Campaign: Want help and Fresh Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign: Want help and Fresh Ideas [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Wayett
03-18-07, 05:44 PM Making a campaign because my group wants me too, but I don't like preparing things. I was thinking a world where humans aren't in control (never really liked them anyway). Any ideas are welcome, all ideas are welcome. I just want ideas.
KeshFerrar
03-18-07, 07:19 PM You left the range wide open here. Are there any style or themes that you're specifically looking for (vanilla, steam punk, dark, etc)?

There are more than a couple ideas running around on the boards right now that could be used as is or tweaked a little to get what you want. Just ask the authors and I'm sure would be open to you borrowing at you're leisure.
Wayett
03-18-07, 08:02 PM Meh, I free for anything, more Fantasy then anything else.
taradusis
03-18-07, 10:10 PM SOME RANDOM THOUGHTSEven if you don't use them right away consider placing an island chain on the map.This will allow you to run a pirate or age of exploration type campaign?As a creative tool taking a race you hate and modifying it till its acceptable can be interesting.I modified minotaurs to be a race of evolved cattle so it would be logical for them to be more widespread.Above all else strive for something unique,new race,class,nation,government,items,anyth ing.In order to reduce your options to a more managable level you should forbid certain things from the start?Non-core material,psionics,evil pcs or whatever.
Yakman
03-19-07, 01:00 PM The PCs hail from some Toril-like fantasy planet, but live and adventure on a moon of that planet.
Wayett
03-19-07, 05:01 PM So far, I have the planet (not caring much about it right now) and the moon, which is a mini-earth with a dense core so the gravity and atmosphere are like the planet it surronds (I have all the science junk worked out, but if any of the players ask hows this works I'll reply "magic"). The moon has its own native race: humans but with +2 dex and -2 int because they are more barbaric and live in the water trees.

Geography:

Much on the moon is covered in a vast ocean. Island chains are scattered, and look like grain tossed upon the ground. A main continent Kalishiea, is in the centre of the moon, and the islands surroding it. Most of the island is tropical with many water plants, including high rising trees that jut out of the water inbetween and surronding islands and the shallows. Much of the lower part of the island side is very much unexplored becuase of all the dragon turtles that enhabit the area.

Native Races:

The two native races are humans, and a semi-aquatic races of halfings I haven't given much depth into yet. The native species include many types of fish and birds, lots of reptiles, but very few mammals. Dragon turtles and Kaldragons (bronze/black dragons) inhabit most of the moon and are the top predators. A very advanced race did rule the moon before, but became extinct and took most of the mammels with it, which most believe to be the creators of many stange mutant/hybrid species.

What I've got so far. I'll up date it with a map when I finish the rest of the geography in a little more detail. Thanks for all the help so far.
taradusis
03-21-07, 05:29 PM On the D+D General board I have a thread titled "RANDOM AQUATIC NOTES",I make up new islands every so often,feel free to steal the ideas.One idea I was trying to develope was the idea of the KAYAK PEOPLE.These were an eskimo like people who spent most of their lives in kayaks and came ashore only rarely.
taradusis
04-01-07, 06:13 PM I must admit to being mildly curious about the kaldragons.Why consider a cross breed of bronze and black?Why not black or bronze?Just a random question,not a criticism,per se.
TheDarkPrince
04-01-07, 06:21 PM I had something similar to the Kayak people, but instead the people never went to shore, they had a floating city made of barges lashed together. Lots of aquatic focused druids, and rangers with harpoons and dolphin mounts.
die
04-02-07, 05:29 PM A cross breed of bronze and black dragons?, sounds cool, I'm curious too.

Halflings that build houses on floating platforms of reed mats, they tie together to form small hamlets called 'Rafts' floating and fishing in the center of the lake and come to shore to trade and gather reeds once a month. If they don't like their neighbor they just untie and float around to a different Raft or start their own. They wear their hair in braids and each Raft is ruled by the eldest couple, minor disputes are settled by unarmed combat and the victor claims a braid which they tie to a fishing spear for all to see. Many rafts have a family of dire otters living among them, some haflings are able to ride them.
darkhunter2007
04-03-07, 11:56 AM What about this:
The world controled by monsters which you'll create, and the good hummanoids are slaves (humans,elves and such...)

the party are slaves that got away and joind a group of rebels?
Wayett
04-03-07, 04:19 PM Ya, black and bronze combo of dragons because:
1. They look cool.
2. They swim in an aquatic world you really need that.
3. They are something the players haven't seen before.
4. The beath weapon combination is nice.
5. They look cool.

