Gargantuan Shadows, In the [Archive] - Wizards Community

Gargantuan Shadows, In the [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers
04-29-07, 07:27 AM Hey everybody, I was just looking for a little commentary on a campaign I am planning for this summer. All ideas, suggestions and criticism are welcome.

Concept

The theme of the campaign is based on the video game, Shadow of the Colossus, which is something I'm sure many others have already adapted to DnD. I'll get to that a bit later, but for now, some general information.

The campaign is set in a high-fantasy, pre-black-powder world, a fairly typical DnD setting. There are no great threats of War on the horizon and no impending super-natural cataclysms. Its a peaceful part of the cycle, if that makes sense.

Of course, strife still exists. There are the monstrous races (Orcs, Goblins, Koblods etc.) who rule the wilder areas and Undead that inhabit places where the living world touches the after-life.

All-together, its a hard world for adventurers to thrive in. Adventurers live outside society in many ways, they don't contribute by growing crops or serving others and they also expect a lot of wealth for the services that they do provide. So what happens in a society which has no desperate need for adventurers?

Well they can take on mundane jobs, or lower their sights a little bit with how glamorous the 'quests' they take on. Escorting merchants, delivering missives, rescuing the occasional kidnapee are all tasks which occasionally need performing but aren't necessarily staffed in a 'full-time' manner.

That's all well and good, but what happens when you reach mid to high levels, 10+? Four level 10 PCs are overkill for the delivery of a simple letter or escort of a humble parcel. What's more, the gold accumulated by this point has the adventurers accustomed to a certain standard of living. This standard is not one that can be maintained by the income such menial tasks bring in.

So, in a time of relative peace, is there really a need for adventurers? Without the face of adversary, what good are heroes?

The Adventurers

Four level 10 PCs are stuck in this position, they are too powerful to demean themselves with trivialities. Yet they still aspire to more, they long to earn the notariaty of the heroes of old. Bathed in gold, adored for deeds of bravery and majesty, considered more than mere mortals. But what challenge yet remains? What foe is worthy enough, that his defeat would prove them great?

Beyond the civilized lands are those that man saw no need to colonize. The frozen wastes of the South, the arid desserts of the North, and the greatest of all, that no man can rule, the untamed swells of the ocean.

They venture forth to find some challenge worthy of them, taking heed of rumor, here-say, any scrap of legend or lore that might produce an adversary. When they finally find such a foe, they will train; prepare, re-hone their skills, blunted by time and the comfort their success has earned. They will stalk their prey, trap it, and lay siege to the honor that is rightfully theirs.

Above all else, infamy is their birthright.

The Nuts and Bolts

OK, so I am constructing a campaign that is based around a series of six very hard fights against huge creatures. The rough plan is to have 12 sessions, spread over 2 months, following the pattern of finding, researching and preparing for an encounter and then engaging it.

Opposition

Here's the run-down of what they will be fighting:

Ironthorn, Huge Plant, CR 10 (Sandstorm)
Crawling Apocalypse, Gargantuan Undead, CR 11 (Sandstorm)
Woolly Mammoth, Gargantuan Animal, CR 11 (Frostburn)
Malasynep, Gargantuan Aberration, CR 12 (Frostburn)
Golem, Coral, Gargantuan Construct, CR 12 (Stormwrack)
Caller from the Deep, Gargantuan Elemental, CR 13 (Stormwrack)

Most of the creatures have been advanced, by adding additional HD to the base. I believe that I have calculated the new CRs correctly, but if you can see any errors please let me know.

Help Wanted

What I could use a little help with is constructing side-adventures around the discovery and location of the creatures.

How do they discover where they are?
What obstacles might they encounter?
Is someone going to oppose them, try to stop them hunting the creature?
Are there pieces of equipment they may need for a specific creature they ought to find?
How do they go about getting these items?

OK, hope you enjoyed reading about my little campaign, and as I said above any comment is welcomed.
Yayhya
04-29-07, 06:42 PM WOW i just played that last night at a friends . . . funny it should get mentioned anyways lets see.

