Not wanting to break the "no posts in others' threads" rule, here's my two cents worth on this DM Q&A forum issue.

I love hooking up newbies with action, especially since many of them don't know where to go for action yet! With something like Boggs' quest, this gets a little too metagamy for me since they have to get the quest from the guy in the Stand. But the large number of "inititate a conversation with this rock" quests are PERFECT for this. My EFU character doesn't do this since it's not IC for him, but I've done this sort of thing with others before on other servers. Here's what I've done in the past:

1. I usually offer an increased reward - it's a great way to get rid of some low level trinkets you've accumulated without just trashing them. I've also never liked the idea of just throwing them in the trashheap, er, uh old woman's cart, either. This is a great way of helping folks out and getting some good RP opportunities in. Sometimes, they get some of it going in - a potion or two, esp. if I know there might be some otherwise TOUGH monster in there (I wouldn't want to scare off a newbie by sending him against something I knew he couldn't fight).

2. I have sometimes "seeded" an area as well - dropped equipment there to make it a bit more "alive" for newbies as they travel to the quest site. This might be a little metagamy, but I'm a closet DM I suppose (don't worry, nothing ever unbalancing!). It's hellaciously fun to see them suddenly get on their toes because they think someone else is in the area. And yes, I've even been know to plant a minor trap or two to get them thinking as well.

3. Another ploy I've used to get the newbies involved is to have them do a retrieval run for me. For instance, there are certain quests that tend to drop some known items, or have known monsters. Sometimes they are rather mundane, too. In return for bringing me proof of completion, and the item, they get an equivalent reward in some of the items I cannot use or don't want. For example, on EFU there is a quest that drops Goblin spirit Bones quite regularly. Another offers up a trident frequently as well (maybe you collect unusual weapons?)

Just some thoughts on getting those low-levels active :)

A: OMGZORZ METAGAMER YOU GO TEH AWAY!1!!! B: Good for you. I know your about to be crucified for such OOC behavior, But i really appreciated people doing stuff like this for me on my first PW, and am glad to see others doing it.

Why not just think of something to do, and then ask a DM to do it for you? It's really not that hard, you know, and if you are creative enough with the idea, will probably be extremely lucrative in terms of experience and gold too.

Nothing beats a DMed experience that has been thought of by your own good self.

Here are just a few examples that I can think of :

1) Ilmaterian Cleric asks the DM if he can 'distribute' all his gold evenly among the poor in lower - asks DM. DM then creates beggars etc and spices according to his own design.

2) Helmite wizard decides that he wants to try and sneak a look into some of the more affluent homes in the residential district. Gathers a party, and then asks the DM if he can make it happen. Even if he can't, goes out there anyway.

3) Ex-soldier fighting character wants to start 'drilling' the citizens of Upper because he feels they have gotten too soft. Starts marching a bunch of newly created commoners and PC's around Upper Sanctuary.

Okay, so sometimes you won't be able to get a DM ingame. So grab us on IRC. Or do what you were going to do -anyway- (it's a roleplaying server at the end of the day!) and just try to have some fun.

Love and hugs - Nuclear Catastrophe

my issue with part of this is that I've tried to do such 'charity' things.

I went to to the beetle cave and killed all of them and took the stomachs to lower and asked a dm to make beggars arrive the beacon.

I even made a sending calling out to all who wanted food. And yelled as I was walking through lower that I had free food for all.

I set out 60 items and there was no DM around.

My point is that if I DM around some of these things are hard to do. So players may improvise.

Also is certain quests would be ICly under our characters jurisdiction, but they are too high level, they could recruit a group to do said quest.

If you're level 8 and a paladin, Hoar might be on your radar and it's likely that paladin wouldn't leave it be. But he cant go on the quest for level restrictions, so he sends another worthy group to deal with the issue in his stead.

Personally, i see no problem with PC's giving out scripted quests as long as they pay a reward for doing so or it makes sense ICly.

Thanks for the input, NC. I've not tried the suggestion you made about setting something up then asking for DM intervention because: 1. I fear failure if it doesn't come and I wasted the time of a group of PCs I've assembled. 2. I know a fair number of folks who equate DM involvement with getting their butts handed to them on a platter (esp. if it's lower level, new players - they're too used to scripted quests). 3. Sometimes it just doesn't occur to me.

As for DJ's suggestion, I've done that same sort of thing too - when Balt was lower level but too high for Frear's quest, he would sometimes accompany someone who WAS of the correct level, just because it was IC to do so - not because he was a nice guy, but because he hates vermin.

I think I saw someone doing the spreading food thing the other day, too - every static NPC in lower was standing right behind a bowl of barrelstalk soup - it was hilarious (and likely very timeconsuming, too!)

PD

I think I saw someone doing the spreading food thing the other day, too - every static NPC in lower was standing right behind a bowl of barrelstalk soup - it was hilarious (and likely very timeconsuming, too!)

Ha. :lol:

That was all the food they get for the entire week and they had to share.

I've also gone on the Frear's quest with low levels before when it was IC for my character to do so. It's a good way to RP with lower levels while they get gold and XP. Although when I went, I made the lower level give me the gold and the glands that remove disease. Hey, my time wasn't free, and I was helping him with his combat technique!

Professor Death Thanks for the input, NC. I've not tried the suggestion you made about setting something up then asking for DM intervention because: 1. I fear failure if it doesn't come and I wasted the time of a group of PCs I've assembled.

That's fair. The only two preventive measures for this are to either get a DM before you even start to implement your idea or try and arrange a set time and date to do it, which is always a dangerous game because real life tends to get in the way.

2. I know a fair number of folks who equate DM involvement with getting their butts handed to them on a platter (esp. if it's lower level, new players - they're too used to scripted quests).

True. That's the way it has always been and always will be, unfortunately. Everyone fears the unknown. If you can reassure them beforehand that it's not going to be combat orientated (and don't want it to be) then that's fine, otherwise there's not much that can be done about that.

The worst thing that can happen on EfU is that you lose a character, or a few levels. And then what, you start a new, improved one. The game stays the same, essentially.

3. Sometimes it just doesn't occur to me.

The absolute primary thought you should have before you do anything creative or different on Escape From the Underdark is to tell a DM all about it, because otherwise, it will never be reflected ingame because we can't be everywhere at once.