I'm using the halflings that live on rafts as the second native race of playable races, thanks die for that great input of creativity. I'm also thinking of adding a race like lizardfolk/kou-toa like critters that are like goblinoids. Still working on the maps, I'll be posting them shortly (hopefully).

I was thinking of making the world they come from ruled by evil slavers to make it why they chose to go to the moon. Thaks for all the input so far keep it coming.
die
04-03-07, 10:57 PM Ull a half sunken city built of green limestone by an older reptilian race on the shore of a marsh and jungle covered island. Only a quarter of the city is inhabited the rest lies in varying stages of ruin, population - 5,000 (50% human, 30% cuetzpalin, 10% naga, 10% other (scrag bouncers, malenti merchants, locathah bounty hunters, lizardfolk sailors, yuan-ti scholars, bullywug oarsmen, etc).

Suppossedly ruled by a huge half toad/half lizard demi-god and his clerics who use an ancient draconian tongue called Nurian, the merchant guilds actually run the day to day affairs of the city, collecting taxes, levying fines and punishing criminals. The priesthood is only concerned with greeting the rising sun, appeasing their god and is open to any race. No clerics of other religions are allowed in the city and huge, lazy, semi-aquatic lizards are the beasts of burden.

Their lizardfolk cousins from the surrounding marsh come to town to trade crocodile hides, rare plants and captives for better weapons.

Adventurers from Ull speak Nurian as well as common and swim is always a class skill.

Cuetzpalin

Size/Type: Large Giant (Reptilian)
Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp)
Initiative: -1
Speed: 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft.
Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +7 natural, +3 hide armor), touch 8, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+12
Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d8+6) or +9 bite (1d8+6)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +10 melee (1d8+6) and +7 bite (1d8+6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.

Special Q: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +0, Will +2
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills: Climb +5, Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +10
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Focus (claw)

Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, pair, clutch (3-4), or band (5-8)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: +4

Adult cuetzpalin stand 9 to 10 feet tall with mottled gray and brown scales and weigh 600 to 650 pounds and its tail is used for balance and is 6 to 8 feet long. They like to stand really still in the sunlight for the first few hours of each day and rarely do anything but sleep at night.

Outside the city the island is covered in a perpetual mist and home to the Cottonmouth Clan of Lizardfolk, they are led by a Spirit Naga named Ma Saran. All lizardfolk encountered here use viper poison on their javelins (DC 10 initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con) and are immune to viper venom.

8% chance of an encounter each hour while traveling through the marsh

1 Snake, Tiny Viper EL 1/3
2 Snake, Small Viper EL 1/2
3 Snake, Medium Viper EL 1
4 Snake, Large Viper EL 2
5 An Allip chasing two lizardfolk (level 1 warriors) through the undergrowth EL 3
6 Amidst the tangled undergrowth lies an Assassin Vine EL 3
7 A deep bog hiding a Lizardfolk gang (3 level 1 warriors) EL 3
8 A colony of Small Monstrous Spiders scurry from out of the undergrowth EL 3
9 Shallow bog
10 Snake, Huge Viper EL 3
11 Deep bog
12 Quicksand
13 A shallow bog inhabited by a hungry Giant Constrictor Snake EL 5
14 Lying in a shallow bog lurks an Ochre Jelly EL 5
15 A hungry Tendriculos EL 6
16 A mud hut decorated with skulls on a small island surrounded by deep bog inhabited by a Green Hag alchemist called Auntie by the Lizardfolk and her 12 pet Snakes (Tiny Vipers) EL 6
17 Shambling Mound EL 6
18 A deep bog and a pair of Chuul ambushers EL 9
19 Quicksand and a string of Will-O’-Wisps EL 10
20 Ma Saran the Spirit Naga and a pair of Lizardfolk (level 3 bards with 14 charisma) EL 10

While camping it drops to 5% chance per hour of an encounter
1-7 A gang of Lizardfolk (3 level 1 warriors) tracking the PCs with their pet Snake (Large Viper) EL 4
8-10 A Giant Constrictor Snake on the prowl for its next meal EL 5

Maybe change the Cottonmouth Clan of lizardfolk to primitive humans if that fits in better
Wayett
04-11-07, 07:21 PM Thanks die for the island.

