Note from JFK: I’ve collated, fixed some links, spell and grammar, and now I repost this excellent compilation of DM Tips from the original Bioware boards. Obviously, some of this stuff is outdated, and some is gone the way of the dodo. But 99% of this advice is still sound. I enjoyed looking back over it as I copied. -JFK
Many thanks to razorwise for starting this excellent thread on tips for DMs. Also many thanks to all the other members of the community that have contributed to the tips list since Neverwinter Nights was released. I have decided to compile all of the communities tips in a more easy to read format (rather than being distributed over many pages). Hopefully nothing has become lost in the reorganization. If I've missed given anyone credit for their tips I apologize, or have broken any of the links, I'll try and clean things up over the next little while.
From razorwise:
I've been DMing NWN twice a week and DMing DnD PnP for over twenty years. That said here's my take:
Tip 1. Add a little at a time to give your players (and yourself a chance to learn).
Tip 2. There’s nothing wrong with spawning creatures away from characters.
Tip 3. Learn to move them [creatures] about...you can group select them by using control and right clicking to drag a yellow box around monster and then holding shift key down to get them to go where you want WITHOUT possessing them.
Tip 4. Learn to possess things. This is THE MOST useful and frequently done thing as you'll be able to converse with players on the fly for more dynamic interaction.
Tip 5. Create a few CUSTOM items and creatures that you can drop in.
Tip 6. Create CUSTOM random encounters
Tip 7. Take care to properly place spawn points to avoid them JUST APPEARING.
Tip 8. Have PAUSE off for PLAYERS and ON for you (Don't be afraid to USE PAUSE to get control of a situation.)
Tip 9. Use the DM Helper!!!
Tip 10. Set up guidelines and rules of conduct PRE-GAME
Tip 11. My group has a PRE-GAME and POST-GAME discussion in AIM...use the chat tool of your choice, but very effective to discuss issues and SET THE MOOD.
Tip 12. Try to confine all tech talk until POST-GAME
Tip 13. Set XP slider to ZERO in modules and ASSIGN XP yourself as they'll otherwise advance beyond your control.
Tip 14. Put in lots of fog and dark areas for first adventure to slow them down and give you a chance to get a handle on things.
Tip 15. Use a SERVER VAULT to store characters.
Tip 16. Use DIRECT CONNECT for better connections and less chance of anyone dropping connections from game.
Tip 17. Use HCR if for nothing else but for the resting requirements placed upon the characters. This gives you a chance to modify things on the fly.
Tip 18. Use HCR features to best suit your group and playing style...they're toggable.
Tip 19. Know your adventure well.
Tip 20. Have fun.
Tip 21. Scour message boards and create a text file that you can copy and paste good ideas into.
Tip 22. Never expect to remember anything. A good DM takes notes of players’ actions and interactions in their module for future gaming.
Tip 23. Have prepared background notes. This enables you to interject hints, tips, legends and whatnot into your adventures (through possessing NPCs) at a glance and increases each player's immersion.
Tip 24. Try to keep your areas to 16x16 or less to reduce lag.
Tip 25. Scripts are your friend. Learn to develop generic "descriptors" so that you don't have to type in "the air is chill as you enter the forest" for each character or unrealistically SHOUT it to the whole group.
Tip 26. Be sure to have a variety of challenges for all character/player types.
Tip 27. Increase the difficulty of the challenges by including some that are in gray areas of morality and have no clear cut right or wrong answers.
Tip 28. Make certain players and characters are aware of the consequences of their actions and award Alignment shifts as warranted.
Tip 29. Make sure the world about them isn't static, whether it is to modify the areas with something as little as a few chickens to a merchant complete with cart.
Tip 30. Create recurring characters with memorable names so that the players can begin to identify with their world.
Tip 31. Especially important in early stages of a campaign, throw out plenty of plot hooks and see which ones the players are attracted to.
Tip 32. As NWN module building takes a deal of work, don't be afraid to ASK the players which direction they'd like to go "NEXT TIME" if you don't get adequate feedback any other way.
Tip 33. Design early adventures in a linear manner, especially if the party is inexperienced, as this will give them opportunity to learn their abilities, strengths, and limitations.
Tip 34. Give each character type an opportunity to shine.
Tip 35. Have players create background stories for their characters and meet with them or discuss modifications to make it fit into "your" world. This one usually is a treasure trove of adventuring ideas and gives you insight into what the character's motivations are.
Tip 36. Build onto your base module. (If you've been using HCR, then you've got it all tweaked out and it's easier to add onto than recreate code(s).
Tip 37. Create each new "adventure" in its own file.
Tip 38. Import all ERF's into base adventure.
Tip 39. Walkthrough ANY adventure that you run to familiarize yourself with it and USE a CHARACTER. DMs don't trigger traps or encounters.
Tip 40. Verify all your CUSTOM stuff got imported into the new module.
Tip 41. Make notes or organize your CUSTOM Monsters, equipment, so you can find it easily in an adventure. Custom 1--->Allies,
Custom 2--->Enemies...etc.
Tip 42. Create a custom DM character for yourself and give it a regular sounding name, so if you NEED to pop in to point someone in the right direction, you can without disrupting game flow.
Tip 43. Make certain to discuss upgrades with your group.
Tip 44. Set aside time to play test with a control group.
Tip 45. Constantly remind players of the rules.
Tip 46. Use the TELL to let individual character's KNOW something no one else knows.
Tip 47. Give them a few "safe spots" to discuss things and gather thoughts together as the adventure progresses.
Tip 48. Set up a small ENTRY area into the module that will link into the "last left off spot". Helps with drop-outs.
