coppers.

I avoid trying to tell a story all together. I give the players situations and their reactions tell the story. Game play naturally sorts all that stuff out. However, I definitely agree with Fin on the small party thing. Three players is really the sweet spot for me.

[reverenddak]

James over at Grognardia wrote an excellent blog on how when D&D first came out, one of the best ways to understand it's intention, flavor, and the application of the rules was to study the early modules like B1, B2, and the Village of Hommlet. It sort of gave early players of sense of the dynamics of the intended play world and play style.

I have little prep time so I'm more interested in interpreting commercial and play tested adventures than in creating my own, or even running a campaign. So we'll like do module hopping.

For those reasons I'm very much interested in pretty running in order:

(level 0) The Portal Under the Stars
(level 0) Sailors of the Starless Sea
(level 1) Doom of the Savage Kings
(level 1) People of the Pit
(level 2) The Emerald Enchanter
etc...

That said, I'm also interested in weaving in the options of running:
The Grinding Gear,
Death Frost Doom,
Idol of Orcs,
and Shadowbrook Manor by converting them to DCC RPG.

Awesome. Sounds a lot like what my campaign is looking like.

[Scott Kellogg]

Most of my writing time is dedicated to my CoC campaign. I intend to run DCC for a different group (some overlap) about once a month, mixing modules from Goodman Games and partner pubishers. I want to have as much fun as the players, and am curious about how the modules play. I'm going to run the RAW to the best of my ability. I want to learn how DCC wants to be played, rather than just doing things the way I'm used to doing them. The goofy dice add to the congitive dissonance (AKA mindf*ck).

[henis]

I printed off some of the flyer's that reverendak put up (thank's for that rev) on a thicker paper to look like old parchment and waiting for the book to arrive so I can send them to my regular players as invites for a new game, something to get them in an oldschool mood. (I've got the PDF, I'm just waiting for the hardcover to make it easier for character creation for players).

For the game I was thinking much of the same thing.

Level 0-Portal under the stars
Level 0-Sailors or the starless sea
Level 1-Doom of the savage Kings
etc....

Maybe build-up Citadel of Fire or the temple, maybe even have them start more than one group of adventures (depending on number of level-0 survivors) to see were the players take themselves. Really hyped up to get this game.

[Vanguard]

DCC RPG isn't going to be my main system for a while. We just started Burning Wheel and will probably play that through the summer. However, I know my group is interested in doing some dungeons crawls in between, because our BW campaign is all RP, for the most part.

The first 0-level adventure I have in mind is something like this:

A meteorite has crashed outside the walls of the village, kicking dust into the atmosphere and blotting out the sun. Many who investigated have never returned; the ones that have were found to be horribly disfigured and mutated. Inside the walls of the village, the townsfolk cower in fear of the night that never ends and strangers have begun to prowl the streets.

Should the players investigate the site of the meteorite's impact, I've drawn up a handy table for deciding which parts of their body will mutate.

[RevTurkey]

Meteor crash...hmm

For some reason I can now picture a load of pitchfork wielding villagers fighting giants killer bugs like in the film Starship Troopers. Gruesome.

[Vanguard]

Meteor crash...hmm

For some reason I can now picture a load of pitchfork wielding villagers fighting giants killer bugs like in the film Starship Troopers. Gruesome.

Yeah, my plan is to have the players roll 4 0-levels apiece. They are the only ones left in the village.

For some reason, all of my adventures I've thought of for DCC begin that way. Insert some event that destroys/wipes our their village, have them investigate, whoever survives then takes to the road, further accumulating wealth and ability.

Until they die.

[ragboy]

A meteorite has crashed outside the walls of the village, kicking dust into the atmosphere and blotting out the sun. Many who investigated have never returned; the ones that have were found to be horribly disfigured and mutated. Inside the walls of the village, the townsfolk cower in fear of the night that never ends and strangers have begun to prowl the streets.

Should the players investigate the site of the meteorite's impact, I've drawn up a handy table for deciding which parts of their body will mutate.