Religion:

The religion varies between islands and island chains. Each group of island or islands is ruled by one king and the deity/deities are all part of that one province. When a king of one province takes over another they assimilate the other province's dieties into their religion. This means that over time a large pantheon begins to grow. Their have been a few holy wars and cults believing that their deity is better or that thier religion is right and they go off on a killing spree. When these holy orders and cults are disbanded their deity is forgotten because of the shame. More remote islands have different beliefs that they have kept oer the years but over all the moon has a polytheistic religion.

The main continent has a handful of deities and each one belongs to a high ranking family or cause. Whenever a new family or cause comes into power a new deity is born, and when the family or cause dies out so does the deity.

Keep the input coming.
Windbit
04-11-07, 11:20 PM My thread "Concepts for African Inspired Campaign Settings" has some info on the Yoruban and Voodoo pantheons, if you'd want to have an Africa-themed island. The Voodoo religion in particular might fit your world: most of the gods of Voodoo, called loa, are deified ancestral spirits.

Since most of your world's creatures are reptilian, maybe you could convert several mammalian monsters into reptilian counterparts? Also, since water has a lot to do with your world, what about amphibians? Maybe your third race could be salamander people that are equally at home on land and in the water.
Wayett
04-13-07, 04:46 PM Salamander people, lizard people, frog people, insect people, and finally the swap folk (humans) and halflings on giant rafts. An african island sounds interesting, I was planning on doing an island like Rapa-Nui (Easter Island) before they were sold into slavery after the spanish conquered central and south america. I'll add the voodoo pantheon to their island and each of the Moai (giant headstones) will each be a loa. Thanks Windbit.

