First time running a game!!! any advice???

[ZazielsRephaim]

First off, I've been lurking the forum for a while, and must say everyone seems wonderfully polite, intuitive, and helpful.  

I picked up TROS and OBAM a couple months back, and started reading through it a few times.  Long story short, my group has grown tired of AD&D.  (When a high level demon is the only way to challenge and keep the party entertained... yet they still pull out with no one killed... the system has grown boring)  I must say, TROS seems to have filled all cravings I have.  The rest of my group seems quite interested, and after I guided them individually through the character generation the first time, they are getting anxious to play.  We've done some combat and duels to get used to the system and some of the players are getting a good grasp of how to use their pools and make the best out of certain manuevers.  And keep that personal flair their character has.  I love that more is based on WHO your character is, and not the number crunching.  Of course my gaming has been mostly limited to AD&D 1st edition.  

Anyway, I've developed an adventure, the characters have their backstories (which they had just as much input if not more in most cases)  and everything is falling together concerning the plot.  The way I'm playing Weyrth, Gelure is on the verge of possibly invading north.  Their ships are blockading ports and patrolling into the sea of raiders.  Half the characters are coming from Farrenshire not that they are born there... ie traveling mercenary with a slight addiction problem, an exiled priest blamed for burning his own church, an overconfident trickster/theif who got too cozy with the baron's daughter(he ran a little faster than the others)...  They all end up on a ship to Helena for one reason or another.  With the blockades, its quite a "miracle" they make it past Gelure.    There they come across a dock worker with a thirst for vengence and a lonely heart, and a mysterious but rather dense bounty hunter who is not all that he seems.  Chains of events bring them all the the same place, the same docks, and there they figure out that this mysterious crate being unloaded from the boat from Farrenshire and the trade company who has it is the juiciest lead any of them have on their SAs.  I dare not say more, lest I expose certain details to those players who also lurk on this forum.

I was wondering if any of the more seasoned Seneschals have any advice for me.  What should I expect, and what should I keep in mind.  I am playing Weyrth magic lite to start.  Also keeping the unusual creatures to a minimal.  I want them to feel this is more like the real world, then start feeding them the myths... and let them discover the myths just might have some fact behind them.  Of course some characters have some past experience with certain things.  Besides, that gives me a little more time to get fully comfortable with the magic system, and let my players understand the universe before they touch magic.  

So, what should I know, or what suggestions might you all have?  

-Luke

[Salamander]

You seem to have much of it covered.
The next thing I think you should look at is whether you want to play it as a "blood opera"setting wherein the players get SA's at every turn, maybe even six or eight a session with SA's firing and the whole nine yards, or if you want to bring it down a bit and have it more reserved, closer to what I tend to play where the players get an average of three SA's per session.

Another question is who are they going to be interacting with? Are they working for the powerful? Working for themselves? Or are they the Powerful?

I think magic light is a good idea. I only let one player run a gifted because he really knew the system and he knew his concept insdie and out. Another snuck in under the radar, but he has been worth it.

I don't know if this will be of any use to you, but maybe research Historic Fencing and look into how the weapons of our past were really used and look into the weapons themselves. Just to help you and your group around some misconceptions that may exist. I can say that I picked up the book and then through it managed to locate and join a fencing group here in Calgary. If I had not, I would have been inundated with misconceptions when I began playing TRoS...

A few places to go...

//www.armor.com
//www.albionarmorers.com
//www.swordforum.com
//www.thehaca.com

And these are merely the tip of the iceberg.

[ZazielsRephaim]

Hey, Thanks for the advice.  I don't think I would want to do a "blood opera" and instead keep it reserved at times.  Of course I believe those intense moments are necissary every now and then, especially when a session runs all night.  I'm hoping the flavor of TROS works well with our groups habit of doing 8 to 10 hour sessions once a month.  The characters for the most part are working for themselves.  With the exception of one.  They themselves are not quite too powerful, and to start could barely expect to make a dent in the world.  But if they live, I hope they will start to realize that their actions are going to most likely have greater repercussions than just the city or village they currently occupy.  I am hoping I can make the causality of their actions play out well.   I suppose I am putting a lot on the players, but i have faith in this group.  We've a lot of gaming experience among us.  As for magic, I'm seeing it more as a useful plot tool, and a great way to make the world appear a scary big place.  Especially when you have no clue what the heck is going on!!! hehe... In our D&D sessions it became "oh another room of orcs....  fireball"   as I am sure all of you know well.  

As for fencing, I fenced for a few years, and have been thinking of picking it up again.  But more along the lines of historical combat.  I used to do duels with a guy who had been studying Baroque Italian styles of combat for 25 years.  Some of the most fun I ever had.  This all ads up to the reason why I immediately responded to the combat system in TROS.  I know where it's coming from.  Luckly for me, another player has been an avid fencer, and those with less knowledge have faith in my knowledge (I Hope?!?!)

[Brian Leybourne]

Hey Zaz,

We play 8-10 hour sessions, and they work well, nothing to worry about there.

The biggest thing your players are going to have a hard time coming to grips with is going to be the fact that they're no longer the worlds major bad-asses. Even "high level" characters in TROS with oodles of experience can go down to a single, lucky sword blow or a dagger in the back. Rather than "A room full of Orcs? Charge!", they're going to have to get used to "A room full of Orcs? Shit, how can we get around them without them hearing us, or at least lure them out of the room a few at a time". Big difference there for ex-D&D players.

But yeah, I think you'll have a lot of fun. Sounds like you've got the basics nicely down pat and you're on the ball. The best advice I can give you is to listen to the players, meaning keep an eye on their SA's. The SA's are what tell you what they want to happen in the adventure. If they all take combat-related SA's and you have a major intrigue plot all lined up, there's going to be problems (and vice versa). The SA's are their way of telling you what the campaign (or the current bit of it, anyway) should be about, and you repond to that by giving them what they've asked for. This makes a TROS GM's life easier, or harder depending on your point of view and what you're used to.

Regards,
Brian.

(edit: And come back and let us know how it goes. We love hearing "actual play" stories.)

[ZazielsRephaim]

Thank you.  As for gameplay recaps, I'll be sure to post those.

[Spartan]

I was wondering if any of the more seasoned Seneschals have any advice for me.  What should I expect, and what should I keep in mind.  I am playing Weyrth magic lite to start.  Also keeping the unusual creatures to a minimal.  I want them to feel this is more like the real world, then start feeding them the myths... and let them discover the myths just might have some fact behind them.

Cool.  I find those kind of campaigns particularly enjoyable to run.  I'm sure you're more than aware of how to do it, but I'll throw in some of my thoughts on this and see if you find it helpful as a reminder. :)  One thing to remember in such a campaign is to "beware of fantasy escalation".  If the explanations of whatever is going on are initially always mundane, then the fantastical will have more impact when you choose to include it.  Use poisons instead of magic to incapacitate the king.  Use men instead of Gol whenever possible.  Use cultists instead of undead, and tribesmen instead of elves.  Always think "what's the most prosaic explanation for all of this?", and adjust accordingly.  Sometimes you want a hint of the fantastical, and other times you'll want to hit them full in the face with it.  Have fun, and keep us posted!

-Mark