"Home Brew PF unsure " Topic

Just got PC's together for a Pathfinder campaign in a guys home-brew world… Core-four books only.

We choose classes/races and did up our characters, then the DM tells us we all start as quasi-veterans (3rd level), but with average 1st level gold. SO cannot afford magic or even Masterwork anything at even 3rd level.

BUT – I am OK with a magic-lean world, I am having fun puttering around in in a Dark Sun campaign with another DM after all.

It was the intro session… It was pretty clear his homebrew world was star of this session. Not completely, mind you.

Epic ruins and past civilization area, we are chosen ones, go through a test to prove we are worthy, test involved some roleplay with pocket dimensions and manifestations of our own weaknesses and fears, our direct actions will either strengthen or weaken the bounds holding old gods who want to destroy this world…

So this posed two concerns:

#1 Not sure if the style of DMing was only necessary for the intro, and that is why he did it that way, or if this is a precursor of how his style is going to be throughout – time will tell, but the session consisted of about 85% listening, 15% interaction.

#2 For a magic-lean world where we are quasi-vets with average start gold on our very first session… We experienced some HUMONGOUSLY epic levels of magic; glowing-rune encrusted tower whos rune reshaped into five dimensions to allow us entry, illusionary terrain, physical manifestations of our inner emotions springing up, elevating platforms, witnessing bound, "old gods," etc.

I have hopes it was just to get us into the theme and introduce the world to us and things will get less railroad and more open-ended for us to participate rather than witness.

In my decades of experience in RPGs, I have witnessed many "Epic" home brew worlds…sounds like you are about to depart on the choo-choo plot train of doom filled…….. boredom.
everything is EPIIIIIC! except your characters of coarse. Wait for the all knowing super badass NPCs who can eclipse your characters at any and all moments but still somehow expect that you solve all the problems,quests and challenges. Followed by the E.V.I.L (tm) uber angst filled mega bad guys who despite being apparently, all knowing, all powerful, reality warping Doom-lords in command of vast resources and near endless wealth and minions at their disposal, don't just squash you and your mates like the bugs you appear to be, but wait for the "EPIC" confrontation at the last moment to save or doom the universe……. yeah, good luck with all that my friend. :D

Wait for the all knowing super badass NPCs who can eclipse your characters at any and all moments but still somehow expect that you solve all the problems, quests and challenges.

Of course. And the coarser the better!!

C'mon, man, your messing with the fantasy.

I can hope.

Our first session left off (and the next session begins) with us walking through a portal into an unknown (to us so far) land on the home brew continent where a suitably EPIC behemoth-castle-construct-golem-thing is lumbering our direction seemingly uncontrolled – not coming straight, but lumbering sporadically.

Not sure what 3rd level PC's with no magic items or weapons are supposed to do with that, but there we are…

Of course, with my PC being a Dwarf Druid/Alchemist (Earth Domain) who venerates what he calls, "The Great Creator" (Profession: Metallurgist) and who worships by the act of crafting and creating…

He wants to get inside and find out how to make one himself. That is HIS focus anyways.

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I think this is exactly a variation on that theme, yes.

The only NPC so far is actually a Succubus, we had to blindly chose between four featureless, "advisors," and it turned out to be a Succubus, who does not want the world destroyed because then it ruins her playground.

Of course, if we get into trouble, she is Gandalf and comes to the rescue I am sure, BUT she made it clear it is providing we sacrifice something in return. So, Catch-22.

If this does go 85%/15% next session I will be speaking up to the DM and give him one more chance for an INTERACTIVE game before I quit.

The question is how much experience dose the DM have running a campaign?

If he's new, this could be a mess. Hopefully he will be willing to learn.

On the other hand if he has experience and still just dictates the game, leave after the second session.

DMing a good game is a skill that can only be learnt through time. My advice is to enjoy the gaming experience while you can, then perhaps propose to DM yourself for a week, to give the regular DM a break. If that doesn't work, propose a different night of gaming round to your place.

IMHO the hardest thing to do is to get together a group of interested and interesting relatively like-minded players. Once you've got that, just rotate the DM hat until something gells.

Also, FWIW: both druids and alchemists are far better served by not branching off into another class. There are even a few archetypes or alternate class features that allow you to give one of those two classes a few aspects of the other, without multiclassing.

Without knowing anything else, this does kind of sound like "Theater major's first campaign". (And i don't mean this to dump on theater majors)

I'd definitely have a POLITE AND FRIENDLY discussion with the GM after another session if it's still mostly sitting around.

You can frame it as "How do I begin to actualize my characters goals?".

A story-heavy, thematic campaign isn't a bad thing at all, but it's very hard to pull off if you're inexperienced.

Second session was much better. Still heavy-handed on the descriptives, but FAR more player action and affecting the outcome in the game itself.

I did talk with the DM after the session about my initial misgivings and concerns and making time for the PC's to "do their thing" accomplishing their own goals and not making this one wild ride after another after another.

And poopoo to the advice not to dip into other classes. I try to gravitate towards games and players that are into thematic PC's and the games evolving story and not into optimizing and metagaming the highest DPR or maximizing abilities.

He is a Druid who worships Nature as The Great Creator, so he is "into" Crafting and creating as a form of worship in itself. So, Craft Alchemy, and Craft Wondrous Item, and eventually Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and Craft Construct (which he sees as the pinnacle of creative worship!)

Already discussed with DM, because some do not want PC's doing that in the game. And YES – he has incredible penalties for Crafting Magic not being any type of arcane caster, but so what? It's part of his flavor.