If you read the Geography post in this thread there is a large part of the southern hemisphere that is unexplored because of dragon turtles. I want an exotic type of peoples to live there that arne't like anything else on the island. Thanks for the help so far.
die
04-13-07, 06:47 PM For frogs dudes you could use grippli (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/humanoid/grippli.htm) from the Creature Catalog (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/index.php)
I think the official version is in Dragon 324
Wayett
04-14-07, 11:30 AM Thats die. I have that issue. I was thinking of using the skum from MM as the base stats for the salamander people and then lizard folk for the stats of the lizard people (duh). Thanks for the help so far and please keep it coming.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wayett 03-18-07, 05:44 PM	Making a campaign because my group wants me too, but I don't like preparing things. I was thinking a world where humans aren't in control (never really liked them anyway). Any ideas are welcome, all ideas are welcome. I just want ideas.
KeshFerrar 03-18-07, 07:19 PM	You left the range wide open here. Are there any style or themes that you're specifically looking for (vanilla, steam punk, dark, etc)? There are more than a couple ideas running around on the boards right now that could be used as is or tweaked a little to get what you want. Just ask the authors and I'm sure would be open to you borrowing at you're leisure.
Wayett 03-18-07, 08:02 PM	Meh, I free for anything, more Fantasy then anything else.
taradusis 03-18-07, 10:10 PM	SOME RANDOM THOUGHTSEven if you don't use them right away consider placing an island chain on the map.This will allow you to run a pirate or age of exploration type campaign?As a creative tool taking a race you hate and modifying it till its acceptable can be interesting.I modified minotaurs to be a race of evolved cattle so it would be logical for them to be more widespread.Above all else strive for something unique,new race,class,nation,government,items,anyth ing.In order to reduce your options to a more managable level you should forbid certain things from the start?Non-core material,psionics,evil pcs or whatever.
Yakman 03-19-07, 01:00 PM	The PCs hail from some Toril-like fantasy planet, but live and adventure on a moon of that planet.
Wayett 03-19-07, 05:01 PM	So far, I have the planet (not caring much about it right now) and the moon, which is a mini-earth with a dense core so the gravity and atmosphere are like the planet it surronds (I have all the science junk worked out, but if any of the players ask hows this works I'll reply "magic"). The moon has its own native race: humans but with +2 dex and -2 int because they are more barbaric and live in the water trees. Geography: Much on the moon is covered in a vast ocean. Island chains are scattered, and look like grain tossed upon the ground. A main continent Kalishiea, is in the centre of the moon, and the islands surroding it. Most of the island is tropical with many water plants, including high rising trees that jut out of the water inbetween and surronding islands and the shallows. Much of the lower part of the island side is very much unexplored becuase of all the dragon turtles that enhabit the area. Native Races: The two native races are humans, and a semi-aquatic races of halfings I haven't given much depth into yet. The native species include many types of fish and birds, lots of reptiles, but very few mammals. Dragon turtles and Kaldragons (bronze/black dragons) inhabit most of the moon and are the top predators. A very advanced race did rule the moon before, but became extinct and took most of the mammels with it, which most believe to be the creators of many stange mutant/hybrid species. What I've got so far. I'll up date it with a map when I finish the rest of the geography in a little more detail. Thanks for all the help so far.
taradusis 03-21-07, 05:29 PM	On the D+D General board I have a thread titled "RANDOM AQUATIC NOTES",I make up new islands every so often,feel free to steal the ideas.One idea I was trying to develope was the idea of the KAYAK PEOPLE.These were an eskimo like people who spent most of their lives in kayaks and came ashore only rarely.
taradusis 04-01-07, 06:13 PM	I must admit to being mildly curious about the kaldragons.Why consider a cross breed of bronze and black?Why not black or bronze?Just a random question,not a criticism,per se.
TheDarkPrince 04-01-07, 06:21 PM	I had something similar to the Kayak people, but instead the people never went to shore, they had a floating city made of barges lashed together. Lots of aquatic focused druids, and rangers with harpoons and dolphin mounts.
die 04-02-07, 05:29 PM	A cross breed of bronze and black dragons?, sounds cool, I'm curious too. Halflings that build houses on floating platforms of reed mats, they tie together to form small hamlets called 'Rafts' floating and fishing in the center of the lake and come to shore to trade and gather reeds once a month. If they don't like their neighbor they just untie and float around to a different Raft or start their own. They wear their hair in braids and each Raft is ruled by the eldest couple, minor disputes are settled by unarmed combat and the victor claims a braid which they tie to a fishing spear for all to see. Many rafts have a family of dire otters living among them, some haflings are able to ride them.
darkhunter2007 04-03-07, 11:56 AM	What about this: The world controled by monsters which you'll create, and the good hummanoids are slaves (humans,elves and such...) the party are slaves that got away and joind a group of rebels?
Wayett 04-03-07, 04:19 PM	Ya, black and bronze combo of dragons because: 1. They look cool. 2. They swim in an aquatic world you really need that. 3. They are something the players haven't seen before. 4. The beath weapon combination is nice. 5. They look cool. I'm using the halflings that live on rafts as the second native race of playable races, thanks die for that great input of creativity. I'm also thinking of adding a race like lizardfolk/kou-toa like critters that are like goblinoids. Still working on the maps, I'll be posting them shortly (hopefully). I was thinking of making the world they come from ruled by evil slavers to make it why they chose to go to the moon. Thaks for all the input so far keep it coming.
