F&F: First Arc Q&A - Dungeon Master Edition

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Hey friends, it's time for another round of First Arc Q&As! But who is left to offer their insight and theories about the story, you may ask?

    In all my excitement to share the responses of My Players and their Player Characters; I forgot to answer some questions myself.  So sadly there has been this veil between you, our wonderful readers, and your beloved eldritch Dungeon Master.  Well, no more!

    Aboleth Eye proudly presents...  The Dungeon Master Q&A Special for Freaks & Facades' First Arc!  These were questions my fabulous Players asked, along with a couple from non-Players on my private Discord.

What did the process look like as you started to build the Dementlieu setting?

  • When I first read the scenario that inspired the campaign (quite a long time ago), I decided to absorb as much as I could about the domain.  I collected any and all scans of Ravenloft canon for the domain, and scoured them and the Mistipedia wiki for as much information I could use.  I read the core story that the domain is built upon (its darklord’s origin) and bullet journaled everything I thought was necessary to start.  That way I had the important lore right there as I was beginning to plot the campaign ideas I had.
  • Then came preparing the absolute necessities for running my version of this setting.  I focused on what canon lore would be most relevant to the players’ characters coming into Dementlieu.  I try not to “lore-dump” onto my players, rambling on about the history of a fictitious setting without it being directly relevant to the participants in the story.  Every player is different with what they want to know; so I tend to give descriptions and lore that I myself would absolutely want if I was playing.  The Dungeon Master should be comfortable on both sides of the DM screen--or flipping the chessboard around, if that metaphor vibes with you more (and hopefully that isn't that deep cut of a reference for everybody lol).   
  • So how could I know exactly what this specific combination of players wanted?  Well, we had a session zero.  While everyone was mingling and also getting to know one another, we took turns building characters.  Everyone was present and cheered one another on as the bones of their character's stats and ideas were fit into place.  I also listened to the ideas my players wanted to create, and offered information that I felt was relevant to their interests.  
    • I asked follow-up questions to decisions that intrigued me, and I established early on that no one had to have every single element in place before we began.  We were only level five to start; not heroes with pages and pages of epic history in the Ravenloft horror dimension.  Once we had the base of our characters figured out, everyone split up to mull over ideas and direct messaged me plots or questions thereafter.
  • Now that I had characters mostly established, I could center the world around them.  Our first session (Vignettes One and Two) were a way for me to see the player characters in their native environment and gauge the information they actively pursued.  For instance, the group went to a greengrocer in Campanula in one of our earliest sessions, and I decided it was important to establish information like the produce for sale, the decorations depicting a famous Dementlieuse ship, the halfling owner’s demeanor, etc.  And I peppered in as much French-ness as I could.  Any time things felt non-French, I introduced anything I felt would be super French-y in that current space.  Such as what food was on the tavern table, or the fancy buttons worn by a newly introduced lordling.
  • Establishing your setting isn't just a single one and done process to.  I have found that players and their characters are the water that keeps the mill of creativity churning out small details.  Eventually, those itty bitty grains of lore and descriptions compound into one immersive snowbank of lore for your players to make their own impression in.

What media, if any, inspired your vision of Dementlieu?

  • The Count of Monte Cristo novel by Alexandre Dumas is probably the biggest inspiration I’ve drawn from for Dementlieu.  It’s a novel that explores this decadent French aristocracy through the machinations of a man hiding gutwrenching vengeance behind a façade of civility and mystery.  It is the quintessential French gothic story for this setting.  I read it in college and have been fascinated by it ever since.
  • The first arc specifically I feel might have more elements from Guillermo del Toro's film Crimson Peak and Mike Flanagan's series The Haunting of Bly Manor.  With protagonists drawn into a mystery with reaches to a suppressed past of horror and deception.  Plus we dealt with outright supernatural forces with things like the Black Dog (very Sherlock Holmes), the Haunted Chest (iykyk about Bly Manor), and even the Fiend of Vallee de Neige (which was inspired by an encounter map created by ttrpg designer 2-Minute Tabletop).
    • Later on, as we progressed through the Second Arc, I drew from several other inspirations.  I really wanted to hammer out the pompous and indulgent world of the Dementlieuse aristocracy for this arc.  So I drew from my favorite author of all time, Jane Austen  (especially her satirical novels Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion [my fave]).  Recently, since in real time we are on a hiatus after finishing the Second Arc, I have found inspiration from the Hulu series The Great: An Occasionally True Story*.
  • I do recognize after the fact that the Baron Montagne's story was definitely heavily inspired by another gothic horror mainstay: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.  Do you see it, because it's very obvious to me reading his interlude, The Last Moments of Marie Thibeaux.  Obvious in a good way, though; I didn't just write word for word the same plot, I just integrated so many quintessential elements of the gothic romantic antagonist.  I do see some elements from Mansfield Park as well... I do love those downtrodden Jane Austen protagonists, lol.