Tip 49. Let the players KNOW you will reward experience points on INDIVIDUAL MERIT.
Tip 50. Let players KNOW that dying costs experience.
Tip 51. Drop HINTS in-game if necessary.
Tip 52. Have players TEST out TELLS to DM if it's been awhile since your group has played or new players.
Tip 53. Never let them rest too long.
Tip 54. Don't abuse the monsters-just-inside the transition point into a new area.
Tip 55. Slow down the speed of some of the more dangerous monsters to provide the group with a little time to strategize.
Tip 56. Never let them develop a BRUTE FORCE beats all strategy.
Tip 57. If you've never played DnD, get the DMG and read it.
Tip 58. Read fantasy books for ideas and inspiration.
Tip 59. Have multiple solutions for some problems.
Tip 60. Be open to new ideas (including scripts, play style, and tips).
Tip 61. Play once in a while (I'm guilty of not doing this, except when play testing. Who has time to DM, build, and play?)
Tip 62. House Rules. Put them in a JOURNAL entry upon entry to module.
Tip 63. Don't ever be afraid to clarify points of House Rules for your players.
Tip 64. For less technically minded DMs, TTV may be the solution for you as opposed to HCR. I've tried both and like both.
Tip 65. Be open to change.
Tip 66. After you set all your quickbars and create all the itemsyou want on the DM, Save/Export your Character, then copy the Export into the DM vault (if it is on a dedicated server that isn't local)... it will preserve your hotkeys and items!
Tip 67. Experiment with HakPaks. I did some intensive testing on various HakPaks for tilesets since 1.23 trying to see if any would corrupt the saved games and have had no issues. If you plan on using them with your regular group, give them an early heads-up to make sure they get them downloaded. Don't go overboard...city/rural/grass tileset seems to be most useful from people I've discussed this with and not overly huge.
Tip 68. Naming conventions for building. Have them and use them. It can speed up all your processes.
Tip 69. Give important NPCs names that don't all sound alike or look alike. Usually starting them with different letters is a good thing. Tolkien violates this with SAURON and SARUMAN to many readers’s confusion. (Spelling correction sent by phalanx_norworld. When I read over it, I realized that a few other tips hadn't made it to this master list...)
Tip 70. Don't be boxed in. Remember that creative use of area sizing can give you a nice rectangular shape (especially good for connecting tunnels, mountain passes, etc.)
Tip 71. Manipulate tilesets for YOUR ends...adjusting colors and fogs can give you some places that look much different from their intended purpose.
Tip 72. Hiding the map. Sometimes you don't want players to see the whole area? We can't turn off the Mapping feature, but if you take the underground area and go into advanced features you can make it an exterior, natural area and it will not display the entire map. It'll reveal a little at a time. I'm pulling this from memory as its second nature for me to use.
Tip 73. Help the players out sometimes. (Dropping a cache of healing potions or healing them directly). They have finite hit points. You have infinite monsters. This can keep the story going...what's more important for you?
Tip 74. Set the mood early on. Whether it's whimsy or grim should be set early and maintained throughout.
Tip 75. Humor is a necessary part of drama. If you have a serious adventure or campaign, intersperse moments where there is an opportunity to recoup and laugh and recharge.
Tip 76. Give them a reason. Personally involving one or all of the characters in an adventure thread or quest will make the experience more immersive for them all. Goblins taking over the mines? What if it's Gloombeard's dwarven cousin who ran it and sent a messenger to him for help?
Tip 77. Take a break from the game yourself. Building and the boards. Even if a day. This can recharge YOUR batteries.
This next tip is contributed by wargfn (and cut and pasted by me to preserve the flavor of the post. Okay, I _did_ add the number).
Tip 78. Build nonstop what you feel, even if you can't use it immediately. Something might present itself. For example, I have a few journal entries completed but nothing to present the players with the quests directly. My DM skills, plus my handy wand, make it seem like I meant to do that all along.
TIP FOCUS: Take advantage of the medium.
Tip 79. Proper use of sound can really set the mood. The return on your nominal time investment is great.
Tip 80. Early on, I had mentioned giving hints to your players. Those do not necessarily have to be a "Tell" to one character or a "Shout" to the group. You can use visual clues, such as subtly modifying a specific TILES properties to "glow" slightly indicating importance or have generic triggers set up to cause visual or audio effects or, if you want to put scripting aside, you can grab some of the existing widgets out there to emulate some of these same effects or use the creator to do it on the fly (at least for the visuals). Pretty soon, your players will be accustomed to the "visual" shorthand you provide them.
Tip 81. Remind players that all experience is not necessarily gained by their character.
Tip 82. Do not be afraid to penalize characters for poor choices.
Tip 83. Thank the players for playing every session.
Tip 84. Do NOT get into an adversarial role with the players. Make certain they understand that the DRAGON may be amused that they are dropping like flies around him from the goblin's poison gas, but the DM is not.
Another thread I read prompted these to tips from me regarding power gamers.
TIP FOCUS: Dealing with disruptions.
Tip 85. Do you run an OPEN game? If so and you DON'T want power gamers, or find SOMEONE particularly disruptive, don't be afraid to boot and ban. Your time is too valuable and good DMs are in demand. I'd suggest the following: Be selective and proactive. I think I would PAUSE the game, dress down the PLAYER directly, as DM to PLAYER, and give him one opportunity to amend for his digression. Do this as a TELL. This can work. If he continues to be difficult, I would boot him.
Tip 86. The better solution would be to place your game firmly in the roleplaying category if you use GameSpy and at least password protect it if you don't opt for a server vault of your own.
