Getting closer to creating server on Discord

[Hollis]

So, I have been approached by several people to create a Server on Discord to teach D&D and the associated bots for the App.

While the server would be redundant it would actually focus on those players who may be Neuro Divergent, having some sort of Autism.

I am sure many of you are asking, "So, what would be different?" In general not much, but with ND folks expectation management is key so yes lots of over-explaining (We, yes I am on the spectrum myself, tend to be pedantic) and very Explicit Table Rules concerning Role Play and Game Mechanics.

Having said that, and looking around at all the 5e Settings, Faerun, Acq Inc, Crit Roll, Ravnica, Gray Hawk (people do actually still play that one), Dragon Lance, Eberron... and probably one or two I forgot to mention, I feel that a relatively unknown setting to today's generation of player is needed. No Offense to Blackmoor because I find the setting has so much depth and lore.

Its the Lore of Blackmoor and the relative ease to restrict both classes and races based on that lore that I find attractive for a teaching environment.

With that, I have both the 2e and 4e source info and am very thankful for finding this forum. But are there other sites that I am missing?

Right now I plan on establishing a Literary server with OOC, and RP channels for the party and will use threads to conduct combat. Avrae will be used for rolling etc... I still need to find a smart person in Avrae. Anyway, as I said I am looking for lore to fully develop the setting on the server before opening it. Parallel to that I plan on creating a main plot to conduct a campaign, as I believe DnD is best played within the campaign context. While so-called West March or one-shots are good for mechanical learning of the game.

Open to suggestions. Thank you.

[RobJN]

If you haven't read them already, you may want to give the DA series of modules for D&D a look.

DA1 Adventures in Blackmoor is the closest thing to a gazetteer that the setting got, being set in the Known World/Mystara's distant past.

DA2: Temple of the Frog cleans up the adventure from its first appearance in Supplement II.

DA3: City of the Gods details lands to the south of the barony of Blackmoor, while DA4: The Duchy of Ten reveals the goings on of the lands to the north and west.

[Hollis]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I really am not sure, but the several ND folks I have run across have had some really bad experiences. But, I also feel so under qualified / ready fro "knowing" 5e.

[Yaztromo]

Avrae will be used for rolling etc... I still need to find a smart person in Avrae.

Argh! Avrae is evil!!! She hates all players! :roll: :lol:

I suggest you have a look also at the MMRPG section of this website to find a lot of (free) adventures that at the time expanded significantly the lore of the setting.

[RobJN]

Avrae will be used for rolling etc... I still need to find a smart person in Avrae.

Argh! Avrae is evil!!! She hates all players! :roll: :lol:

I suggest you have a look also at the MMRPG section of this website to find a lot of (free) adventures that at the time expanded significantly the lore of the setting.

:lol:
Yaz speaks from experience we both (painfully!) shared in a game on Discord a little while back. Very nearly every roll came up a miss.

Of slightly better favor is the bot known as "Dice Maiden," which is being used now in the same ongoing game in which Yaz and I participate.

[RobJN]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I really am not sure, but the several ND folks I have run across have had some really bad experiences. But, I also feel so under qualified / ready fro "knowing" 5e.

Not entirely sure what you mean, here. Can you clarify/expand on this?

[Rafael]

Answering to this thread, but including a couple of things the OP has commented/asked about in other threads:

Basically, the key to a good PBP, in my experience, is structure. So, prepare your PBP games as you prepare your tabletop games: Put your goals on paper, and sketch out your way there. Get everything in order, including all game props like maps, art, and other things you might need at your virtual gaming table. (Dice rollers, combat grids, etc.) Set a real-world timetable, and check with your and your players' schedules, if possible. To give you an example: I' in my 17th year as a PBP DM; still so, with all that routine and practical experience, it still takes me between 30 minutes and one hour every time I update my game. Do you have that hour, on a normal day of the week? And: Are you willing to invest this kind of time on a regular basis?

Even when you do open, or "novelesque" PBP gaming, do a thorough preparation of all the aspects as I've elaborated; you'll need that material, sooner or later, and you'll appreciate having it ready.

Also, get an understanding of how pacing will work: The way I'm doing my PBPs, I usually do two to three updates per week. Meaning, we do two rounds per week, on average. That means, in a month, we will advance the game between eight and twelve rounds, which is not much. The way I'm running PBPs, it takes my group a year to complete an average 32-page D&D adventure. You might want to take that into consideration as you go ahead and plan your campaign arcs.

Ultimately, running a good PBP works like all projects: Start slow, don't overthink things, and stay focused on how things work in actual practice. Be as down to earth as possible with your approach.

As to lore-heavy D&D games in general, the same guidelines appy: Don't overthink things, and don't put too much effort in learning the canon. Your players won't care, and making the game about things they care is all the art. Doing your research besides the game can be fulfilling and interesting, but it will hardly, if ever, have an impact on what happens at your gaming table.

