DMs help a new DMer

[Super Lech]

I have a few questions for the older veteran DMs on Gaia. How do your introductions usually go? I'm having trouble even thinking of a introduction. I have the rest of my campaign planned out and I know how I want it to go, but how do I start everything out? Currently I have 4 players whom one is a Paladin and one is a Dark Paladin (A class we made up on our own, basicly a Chaotic Paladin), how am I supposed to join those two together?

The introduction to the storyline is currently getting them together to escort a merchant to a northern town, which all I can't figure out is how to get them together.

[Akujo]

Either give them each a reason to work together, or just dont do it. If two opposing classes are forced to work together but theres no reason they would, then dont do it. It wont work in the long run.

[Wadley]

i dont do intros. i just plop them on the board, tell them the exit is sealed, and make them fight.(monsters, not each other.)

[Discount Viscount]

give them the same means to reach a goal but have 2 different results. like the good plaladin wants to save someone for the sake of saving them. while the chaotic one get something more material, like maybe the guy that needs saving owes him something.

[Xeviq]

I usually restrict character creation to fit the senario... like for my Zombie Armagedon only humans with basic skills... I don't GM DnD so I never really have the same problem as you. Just give them each a goal either one they can join forces to reach as in a common enemy, or have their different goal lead them to the same place, and on the same adventure.

[Crion_dm459]

A setup like that already doesn't go well. The Paladin would try for his detect evil, and it would always go off and he would get paranoid.
Also, the normal pally would try to stop the anti-pally from doing what he does best.

Trust me, it won't work.

The only way I had it work (for four games) was to have a bigger, badder evil thing they have to worry about (a Dark Dragon Master of legend has ripped open a dimensional hole, allowing him to escape from his transdimensional prison, wreck havoc, destroy governments, cause problems for the wizard's guild, etc). The party did not have a choice but to get along before they were all killed (a cross of betrayal and just slaughter).

If your players want to have classes like that, then they should settle on an alignment for the party. If someone wants to be evil, warn them that they may be killed by the party, but if they can play it the right way, they might be able to sway them...

Then again, I have been playing DnD for nearly 8 years now, and I started with the original sets. You have to be devious with those, because you don't have any Feats to save you. I had the experience to walk into a game like that and to run games like that.

So, to make a long story short: make sure the players are warned before you start the game. If it is your first game, ban complications like that. It saves time. Trust me.

[Super Lech]

I know EXACTLY how I'm going to make them work together now, which is going to be fun once they realize what's going on smile

[Chocomoogle]

Crion_dm459

A setup like that already doesn't go well. The Paladin would try for his detect evil, and it would always go off and he would get paranoid.
Also, the normal pally would try to stop the anti-pally from doing what he does best.

I don't think the "Dark Paladin" he described is Evil, just Chaotic. He didn't mention the Good requirement changing. So they're not total opposites...

I personally don't understand the logic behind this, since a paladin is supposed to be upholding the law... so how can you have a chaotic one? Baffling. Then again, I don't know the details about the class...

If the "Dark" Paladin is still designed to be protecting people, then you could have a brawl break out or some crime occur in the city they're both in, which they both end up trying to stop... and then have that crime be tied in to your major plotline. That way the characters sort of meet their main challenge almost immediately, and are given a reason to band together.

If I'm completely wrong about the "Dark Paladin" being Chaotic and he IS evil, well, then I think Crion is right and it's not going to work. At all. One game I was playing in, our party was good, and one of our members decided to join a clan of evil people secretly, and he ended up hacking another our party members into bits and nailing his pieces to trees around the forest...

Evil and good don't mix. Unless the evil creature is needed by the Good people and is in their captivity, or trying to manipulate them or something. Think of Gollum - while he's not entirely evil, he does have a conflict of interest with Frodo and Sam, and this does lead to conflict between them.

Anyway, good luck with your campaign ^_^

*edit* Oh, didn't realize you figured it out before I posted that sweatdrop sorry! Let us know how you're working it... or at least tell me if I was right about your Dark Paladin being Chaotic!

[Skarburn]

My first introduction into D&D. My character, a Jamaican Half-Orc (so to speak) holding a halberd was walking down the road with a guy in armour and battle claws. The guy decided "I'm going to ski down the hill on my battle claws". That was the first introduction.

My next introduction was with a Tauren Ranger named "Riverwatcher" (Holding a tauren Totem biggrin ). He and a small group of others were going to be trained as mercenaries and we had a godly fellow leading us.

The last Introduction I had was as an Orc Paragon (Unearthed Arcana) who was found in an arena and pitted against the other characters. Me and a small group of goblins (About 4) versus a Night Elf Monk, a Human Monk and a Flittery Fairy Elf. I won of course, because I'm an Orc for crap's sake. I hate Elves. So I took out the Night elf, the human was taken out by the goblins, and eventually we took out the Fairy Elf. I had to pick up a shortbow to do it, but it was good.

I plan to have everyone in separate areas of a Multi-cultural City. It's going to be difficult but it's going to happen. They're going to ask around for mercenary jobs and they're all going to get the same one. From there, I don't know whats happening. I'll just have to figure that out wink

[Crion_dm459]

The only reason why I would assume that the "dark" paladin would be evil is for the simple reason that the name "dark" is in the title.
Additionally, in 2nd Edition, there was an Anti-Paladin class around. 3.0 has the Blackguard.
The options are there in older books and newer books...

Anyway, good luck trying to get it to work.
The last DM I was in a 3.0 game with allowed an evil sorcerer into the party. Discreetly evil, and only one person know in character he was evil. He sold out the party to a manifestation of the Witch King (our DM was a big LotR fan) and gained world domination.
Needless to say, we were so pissed...

Beware.

[Maz Medias]

There're nine different styles of Paladin in 3.5e, one for each alignment.

[Peddy]

Maz Medias

There're nine different styles of Paladin in 3.5e, one for each alignment.

Er, there are?

Was that an article in dragon magazine or something? Because I'm only familiar with the base paladin, and the variants in UA, personally.