New to DM-ing and my first ever group will be starting within Shadowfell (both of their characters made the most sense being here near the beginning). Looking for some players or DM's to speak on their best Shadowfell experiences to make the realm more interesting and different.
#Shadowfell and how to make it interesting
silver merlin
silver merlin
yeah
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Well, as long as both players understand... the Shadowfell is a macabre and horror-infested place. Emotions of dread, sorrow, loneliness, and despair reign supreme
Things you can consider are displays of horror. Not shock horror like a corpse bleeding from the eyes, necessarily, but rather things that might make the party think they're not alone, or something seemingly chasing them. A brief illusion that something is moving that shouldn't be, the howls of the wolves in the distance
When you're dealing with full planes of existence, like the Shadowfell, draw upon and try to create the ATMOSPHERE first that the plane embodies
The sky isn't sunny, it might have a chill or foggy pall that obscures the skies
silver merlin
Ouuu Okay okay, So really get into showing the dread through the realm and then everything after
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Even if they're in a safe place, they don't necessarily have to FEEL safe.
silver merlin
Ohhh like there is a sense of things being around them that would normally be a problem but here they are common
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Yeah. Vampires don't necessarily roam the streets where the party might be. But they might not necessarily be an extraordinarily special monster in the shadowfell either.
(For example, Curse of Strahd takes place in a small subsection of the Shadowfell, but there are many more vampires than just Strahd that exist in the plane
silver merlin
Ouuu, wait so when I was reading up on Shadowfell I saw there is a possibility to see dullness on the material plane and when an adventurer ventures there they wander into Shadowfell.
Soo is it possible to see a piece of land in the Shadowfell that is bright and colorful to bring you to the Material Plane?
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Much like the Feywild has odd fey crossings that lead into it, so too does the Shadowfell have means of entering and exiting it.
The plane isn't desolate, it's just moody and scary
Knowledge of a Dusk Crevice (the official term for a crossing between the Material Plane and the Shadowfell) is more likely to be held by someone important rather than the party randomly happening across it
silver merlin
Ouuuu so that is now a plot point for sure [duly noted]
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So if the party needs to reach the material plane, perhaps they need to learn this information from someone who has power. (Doesn't mean they have to enter any insidious contract, mind you, the party in question just has them do a service for the information)
silver merlin
Im honestly trying to have the party make an in-game journal so their PC's always understand something and or can go back to it
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It's nice when players do that but I wouldn't count on it. If you're worried about forgetting something yourself, just write it down as an actual note
silver merlin
I wanted to make a pivotal NPC know as the Curator which is why I earlier asked about the animated objects. This NPC will give them certain things if they bring back new info to him.
silver merlin
It's nice when players do that but I wouldn't count on it. If you're worried abo...
The main thing is I wanted the party to not have to ask about a certain weakness and feel like they learned on their journey
Like specifically skeletons
When they first face them they might notice some things do more damage then others
And instead of just slugging it out and or asking me
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The party will generally learn quickly that skeletons are weak to bludgeoning. I'm referring more to plot information specifically about taking down notes
silver merlin
OHHHH I get you
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Especially since sometimes the players will either want to or just do things you don't anticipate
silver merlin
yeah I enjoy taking notes so I am definitely cool with that
that's true
keep some sort of backup at all times
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How are you thinking of plot points, by the by?
silver merlin
I generally go by broad strokes and then try to fit them together. Then I will add encounters in between and little places so it's not just barren land in between important locations.
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Okay. How does this sort of thing fit into the regular plot. Also, is the party expected to hit a certain sequence of events?
silver merlin
Yeah I have it set up in a way where even if they were to go to a different place it would eventually lead into the main area that I want them to go into. At least for the beginning.