DMing a persistent world presents particular issues of its own, with which I am not yet personally conversant, but numerous opinions produced what I conceptually consider viable options:
Tip 87. Penalize power-gamers or village killers with XP loss. (Courtesy of CoyotePrime)
Tip 88. Have "judicious logging" of server activity. (Courtesy of wargfn)
Some tips for those with a regular group/guild:
Tip 89. Create an email distribution list
Tip 90. Have a web presence
Tip 91. Fill in the gaps between games. You can create "connective tissue" in the forms of story threads or rumors that precipitate the "next adventure".
Tip 92. Make a blueprint of plot-critical characters so they can be spawned from the palette as needed.
Tip 93. Focus on adventure essentials. Just because you might think something is cool, doesn't mean the players will. Go with what will move the story along.
Tip 94. When building, remember players have different screen resolutions. Some things that will show at 1600x1200 may be lost in the digital dirt at a lower resolution. (Example: a builder was escorting me on a "virtual tour" of an area and I could clearly see the chicken under the fern whereas she could only see the fern.)
Tip 95. Remember: NPCs can be resurrected too. Especially important ones or ones with loyal minions.
TIP FOCUS: Migrating to Server Vaults
Tip 96. Making the move to a server vault and want your regular players to continue with their same characters? Have the players email their characters to you. Their character is the bic file in their local directory.
Tip 97. They have to log into ANY module you have set up as server vault to create a username/player account directory for them.
Tip 98. Once they email their character to you, how do you import and bind it to their playername? The server vault has a separate directory for each player account name. Just place the *.bic file into the directory corresponding to the player account name.
TIP FOCUS: Building onto your foundations. Okay, you've run a few modules that you've downloaded, but you want more, you're ready to start your own epic campaign, but...how do you keep building?
Tip 99. In simplest terms, the most effective way to "grow" a campaign in a semi-persistent environment is to open the base module, make modifications to reflect what transpired in the campaign, add new areas or characters, and save the module.
Let's expand upon this further:
1. Back up your base module. Ex. Crypt of Doom backup
2. Modify your module and save with a different name (like Crypt of Doom II).
3. What to modify/add? HCR, TTV, DMHelper, House Rules, quests, conversations, characters, items, add/delete monsters, STARTING POINT, and areas.
4. Load your modified module and play!
5. You will have to do this each time you make changes or ADD to your module.
6. Each game basically, then, is a new module (or session).
7. The player just takes their server vault character and plays him in the new module.
It's important to use the SAVE GAME frequently in the session if you don't have a dedicated server to avoid loss of data for players with unstable connections. My group has a dedicated server, but we still use the auto-save function set to 10 minutes.
Why save a backup of your ORIGINAL module(s) independently? Personal choice. If you plan on eventually stitching them all into a big module for public consumption, it's a good decision. If you don't care about what has happened in the past, you can modify the same adventure over and over, but you'll be losing some of your work (that you can cannibalize in the future).
NOTE: Don't use FUNKY characters (#, @, etc.) in your Module Names or you'll get weird errors.
Tip 100. Preparation is key. Have a stable of "monsters", "custom characters", and "items" not used in your main storyline. Maybe an idea or two that you can go with (an old beggar mumbling about that lost treasure, etcetera).
Remember: be sure to group your CUSTOM ITEMS, NPCs, and MONSTERS in a manner that is logical to you when DMing. You'll need to be sure to test this out. What works in the toolset, may not be the most comfortable thing when you're DMing. Try to keep it as simple as possible when first trying this out.
Tip 101. Have "AREAS" designed that are NOT connected to the rest of the world. (Courtesy of wargfn) As an active DM, you can get them there with a quick pause, description, and a port to the new location(s).
TIP FOCUS: To develop a sense of continuity in an RPG environment:
Tip 102. Chronicle your players' saga in the module. Have books or custom items highlighting their major events.
Tip 103. Prefer the Bulletin Board system? You could use such an item to the same effect.
Tip 104. Have NPCs acknowledge the characters for their heroic behavior by NAME. (Players love that.)
I picked Arideth's brain for a few PW (persistent world) specific tips and he offered the following:
Tip 105. Take control of your economy. The BioWare standard treasure scripts will ensure overpowered players. (Razorwise note-->Arideth created the PWEMS. Want to know what that is? Click Here ).
Tip 106. Take control of the XP flow. This can be done in any number of ways... by tweaking the minimum time between rests, by using HCR, by limiting very carefully the number of monsters that spawn.
Tip 107. Keep areas balanced for a tight level range. There's nothing worse than newbies getting run over by curst monks because a high level party ran through the newbie area and triggered the encounters. All monsters in an area should be within 2 CR of each other (excepting bosses of course).
Tip 108. Your PW should make sense - if there's a big bunch of bugbears outside of town, why are they there? The townsfolk should be talking about them.
If I keep reading good tips from someone, I've gotta post them. I suggested custom encounters awhile back but was thinking about it from a more aesthetic perspective for custom monsters and, although I do the next tip, it didn't occur to me to post it until today. Thanks, wargfn
Tip 109. If you wish to tightly hone what spawns from a placed ENCOUNTER, customize what will be there, including creature range and type.
This next one is courtesy of DavidBeoulve who suggested it way back as tip 21. I was stubborn and had to turn it over in my head for awhile before deciding "hey, this IS a good idea", after I too stumbled about in the dark. Thanks, Dave.
