New player knowledge about the game.

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guillesugus
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New player knowledge about the game.

Post by guillesugus »

I'm going to start a game with my friends in the following week. I'm going to be the GM, and it's the first time I'm going to do it so I'm doing some prep. My friends will also be playing for the first time, and have not read through the rule book, expecting me as the GM to simply take them through everything.

My question is about how much information I should give them before the game. We will be olaying the 'Olde Island Fortress' from the BF1 Westerlands campaign, and I don't know if I should tell them about traps, or let them discover them for themselves (as there are three pit traps outside the first room). Also, in one of the rooms there is a Yellow Mold enemy. If they ask me about it and I tell them the mold is yellow a player who knows about this enemy will be cautious, but as they haven't read the rule book, they will have no idea that yellow mold is an enemy (which can only be hurt by fire) and not just some variety of mold made yellow to make the story more detailed. Should I tell them about this enemy, or let them figure it out by themselves?

Thanks for the advice!
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Solomoriah
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by Solomoriah »

I'd have an NPC mention that the dungeon is likely full of traps; as to the mold, I'd let them find out for themselves. My long-time players still can't remember which moldy/goopy monsters are subject to which attacks... :D
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guillesugus
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by guillesugus »

Thanks!

I'm going to have them start directly inside the dungeon as the Morgansfort module recomends for first time players. Should I mention the traps in the intro story? Creating an NPC inside the first room of the dungeon might be a little weird for an abandoned fortress.
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SmootRK
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by SmootRK »

Egad, just let them encounter it and figure it out.

I would love to get transported back to when I did not know how everything worked. Surprises around every corner... death and mahem.
Trust me, as much as it might seem cruel, your players will remember all the angst from the trials they face... even years from now.
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
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Metroknight
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by Metroknight »

You might want to mention a npc guide who lead them to the ruins. It would be a small change to the intro but it would give your game a local flavor by having a resident explorer casually dropping a hint about that first trap and maybe about the mold being lethal at least to any wildlife that wandered into it.
guillesugus
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by guillesugus »

Thank you for the ideas!
PendragonTX
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by PendragonTX »

I use ,"common knowledge" and "special knowledge". All adventurers and most Normal Men will know the former. Sages, high levels, and lucky survivors the latter.
Examples:. CK goblins are small, vicious, and come in packs. Unicorns are rare and very magical.
UK all the ways to destroy a vampire. Spell components for creating a Flying Carpet.
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Rosisha
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Re: New player knowledge about the game.

Post by Rosisha »

SmootRK wrote: Fri Feb 09, 2018 5:12 pm Egad, just let them encounter it and figure it out.

I would love to get transported back to when I did not know how everything worked. Surprises around every corner... death and mahem.
Trust me, as much as it might seem cruel, your players will remember all the angst from the trials they face... even years from now.
I started with HeroQuest before moving to 2nd Ed AD&D, so I was used to traps! Oh and you KNOW I wanted a BROOOOAAAADSWOOOORD! LOL They should understand them, most adventure movie have them. Indiana Jones and the boulder being fairly famous. But I will be honest. I'll miss my first encounters with some monsters. My first lich was a terrifying experience!
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