die 04-03-07, 10:57 PM	Ull a half sunken city built of green limestone by an older reptilian race on the shore of a marsh and jungle covered island. Only a quarter of the city is inhabited the rest lies in varying stages of ruin, population - 5,000 (50% human, 30% cuetzpalin, 10% naga, 10% other (scrag bouncers, malenti merchants, locathah bounty hunters, lizardfolk sailors, yuan-ti scholars, bullywug oarsmen, etc). Suppossedly ruled by a huge half toad/half lizard demi-god and his clerics who use an ancient draconian tongue called Nurian, the merchant guilds actually run the day to day affairs of the city, collecting taxes, levying fines and punishing criminals. The priesthood is only concerned with greeting the rising sun, appeasing their god and is open to any race. No clerics of other religions are allowed in the city and huge, lazy, semi-aquatic lizards are the beasts of burden. Their lizardfolk cousins from the surrounding marsh come to town to trade crocodile hides, rare plants and captives for better weapons. Adventurers from Ull speak Nurian as well as common and swim is always a class skill. Cuetzpalin Size/Type: Large Giant (Reptilian) Hit Dice: 4d8+12 (30 hp) Initiative: -1 Speed: 30 ft. in hide armor (6 squares); base speed 40 ft. Armor Class: 18 (-1 size, -1 Dex, +7 natural, +3 hide armor), touch 8, flat-footed 18 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+12 Attack: Claw +10 melee (1d8+6) or +9 bite (1d8+6) Full Attack: 2 Claws +10 melee (1d8+6) and +7 bite (1d8+6) Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. Special Q: Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +7, Ref +0, Will +2 Abilities: Str 23, Dex 8, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills: Climb +5, Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +10 Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Focus (claw) Environment: Warm hills Organization: Solitary, pair, clutch (3-4), or band (5-8) Challenge Rating: 4 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Usually neutral Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +4 Adult cuetzpalin stand 9 to 10 feet tall with mottled gray and brown scales and weigh 600 to 650 pounds and its tail is used for balance and is 6 to 8 feet long. They like to stand really still in the sunlight for the first few hours of each day and rarely do anything but sleep at night. Outside the city the island is covered in a perpetual mist and home to the Cottonmouth Clan of Lizardfolk, they are led by a Spirit Naga named Ma Saran. All lizardfolk encountered here use viper poison on their javelins (DC 10 initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con) and are immune to viper venom. 8% chance of an encounter each hour while traveling through the marsh 1 Snake, Tiny Viper EL 1/3 2 Snake, Small Viper EL 1/2 3 Snake, Medium Viper EL 1 4 Snake, Large Viper EL 2 5 An Allip chasing two lizardfolk (level 1 warriors) through the undergrowth EL 3 6 Amidst the tangled undergrowth lies an Assassin Vine EL 3 7 A deep bog hiding a Lizardfolk gang (3 level 1 warriors) EL 3 8 A colony of Small Monstrous Spiders scurry from out of the undergrowth EL 3 9 Shallow bog 10 Snake, Huge Viper EL 3 11 Deep bog 12 Quicksand 13 A shallow bog inhabited by a hungry Giant Constrictor Snake EL 5 14 Lying in a shallow bog lurks an Ochre Jelly EL 5 15 A hungry Tendriculos EL 6 16 A mud hut decorated with skulls on a small island surrounded by deep bog inhabited by a Green Hag alchemist called Auntie by the Lizardfolk and her 12 pet Snakes (Tiny Vipers) EL 6 17 Shambling Mound EL 6 18 A deep bog and a pair of Chuul ambushers EL 9 19 Quicksand and a string of Will-O’-Wisps EL 10 20 Ma Saran the Spirit Naga and a pair of Lizardfolk (level 3 bards with 14 charisma) EL 10 While camping it drops to 5% chance per hour of an encounter 1-7 A gang of Lizardfolk (3 level 1 warriors) tracking the PCs with their pet Snake (Large Viper) EL 4 8-10 A Giant Constrictor Snake on the prowl for its next meal EL 5 Maybe change the Cottonmouth Clan of lizardfolk to primitive humans if that fits in better
Wayett 04-11-07, 07:21 PM	Thanks die for the island. Religion: The religion varies between islands and island chains. Each group of island or islands is ruled by one king and the deity/deities are all part of that one province. When a king of one province takes over another they assimilate the other province's dieties into their religion. This means that over time a large pantheon begins to grow. Their have been a few holy wars and cults believing that their deity is better or that thier religion is right and they go off on a killing spree. When these holy orders and cults are disbanded their deity is forgotten because of the shame. More remote islands have different beliefs that they have kept oer the years but over all the moon has a polytheistic religion. The main continent has a handful of deities and each one belongs to a high ranking family or cause. Whenever a new family or cause comes into power a new deity is born, and when the family or cause dies out so does the deity. Keep the input coming.
Windbit 04-11-07, 11:20 PM	My thread "Concepts for African Inspired Campaign Settings" has some info on the Yoruban and Voodoo pantheons, if you'd want to have an Africa-themed island. The Voodoo religion in particular might fit your world: most of the gods of Voodoo, called loa, are deified ancestral spirits. Since most of your world's creatures are reptilian, maybe you could convert several mammalian monsters into reptilian counterparts? Also, since water has a lot to do with your world, what about amphibians? Maybe your third race could be salamander people that are equally at home on land and in the water.
Wayett 04-13-07, 04:46 PM	Salamander people, lizard people, frog people, insect people, and finally the swap folk (humans) and halflings on giant rafts. An african island sounds interesting, I was planning on doing an island like Rapa-Nui (Easter Island) before they were sold into slavery after the spanish conquered central and south america. I'll add the voodoo pantheon to their island and each of the Moai (giant headstones) will each be a loa. Thanks Windbit. If you read the Geography post in this thread there is a large part of the southern hemisphere that is unexplored because of dragon turtles. I want an exotic type of peoples to live there that arne't like anything else on the island. Thanks for the help so far.
die 04-13-07, 06:47 PM	For frogs dudes you could use grippli (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/humanoid/grippli.htm) from the Creature Catalog (http://www.enworld.org/cc/converted/index.php) I think the official version is in Dragon 324
Wayett 04-14-07, 11:30 AM	Thats die. I have that issue. I was thinking of using the skum from MM as the base stats for the salamander people and then lizard folk for the stats of the lizard people (duh). Thanks for the help so far and please keep it coming.