Tip 110. Place a DM Wand, an Effects Wand, and an Emote Wand in every NPC's inventory. Put a Torch and non-droppable money in as well. "I can't tell you how many times I've needed an NPC, in passing conversation with the players in a bar, want a drink, or to sit down on a chair with them. Or, when met outside in the dark, feel stupid in the pitch black without a torch." -DavidBeoulve
Tip 111. REMEMBER: Just because YOU know a cool DM trick, doesn't mean the rest of the community does. If you've not read it on the Boards, SHARE IT!
TIP FOCUS: How to Make an Archer
Tip 112. Need to make a good NPC archer? Take your creature of choice (elf, skeleton, and etcetera), put their sword in their inventory and their bow in hand and EQUIP them with bolts or arrows (as appropriate). To make them hold their ground, change their movement rate to IMMOBILE, and give them LONG perception range and they will be peppering your players in no time. This is exceptionally nice if you place the line of archers up on a platform overlooking a vale or firing over a palisade. Feel free to play around with Missile Feats, such as RAPID FIRE or POINT BLANK SHOT, as well. For a real challenge, make the missiles magical (such as lightning or fire). Should the player characters close their ground, your NPC will draw their melee weapon.
TODAY'S TIPS (Thinking outside the box)
This came together by discussions with some DMs over the DM client and alternative solutions to some problems. wargfn's post above reminded me of it, so I'll post them now.
Tip 113. For party management, you can create a simple spreadsheet with character name, player name, race, alignment, and XP.
Tip 114. Remember: characters are MORE than numbers.
Tip 115. Use a flowchart program to diagram your adventures (I use Visio) or a napkin if you're out on the town.
Tip 116. Have a flowchart handy if you need to throw something at the player's on the fly and want it to look prepped. (Courtesy of wargfn)
Tip 117. To slant your game towards roleplaying, award MORE for roleplaying. Positive reinforcement is the key. The hackers and slackers should soon fall into place. One way to block out unbalancing character (along with other filters), was sent in by wargfn. His logs indicate that many ubers came in with LEVEL 20, so dropping it down to 19 may well be enough (or in more general terms...)
Tip 118. Lower the Maximum character level allowed to what is appropriate for your game.
Economic factors are a very important consideration in PLAY BALANCE. If you give your characters treasure, how do they exchange it for consumables? How much treasure?
Tip 119. Have points of purchase (Merchants) scattered throughout your adventure, whether it be a roadside peddler or a proper store front.
Tip 120. Healing potions especially impact play balance. Access to such should be carefully thought out.
Tip 121. Developing custom shops for item types reduces the monotony of stripping down shops to make them POTION ONLY, etc.
Tip 122. Use your custom shops and modify costs to reflect the economy of the area. (A Temple of Healing located in town would very well drive down the cost of healing potions.)
Tip 123. Remember, you can set up MULTIPLE Shops for the SAME MERCHANT. Using conversation branches, you can have the merchant PRODUCE Expensive Potions or CHEAP ARMOR or even EXPENSIVE HEALING and CHEAP BARKSKIN.
Tip 124. Consider cultural bias and have MERCHANTS reflect the same by a RACE CHECK to open a RACE DEPENDENT SHOP. A DWARF might certainly try to OVERCHARGE an ELF, right?
Tip 125. If you don't hand place treasures and have a regular group that pools resources, you can GIVE GOLD to the PARTY LEADER and SEND a GROUP MESSAGE. "After slaughtering the hill giants, you find 2000 gold coin scattered about the cave."
Tip 126. Give them a chance. If you're running a PvP world and require people to start server vault, have at least a staging area that is NON-PvP to give them an opportunity to set their character up without fear of instant death, unless you want an empty server.
Tip 127. Complete your world. Don't be in a rush to put something out for public consumption without warning people it's a WIP (work in progress).
Tip 128. Quality over quantity. Players prefer a world that is rich in detail rather than acreage.
Tip 129. Keep them coming back. Adding new areas, quests, or NPCs or something, "a bit different" from the typical experience will drive them to return to your world again and again.
Tip 130. Use a d20. Sure, the wand may have it built in and you can use a dice bag, but what's wrong with REAL dice? You're the DM.
Tip 131. Be subjective. Part of your job as DM is to interpret the rules. With a simulation like this, it can be more difficult, but don't be afraid to cut players a break once in a while.
Tip 132. Simplicity is the key to survival. Don't over script.
Tip 133. Be flexible. Respond to the situation as the players' make it. Don't force them down a path.
Tip 134. Never be afraid to end the game early. If they've reached the end of your built areas or you've reached the end of your rope for a session, take a time out. Sometimes you run over.
Sometimes you run short.
Tip 135. Jumping ONE character to a point
a. Open the Chooser
b. Open the Area that the player is in
c. Select the Player
d. Choose the Jump action
e. Position the cursor in front of you where you want the player to appear and click.
Along with everything else you do, making a map for a PW is essential. hahnsoo (which I think means "he who never sleeps" in Gaelic) suggest the following:
Tip 136. Making a map. Do screen prints of each area in the toolset. Cut and paste in Graphic Program of choice (he uses PhotoShop; I'd suggest PhotoImpact, or CC2). You can then stitch all of the areas together, tweak out into sepia tones or as you desire and you have a nicely scaled map.
Tip 137. In order for players to see DM text in the chat log while the DMs are talking (whether manifested as an avatar or possessing an NPC), you must “Include DM Messagesâ€. To activate this, you must right-click radial the horizontal black bar that stretches the chat log (the black bar above your chat window that has a little gold arrow on it pointing up or down). The radial will show various chat options. Pick the one on the lower right. Note: this is reset every game. You have to manually set this every time you play. It is helpful to have a log-in message that reminds players to do this.
