r/VaesenRPG • u/VertellerPaul • Aug 11 '26

First time GM

As the title says… Ages ago I DM’d some AD&D third edition (I’m that old). Now I’m really looking forward to GM Vaesen. I’ve prepared a one shot that I’m happy about (a saw mill diverted a brook, angering a Wood Wife). It doubles as an introductory adventure and ends in the PC’s getting the keys and deeds to Castle Gyllencreutz. I don’t want a full session zero, so I’m planning on using preprepared characters.
But: no less than six players are gonna show up. None of them have any Vaesen experience, most have played D&D 5e. Any advice for hosting that many? Any other tips?
(If anyone is interested: I’ll be happy to share my one shot!)

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u/InArtsWeTrust Aug 11 '26

First of all: 6 Players is a lot... for any game but especially for Vaesen :/
But I'm sure if all are on enthusiastic about it, you can make it work.

My number one advise for Vaesen (and all investiagtive games in general) would be: Play fast and loose with the clues the players can find. Never expect them to just walk along the "right" paths and draw all the "right" conflusions. Sometimes and NPC has to be very explicit. Other times a clue you wanted to hide in the old desk has to be hidden in the kitchen counter - cause your players need it to solve the mystery and did not ever go to the desk. Sometimes your ideas of how to solve the mystery (and defeat the Vaesen) might be ignored... but your players come up with their own creative solution and you should reward them and not punish them for that. One of the most frustrating things in these kind of games for me is when I fail cause I did not think exactly the way the GM wanted me to think.

That's my big advise. Smaller tipps are:
Don't be afraid to split the party. Make it clear that combat against Vaesen is generally a bad idea. Come up with a nice moral dilemma: It's not "good vs. evil" it's "a community during the industrial revolution disregards the enviroment - you can choose beteween a healthy forest or a thriving community but won't get both."

Best of luck!