Looking for inspiration

[hydrol]

Evening all,

I am relatively new to FG and RPG but absolutely love it so far. As i am GMT timezone i am finding it hard to find a game of FG but have enjoyed a number of games on Roll20 to get me used to the various rulesets etc. I think the best chance of me getting a group on FG is to be a DM and run my own one shot! (jump in at the deep end!!)

With this in mind i have the Murmuring Fountain extension and am fairly confident in my ability to run it through FG - The issue i have is that this 1 shot is obviously part of a larger scenario and the Murmuring Fountain starts "In a chamber with a knocking at the window"

Here is where my problem starts - How to create a sufficient back story for running it as a 1 shot? How did the party end up in the Town? How do i stop the party from exploring the remainder of the town which isn't supported in this scenario (no town maps, nothing to support the townsfolk in the story, NPC's, maps etc)

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated



TimeZone: GMT
FG Version -FULL
:rv:

[LordEntrails]

I'm not familiar with this adventure, but in general I would just recommend you layout the restrictions at the beginning. Tell people, "Hey, I've got this one-shot. Here's some back story on it. Be aware of a couple of things; This is my first time running it, It's limited in scope, I don't have everything for the entire town etc, so we will need to stick pretty close to the story line."

I think you'll find you won't have much problems. As you've noticed, their is always a lack of DMs so you will usually have no trouble finding players. Especially if you run a one-shot at FG Daze :)

[Zacchaeus]

Actually it isn't part of a larger story although there is another adventure set in the same village called 'The Fiddler's Lament'. It is just what it says, a one off adventure.

As for why the players are in town here's some suggestions-
1) They are passing through from one place to another, perhaps to visit a friend in the next town that's feeling poorly.
2) They came to town as guards for a trade caravan
3) They live in the town or it's environs
4) They have been asked to come to the town ton investigate rumours of a cult operating in the area
5) They heard that the breakfast bacon and eggs in the local Inn was worth travelling to the town for.

[Nylanfs]

Better yet, let the players make up reasons on why their characters are in the town and that lets you use the players words against them in later adventures. :-)

[Zacchaeus]

Better yet, let the players make up reasons on why their characters are in the town and that lets you use the players words against them in later adventures. :-)

Yep, this is the best advice. But I'd still go with the bacon and egg thing :)

[Trenloe]

The Murmuring Fountain was originally produced for Pathfinder as an adventure path plugin for the Paizo Carrion Crown campaign. So, yes, there are some wider areas not detailed as that information would have been provided in the Pathfinder adventure path (the village of Ravengro, for example). Even though this has been converted to 5E now, there is little additional information provided to fill in the areas where the Pathfinder adventure path product would have. So, yes, this is a touted as a stand alone adventure, but you are right Hydrol that there will appear to be extra background/locale info missing.

As others have mentioned above though, as you're running this as a one off just set the boundaries of the adventure.

[damned]

In a one shot it is often recommended to start "in the action". Reveal some backstory as needed post the opening scene. A One Shot doesnt need to be grounded in backstory and have a logical lead on to the next story. It is a game that will be played by a group that comes together just for that one session.

One shots are very different in that you need to get and keep the timing inside your window - theres no next week - but you dont have to have a great backstory or fully fleshed out world.

I have repeated this story before but when I first found FG and started playing RPGs again (5years ago) but couldnt find a game in my availability so I started running games instead. In our group of 7 there are now 4 GMs and Im only doing one shots. There is a 5e campaign a Star Wars campaign and a Castles&Crusades campaign going on. So - embrace teh GM role - it can be a lot of fun - and slowly encourage your players to consider doing a one shot, running a short 3 part campaign etc and it will happen.

[hydrol]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Really looking forward to running my 1 shot now.

[hydrol]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. Really looking forward to running my 1 shot now.

[Varsuuk]

Yep, this is the best advice. But I'd still go with the bacon and egg thing :)

No...NO... Absolutely NOT... DO.NOT.TRUST this man on breakfast recommendations. IT IS KNOWN.

You might end up dragged into an underwater river or with a gut full of amphibian bebbies.

You...have...been...warned...