A Quick Question(and why do i get a bad feeling about that?)

[Hopeless]

When I ran my opening game I used a few flip mats from Paizo.

I've been thinking that maybe getting a few more might prove useful since so far it looks like i can get this game settled around a village initially for a campaign but was looking for a second (or more) opinion on this just so i don't go overboard.

My current plan is to have map for village square, the hilltop I used previously along with the flip top map for the crypt of the everflame for the dungeon they're currently wandering through.

Am thinking about adding a tavern map along with a keep and perhaps a prison map but thats where I'm wondering if I should hold my horses until they get far enough to start discussing what their characters' are planning?

Two are playing a set of noble siblings with the other two playing barbarians one a woodsman (I think i described him as a tracker last time) and the other a blacksmith.

Now the blacksmith's player has shown interest in upgrading his equipment with iron which shouldn't be difficult since if they keep the village as their base he has his character's own forge, I was thinking of eventually having the keep become the noble siblings home but thats dependant on what they want to do next.

I was wondering what would you do in this instance?

I listened to a podcast that said once you've got your first adventure sorted your next task should be what's your second, third and so on and I'm slowly getting a picture where I can centre this around the village with the player character's becoming important members of the settlement as it becomes clearer whats going on.

I'm currently thinking about having them discover a cult is trying to usurp their homeland and bring them into conflict with an empire located on the mainland.

 

[Mixster]

It really depends on what you and your players want to do.

If you want to play a sandbox where the players decide what they want to do, and then go do it. Then there's no real need for an overarching plot.
If you want a plot-driven game were the story is an important aspect. Having a village to tend to can often get in the way of the story.

 

[tneva82]

If you want to play a sandbox where the players decide what they want to do, and then go do it. Then there's no real need for an overarching plot.

Except overarcing plots can be handy to instill the idea of there being larger world out there with events not in player's control. Despite the ego's of player characters they don't generally rule the universum

 

[Dan True]

Except overarcing plots can be handy to instill the idea of there being larger world out there with events not in player's control. Despite the ego's of player characters they don't generally rule the universum

But that is not so much an overarching plot, as world- or regionwide events and lines of events. If the characters have no real way of interacting with it or affecting it (say, there's a skirmish war on the southern border), it is simply a part of the world just as the grass and the direction of gravity. I suspect this is what Mixster meant.

But yeah, if going with a sandbox campaign it can be good to have some overarching lines.. The local nobles feud over a good lumber wood for example. These become part of the backdrop of the region and help define the world and can eventually have an effect on adventures.

So agreeing with Mixster. It depends a lot on your style of campaign.

- Dan

 

[Mixster]

Despite the ego's of player characters they don't generally rule the universum

On quite the contrary, they in some sense do. The story should revolve around the player characters (since if it revolves around a group of NPCs the GM is just a bag). If the players want to build their burrows and eat some carrots, why play dungeons and dragons kick in the door style? And if the players want to kick in some doors and slice some dragon throats, why play bunnies and barrows?

---
(Oh and Dan is right about the other things I said).

 

[soltakss]

When I ran my opening game I used a few flip mats from Paizo.

I've been thinking that maybe getting a few more might prove useful since so far it looks like i can get this game settled around a village initially for a campaign but was looking for a second (or more) opinion on this just so i don't go overboard.

The trouble with preparing maps etc for a single location is that the players might decide to go somewhere else, thus making you waste your money/time.

But, if you are sure that your campaign can be based on the same village then go ahead.

My current plan is to have map for village square, the hilltop I used previously along with the flip top map for the crypt of the everflame for the dungeon they're currently wandering through.

Am thinking about adding a tavern map along with a keep and perhaps a prison map but thats where I'm wondering if I should hold my horses until they get far enough to start discussing what their characters' are planning?

Personally, I like sketch maps of areas with detailed maps of important places. If you need to have maps of all those places then go ahead.

Two are playing a set of noble siblings with the other two playing barbarians one a woodsman (I think i described him as a tracker last time) and the other a blacksmith.

Now the blacksmith's player has shown interest in upgrading his equipment with iron which shouldn't be difficult since if they keep the village as their base he has his character's own forge, I was thinking of eventually having the keep become the noble siblings home but thats dependant on what they want to do next.

I was wondering what would you do in this instance?

Having a base is good. You can set scenarios around the village and that can spawn other scenarios.

I listened to a podcast that said once you've got your first adventure sorted your next task should be what's your second, third and so on and I'm slowly getting a picture where I can centre this around the village with the player character's becoming important members of the settlement as it becomes clearer whats going on.

Maybe, but that generally isn't how I do it. Whilst I like to have something in reserve that I can run as the next adventure, I like things from earlier adventures to spawn new adventures. So, if your PCs rescue a damsel in distress from a dungeon then another scenario could be returning her home or helping her against the person who kidnapped her.

I'm currently thinking about having them discover a cult is trying to usurp their homeland and bring them into conflict with an empire located on the mainland.

That sounds like a reasonable plan.

Above all, don't overthink things. Let them flow and see what happens.