DM'ing the Classics - Players and PC's

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Bradley Potts

So you've gone to eBay and bought the original 1st edition modules and are facing the prospect of running the adventures that started it all. Quite a challenge, especially if you a starting DM or even an experienced DM new to Dragonlance.

Where to begin? They provide you with these prewritten characters as did many of the 1e modules of the mid-80s. It is a huge adventure spanning 14 modules with too many books to name written about it; Chronicles, Legends, Preludes, Preludes II, Dragons of Summer Flame, Villains, Meetings of the Sextant...

Okay, first of all, read the Chronicles, cover to cover, all three books. This is the core of Dragonlance, the wellspring so to speak. Here you are introduced to all the major characters and learn the dynamics. But wait, does that mean we're using the pregenerated characters? Damn straight!!

Before Dragonlance, role-playing was really in it's infancy, "roll"-playing was more like it. Open the door, kill the monster, take the treasure, open the door, kill the monster, dodge the trap, take the treasure... Dragonlance was a whole new evolution in module writing, not to say good role-playing campaigns didn't exist, they did, but they were far rarer than they are today. It was a younger age and the players were far less savvy and experienced.

Dragonlance is not about killing monsters. It is not about getting rich. It is about good versus evil, true heroism and the sacrifices that must be made to those ends. The game focuses on character interaction and building relationships, and living in the world of Krynn.

In this series of articles, I will discuss many facets of the Dragonlance judging experience. It is a highly rewarding campaign, but it takes a lot of work to get started and to maintain. More material exists about this world than any other D&D campaign before or after and new material has been continually in print for over 18 years both in the form of modules and source books and in a highly successful series of novels which has pushed the campaign far beyond the original series of modules. It is important to not be overwhelmed.

In this first article I will address the collecting of players for your game and the characters they will be playing. In later articles I will address the major NPCs and how to prepare to play them. This is a campaign of personalities, not battles, though there will be plenty of those as well. The success of your own game will largely depend on your ability to role-play these personalities successfully and to educate your players about their own characters. We will then move on to other aspects of the campaign, knights, wizards, clerics, dragons and how everything fits together.

Eight characters. That's a lot. I recommend a group of at least five players, but not more than seven to start. It is always a good idea to keep one character as an NPC as this gives you a voice in the party when you want to make sure they are aware of an option or you think they are contemplating something really stupid.

You may already have a core group, if you need more players, try some of the online gaming chat boards. The various RPGA boards are good because you get a pretty high caliber of player. Also, use your players to recruit additional players. While it is certainly not necessary to match the sex of the player to that of the character, there are a few romances and guys can get uncomfortable about that sort of thing.

Now you have your players, what now? First you have to explain to them that they can't write up their own characters. I have found that they give in after a brief explanation and once they sit down and play, everyone is happy. A good way to overcome objections, especially with RPGA players is to compare it to a Classic style RPGA event. The focus is on portraying the character well, not min/maxing your stats.

Next you need to decide who is playing whom. Here is where your research comes in. Make sure that before you reach this point that you are thoroughly familiar with each character. You need to be able to describe the character's backgrounds and personalities in such a way that the players understand them and can make choices that match their own personalities and playing styles. You also need to be able to say no to obviously inappropriate choices.

There are several good sources for information on the PCs. Module DL5 is the best primary source. The characters are detailed here with backgrounds, personalities, and shared histories. Read this through several times and it will make all the difference. Again, read the Chronicles. The modules may or may not follow the same path, but the series gives great insight into the hearts and minds of the PCs. The Preludes are also helpful to a point, though many of the adventures don't really agree with either the Chronicles or the modules, same with Meetings of the Sextant. Both these series give excellent insight into the characters, but pick and choose carefully what you decide is history and what is just story.

I recommend writing up a page or two about the campaign and the characters. In this document, you will include all the basic assumptions of the campaign, no clerics, no dragons, Cataclysm 350 years ago, etc. Also, you will want a short blurb about each character, such as:

Tanis: male half-elf, Rng1/Ftr3. Tanis is the leader of the Innfellows. Tortured by inner doubts and his own split heritage, his companions have far more faith in him than he himself does. A true hero, Tanis feels that his own needs and desires are secondary to the good of the group.