Tip 138. A safe (crash-free) way to jump to a new area is to select an NPC in that area and use “Possession Full Powersâ€.
Tip 139. When running a server vault, hitting G on your keyboard will export (save) all characters.
Tip 140. When possessing sitting NPCs, be sure to stand up before "unpossessing" them to avoid communication problems with the PCs.
For those new to Multi-Player here is a basic way to get your game going:
Tip 141. To list a game on GameSpy, go to the advanced option of New Multiplayer Game and Post to Internet.
Alternatively, you could
Tip 142. use nwserver.exe:
a. You go to your NWN folder (default dir is C:
\\\\NeverwinterNights\\\\NWN)
b. Copy the nwnserver icon to your desktop
c. Double click on the icon and set your module parameters
Note: I have heard of people running this on the same machine they run the DM client. You'll have to see what works for you as it varies based upon number of players (server load), host system configuration, and internet connectivity.
Note 2: The DM doesn't have to be the host. Typically, if you've got a regular group, you want the person with the lowest PING (fastest connection) and/or extra box to host the game.
DMs are builders too (quite frequently) and so I'll post a tip from time to time that will help the DM work better. This is one of those...
Tip 143. To export custom items from one module to another en masse, select EXPORT, choose appropriate resources, and SHIFT-CLICK to choose the item(s) you wish to move.
Back to basics:
Tip 144. If you're learning to script, check out the excellent tutorials and resources, or open the script of something that "kind of" does what you want and play around with it.
Tip 145. To "Include DM messages" which is off by default (right-click radial the black bar above the chat log that readjusts the chat log. It has a little golden arrow on it pointing up or down).
Tip 146. Console commands are both case and space sensitive (i.e. dm_setfaction Hostile will work, but not dm_setfaction hostile or dm_setfactionHostile).
Thanks go to hahnsoo and Maelfactor with their insights.
Tip 147. To send a TELL to a player, click on the character's portrait and then type in the message.
Tip 148. Hitting THE ENTER KEY before typing sets your cursor in the message field.
These next two are courtesy of Sweeney Todd:
Tip 149. Quick way to control a monster without possessing? Ctrl+click to move.
Tip 150. Want the same monster to quickly attack? Shift+click on a target and it will attack.
Tip 151. The default difficulty of a module is overridden by the DM Client difficulty slider.
Tip 152. When you possess an NPC and talk to the players, the words appear as floating text above the NPC's head.
Tip 153. When multi-DMs run a module, the LAST DM's difficulty setting overrules all. (courtesy Omnipa)
I'd also like to reiterate that, WHATEVER rule variations you decide to use, please don't lose sight of the fact that this is a game and should be fun. Please run with that spirit in mind. No matter how realistic or how fantastical you have your game play, it is the critical role of DM, your role, that can make or break your campaign and no amount of graphics, technology, bandwidth, or scripting can change that.
Tip 154. Looking for console commands?
Click Here Tip 155. You can boot and ban IF you're hosting the game through the nwnserver. There is no function (at present) which will allow you to do this in the DM Client.
Tip 156. When doing a walk-through on your module, be sure to give your DM an Item with haste (courtesy Lishi), makes it much faster.
I don't know if you'll want to do the following, but some people have been asking about it.
Tip 157. It's easy to change the DM's avatar stats, though it took me a while to figure it out.
Open the console (~). Type:
SetSTR x
SetDEX x
SetCON
etc
Where x is the new stat value. You then click on the target whose stat you want to change (i.e. the DM avatar) (this is courtesy of Colonel Stryker)
Tip 158. Remember, when creating NEW CUSTOM ITEMS in the TOOLSET to give that ITEM a new tag and add it into your palette.
Tip 159. Curious why a new custom item didn't change in the working area of the toolset? Make sure to update all instances or it won't.
Tip 160. Henchmen and possessed creatures will set off the traps. (courtesy of wargfn)
Tip 161. hahnsoo has created an excellent logwriter Click Here
NOTE: hahnsoo’s logwriter link was never input, and I can find nothing about it anywhere. -JFK
TIP FOCUS: Making a DM-Friendly Module
Tip 162. Create external documentation for your module
Tip 163. Create internal documentation IN your module
Tip 164. Create Guide Books for your NPCs and slap them in your library as well as on the NPC in question.
Tip 165. When you post to these boards, be sure to cut and paste your posts into an ongoing text document BEFORE you hit the SUBMIT button (I've got a tips.txt file in notepad), in case something happens. You don't want to lose your post. (Yes, it's happened to me.)
On the Custom Content front, I'd like to take the opportunity to mention a couple of the frontrunners in the modification world. Yes, HCR has already gone second generation with HCM and TTV has spawned a traps and loot module.
NOTE FROM JFK: Some of the projects mentioned in these Tips have fallen by the wayside, or are no longer developed. A bit of searching will help one find out more about them. I’ve included a few links below:
The Vault entry for TTV:
Click Here HCR has quite a few iterations and modifications. Search the Vault and you’ll see what I mean - jfk
Attention ALL DMs: Whatever rules system you use, please USE it responsibly. That means read the rules, test the rules, before inflicting it upon the unknowing masses. The intent of TTV and the HCM is to give you just what you need for a good game experience. The HCR is an incredibly robust system, but if you don't know what you're doing with it, it's like pulling out all the tools on a Swiss Army Knife to pick your teeth (hopefully, that conjures up a scary image). Don't like one of those systems? Again, roll your own. I recall seeing another one offhand and will have to check that out. (BTW, if you see some unusual rules system or think of some good tip, message me).
