Results 1 to 8 of 8
  1. #1
    RocksHope@aol.co
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    All of the following is merely my opinion (of course).

    There is nothing that says a player/character has to know about any bloodline
    they have. Also, there are rare circumstances where a regent will either name
    someone other than their son/daughter as heir or if no heir is named, that the
    land itself will choose a new regent. Of course, using these excuses for an
    entire party at once might be stretching things.

    Regarding level, if it's your first time playing AD&D, I would most certainly
    suggest 1st level. No need to bludgeon new players with more information than
    they need. (this applies to bloodlines as well). Also, I dislike the idea of
    handing out anything to players for free, it cheapens the role of early
    development of a hero.

    In the same vein, try to pick an early location that you can handle. Juggling
    an entire city of NPCs and making it believable is difficult, and won't give
    you as many oppurtunities to utilize the same NPC again (hey, developing NPCs
    is important too!).

    - -joshua

  2. #2

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    I suggest that you join one of the many play by e-mail games. Darkstar has a
    great list of these games on his site http://darkstar.cyberserv.com/
    That's how I learned to play Birthright. It is much easier to learn the system
    as a player first, then once you have the basics, go for the regent stuff. I
    agree with the other list members: start your group of as regular adventurers
    until you learn the regency mechanics.

    In answer to your question, you are correct, only blooded characters may be
    regents. However, your players don't have to be blooded from the start. If
    they start as regular adventurers, it is possible that they may gain a bloodline
    through the acts of blood theft. However, they may also be blooded, but just do
    not rule a kingdom yet. They would either have to conquer the land, or become
    the named heir of the regent in order to gain rulership. (Or else, they could
    do it the hard way, and carve a kingdom out of the wilds!)

    I have only been laying Birthright for just under a year, but I'll tell you
    Vladislav, that you can read & re-read the rules a thousand times, but it won't
    make sense until you actually start applying the rules & seeing how they work.
    I read the rule book 3 times before I joined this list & started playing PBeMs,
    and couldn't 'see how the system played' until I started playing in PBeMs.

    Good luck!

    Keith

    Vladislav Slavov wrote:

    > Hello fellows,
    >
    > I really want to say Thanks for your quick responce to my queries. I
    > appreciate it...
    >
    > See, the problem is that here in South Africa, AD&D it's not so popular.
    > Even I ordered all this stuf from US. So I want to say that is nearly
    > impossible to find expirenced gaming group around here. I must do it my
    > self. I'll start directly with the role of DM and I know how difficult it
    > will be, but I have no other choice. Can you give me an advice how to show
    > my friends this amazing world? If I fail in the beggining with the
    > campaign - it will be difficult to convince them to play again. (or I think
    > so) I know that you already gave me good advices abot buying those
    > accessories and adventures, but I mean generally AD&D game. Thanks again.
    > About Birthright:
    > You say that it will be nice if I start the adventurers as a common
    > people who become regents later, but isn't it say that only blooded
    > characters can be regents. If the character wasn't born blooded can he
    > become later?
    > Is it good for this setting the characters to start as 1st level? Or because
    > they are kings it's better if they start from at least 3rd or 4th level?
    >
    > Thanks in advance.
    >
    > Vlad
    >
    > ************************************************** *************************
    > > - --
    "I hate it when my brain stem hurts."
    The New Draftmine Repository:
    http://members.home.net/morgramen/index.html

  3. #3
    Daniel McSorley
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    From: Vladislav Slavov

    >I know that you already gave me good advices abot buying those
    >accessories and adventures, but I mean generally AD&D game. Thanks again.

    First off, I don't think you need to buy anything else immediately. If
    you limit the campaign to Anuire for now, then you have everything you need
    in those four(?) books you mentioned.
    If you have the heroes start off as rulers, then adventures will almost
    write themselves. Use the random problems table in the BR set, and they'll
    have plenty of problems: assassination attempts, brigands, espionage,
    whatever.
    The problem for non-ruler heroes will be to create adventures that are
    challenging enough, but not too deadly, since you said you were new at this,
    it might take a bit. Cheat a lot. If you mess up and send too many enemies
    at the heroes, miraculously, they flee after a few fall, they were really
    cowards at heart. If you discover that this roll you just made wipes out
    half the party, re-roll, or better yet, make it up. Don't let the dice ruin
    a good time for you and the players.

    > About Birthright:
    > You say that it will be nice if I start the adventurers as a common
    >people who become regents later, but isn't it say that only blooded
    >characters can be regents. If the character wasn't born blooded can he
    >become later?
    The basic rule is, if you say so, then yes, he can. If the heroes kill
    some terrible awnshegh, then you might rule that it awakened some minor
    bloodline in the hero.
    You could also have some of the characters begin blooded, but since they
    don't rule any lands, that won't mean much to them right away, only later
    will it become important.