If the campaign had to start in another domain, which would you have chosen? Why?

  • Hmm, that’s a tricky one.  Dementlieu is the domain I have researched the most.  It was also the recommended setting for the initial adventure that I wanted to run (before deciding to make a preliminary first arc to establish Ravenloft and Dementlieu with the new characters everyone had).  Additionally, I have fully gone off the deep end and created my own canon that my creative muse made me write.  So Dementlieu is very close to my heart.
  • Since we started playing, I have done a more research on different domains.  The political and societal drama of Dementlieu are fascinating for someone with a lot of high fantasy/sword-and-sorcery games under my belt.  Therefore, if I had to change domains I probably would choose from the following: venomous-slash-religious Borca, Paridon the city eating itself alive, or maybe hyper-filthy urban Nosos.  They, like Dementlieu, don’t get as much love as other domains, and the gothic “flavor” of them is far more unique than what everyone and their grognard grandpappies equate with Ravenloft: Barovia…
    • Barovia and the story of Strahd von Zarovich are so well-known in the player space that I’m not especially interested to put my own spin on the story…  Nor do I want to put myself in a position where I absolutely have to digest every single scrap of Strahd lore ever published; and knowing how my mind works I would absolutely throw myself into that trap if someone asked…  So I am respectfully giving it some distance.  I have read the Barovia-set novel Vampire of the Mists now though, so I could probably find certain Strahd-adjacent elements of the domain that would pique my interest.
  • Some domains I outright do not want to run, due to certain elements being more outdated than the others.  Others I avoid because they reminded me of certain real world events; and I did not want to subject the players to that when they are trying to escape to fantasy horror.  
    • Storytime: I was in a campaign a few years ago of a village trapped in a giant dome.  It was a fun campaign but the Dungeon Master running it decided to put it on indefinite hiatus.  Certain events they had planned were kind of... acted out by real world events at the time (aka January 6th...)  We respectfully agreed to drop it.  
    • You unfortunately never know when certain crazy ideas become uncomfortably topical.  So I kind of avoid domains like Falkovnia nowadays, what with it being a gothic horror version of a super-fascist hell domain...  And there's a lot of potentially triggering plot threads covered by the many storied domains of Ravenloft...

How different is the current campaign playing out from what you first envisioned?

  • This campaign came about initially from a campaign seed in the Sword & Sorcery Studios book “Champions of Darkness”.  It offered up an opening to an already-established campaign; so it did not feel right to drop the players right in without integrating them.
  • So when I began writing this campaign, I made the decision early to ground the characters' stories totally in the gothic realism this setting works best with.  The fantastic abilities and backstories of Player Characters do allow for possibilities beyond the limits of a grounded story, however.  But by grounding them as denizens of the domain (or realms beyond as outlanders), we discovered ways together to heighten the story in ways each character only could.  And it allows for the players to uncover the mysteries the realm has to offer--sometimes too little too late, in fact. 
    • Additionally, this group included two players that the majority hadn’t played before, and it led to unforgettable roleplaying and interactions with the setting that stretched the preliminary First Arc far beyond the bullet-journaled framework I envisioned.  I had no idea how well the group would work together in and out of character; nor how eager everyone would be to spend hours hashing out and dissecting everyone else’s decisions and potential adventures! 
  • Looking back now, I could not imagine the story of Freaks & Facades being any different than how it played out.  I am grateful to have such a great group of enthusiastic roleplaying friends to have these adventures with.

What do you find to be the most difficult part of DM-ing? The easiest?