Like Rob has said, the DA series is a good place to start, as well as the Blackmoor d20 core book. Also, the video game Skyrim, which - intentionally or not - visualizes many things you'll find in Blackmoor.

In terms of novels, I personally usually recommend Fred Saberhagen's "Sword" and "Empire of the East" series, as well as Angus Wells' "The Kingdoms", and Michael Moorcock's "Hawkmoon". Between all those, you'll find the melody of the song that is Blackmoor, especially in "Empire of the East".

Take care, and good luck!

[Hollis]

Thanks for the suggestion.

I really am not sure, but the several ND folks I have run across have had some really bad experiences. But, I also feel so under qualified / ready fro "knowing" 5e.

Not entirely sure what you mean, here. Can you clarify/expand on this?

Um... which part do you need an explanation for? ND = Neuro Divergent which is a broad term applied to people who are challenged by ADHD, ADD, or Autism. If you mean about my not feeling qualified. Its just that 'knowing' the mechanics of the 5e system and all the rules is a bit daunting. Plus there are the Avae commands and general bot usage.

[Hollis]

Answering to this thread, but including a couple of things the OP has commented/asked about in other threads:

Basically, the key to a good PBP, in my experience, is structure. So, prepare your PBP games as you prepare your tabletop games: Put your goals on paper, and sketch out your way there. Get everything in order, including all game props like maps, art, and other things you might need at your virtual gaming table. (Dice rollers, combat grids, etc.) Set a real-world timetable, and check with your and your players' schedules, if possible. To give you an example: I' in my 17th year as a PBP DM; still so, with all that routine and practical experience, it still takes me between 30 minutes and one hour every time I update my game. Do you have that hour, on a normal day of the week? And: Are you willing to invest this kind of time on a regular basis?

Even when you do open, or "novelesque" PBP gaming, do a thorough preparation of all the aspects as I've elaborated; you'll need that material, sooner or later, and you'll appreciate having it ready.

Also, get an understanding of how pacing will work: The way I'm doing my PBPs, I usually do two to three updates per week. Meaning, we do two rounds per week, on average. That means, in a month, we will advance the game between eight and twelve rounds, which is not much. The way I'm running PBPs, it takes my group a year to complete an average 32-page D&D adventure. You might want to take that into consideration as you go ahead and plan your campaign arcs.

Ultimately, running a good PBP works like all projects: Start slow, don't overthink things, and stay focused on how things work in actual practice. Be as down to earth as possible with your approach.

As to lore-heavy D&D games in general, the same guidelines appy: Don't overthink things, and don't put too much effort in learning the canon. Your players won't care, and making the game about things they care is all the art. Doing your research besides the game can be fulfilling and interesting, but it will hardly, if ever, have an impact on what happens at your gaming table.

Like Rob has said, the DA series is a good place to start, as well as the Blackmoor d20 core book. Also, the video game Skyrim, which - intentionally or not - visualizes many things you'll find in Blackmoor.

In terms of novels, I personally usually recommend Fred Saberhagen's "Sword" and "Empire of the East" series, as well as Angus Wells' "The Kingdoms", and Michael Moorcock's "Hawkmoon". Between all those, you'll find the melody of the song that is Blackmoor, especially in "Empire of the East".

Take care, and good luck!

Completely agree. Thats one reason why I joined this forum in the hopes of learning more about the setting before doing.

I want to be able to 'paint' the setting well emphasizing the environment and set up the player characters to interact.

My most recent experience with the setting the DM would make references to Westeryn and Dokrai races without any context so while the DM understood the difference between a Halfling and a Dokrai the players did not and so were at a disadvantage when racial attitudes began to be played in and around Booh. I mean as a DM I want to provide the "common knowledge" for those who originate in Blackmoor. I do not want to bog them down with History etc... but Dokrai can be regularly encountered then the difference between them and just a 'halfling' should be known up front is all. I hope I make sense.

As an amateur world builder, I want to have in the background if asked how things work and why.

[Rafael]

Trick is, most players aren't going to ask. Especially later editions of D&D are terribly complex, and even though the marketing is geared towards that, assume that most players won't have the core books, and they are going to be busy understanding their characters for most of the time. So, you got to bring the story to them if you want them to interact with it. - My rule of thumb here is: Every relevant background gets its own scene; and if something doesn't get its own scene, then it doesn't exist in my campaign. Basically "show, don't tell".

This is why I usually do a few introductory adventures that focus on the characters, not on the bigger plot: Even if it's boring, let the PC play out that tavern scene, or that sub-plot about the stolen horse that everyone knows has zero to do with the main adventure. That way, especially for noobs, you create contexts. Now, PBPs have to be considerably more streamlined, but you can still do a three-step introduction:

1. Group meets.

2. Group deals with a problem that is tied to the group meeting. (Innkeeper is racist, doesn't want the non-humans to stay at his place. Magic-user has spellbook stolen. Whatever gets the players to recognize each other's characters.)

3. Group encounters main plot event #1.