Remember, the player base is going to rise and fall based upon how the game is played. Remember, give them the rules up front and have fun.
As you all may know, I'm a big proponent of the DM-F Initiative. What's that? Coming up with better ways for DMs to do the all-important job of running the game.
In that spirit, I'd like to suggest and expand upon the idea of:
Tip 166. The Guide Book.
I think that it might be of some value to the DMs to put "personality notes" into a GUIDEBOOK of NPCS. If we do this, we can put such a book into the inventory of each NPC and the DM will be able to reference it as necessary. This would give a level of consistency for roleplaying NPCs by DMs in a PW environment as well as enable DMs to be more loyal to the module builder's vision.
Each guidebook would be a 1 to 1 relationship, i.e. 1 book per NPC, and placed under custom items-->tutorial. You then equip the relevant NPC with their guidebook and update as appropriate between sessions.
Suggested GuideBook Template:
BOOK TAG: GB_Charname
example:
Elric's book would be GB_Eric
Dominant Personality Traits: Loner, Detached, Serious, Vengeful
Secondary Personality Traits: Loyal, Grimly Humorous, Cautious,
Honorable
Alignment: CE
Faction: Chaos
Official Title: Last Emperor of Melnibone, Eternal Champion
PC Allies: None at present
PC Enemies: None at present
NPC Allies: Moonglum, Arioch
NPC Enemies: Yyrkoon
Quick Bio:
A complex character, Elric seems resigned at times to his fate and other times rebels against the very gods that he serves. His physical weakness and dependencies on dark sorceries, drugs, and his dark blade, Stormbringer, cause him to prefer a lone path. When encountered, he will be wary and quick to react as he has both betrayed and been betrayed by those close to him in his life. Frequently in the company of Moonglum, his more optimistic companion, who tries to brighten Elric's somber personality.
* * *
These Guide Books could be updated as needed with notes on various character interactions (as suggested above).
Tip 167 comes from Craig Welburn in response to banning players that are offline. First tip from the BioCrew. Thanks, Craig.
* * *
Tip 168. Banning offline players-->
You need to add his "Player Name" (not his character name) to the nwnplayer.ini file:
[Banned Ips]
0=
[Banned Players]
0=Fire Brand(if this is his player name)
[Banned CD Keys]
0=
Tip 169. If you are having sitting problems and find that you automatically face east, you can use an invisible object, and set it facing the way you want to sit. (courtesy Excedrin)
Tip 170. An excellent way to get quickly from point to point within an area is to press the + key on your number pad and you will jump to the point where your mouse is currently floating (as long as that is a valid landing point). Especially useful for circumventing walls and doors and heading off your players. (courtesy ACS)
Tip 171. Don't set your expectations too high from session to session. Everyone has ups and downs, so don't beat yourself up if your game is off. Just evaluate and regroup for next time.
Tip 172. Likewise, cut your players some slack. Sometimes real life events will impact the attitude of a regular. If they are normally "with it", give them a chance to sort things out. If the problem persists, pause and discuss the issue privately.
Tip 173. Be constructively critical. Always doling out praise does not allow for growth. This cuts both ways. Sometimes I have to request from my more reticent players to provide at least one negative.
Tip 174. Cut and run. Sometimes you may not have enough players for a regular session, in that case be prepared to call it an early night and go build on your world for awhile or...
Tip 175. Have a backup plan. Now that the community has reached a certain level of maturity, you can certainly have something in your arsenal, whether it's BLOODBATH ARENA I to blow off steam or something more cerebral. Try to keep this as one-shots and not carry-overs.
Tip 176. Keep track of players you trust. For both work and play.
Tip 177. Have your crew play test modules you plan to release in the wild. No one will be more critical on some points then your regular group. When you get the major issued ironed out, be sure to blind test as well.
TIP FOCUS: Being Persistent
Tip 178. Don't change your game world without notice. (courtesy Lishi)
Note: Rules additions or subtractions can definitely alter the flavor of the game and the mood of your players. Be certain to give advance notice of any changes for PW...I'd suggest a weekly notification or let everyone know EACH MONDAY CHECK THE CHANGE BOARD or READ LATEST JOURNAL ENTRY. You can have this as a SERVER MESSAGE.
Tip 179. Keep your schedule. If you still have "one more cool tweak" that will delay your change schedule to Tuesday, save it for next week.
Tip 180. Give everyone an even break. (courtesy Lishi)
Note: Changing experience rewards from standard to HCR after a month could create a dichotomy in your player base.
Tip 181. Consider a sliding scale. Archaegeo designed an "old school" leveling script that slows down progression after a certain point which will extend a campaign's life dramatically.
Tip 182. Backup your bic files. I've not heard of any horror stories about this yet, but think about it. In fact, back up all your modules, scripts, and NWN stuff. I do it as a matter of course, doing a CD-burn each night I've done some NWN stuff (mostly it's nightly).
TIP FOCUS: On the Fine Art of Conversation
Tip 183. Give each character a definite style of speech. "Talkin' like this, t'aint the same" for a halfling rogue as "the elementary elocution subscribed to" by an educated wizard.
Tip 184. Dialogue files are not strictly about dialogue. Use them to give descriptions of the characters as well as a choice of actions. An example would be when the player clicks on Gnash the Brash.
* * *
The gnarled veteran pauses in fiddling with the cap of his bottle and sways slightly before leaning close to you. His red-rimmed eyes are weak and unfocused, as though he's looking through you. "Whadda you want, boy?†he growls and drops his hand with a practiced motion to his sword belt.