  • I find improvisation is actually my forte when it comes to being Dungeon Master.  Like any person who grew up with pipe dreams of literary greatness, I can write endless bulleted lists of plot ideas and possibilities when I am alone.  However, that is merely writing in a vacuum; which can work for a self-written novel draft or Tumblr post.  
    • But by bouncing off my players with these journaled ideas lurking in my mind, I utilize my gut to react to their decisions with possibilities I never anticipated.  I used to do improv in high school, way before I got into tabletop games; so, when something my players do and say inspires me, I know instinctively to “yes and”.  
    • More often than not, in this group of trusted and communicative players, their decisions create story ripples and repercussions that are made with both head and heart.
  • The hardest part for me is feeling satisfied with my own creations and encounters.  I tend to struggle with balancing story with combat, since I reward roleplay and story engagement as well as surviving encounters.  Some tricks or ideas I prep for combat tend to be too niche for my players to use during the heat of the moment.  I offer unique battlefield mechanics and circumstances sometimes--like moving gears or a flowing river nearby.  But I struggle to anticipate most tabletop gamers' drive to solve the problems entirely by their own power.  So I end up disappointed that a trap I set or a cool set piece I made is never used.
    • Additionally, keeping track of each player’s different abilities, along with all the different status conditions certain dangers inflict, makes my head spin.  Especially for large scale encounters.  Thankfully there are tons of tools to help me streamline and link specific conditions and mechanics when triggered—including the fanmade D20 SRD and SRD.DNDTOOLS online resources for D&D 3.5 edition, and the TTRPG shared map and encounter design site Roll20.

What is your favorite decision that was made by the party?  Least favorite?

  • So far there really hasn’t been a decision in the campaign that’s upset me or made things difficult.  With this group I learned very early on not to anticipate every outcome; and so I have been pleasantly surprised many a time by their choices.  
    • Instead I try to fully express the consequences and rewards of their decisions in-game.  The Players are really good at utilizing what their characters know and learn.  We overall really want to see how the characters organically evolve as they interact with the horrors of the world and one another.  
  • I really love seeing plot threads eventually tangle against one another as protagonists' decisions pile up.  Luckily, they are being made with their characters' current levels of plot knowledge (including the gaps they miss).  And when they eventually snarl and come back to bite them organically... *chef's kiss* 

Are there any character relationships (romantic or otherwise) that you particularly enjoy so far?

  • I’m enjoying every player character relationship develop over the story.  Vignettes at the start of the First Arc were an introduction for myself and all the players to see their future companions working alone and falling prey to the Mists of Ravenloft's games.  And then they immediately started building connections from the moment they fell into The Ravens Loft Inn.  I was smiling pretty much the entire time I ran that session.
    • Fenri’s relationships are the ones I most think about, since she has actively built them over the course of the story.  The other characters have certain reservations about making friends, but as you have hopefully read I never have to worry about Fenri.  Plus, when secrets are revealed that impact Fenri’s relationships, I can always expect something entertaining from her player.  It is hilarious to us all when she actively ignores the parade of red flags waving in her face.
  • I also love it when the players start to weave together backstory elements from things happening in-game.  Adding in elements is a conversation I directly get to be involved in; where I get to be the group’s biggest fan and offer up ideas to make each character's personal lore more dynamic, ironic and even tragic...  We love protagonists doomed by the plot; as well as ones answering the call of the Dark Powers.   
    • Schrodinger’s family situation has been one of my favorites—if we ever get to meet them, it is going to be truly horrifying because the player has no idea about the true extent I’ve written for their lore.  (Slight spoiler but... Can you say "potential darklords"? Haha...)

Are there any NPCs you particularly enjoy roleplaying as? Any you find difficult to roleplay?

