Hm yes, I see your point Rane. I'd rather not drop the responsibility for these groups on another of the admins since this was solely my idea, so I will DM this alone too.
Ideally for every session the same players turn up, but real life has a way to ensure that someone usually doesn't make it, so I don't see any reason to deny someone else from playing if they are available. But of course I don't want to spoil your fun either, which is the central point of this whole thing, so we won't overdo the mix-and-matching either and try to ensure you can develop your characters.
So, I would suggest a hybrid of the last idea:
- We make 2 groups of 4, that stay together as much as possible
- max players for every session is 4
- if it turns out that for one session some players can't make it, players from the other group that have time can jump in instead
Again, I'd like this to be as fun as possible for the players, so I'm happy to hear any of your thoughts on this. I haven't really DMed on PWs much, so I'm kinda shaky on what works and what doesn't and I will need your opinions to get a clearer picture.
DM'ed fixed group
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*Wolfsbane
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
If possible (if there's enough interest) perhaps 2 groups of 5 players might be a better bet for player attendance. That way if 1 player can't make it you'd still have a full party of 4.
The difference between 4 and 5 PC-parties isn't as big as it seems. During battle oriented encounters just prepare them for a level 4 party and if all 5 players show up, just add in a henchman-monster extra (that usually is enough for the first few encounters). 5 Players should also be still be small enough to let everyone have RP-imput, without everyone involved just talking through eachother.
Also, to protect your sanity as a DM, you might want to make a rule that if PCs miss X meetings of the DM-run group (especially without prior notice), your character is considered murdered in a dark alley. Missing meetings without giving a heads up before hand makes everyone have to wait for your character to kick off. If you're a no-show and people miss out on time to RP while waiting for your appearance can really be demotivating for players and a DM.
This might sound harsh or overkill but there can go quite some time in planning an adventure.
Besides that, missing multiple meetings can result in level differences. Although this can go fine, it can also get a little bit more difficult to pin-point the party's ECL.
Example:
A level 2 Wizard, in a party with a level 5 Fighter, a level 5 Rogue and a level 4 Cleric. The party average challenge rating will be 4, but any level 4 encounter might be over taxing for the party Wizard and only mildly exciting for the rest of the party.
The difference between 4 and 5 PC-parties isn't as big as it seems. During battle oriented encounters just prepare them for a level 4 party and if all 5 players show up, just add in a henchman-monster extra (that usually is enough for the first few encounters). 5 Players should also be still be small enough to let everyone have RP-imput, without everyone involved just talking through eachother.
Also, to protect your sanity as a DM, you might want to make a rule that if PCs miss X meetings of the DM-run group (especially without prior notice), your character is considered murdered in a dark alley. Missing meetings without giving a heads up before hand makes everyone have to wait for your character to kick off. If you're a no-show and people miss out on time to RP while waiting for your appearance can really be demotivating for players and a DM.
This might sound harsh or overkill but there can go quite some time in planning an adventure.
Besides that, missing multiple meetings can result in level differences. Although this can go fine, it can also get a little bit more difficult to pin-point the party's ECL.
Example:
A level 2 Wizard, in a party with a level 5 Fighter, a level 5 Rogue and a level 4 Cleric. The party average challenge rating will be 4, but any level 4 encounter might be over taxing for the party Wizard and only mildly exciting for the rest of the party.
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*pelhikano
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
There's really no need for extra harsh sanctions for missing a meeting and such, this is supposed to be fun after all. Combat will not be the focus either, so I will decide when the situation arises what the enemies do. It's all about talking, RPing and maybe puzzling out how to proceed from clues and such.
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*BigDaddyBones
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
how ever this turns out i still want in!
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*pelhikano
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
Alright, I am trying to come up with some ideas how to play the initial sessions. Stand by please, I will post here when I am ready for the first sessions.
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*pelhikano
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am
If you have time, I'd appreciate it if you made up some short biography for the character you will be playing. See the first post for the general guidelines please (you will find an example biography there now as well). Doesn't have to be much, just enough so I know what kind of person roughly you are playing. Please also consider that this person somehow ended up in the Neverwinter Militia, so the history should somehow fit that too.
I will try and think something up so that we can play the first session for each of the groups for next week or so. I don't know if you players know each other already, but if you want you can decide for yourself with whom you want to play in one of the two 4-person groups.
On making the character:
I will try and think something up so that we can play the first session for each of the groups for next week or so. I don't know if you players know each other already, but if you want you can decide for yourself with whom you want to play in one of the two 4-person groups.
On making the character:
- You can make your characters as soon as you want, and style their gear too.
- You can use all the standard given money and buy stuff from the bazaar too, though IC they got whatever that is from Neverwinter, so its sort of OOC shopping because I'd like to start you guys right after waking up in the alley. PLEASE DO NOT GRIND YOURSELF EXTRA MONEY WITH QUESTS AND SUCH.
- Set your faction to Prime of course.
- When you style your gear please also try to go with the "militia" theme, so for example use the cloak with the Neverwinter Eye design and those greycloak chain mails and such. For now at least I'd like to avoid everyone looking like they jumped out of a Sado-Maso fantasy hehe.