1. Lean forward and snarl back. "I'm looking for you, old man."
2. Raise your hands in alarm. "I seek the mercenary, Gnash."
3. "Please excuse the disturbance."
* * *
Tip 185. Use quotes around the spoken word in your dialogues (see example above). I noticed that this subtle touch makes a module look far more professional.
Tip 186. Compile a "best of" collection containing your favorite scripts, base system, and haks and burn it to disk. This enables you to have clean code in an easily accessible medium and you can distribute it to your builders, DMs or, in the case of haks, your players. One contact I've had actually creates custom haks and sends them to his campaigners as far away as the UK. (He's stateside).
TIP FOCUS: Community Growth
Tip 187. Help grow the community and train other DMs. If you're getting some positive feedback, then step up and run a training session on occasion. (This includes me.)
TIP FOCUS: DM Training Tips
Having given my brother his SECOND training session last night (the first was me shouting at him while he fumbled about with the DM Client on my computer), I've got some insight into training online now.
Tip 188. Begin with them "just observing" for a few sessions and have them save questions for post game.
Tip 189. Have them fumble with the DM tools when the "world" is empty or in a "DM Only" Room.
Tip 190. Make sure they understand to respond to your messages. Every time. Even if it's to type "K" in the DM channel.
Tip 191. Make sure they STAY INVISIBLE.
Tip 192. Give them some minor NPCs to possess that add to the game, but are not critical.
Tip 193. Make sure they understand the character's personality and the overall plot (this is why Guidebooks are essential).
Tip 194. Have the players provide feedback about your new DM's strengths and weaknesses, they may see something you've missed. You do it too.
Tip 195. Take a chance on "old school" DMs. They usually have the roleplaying down and just have to learn the interface.
Tip 196. Brief the DM on the adventure to reinforce things.
Tip 197. Never let them muck with your main campaign initially. Conduct the sessions they first solo DM as "one shots" with new characters and make it distinct in flavor from your main campaign.
Tip 198. Enjoy the player's surprise when they are suddenly interacting with multiple DMs possessing multiple NPCs.
Tip 199. If you're training the DM for your world, make certain they are aware of the overall story arc. Don't keep them in the dark and if you don't know yet and are still winging it, say so.
Tip 200. Have a DM SETUP area (to prep out your NPCs, review their guidebooks, and chat with other DMs).
I alluded to the above slightly in 186, but this is brought forward in clarity courtesy Danmar.
Tip 201. Create a ROGUES' GALLERY area (where you can store your NPCs) (The advantage of this is you could then have a centralized spot to eyeball villains and modify gear etcetera...without jumping them in to a specific area first and might be more efficient in a multi-DM environment) or use LIMBO. (courtesy Danmar)
Tip 202. Flowchart areas as well as the adventure (113). (I do both, promise, but didn't separate the point...courtesy SirTommy.)
Tip 203. Support the DM Friendly Initiative. For this to really take off, we'll need community support. Let's hear your thoughts here.
Tip 204. Have a Halfling avatar or other demihuman to take advantage of the race's special powers (darkvision, etc) to reduce item glut.
Tip 205. Encounters are not required to have a spawn point. If an encounter does not have a spawn point, the game should spawn the appropriate creatures out of sight of the players. This usually means _behind_ themTip 206. You can add console commands to your DM Quickbar.
- Right click on the Quickbar.
- Select "Assign Command"
- Enter a label e.g. "Defender"
- Enter the console command prefaced by "##"
e.g. "## dm_setfactiondefender"
- Use the Quickbar slot and then click on a creature
to change its faction to Defender.
You can also do the same thing by typing in the chat window (and prefacing the console command with ##).
Tip 207. How to turn shouting off for players. Put Disallow Shouting=1 in nwnplayer.ini under "server options". DMs can shout, but no one and nothing else can shout. All other shouts are converted to talk.
Tip 208. To make monster and/or NPCs run, simply double-click or click a far distance away from the NPC group.
Tip Focus: Quashing Combat Kiting
A DM posed the following quandary: "The largest obstacle we have encountered is solo (and small groups of) player's ability to run ahead of monsters, stopping at regular intervals to shoot them with a ranged attack, never coming into melee range and getting an easy kill."
Possible solutions follow:
Do unto them as they do unto you. Create archers and whatnot as detailed on the tips list. Or have more ambush situations or decrease the visibility of areas with fog or create more cover for NPCS, monsters, etc.
Other DMs suggested the following:
"You could also add wandering monsters and random encounters and cheat a little by making them more likely to happen if someone's kiting (some sort of time vs. dmg check on the monster could trip that)... perhaps they get ambushed by some of the monsters friends 1/5 times or so... a few free AOO's as they run by the monsters who just jumped out should teach them a lesson."
Another said that "...the best option would be to modify the creatures AI. If you have it run a little script in its heartbeat during battle that says something like: am I getting hit? have I done any damage? am I getting low on hit points? if I think I can't beat this guy I should run away... and hopefully find some more friends (run towards the closest critter of the same type and call for help... or spawn in a few friends off screen if none exist)"
Tip 209. Rotating DM responsibilities: Remember, you can join your group as a player if you're simply hosting a game that doesn't require DM intervention. Just log in as a player.
If you're hosting an actual live DM campaign, you can do as in real life and either rotate the campaign or create an NPC with identical stats as your player character and possess the layer character and join the group with him. You can possess with full powers and then, if you require using DM abilities, etcetera, you have them.
Tip 210. DM Force rest does not work in No rest areas.
