Dungeons and Dragons 101

I am a big fan of not making the party know each other from the start. The best way to do this is give all the players a reason for being in the location and the generic reason for joining up.

As an adventurer you know you cannot do it alone despite how good you may be, you need others. In most taverns the adventurers stick out like sore thumbs, or at least set up the tavern to make that obvious. So a dock side tavern that mainly full of sailors, merchants and common labourers means that a Xena looking barbarian, a half orc warrior and a half elf bard kinda stick out. The rogue on the other hand being human and a rogue would not try to stick out. But since the rogue has the same goals she would watch the others to see if they are worthy of her partnership.

Truth of the matter is you don't actually need to set the scene up for most groups. You could have 100 adventurers in a room and the players would single themselves out by doing something out of the ordinary (Or any other related word that doesn't call them stupid :P).

The bard will always sing some sort of song and immediately everyone knows your a bard, despite the fact you could be some minstrel pleb.

The barbarian and/or warrior will always pick a fight (So what if i started it).

The rogue will generally pick some ones pocket (Though didn't happen this time).

So the bard being the talking and information magnet See's the two separate warriors and lures them with the promise of shineys.
She then attempts to look around for a quest and meets a dark mysterious stranger who out of no where grew long and whiskey stereo typical moustache related to old Asian men (wasn't my intention to have them have this but it looks cool so it came to be)
With much berating from the bard he finally offers a hefty sum to clear out some goblins from his local mine. He kinda didn't expect them to return alive.

The bard managed to get 500 gold per player (1500gp) not including the rogue. Told the two warriors it was 500 in total reward and then offered the rogue 250 gold for her part. All in seperate conversations mind you.

So the split goes
Warrior: 165ish
Barbarian: 165ish
Rogue: 250
Bard: 915ish

Lets she if she can pull it of next gaming session.

The rogue seeing all this take place suspected the bard had a group, an adventure and intercepted the bard to offer her services.

So the group head of to the mines to clear out the goblins.

I didn't plan any encounters along the way. So the Barbarian decided to kill a pig in the near by farms for food (mind you no skill in preparing the pig so its a dead carcass across the shoulders bleeding out everywhere, entrails running all over her body...)

The players reach the camp positioned outside the mine where they meet a group of human miners and two, soon to regret being here, dwarfs.

The conversations kinda went like this.

Dwarfs: Your crap, how you going to clear the goblins.
Bard: If you help us we can succeed together.
Dwarfs: You have a stinking half breed orc amongst you, besides your being paid for this so you go do your job. I'm gunna take your stuff when your dead.
Bard: How are you going to take my stuff when your to wimpy to even go kill the goblins.
Dwarfs: (Anger)
Group: You Dwarfs are to wimpy to take on the goblins.
Dwarfs: (Anger)

The night comes to a close and the party sets a watch (Except the bard who needed beauty sleep and the Half orc who accepted 10 shineys to take her watch)

The rogues watch close to the morning proved to be the most entertaining.
Utilizing the leet skills of the sneak she managed to detect goblins within the immediate entrance of the mines without herself giving away her position.

The problem was she woke the others.

Loosing the element of surprise they decide it was almost morning and getting back to sleep was fruitless and decided to go into the mine.

Some minor trap was detected

A couple of goblins were dispatched, the rogue taking one out with a cross bow and the barbarian screaming up the hall and makes goblin paste against the wall with the giant two handed sword.

At first intersection
Dwarfs: Here you go you crap adventurers
Bard: If you help us we can succeed together.
Dwarfs: Not bloody likely
Barbarian: If you don't come with us i am gunna GUT you.
Dwarfs: ...
(I rolled a 1 here)

So the party comes to realize the half orc can see really well in the dark and could possibly sneak around and get goblins by surprise. So to reduce the penalties of such an endeavour the Female half-orc takes of her chain mail bikini (Shirt)

Que in jokes about nudity in the dark caves with the physic of a half orc.

Some goblins drag a heavy cross bow up to a barricade they had prepared and scored a decent hit on the nekkid half-orc (its kinda dark).

The rest of the party make more goblin paste

The party comes to another intersection and expected the goblins to be lying in ambush around the corners. So the two warriors use their intimidating presence and charge around the corners.

After a bloody battle and lots of goblin paste the party defeats 9 of the 10 goblins.

One of the goblins manages to run away but only to come to a dead end. The barbarian tries unsuccessfully grab the goblin to interrogate him. Eventually the Half orc succeeds and grabs the small goblin. After much interrogation, threats of being eaten, threat of having a coin removed from its ass (yes it would require it to be inserted first) the goblin finally relented and told them there were lots of goblins in the lair and it was that way (pointing).

Then it was promptly tied to the chest of the Half orc.

Tune in next time for the further adventures of the Elite DnD Gamer Girls

Something wicked this way comes

So some simple facts about this group to start you of.

I have been playing/GMing for 20 odd years.
The 4 girls have various experience in roleplaying games but none of them have played DnD or only played 1 session. As far as i know the actual roleplaying experience is low for all involved.

Thats right, they are NOOBS

A comment came up and it something that has been repeated before in my time. Why would some one with as much GMing experience as i want to run with a bunch of noobs.

2 reasons realy

There all hotties.

Secondly
I actually find those who dont know the rules, or the stats, or the equipment you can get are the most amount of fun. Everything is new, they dont try and poleaxe (or other appropriate power gamer phrase) the system as experienced players tend to do. They try things out with less fear of knowing if its right or wrong and generaly have more fun interacting with each other and the NPC's more than worrying about a 16 or an 18 in strength.

Except when we forget the two NPC dwarves in the group.

So the Cast of characters.

Ill start with Singhourny Spellweaver the Bard, the player in this position is the friend who linked me to this group. Sicne i have known her she cops more of my ire than anyone else.

Well Singhourney mission in life is to find any song that either matches a bard singing ability or spell. Examples like Blinded by the light for the Light spell, Simple the best/We are the champions/ for the courage song

Next is the Rogue of the group. Valhalla Hawkwind. Valhalla currently represents the quietest of the group. But when i say quietest it does not translate to quiet. But everyone else bring more attention to themselves which is quite handy for a rogue.

The, "Pop culture hasn't influenced my Life" Character is Xena the Barbarian. The thing about dnd is it isn't always fighting, generally the rogue and bard will do the talking or investigating (In this group) meaning the fighters of the group have to find their own entertainment that doesn't require many skill rolls. Ins aying that when you have only a couple of skills to choose from almost all of them take Intimidate and learn early how much fun the skill is.

Xena is the providor of food, even if its in an uncooked format and still bleeding with entrails hanging out of it (poor piggy wiggy).

Last but not least (And i do truely mean that) The Female Half orc Fighter Gretchin. All i can say is imagine an ugly female who isn't over concerned with modesty with a goblin tied to her chest.

Ok so some of my tips for creating characters for NOOBS.

• Dont make them buy their equipment, just give them the items they would start of with.
• Give them their feats to help them along. give a couple options if required but it goes quicker if you help them out and let them learn as they go.
• Give them their spells if they have them
• Of all of the above once they start to understand and learn allow them to make changes afterwards

Next DnD 101