    >Is it good for this setting the characters to start as 1st level? Or
    because
    >they are kings it's better if they start from at least 3rd or 4th level?
    >
    It is fine for them to begin at 1st level. As kings, they don't have to
    deal with a lot of grunt work themselves, so level isn't as important. If
    some 10th level enemy tries to fight them directly, they can just have the
    guards throw him in the dungeon.

    Daniel McSorley- mcsorley.1@osu.edu

  4. #4
    MANTA
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    Osoerde is perfect for this scenario!

    MANTA
    ip209007@ip.pt
    ICQ: 17080887


    > Desparate heros. The player's characters village/province or homeland
    has been overrun by THE ENEMY and
    > they have been forced to flee. Once again a mentor, perhaps a
    simpathetic neighboring regent or military commander, recruits the
    characters to stike back at THE ENEMY. The mentor once again sends them on
    > simple missions. Scout out enemy troops in the lands you know so well.
    Rescue the captured mayor of your old village. Opponents should be Level 0
    soldiers or mercenaries of THE ENEMY. Move this up to heavier troops (AC
    3) or Gnoll mercenaries as the players become more accomplished. Possible
    future storylines include coming into conflict with the mentor as S/he
    directs the players to other tasks that don't
    > include THE ENEMY (perhaps they've been bought off), or taking rulership
    of their home area after
    > freeing it at last from the clutches THE ENEMY'S corrupt toady.
    >
    > Good luck.
    >
    > Randax
    >> To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the
    line
    > 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.

  5. #5
    prtr02@scorpion.nspco.co
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    - ----- Begin Included Message -----
    Hello fellows,

    I really want to say Thanks for your quick responce to my queries. I
    appreciate it...

    See, the problem is that here in South Africa, AD&D it's not so popular.
    Even I ordered all this stuf from US. So I want to say that is nearly
    impossible to find expirenced gaming group around here. I must do it my
    self. I'll start directly with the role of DM and I know how difficult it
    will be, but I have no other choice. Can you give me an advice how to show
    my friends this amazing world? If I fail in the beggining with the
    campaign - it will be difficult to convince them to play again. (or I think
    so) I know that you already gave me good advices abot buying those
    accessories and adventures, but I mean generally AD&D game. Thanks again.
    About Birthright:
    You say that it will be nice if I start the adventurers as a common
    people who become regents later, but isn't it say that only blooded
    characters can be regents. If the character wasn't born blooded can he
    become later?
    Is it good for this setting the characters to start as 1st level? Or because
    they are kings it's better if they start from at least 3rd or 4th level?

    Thanks in advance.

    Vlad

    - ----- End Included Message -----
    You're exactly right. Your toughest challenge will be getting the players into
    the game. If you fail to get them interested, it will be difficult to get them
    to try again.

    Start with very simple tasks/stories/adventures. Get some fighting in. Like it
    or not AD&D, relies heavily on combat to determine story issues. There aren't many rules on resolving a love affair (that's more advanced stuff that needs to be
    role played), there's lots of rules on how to fight.

    You're exactly right. Characters need to be blooded to become regents. You could start them
    out with a bloodline (scions) so they could become regents later or you could have them all
    be commoners that inheirit bloodlines later. Another option is to hide their heritage from
    them. They could all have tainted bloodlines (bloodline strenth of 1-10) and simply haven't
    displayed any bloodpowers yet. They could be scions of minor noble lines, bastard children of someone
    prominent etc.

    Be honest with your players. Tell them the first couple sessions are only a test. You'll all be trying
    to learn the rules and if you don't like how things are progressing, or too many characters die, trash the game and start over. I think that after 2-3 sessions you and your players will have an exponentially better grasp on how to play the game and what you want to do within it.

    Some suggestions on scenarios.

    Monster hunters for the King. The players could start out as mercenaries for the Regent of kingdom X.
    They can reply to the posting the regent puts up for adventurers that promises great pay, opportunities for advancement etc. Introduce the regent or an advisor who will be the players primary contact. This NPC (played by you of course) can then direct the course of the beginning of the compaign. He/She will
    give the players missions to accomplish (the adventures you set up) and act as the player's mentor within the game (perhaps S/he's a retired adventurer or the only survivior of the last group of monster hunters). Send them out to kill/capture/neutrilize and group of bandits or a batch of kobalds. Nothing too
    tough- 1st level characters are notoriously easy to kill. Use the -10 rule (hovering at Death's door)
    in BR. Repeat the process as necessary. When this becomes routine, move the story forward. Perhaps
    the heros have become too successful and the mentor or regent now sees them as a threat to be eliminated. The mentor might now join with the heros to combat a greater evil that threatens the kingdom or any
    of a dozen other ideas you may develop.

