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swhite58
Acolyte
Australia
13 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 02:53:14
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After playing a range of rpgs for many years, I've decided to move to DnD, and FR seems like a good place to play. I've picked up the 3.5 core books, the FRCS, FR players handbook, and some other 3rd ed. FR books cheap on ebay, including:
Lost Empires of Faerun
City of Splendors - Waterdeep
The Twilight Tomb
UNAPPROACHABLE EAST
MONSTERS OF FAERUN
and
Arms and Equipment Guide
After running long campaigns with complicated stories, I'd like to try something simpler - I think the DM manual calls it the "Kick the doors in" kind of campaign, the old-fashioned kind where things are short-term and usually violent :) It will probably get fleshed out over time, but only as much as we feel like. I'd also like to use pre-written adventure modules as much as possible, at least for a while. Once the characters are more experienced, I'd like to look at the Undermountain for example - reminds me of our old EPT days.
Anyway, the sheer volume of material (both old and new) is a bit overwhelming. I'd appreciate advice on where to start, with respect to:
1. Some possible locations within FR to start things off.
2. Suggested adventure modules for low level characters (and inexperienced GMs!) - what have you enjoyed in the past?
3. Party composition. We have six players.
4. Other books to buy or stuff to download
In short, any advice for beginners :)
Thanks in advance
Shane
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 03:05:40
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If you want to start small and work your way into, say Waterdeep, for a campaign base, you could have your lower level characters start out in Daggerford. Its fully detailed in the 2nd edition The North boxed set, which you can download here:
http://www.wizards.com/forgottenrealms/thenorth.asp
and for some more "North" info, Volo's Guide to the North is great as well:
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/2/fr_downloads/tsr9393.zip
In this setting, it should be fairly easy to just have your characters kick around the wilderlands between Waterdeep and Daggerford, running into wandering orc tribes and the like, and the North has a fairly good amount of old crypts and lost ruins (and there is a good "random ruins" chart in Lost Empires of Faerun) to find, that you can make into smaller, lower level dungeons that you can layer with as much or as little history as you like to get started.
Twilight Tomb isn't a bad adventure to use (you may want to do a search for threads here that have discussed it), but if you want to use it without, say, having to come up with portals or similar means of moving PCs large distances, you may want to start out in Aglarond instead of the North. That shouldn't be too hard for you to do, since Aglarond is detailed in Unapproachable East, which you listed as one of the books that you picked up as well.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36977 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 03:38:09
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For more free stuff, you can go crazy downloading stuff on the Wizards downloads page. 
If you click the link in my sig to the Candlekeep Compendium, you'll find other free lore. It's not canon, but there's some good stuff in there -- particularly some of the adventure hooks (shameless plug!  ). |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 04:02:05
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| Good point Wooly . . . I should get used to plugging the Compendium more often! |
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Alexander Heppe
Seeker
Germany
62 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 09:22:15
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I would suggest to get the Silver Marches Sourcebook and playing through the Deadsnows caimpaign arc. It's quite fun, fast-paced. And the sourcebook remains a constant source of new ideas for me, it's almost like a travel-companion-type of book, out of which you can read landscape and town descriptions directly to your players. Another good starting might (and i mean "might") turn out to be the new campaign that is coming this year in three parts, beginning with "Cormyr - The tearing of the Weave" (which should hit the shelves any day now, powersdammit, can't wait)
For good ole Kick-in-the-door Style, you might also try to hunt down a copy of "Sons of Gruumsh", or refer frequenly to the Dungeon Magazine (which is, quite frankly, my favourite inspirational source as a DM).
Good Hunting,
Well met in the Realms,
May Selūne guide your steps through the night and bring ye to a new dawn... |
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boddynock
Learned Scribe
Belgium
258 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2007 : 10:35:54
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I know a few good low level adventures but they are second edition stuff. (with a few changes you can make it a 3'rd edition adventure) You can download these adventures for free on the offical wizard of the coast website.
Marco Volo: Departure (1.95mb)
Marco Volo: Journey (1.96mb)
Marco Volo: Arrival(1.63mb
It's a lighthearty adventure where the players have to escort a bard from waterdeep to Shadowdale. I like the Cormyrian goblin tribe that are really "chivalric" and fight in a "musketeer"-style :) |
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swhite58
Acolyte
Australia
13 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2007 : 05:08:14
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Thanks everyone - all good advice.
Waterdeep/Daggerford sound promising. I Haven't seen the Waterdeep book yet - it's in the post, but The North is a very impressive tome. I'm a bit wary of converting older editions but once I get to know the rules better I'm sure it will be easy. This also goes for some of the stuff I've downloaded from Wizards.
I'll also check up on Silver Marches. I forgot to mention that I already had a copy of "Sons of Gruumsh" I was indeed thinking of using it when they get to lvl 4, but as has been mentioned, the Realms are a big place, and getting from one place to another might be a problem.
The Marco Volo idea might be a good way to do a bit of sightseeing :)
Any ideas on party composition?
Thanks
Shane
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36977 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2007 : 05:23:49
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quote:
Originally posted by swhite58
I'm a bit wary of converting older editions but once I get to know the rules better I'm sure it will be easy.
1E and 2E were virtually identical. For going from 2E to 3E, you can start with the conversion manual found at the bottom of this page. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Korginard
Learned Scribe
USA
126 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2007 : 17:13:04
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You might take a look at Mysteries of the Moonsea. It offers a series of adventures and side quests for a group to follow for a while, and the Moonsea is a good area to start, allowing easy access to popular areas such as the Dalelands, Cormyr, and the Sea of Fallen Stars.
As for party make up, whatever the players enjoy playing is usually good. If you're looking for realms flavor in character creation, Races of Faerun and the Player Guide to Faerun are excellent resources. |
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lokilokust
Seeker
USA
61 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2007 : 19:34:54
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i'll second the dadderford suggestion.
i just started a party there, two of which have never played before, and it's a great place for low level characters. |
yrs. in exile,
-s.j. bagley |
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swhite58
Acolyte
Australia
13 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2007 : 00:44:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
1E and 2E were virtually identical. For going from 2E to 3E, you can start with the conversion manual found at the bottom of this page.
That gets me to 3E. Is there much of a jumnp to 3.5?
Shane |
Edited by - swhite58 on 09 Mar 2007 00:46:51 |
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swhite58
Acolyte
Australia
13 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2007 : 00:51:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Korginard
You might take a look at Mysteries of the Moonsea. It offers a series of adventures and side quests for a group to follow for a while, and the Moonsea is a good area to start, allowing easy access to popular areas such as the Dalelands, Cormyr, and the Sea of Fallen Stars.
As for party make up, whatever the players enjoy playing is usually good. If you're looking for realms flavor in character creation, Races of Faerun and the Player Guide to Faerun are excellent resources.
Ten mouse clicks later and Mysteries of the Moonsea is ordered :)
I think that's about as much as I can purchase for the next month or so! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36977 Posts |
Posted - 09 Mar 2007 : 00:57:06
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quote:
Originally posted by swhite58
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
1E and 2E were virtually identical. For going from 2E to 3E, you can start with the conversion manual found at the bottom of this page.
That gets me to 3E. Is there much of a jumnp to 3.5?
Shane
Hmmm, I prolly should have listed this link, too... 
D&D v.3.5 Accessory Update Booklet |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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New to DnD and FR - where to start?