  • I would have to say Claudine was very fun to roleplay.  Before all these plans I just wanted to play someone ridiculous and ostentatious, and her personality took over me during most of her introductory session.  
  • Baron Montagne was also very fun to play, but in retrospect his motives were hard to fully portray.  From the moment he was introduced, I loved the menace he instilled in Fenri.  When everyone was invited to tea, he then got to fully hound everyone else and sniff out exactly where they stood—preferably not against him, at their own peril…  I also felt really in the moment when he reignited that last battle just by his presence, bringing his son to heel and obey even against his own morals.
    • But despite writing his backstory with great intention and doing my best, malicious characters really are hard for me to play.  I haven't really gotten to play a truly vile human character in any campaign of mine, so I was just inexperienced I feel.  
    • I wanted the players to see more ripples of his evil when he wasn’t in view; e.g. the control he had over the Campanula magistrate, the ways he disposed of loose ends, the abuse of his son, etc.  I tried to compensate for my own inability to fully become that kind of monstrous, grounded villain.

Claudine wasn’t initially intended to be as important as she was. When did you decide to make her a secret revolutionary?

  • Looking back on that session, Claudine LaFitte was really a spur of the moment.  When the party was invited to tea at the Montagne estate, I only knew I wanted some conflict with Young Lord Isaac.  But I didn’t want him to just swagger in, that was not right in the moment.  I wanted to make his pity party spill over into their tense waiting room.  She just became the embodiment of chaos to lift people’s spirits and heighten the drama of Dementlieu’s high society.
    • I admit also that I kinda fudged a consequence with her interference.  I could have chalked it up to her just being ridiculous, but that didn't exactly feel right... So I put her to the side for later.
  • But when the group decided to escape the Vallee de Neige’s rather than confront the horror within, I needed a witness to their failure to resolve the encounter, while it was still fresh.  I had planned a faction already at play against the Baron and his ilk, but I needed a face for them to become attached to.  One that the party wouldn’t expect.  I thought about using Jacquard but he hadn’t made any impression on them—poor sap ended up being on the sidelines in the end.  
    • Claudine certainly had made an impression on the group—our discord server was abuzz with jokes and discussions about how she inadvertently saved Solange and Fenri from getting caught snooping in the Baron’s mansion.  So I decided that she wasn’t some joke throwaway character; there was more behind the ostentatious persona she put out.

Who is your least favorite NPC to portray?

  • No one in particular felt bad to portray.  I do feel like I write so many characters that some just get left to the wayside, or I have to pull focus from to keep the story going.  It’s all for the cause of the narrative, but I don’t hate being anyone (even the villains despite my misgivings above).
    • Baron Montagne if anyone was difficult to portray, but that is more my dissatisfaction with the choices I had him make behind the scenes.  But they did facilitate the group's victory in the end, so I can't dwell on that and feel truly bad looking back.

As the DM, what was your favorite moment of the First Arc?

  • That’s very hard.  Every session ends up being my favorite in the end.  This arc helped me get a handle on characters’ personalities, without having to juggle five complete backstories and plot progressions all at once.  The group worked really well together to overcome the challenges I put before them, and it taught them how Dementlieu works culturally and Ravenloft mechanically in-game.  
  • Now I can give them free reign and lure them towards some “fun” things Dementlieu has to offer from its canon—the city of Port-a-Lucine has a million and one delights to tempt the players.  And plenty of fresh horrors looking to prey upon them…
    • Sorry if that's a non-answer but it's how I feel honestly... Haha!

Who's backstory (PC or NPC) are you most interested in exploring?

  • It’s been amazing to flesh out every character’s backstory during the campaign.  Character creation was deep but with limits—we left a lot unexplored at the start so the players can inject details when they’re inspired.  And some players keep their cards close to their chest so to speak; I keep vigilant watch for anything they let slip.  Will I use it against them?  Definitely. 
  • In terms of NPCs, I have so many planned out for the Second Arc.  From the First Arc specifically there are characters like Claudine who I’m writing extensively for as we speak.  But there’s one character in particular I want to keep around as a potential obstacle.  Councilor Dominic d’Honaire to be specific, since the party is heading back to the city he helps govern…
  • In terms of NPCs from this First Arc, I got extremely inspired with the Baron Montagne’s backstory.  A villain that formed not but nature but by nurture, by always being the lapdop to the powerful.  
    • It led to me writing The Last Moments of Marie Thibeaux in a coffee-induced manic state, which has become one of my favorite pieces of writing I’ve ever put out to the internet.

What was the most cringeworthy (if any) moment from Act 1?

