Greetings. I’ve been busy testing away at Microsoft Game
Studios for almost a year now. With my contract soon coming to a close
I’ve started up the job hunt in full force. I’ve been feeling the need
to do some more personal work in various 3D programs to help round out my
portfolio. Therefore, to start off, I plan to do some white-boxing of a
few encounters I recently ran for a D&D group as a DM.
I’ll
give you some back-story on the campaign first. The campaign was short
and sweet, meant to be a self-contained module that could serve as a
branching off point for future sessions if the players were enjoying
themselves. Our group ran through the campaign in 3 nights, but more
experienced D&D groups could probably burn through it in 2 nights.
The campaign was run in 3.5 rule-set with 4 level 7 player
characters.
I
focused pretty heavily on creating some interesting tactical battles in
the environments without making it seem like the environments were
crafted for this purpose. The majority of the campaign took place in an
abandoned castle and church, and I didn’t want the level designs to feel crafted. I wanted encounter layout to feel natural
in the setting, yet still provide interesting combat choices.
With
that said I’ll be working on white-boxing each encounter space, and I
will do some storytelling of how my particular group tackled each
encounter, accompanied by an analysis of whether the encounter worked
as intended or not. Without further ado, I give you the first
encounter! This encounter had very little actual combat, so the
encounter space was very simple as you can see from the images.
However, below is the whole set up for my campaign with some design
notes on why I started things off the way I did.
Encounter 1: Getting the Band Together : Forest Clearing
Every
D&D campaign begins with the issue of: “How do the players meet each
other and what hooks them in such a way that they decide to work
together toward a common goal?” I kept things fairly simple yet
mysterious in my session. I gave each player a copy of a letter, signed
by an anonymous writer, summoning them to the edge of a forest at
midnight on a certain date.
Once
our players gathered at the forest and made awkward introductions, a
small nonthreatening ball of light approaches them coming from the
forest. It stops by the group, pauses, and then begins to float back
into the forest. Naturally the players follow to investigate, though
some are wary of a trap. The light always travels at a decent pace, waiting for the group if need be.
Design
Note: I used this part of the campaign to gauge my players. Are they
heavy role-players? Will they make elaborate introductions to the other
players? Who is curious in nature and follows the light? Who is
suspicious in nature and prepares for a trap?
The
light eventually leads them into the center of a simple yet large
forest clearing, and then winks out. The players are left puzzled for a
bit. Why are they here? What’s going on?
Design
Note: Naturally at this point the suspicious players, or sometimes the
more seasoned D&D players, suspect a trap. They’re exposed in the
middle of a clearing, at night, with miles of forest around them on all
sides. As a DM, I get to see which players go on high alert, which
players take charge about what to do next, and which players barely have
a care in the world and decide to just sit about.
Before
the players take any serious action they start to hear heavy thuds and
crashing in the distance. The ground begins to shake with each thud as
it gets closer and closer. Not sure what is about to happen, some
players hide, others draw weapons. Then, giving the players a bit of
comical shock, I had a naked gnome burst into the clearing screaming for
his life! The gnome sprints through the clearing screaming at everyone
to run or they’ll die! Meanwhile the thundering gets dangerously
closer and closer.
Design
Note: This is a “fight or flee” moment against unknown odds for the
players. Something is chasing the gnome, but they don't know what. The DM gets to see who stands their ground and who does not. Does the group act as one, or do they split up in an emergency. All of
this is useful info for the DM later in the campaign.
My
group immediately split. Two ran with the gnome and two stood their
ground in the clearing. The gnome, seeing that only two had followed
him, stops and insists everyone run back to save the two players in the
clearing or none of them stand a chance! Thus everyone ends up back at
the clearing just as an enormous giant emerges on the other side, trees
snapping under it like twigs.
I
let the players get the first volley of attacks, only to make it quite
clear that their weapons are useless against this foe. The giant laughs
at their attacks. In return the giant nearly kills the team’s main
fighter with one hammer swing! But wait! The gnome rushes in and begins casting
multiple spells, as protective shields spring up, and magical missiles
fly from every finger into the giant's chest. The naked gnome is not what he
seems!
The
players rally around the gnome and launch everything they have at the
giant! Yet still the attacks only cause the giant to stumble a step
back… and the gnome begins to show signs of fatigue. The players hear
more thundering to the left and right and soon two more giants burst
into the clearing. The players are now in panic mode. Chaos ensues as
every player sees their teammates get squished, torn apart, or eaten
alive in gruesome fashion!
But
suddenly the giants shimmer and disappear! Everyone in the group is alive in
one piece, and the naked gnome is suddenly clothed....laughing
hysterically rolling on the ground. The players meet their first NPC, a
master illusionist named Jove. Jove just so happens to be the a master
prankster as well. The players soon find that Jove is the one who sent
each of them the letter, summoning them to the forest.
Once
the gnome finally regains his composure, and apologizes halfheartedly
for the prank, he enlightens the heroes as to why he has brought them
together. He needs them to investigate an abandoned castle and church
that rests in this forest. Jove senses that an old friend’s spirit is
not at peace in this castle, an Abbot that ran the church years ago. Recent reports from travelers or the lack thereof,
warn of undead horrors from the castle roaming the woods at night. The
hero’s are tasked with investigating the castle and church, laying the
Abbot’s spirit to rest, and ridding the castle of any threats so that
trade and travelers may use the forest roads again. Before leaving to
attend more urgent matters, Jove supplies the group with some
tools/supplies to fight various undead threats, and a map to the
abandoned castle.
Analysis:
Did
this encounter work? For the most part yes. I ran this encounter very
“on the fly” because I was not sure how players would react to what I
was throwing at them. I had to adapt in a few places, notably when the
party split up, I had to find a way to get the group back together. I
also was not expecting to see the players attempt to stand their ground
once the giant was in view, but they did. I learned which players enjoyed roleplay, and which wanted to see action. I learned which
players will flee to fight another day, and which will fight to the
death. And the anger they showed at a DM killing off all their
characters in the first encounter turned to amusement and laughter when
they discovered they had been tricked by a gnome.
This encounter was also very short, sweet, and can be tacked onto the
end of a group character creation process, if desired.