Once everyone has a character, you will need to have a one-on- one with each player to discuss their characters in more detail. For this, I have written detailed backgrounds and personalities drawn from the modules and novels. One to three pages each, they provide everything a player would need to know about their character in one place. Each is customized so, for instance, Raistlin and Caramon's players know what happened in the Tower of High Sorcery, but none of the other players will learn of it unless they are told. After all, they weren't there.

Which characters are important to the game? In truth, they all have a role to play in the events to come, but some characters have more important roles than others, and this importance changes as the game progresses. Throughout the modules, I think that Tanis is a key character. As leader of the group, it is important he be a PC. Also, as a lot of the surprises of the campaign revolve around him, I prefer a player who has no previous knowledge.

Goldmoon's role in the first module is very important. This story is largely hers. It is a challenging position though, a cleric without spells, and a difficult role. I would recommend that this player also play Riverwind, if for no other reason that Goldmoon is not very effective in combat and the two of them are a natural match. After module 2, Goldmoon's importance fades, other than the fact that she is still the party's only cleric.

Raistlin and Caramon. Raistlin is such a cool character and a joy if you have a good player, so definitely try to include him. His conflict between light and dark can be amusing as the events of the campaign push him one way or the other. Caramon can be played by the same person, but often the dynamic between the two characters, which is lost if they are played by one person, leads to very good role-play. If you have a player who has read all the books, Raistlin might be a good choice as it makes Raistlin seem more knowledgeable and wise. One thing to keep in mind. Raistlin is NOT preordained to become evil. That was the path he followed in the novels, but your players will make different choices and have different experiences which may lead down a different path.

Sturm is a good character. His struggle with his noble heritage, his antiquated knightly ideals and the fact that, quite frankly, they don't work in the world of adventurers leads to good role-play. His important in the early modules is limited though. He becomes much more prominent in modules 6–9.

Flint Fireforge is often my choice to keep as an NPC. He is respected by everyone but is not the leader. He is a good source of trusted advice. Flint rarely holds an important role in the campaign. He is not preordained for greatness and none of the plots revolve around him. A player will have to find his own path to greatness.

Tasslehoff will either be loved or despised. Tas is a fun character who excels at getting himself and the party into trouble. Again, Tas has no great destiny and the player will find his own way.

Eight more characters will be introduced as the campaign progresses. Whether to add more players, have players play two characters, or just playing them as NPCs is largely a personal choice. Gilthanas, Tika and Laurana make marve-lous PCs. Elistan has potential, but it is rarely realized in play (even the author of the novels thought he was boring). Crownguard makes a good NPC and I recommend keeping hold of him. Depending on the players, they may rally behind the strong leader or they may unite because they hate him. I've seen both. Aaron, Kronn, and Serinda are really meant to just fill out the parties. Very little back-ground is provided on them, in fact they don't appear in the novels.

In DL2 a decision will need to be made regarding Eben Shatterstone. His is, of course, a traitor and everybody knows it. This is the root of the problem. In my most recent campaign I have finally succeeded in infiltrating Eben into the party. How? I made him a PC! Everyone trusts a fellow PC, no matter how suspicious their introduction. In a sense, that player is secretly a co-DM.

So in my games, I have to have a Tanis, Raistlin, and Goldmoon. I also try to have a Sturm and Caramon. If I have extra players, then I worry about the remaining PCs. Sturm and Goldmoon have proven the most difficult as far as getting good players for them. I have had excellent luck with Tanis, Raistlin, and Tasslehoff.

So now you have a group of players, well briefed in the roles they will play. As the game begins, you take on the roles of the NPCs and villains. In the next instillment we will delve into the important personalities of the campaign and what is important to get across with each.

(DM'ing the Classics - Players and PC's originally published in Tobril Issue 1)

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