Tip 211. All of the effects created by the DM are visible to players. If you cast a magic missile, the players will see the magic missiles streak out from the DM's location (but not the actual swirling magical force as the dm is casting)...
Tip 212. For DMs of varying skill levels, Lilac Soul's Script Generator may be a boon. With it, you can script things quickly and easily and focus on the story. I just tested it out and am very impressed. This will become an essential item in every DM's arsenal.
Click Here This next tip comes courtesy of Mwaud.
Tip 213. Looking at things from a different angle. Unlocking the camera [HAK-free] can be done one of two ways
1. Update to the 1.28 patch
2. Start playing NWN
3. press the ~ key in-game to bring up the console
4. type: unlockcamera 1
5. hit enter
6. Use the keyboard arrows to move the camera or if you have a 3 button mouse (preferably with a scroll wheel) the wheel zooms in/out and if you press the third button (probably the wheel itself) free look is now enabled press again to turn it off.
TIP FOCUS: Examining creatures.
Tip 214. If you make a PC in your local vault, then hotkey the PC's "examine" button, then dump that bic file into your DM vault, then your resulting DM avatar still has that "examine" button in its quick slot, and is now able to examine things just the way PCs do. (courtesy elchwang)
Tip 215. To get the PLAYER's VIEW through the radial menu go to the Chooser, find the monster that you want to examine, and click "Examine" in the chooser. (courtesy hahnsoo)
Tip 216. If you want to hotkey something, simply drag and drop the creature/item/placeable from the Creator to the Quickbar. (courtesy hahnsoo)
Tip 217. In order to unban a player/dm:
You first need to shut down the server completely.Then remove the entries from the nwnplayer.ini file.Renumber the entries so that they start at 0 and increment sequentially.If you leave a slot blank, the game will stop reading the ban list at the empty entry.Save the changes to the nwnplayer.ini file.Restart the server.
A tip from Merle:
Tip 218. If you're playing with a regular group of players in a campaign, keep an NPC copy of them handy. Equip them with the same skills, feats, armor, items, etc. This way, should a player be unable to show up for a game one night in the middle of a campaign, you have a backup ready to take their place if they need to make an appearance (like the only ranger in the party was supposed to be the one to find the orc tracks). After getting stuck with this problem once, I made NPC copies of all my players' characters, and I've found it to be very handy. You can also keep them around in case you ever want to have a doppelganger. This is also useful for play testing new monsters against the copies of the player's characters.
Some tips from Ogotu:
Tip 219. Even though at first all the commands seem intimidating, keep at it and even stop the game if you are unsure what to do. Most players will accept that you have to organize things, and have experienced this in PnP adventures too.
Tip 220. There are two types of NWN player, the role-player and the person who enjoys running around killing things. Decide if you are going to cater for one, the other or both.
Tip 221. Never, ever rely on players to pick up on your hints as to the solution to any problem as 9 times out of ten they will not get it. Secondly, most people use the system to decide whether a person is good or bad, so if you want to have a conversation with a monster, either create a neutral aligned version of it within the toolset or use the DM commands to change its alignment. The amount of times I have had a plot bearing creature killed by an overzealous player you would not believe!
Tip 222. One thing I like to do is make nonsense encounters, as in the conversation shouldn't lead anywhere, or the NPC is lying, or mad etc. When players go on said wild goose chase and find it is, you'll be amazed at how well their character reacts to the situation. Sometimes however, someone makes more of the encounter than you even thought of and this usually makes a great plot to work on.
Tip 223. Don't be afraid to ask for player's ideas, create a forum or a chat room.
Tip 224. I have had in the past, players who think that because they know more about AD&D than me that they can use the system to get what they want. This is also a PnP problem which seems to have evolved into the electronic form. I will relay the advice that one PnP RPG gave in its main book: The game's rules are there to form a structure of play; however, they are not set in stone. If you as the DM decide to change or ignore them then that is fine. Just talk to the player in private that in theory they are probably right, however as the DM you have made a decision that this will not be the case.
Tip 225. (and finally) The use of a monster's mythos is important. Yes everyone likes dragons, but in game a player should never want to cross paths with one. This is also true with the beholder and outsiders. Yes they are cool, but overuse will breed familiarity and eventually apathy towards these creatures. I remember in my PnP days at level 18 running like a girl at the sight of a Dragon. As a tip, I like to play dragons with invulnerability on, forcing the players to find another way to kill it (such as dragon stones, or whatever makes a good quest to find its weakness).
Tip 226. Save time when populating containers by using generic items as filler. For instance, in a library, instead of trying to think up 50 unique book titles and descriptions, fill each stack with 6 or 7 books called "Book" along with one or two unique books that you've taken the time to customize. If you've only got ideas for 10 books, this lets you spread them out over a wider space.I also have an item called "Stuff" which is used when I want to show that a container is full of stuff, but anything that might be of interest to the PCs are placed specifically. Unless, of course, they are on a Quest for Stuff. Doing this keeps me from getting bogged down in details; some might say more detail is better, but I prefer to put it where I think it counts. And it's like selective attention, in a way: the interesting stuff always jumps out at you.
Tip 227. From hahnsoo:
If you want to destroy a placeable object that you spawned in through the creator, hover your mouse over it and press the instant kill key (default is 'y'). You can reconfigure the instant kill key and other DM hot keys by going to: Options->Controls->Change Key Settings->DM
Tip 228. Make Hot keys of the Console Commands. For example dm_giveXP 100 Place ##dm_giveXP 100 in command line of your hot key. You can use ## to make any DM command a hot key.
Modifié par Frith5, 26 juillet 2010 - 03:36 .