Since I have the Curator be more of a go to him if you want a chance to learn more about traveling through portals. Things of that nature
Since both of them want to find a way to the material plane
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Do they know of this curator from the outset?
silver merlin
The thing is I like to plan FAR FAR ahead. The first place that they will go is a place within the realm called the Safe Haven where it's ran by a Satyr that looks like a lamb. All the creatures there have somewhat fund themselves within the Shadow realm and are looking for a place to live out with protection
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So, be careful about how far you go ahead. Again, the party could completely unseat your plans. A lot of what I do when I'm making a campaign is I come up with flashpoints.
silver merlin
This meet up will be with the party and The Lamb (the satyr's name) will have them do little task that will have the party visit different places later on seeing that there is a huge building that has hundreds of books and the party "might" ask The Lamb what that is about and or who runs that area
silver merlin
So, be careful about how far you go ahead. Again, the party could completely uns...
true
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These flashpoints are events that WILL happen in the course of the campaign regardless of the party's intervention
silver merlin
Ohhh
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However, what leads up to such events I might have a few possibilities
Both due to party action, but also due to party INACTION
silver merlin
Okayyy
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sometimes the party might not take the bait you're offering them the first time
silver merlin
yeah that's what I am worried for
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And you might have to account for that. But there's plenty of ways you can work around with that
A good system of thought that I think is good for beginner DMs is this
We have A's, which are introductory events for a plot hook
B's, events that develop as a result of interactions with A's
And C's, which are the endpoint of the hook. (The endpoint could be a D or an E too, but keeping it simple)
When I have a C
I will probably think of a couple Bs that can lead to it
silver merlin
ohhhh I get you
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and then each of the Bs might have two or three A's that I can use to get the party interested in the first place.
Say the party goes to a town and the hook ends with them dealing with a gang problem
silver merlin
okay
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An A could easily be them witnessing a business being shook down for protection
they follow up on that, maybe the gang members give them some information (not necessarily nicely but the party learns something)
and then they have something they can work with
If they don't bite on that, maybe a few hours later or as they're going to sleep one of them spots someone being dragged off into an alleyway
Party could investigate that. And how they react on that situation could speed the progression along
If they react with full violence, the resulting B might be the gang paying them a visit and setting an ultimatum
That response could either delay or immediately result in C, which is the actual showdown (not necessarily BATTLE, mind you, but the clash nonetheless)
silver merlin
ohhh this makes sense
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That's a very simple example, but the point is that you have a number of teasers that lead to a few developments, and then a conclusion
It also lets you, by designing things like this, get a scope on what the party considers important, and what morals they might live by.
(morals isn't necessarily the right word here, but rather, what makes the party tick)
silver merlin
mmm yeah, I think I need to focus a lot more on the more recent things
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And learning what makes the party tick also is something that will benefit you as a DM
silver merlin
(morals isn't necessarily the right word here, but rather, what makes the party ...
Ouuu so then later on you now what might get them and up the stakes
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Exactly.
silver merlin
Thank you!! Lowkey locked in now
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It becomes potentially a little easier, though I'd avoid using the same hook every single time, that gets bland and stale.
silver merlin
ohh how do you mean?
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We don't need to repeat the "damsel in distress" five towns in a row, basically
silver merlin
ohh yeah that makes sense
That's why I am trying to make sure my party knows that people and or creatures don't have to always be killed and or fought
I know as a DM I have better control over that which is why I wanted to do more interesting fights instead of slugfest
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Has the game already begun, and what level is the party starting at?
silver merlin
That's definitely my biggest weakness right now
silver merlin
Has the game already begun, and what level is the party starting at?
It hasn't yet but the party starts at level 3
It starts in like a day
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are you with players who are new?
silver merlin
yeah they never really hard of the game
that's something I am a little nervous for
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Here's my advice. Make an opening scenario that will get them from level 1-3. Combat is a possibility but the party has means to solve the scenario without combat. The earliest levels are the best time to learn that not everything can or should get solved by swinging the sword
because one bad roll or two and they can get knocked down or even killed
silver merlin
mm okay okay, I will try to give that option at the beginning
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Perhaps this initial search for the Curator might be fitting for this progression actually
silver merlin
Okayyy
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Level 1 is pretty much all non-combative segments or segments where combat is better avoided than fought
silver merlin
true
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Level 2 features a little more likelihood of real combat but still a mix of non-combat options
And reaching the Curator who has whatever tasks you envisage for them will get them to level 3
silver merlin
Ouuu okay okay!!
True because I don't want their to be a genuine fight with the Curator
and that might get them in the mindset that growing with the world means being in it
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That's one of the biggest things in any game
The characters are not ABOVE the world, they're a part of and IN the world.
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Not a problem. I'm sure I'm not the only who has insights
silver merlin
yeah gonna start using this discord a lot more now for question