Love it.

[RevTurkey]

Hey Vanguard that it a great idea. Like it!

[arcadayn]

I also have a setup with a meteor crash, but mine has the meteor hitting the side of a mountain and opening up an entrance to a long buried dungeon.

[Vanguard]

I also have a setup with a meteor crash, but mine has the meteor hitting the side of a mountain and opening up an entrance to a long buried dungeon.

That's a great idea!

The meteor in my game is actually a planar spaceship type thing. The dungeon is going to be the wreckage.

[RevTurkey]

Cool

I think an invasion of the body snatchers game could be good too...

The group being the only ones not 'taken' yet...hmm maybe.

[Vanguard]

I just had an explosion of an idea for a campaign.

Basically, the players are born in the belly of some horrid beast, like a Purple Worm. They toil their lives away nourishing worm's organs by hunting the parasites in its intestines, harvesting the flora growing on the walls, and through blood sacrifices. After watching the elders sacrifice the player's parents, they decide to make a break for it.

As the players ascend the levels of the beast they encounter their overlords in increasingly more difficult dungeons. The final battle would be in the worm's mouth against an insane Wizard.

[Scott Kellogg]

Gotta define how they got there. Who are the parents? How big is the worm's belly? It's the worm big enough to fit a town inside?

[Vanguard]

I'm getting there. I just had this idea like three seconds ago. All I know is that the Wizard is using the worm (who is very much still alive) as protection from the elements outside. Yes, it's big enough to fit a whole town inside (and many dungeons).

[Harley Stroh]

Basically, the players are born in the belly of some horrid beast, like a Purple Worm. They toil their lives away nourishing worm's organs by hunting the parasites in its intestines, harvesting the flora growing on the walls, and through blood sacrifices. After watching the elders sacrifice the player's parents, they decide to make a break for it.

As the players ascend the levels of the beast they encounter their overlords in increasingly more difficult dungeons. The final battle would be in the worm's mouth against an insane Wizard.

The DCC RPG: When the synopsis for your home campaign is about the most bizarre thing I've ever heard of, that's when I know you're doing it right.

//H

[Karaptis]

I just had an explosion of an idea for a campaign.

Basically, the players are born in the belly of some horrid beast, like a Purple Worm. They toil their lives away nourishing worm's organs by hunting the parasites in its intestines, harvesting the flora growing on the walls, and through blood sacrifices. After watching the elders sacrifice the player's parents, they decide to make a break for it.

As the players ascend the levels of the beast they encounter their overlords in increasingly more difficult dungeons. The final battle would be in the worm's mouth against an insane Wizard.

That idea is far out! You gotta post how it turns out!

[Aplus]

Lots of great ideas, and I'm a big Pirates of Dark Water fan as well.

I have a stack of about 30 D&D/AD&D modules, which I will be selectively placing around my home world of Outland. Tegel Manor is definitely going in as well.

Also, I think I linked this a long time ago, but here it is again in case anyone missed it:
http://www.eldritchdark.com/articles/cr ... game-guide

Patrick Wetmore's Anomalous Sub surface Environment is definitely a great choice for a DCC campaign starter.

Dark Sun would be a great world to run some DCC.

Honestly, it's an embarrassment of riches. There is so much great stuff out there, both new and old, choosing just one or two things is nigh impossible!

[Aplus]

Lots of great ideas, and I'm a big Pirates of Dark Water fan as well.

I have a stack of about 30 D&D/AD&D modules, which I will be selectively placing around my home world of Outland. Tegel Manor is definitely going in as well.

Also, I think I linked this a long time ago, but here it is again in case anyone missed it:
http://www.eldritchdark.com/articles/cr ... game-guide

Patrick Wetmore's Anomalous Sub surface Environment is definitely a great choice for a DCC campaign starter.

Dark Sun would be a great world to run some DCC.

Honestly, it's an embarrassment of riches. There is so much great stuff out there, both new and old, choosing just one or two things is nigh impossible!