    Desparate heros. The player's characters village/province or homeland has been overrun by THE ENEMY and
    they have been forced to flee. Once again a mentor, perhaps a simpathetic neighboring regent or military commander, recruits the characters to stike back at THE ENEMY. The mentor once again sends them on
    simple missions. Scout out enemy troops in the lands you know so well. Rescue the captured mayor of your old village. Opponents should be Level 0 soldiers or mercenaries of THE ENEMY. Move this up to heavier troops (AC 3) or Gnoll mercenaries as the players become more accomplished. Possible future storylines include coming into conflict with the mentor as S/he directs the players to other tasks that don't
    include THE ENEMY (perhaps they've been bought off), or taking rulership of their home area after
    freeing it at last from the clutches THE ENEMY'S corrupt toady.

    Good luck.

    Randax

  6. #6
    Vladislav Slavov
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    Hello fellows,

    I really want to say Thanks for your quick responce to my queries. I
    appreciate it...

    See, the problem is that here in South Africa, AD&D it's not so popular.
    Even I ordered all this stuf from US. So I want to say that is nearly
    impossible to find expirenced gaming group around here. I must do it my
    self. I'll start directly with the role of DM and I know how difficult it
    will be, but I have no other choice. Can you give me an advice how to show
    my friends this amazing world? If I fail in the beggining with the
    campaign - it will be difficult to convince them to play again. (or I think
    so) I know that you already gave me good advices abot buying those
    accessories and adventures, but I mean generally AD&D game. Thanks again.
    About Birthright:
    You say that it will be nice if I start the adventurers as a common
    people who become regents later, but isn't it say that only blooded
    characters can be regents. If the character wasn't born blooded can he
    become later?
    Is it good for this setting the characters to start as 1st level? Or because
    they are kings it's better if they start from at least 3rd or 4th level?

    Thanks in advance.

    Vlad

  7. #7
    gingerprince
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    >All of the following is merely my opinion (of course).
    >
    >There is nothing that says a player/character has to know about any
    bloodline
    >they have. Also, there are rare circumstances where a regent will either
    name
    >someone other than their son/daughter as heir or if no heir is named, that
    the
    >land itself will choose a new regent. Of course, using these excuses for
    an
    >entire party at once might be stretching things.
    >
    >Regarding level, if it's your first time playing AD&D, I would most
    certainly
    >suggest 1st level. No need to bludgeon new players with more information
    than
    >they need. (this applies to bloodlines as well). Also, I dislike the idea
    of
    >handing out anything to players for free, it cheapens the role of early
    >development of a hero.
    >
    >In the same vein, try to pick an early location that you can handle.
    Juggling
    >an entire city of NPCs and making it believable is difficult, and won't
    give
    >you as many oppurtunities to utilize the same NPC again (hey, developing
    NPCs
    >is important too!).
    >
    >-joshua


    This got me thinking, when exactly does a Scion take control of his
    Blood Abilities? Michael Roele was using his from about 14 or 15, other
    characters don't discover them for years. Maybe Blooded characters are
    tutored in how to use their abilities, the Half-Elf from War doesn't know
    about his abilities until he's instructed.

    When I started my campaign I had all characters at 1st level but
    gave them full hit points. They had a slight advantage in that the lowest
    CON of four characters was 16 (only by chance). I would suggest that the
    hardest part was combining the domain turn with adventures.

    Nick

  8. #8
    DKEvermore@aol.co
    Guest

    DM-ing Birthright campaign

    In a message dated 12/18/98 3:38:28 PM, morgramen@home.com writes:

    >In answer to your question, you are correct, only blooded characters may
    >be
    >regents. However, your players don't have to be blooded from the start.
    > If
    >they start as regular adventurers, it is possible that they may gain a
    >bloodline
    >through the acts of blood theft. However, they may also be blooded, but
    >just do
    >not rule a kingdom yet. They would either have to conquer the land, or
    >become
    >the named heir of the regent in order to gain rulership. (Or else, they
    >could
    >do it the hard way, and carve a kingdom out of the wilds!)
    >

    I haven't seen any mechanism within Birthright to give commoners a bloodline
    through bloodtheft. Only rare, special cases have occurred in the literature,
    and usually involves the death of a powerful awnshegh (not the sort of
    bloodline most characters want!).

    However there remains two ways a commoner may become nobility. One, a noble
    may invest the character with his bloodline (not part, all of it--a rare
    occurrence but can happen when a King REALLY wants THIS particular guy to have
    the kingdom). Or, occasionally when a regent dies, it may not go to the
    appointed heir. Instead the Land itself chooses someone to carry a new line
    and rule the land. See the Book of Priestcraft for further details on both
    these methods.

    Hope this helps!
    Dustin Evermore

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