Monty Haul Campaigns (Dungeon Master Guide)

Monty Haul Campaigns (Dungeon Master Guide)

Monty Haul Campaigns (Dungeon Master Guide)





Monty Haul Campaigns




At the other extreme, the problems of too much treasure are not so easily
solved. Here players may enjoy the game–and why not? Their characters are doing
quite well. They have sufficient money and magic to best any situation the DM can
devise.


However, the DM seldom has the same enjoyment. He is faced with the task of
topping the last lucrative adventure. He must make each adventure a greater
challenge than the last. While this is true for all DMs, it is grossly exaggerated
for the DM who has given out too much: How do you top the adventure where the
fighter got the Hammer of Thor or some equally valuable item?


Invariably, the players reach a point where they, too, become frustrated.
Everything is the same–”Oh, we did this before,” or “Ho-hum. Another Sword of
Instant Monster Destruction.” Soon there are no challenges left, because the
characters have earned everything in the book!


Fixing such a situation is far from easy. The first thing to do is to stop
giving out so much treasure in future adventures. Even this isn’t as simple as it
sounds, since players have already had their expectations built up. Imagine
playing for months or years in a world where you routinely find 5 magical items
and tens of thousands of gold pieces each adventure and then, one day, finding
only two or three magical items and a thousand gold pieces! Still, painful as it
may be for players, cutting back on future treasure hauls is a must.


The second part of the fix is far more difficult–remove from the campaign
some of what has already been given. Most players won’t voluntarily surrender
their goods and equipment just because the DM made a mistake. The inventive DM must
be inventive, resorting to new and bizarre taxes, accidents, theft, and
anything else he can think of. Use a given method only once and be sure to allow the
characters a fair chance. Nothing will upset and anger players more than having
their characters jerked about like a dog on a chain.


Sometimes the situation has just gotten so far out of hand that there is no
way to bring it back under control. For example, because the DM has given out
excessive magic, the players have near-godlike powers. They have used wishes to exceed ability score limits and enhance their classes with permanent
abilities. They have fashioned other-planar stronghold impervious to anything. They
have reached the point where they are dictating the structure of the game to
the DM. There is only one cure–starting over.


Require all the characters to retire, and begin anew with 1st-level
characters, being careful not to make the same mistakes again. The players may grumble
and complain, but if the DM is fair, the complaints should eventually be
overcome. To this end, the DM may even want to set the new characters in a different
part of his campaign world, one that has not been explored before.




Table of Contents


Published by adminNo Comments - Go back

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.