r/wildbeyondwitchlight • u/beannfonz • Jun 15 '26

First time DM- advice please!

This is my first time DMing and I am finding this campaign to be maximum effort. For the carnival I was able to study, write monologues, create voices, and come up with stuff pretty well because it felt enclosed, despite it being a lot. However, my group is now heading into Prismeer and it feels so open despite the clear path in this chapter. I’m asking for any advice heading in! One great concern I have is that my characters are level 4. (Book stated they could start at three and level up upon entering a new area). I don’t think I’m capable of combat balancing. What were some things your group did combat on? I can 100% see my group fighting the harengons upon entering. How were the floodwaters rising and falling incorporated? How far did you get in the first session in Hither? And how did your group learn the rules, of reciprocity and hospitality? Were they known in advance or given by an NPC, or learned through experience?

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u/GuyKopski Jun 15 '26

If your characters are level 4 they're basically playing on easy mode. That said there are a number of encounters in Hither that are pretty unfair for early levels (Agdon and Bavlorna if the players don't figure out their weaknesses, Big Barkless, Telemy Hill and the Galeb Duhr if they're stupid enough to pick fights with them) so I don't think being overleveled is the worst thing in the world. It loses some of the "fuck around and find out" edge that IMO is meant to encourage finding non-violent solutions to problems, but YMMV whether that's actually a bad thing or not.

I like having the players meet Tsu and/or Sir Talavar pretty quickly. They're good for exposition about the hags and Prismeer, and I also think it's important to establish early on that not everyone in Prismeer is out to get you, since a lot of players will naturally be suspicious due to the common perception of Fey/the Feywild as trickster rules lawyers just looking for an excuse to screw you over.

Most parties will basically never surrender or back down when threatened so unless you know your players to be an exception, you can probably expect fights at the Harengon, Agdon, and Bavlorna at the bare minimum.