Expectations

Setting Player Expectations

Before rolling any dice or creating any characters, you must sit down with your players and describe the type of game this supplement is designed to run.

Dungeon Crawl: A tactical, resource-based survival game. Characters are typically between levels 1-5 and rely on their wits, rather than raw power, to succeed.

Optimization

Veteran 5E players have a tendency to plan out their character’s build well in advance. Some may find the Basic Rules options to be unsatisfying. Should this be the case, try redirecting the player’s interest in optimization towards level 1 builds, emphasizing the challenge of combining race, class, and backgrounds to create interesting concepts. For example:

  • An armored Mountain Dwarf Wizard that fights with a battleaxe.
  • A Human “Paladin” that uses feats to combine the Fighter class with Cleric cantrips.
  • A Halfling wandslinger that combines high charisma with an Ash Wand to gain item-based magic.

Setting GM Expectations

Equally important, you (the GM), need to have an understanding of the games that Naevis is intended to run. The setting borrows heavily from OSR principles. A few of the most important are listed below:

Player Skill > Character Builds

Sessions are not a test of how well-optimized a character is. They are about creative problem solving that leverages a character’s abilities.

Tactics

Fair fights get adventurers killed. Set the expectation (gently at first) that going toe-to-toe with monsters without a plan will end badly.

Yes, And…

While you shouldn’t be afraid to tell your players no when they try to do something impossible, you should always try to work with their attempts.

Do’s and Don’ts

DO…

  • Start campaigns at level 1.
  • Encourage creative solutions to problems.
  • Keep combat short and lethal.
  • Be a fan of the players’ characters.
  • Signal when there’s danger in an area.

DON’T…

  • Start campaigns at level 3.
  • Use “only one correct solution” scenarios.
  • Allow combat to go for longer than 3 rounds.
  • Portray the players’ characters as bumbling or ineffectual.
  • Spring traps or hazards that don’t allow the players at least one chance to react.