  • Cringe is entirely in the eye of the beholder.  And any moment in a tabletop roleplaying game without context could definitely fall under TTRPG cringe in some way…  My tolerance for ttrpg cringe is so high now that I honestly can’t think of anything beyond one or two examples. 
    • If I had to pick one moment, it’s the aftermath of Fenri’s riot.  That has been such a joy to bring back again and again any time Fenri goes off alone to socialize.  It’s an inside joke that never gets old, and Fenri’s player continuously plays along and denies they started that riot. The Dementlieuse just care a lot...  The player's significant other, who listens in on the games, also got in on the joke ever since.  And that is just hilarious.
  • A moment that makes me cringe in a good way was a huge discussion we had out of game over on my Discord.  I randomly came across a clip from Muppet Treasure Island movie on YouTube.  It was Kermit and Miss Piggy singing a hilarious romantic song together; and I thought it oddly fit early Solange x Schrodinger vibes we were joking around about.  And it somehow spun out into a crazy Pirate AU thread we made and have not touched since. 
    • Solange became a shark-toothed bestial Caliban (aka Sharklonge), captain of the ship.  
    • Schrodinger was still a bone monster but he was the hoity toity noble who bumbles onto the ship like it’s a cruise.  Kind of like Stede Bonnet in Our Flag Means Death...
    • Channa is a runaway Jim Hawkins type searching the high seas with a mysterious creepy map.
    • Pryrrish is the lookout who never leaves the crow’s nest.  Using their special elven eyes to 
    • Lastly, Fenri got the weirdest AU spin.  She became a creepy shark cult cleric who things Sharklonge is a demigod of her patron.  And she uses a giant ship's wood saw to amputates limbs to feed the captain.  hehehe...
  • It spun out into such a kaleidoscope of high seas pirate cringe.  It is our cringe, however; we own it and how it all kinda of spun out of control is hilarious looking back on it!

If you could add one Player Character to the Team of Freaks, what would their Race/Class be?

  • This group is pretty large (5 player characters) and I feel that everyone is unique enough that there aren’t any “holes” missing in the group.  Sometimes, especially with smaller groups, they struggle to get through certain challenges because they lack a front-liner, healer, etc.  
    • In this case, no one is taking on more than they should.  Everyone has gotten a chance to shine.
  • The Second Arc has plenty of characters, however, that could easily be utilized as assistants.  We’re going deeper into the darkness of the sumptuous aristocracy, so the party needs to choose their allies carefully.  But we shall have to wait and see who makes an impact on the players and their characters…  

Do you have a set end goal for your players time in Dementlieu? And if so, do you think they’ll be able to pull off a happy ending?

  • Set End Goal?  I don’t think I plan out the exact outcomes for any of my campaigns.  Nothing beyond the basic “players win against [current challenge]” and “players don’t win”.  The outlines for my campaigns, especially with a new cast of characters to work with, are pretty skeletal and flexible. 
  • As the Dungeon Master, I narrate the ups and downs provoked by the players’ decisions.  If they put in the work or anticipate things going a certain way, I will try and offer them the insight and tools to go even further!
  • Also, you really can't fit any ending we could potentially make as Happy...  This is Ravenloft after all, an entire plane kaleidoscoping with individual pockets of horror.  Like in any eldritch evil or horror story, just be glad the group survives another day.
    • I have to warn you, though; if the group keeps "winning", the powers that be in this dark space are going to redouble their efforts against them.  No one goes boldly through Ravenloft without a few scars or curses marring their lives thereafter (or outright claiming it completely)... 
    • *evil laugh *

Do you know that you are a fantastic DM and I adore playing with you because it's very important that you do?

  • Aww thank you, anonymous Player who submitted this!  ( I can see who you are but I appreciate it all the more lol)
  • I am humbled that you are having a blast!  I certainly am enjoying this campaign with you and everyone.  This has been a fantastic experience and I cannot wait to create more adventures with you all!

    And there you have it.  A peek into the neurotic mind of a gothic horror-obsessed Dungeon Master!  I hope you enjoyed this peek, albeit it being super super late.  Next time, if we do this again, I will try to get this out within a freaking year! 
    Check out our other Q&AS [Players & Characters]; as well as the other Session Recaps of Freaks & Facades! 

-- Love, Aboleth Eye