As i remember each "Colossus"had its own area, a temple lake etc etc. so you should probably think about this and design an are around this, and also each "Colossus" had a weakness but was pretty much unharmed by any other attacks if i remember correctly . . . so this would probably bump the CR up by 4-5 points, thats just my call.

Also these wild areas should have wild tribes clans or what ever, think stone age, or Attila the Hun nomads but they are always fighting.

that alow should be a challenge, so just throw in some monsters and you got a fun game go for it
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers
04-30-07, 12:10 PM Hey there, Yayhya thanks for the reply.

Good call evoking the Colossus' areas, I definitely want to stage each of these scenarios in a dramatic scene. Most of the fights take place in awkward locations (on/under water etc.) so the ECL is probably raised a bit.

Like you said, I'll probably have some crude civilizations in the area, perhaps even a tribe which either worships the creature or at least reveres it.
icegodoflunae
04-30-07, 03:55 PM Encounters:

Make it like collossus (minus the sword) You plan where the monsters will be, they just kind of stumble along them. and its a fight for their lives. In the end there could either be somebody else killing the monsters or protecting them.
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers
05-01-07, 04:24 AM Hey icegodoflunae,

I definitely agree about the creatures fighting for their lives, I picked creatures with no real intelligence, or at least no way to communicate. The attacks are all unprovoked and the creatures are just trying to survive.

I like the idea that there might be others trying to kill the monsters, I could probably use that to throw a light on what the PCs are doing, point out the brutality and senselessness.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers 04-29-07, 07:27 AM	Hey everybody, I was just looking for a little commentary on a campaign I am planning for this summer. All ideas, suggestions and criticism are welcome. Concept The theme of the campaign is based on the video game, Shadow of the Colossus, which is something I'm sure many others have already adapted to DnD. I'll get to that a bit later, but for now, some general information. The campaign is set in a high-fantasy, pre-black-powder world, a fairly typical DnD setting. There are no great threats of War on the horizon and no impending super-natural cataclysms. Its a peaceful part of the cycle, if that makes sense. Of course, strife still exists. There are the monstrous races (Orcs, Goblins, Koblods etc.) who rule the wilder areas and Undead that inhabit places where the living world touches the after-life. All-together, its a hard world for adventurers to thrive in. Adventurers live outside society in many ways, they don't contribute by growing crops or serving others and they also expect a lot of wealth for the services that they do provide. So what happens in a society which has no desperate need for adventurers? Well they can take on mundane jobs, or lower their sights a little bit with how glamorous the 'quests' they take on. Escorting merchants, delivering missives, rescuing the occasional kidnapee are all tasks which occasionally need performing but aren't necessarily staffed in a 'full-time' manner. That's all well and good, but what happens when you reach mid to high levels, 10+? Four level 10 PCs are overkill for the delivery of a simple letter or escort of a humble parcel. What's more, the gold accumulated by this point has the adventurers accustomed to a certain standard of living. This standard is not one that can be maintained by the income such menial tasks bring in. So, in a time of relative peace, is there really a need for adventurers? Without the face of adversary, what good are heroes? The Adventurers Four level 10 PCs are stuck in this position, they are too powerful to demean themselves with trivialities. Yet they still aspire to more, they long to earn the notariaty of the heroes of old. Bathed in gold, adored for deeds of bravery and majesty, considered more than mere mortals. But what challenge yet remains? What foe is worthy enough, that his defeat would prove them great? Beyond the civilized lands are those that man saw no need to colonize. The frozen wastes of the South, the arid desserts of the North, and the greatest of all, that no man can rule, the untamed swells of the ocean. They venture forth to find some challenge worthy of them, taking heed of rumor, here-say, any scrap of legend or lore that might produce an adversary. When they finally find such a foe, they will train; prepare, re-hone their skills, blunted by time and the comfort their success has earned. They will stalk their prey, trap it, and lay siege to the honor that is rightfully theirs. Above all else, infamy is their birthright. The Nuts and Bolts OK, so I am constructing a campaign that is based around a series of six very hard fights against huge creatures. The rough plan is to have 12 sessions, spread over 2 months, following the pattern of finding, researching and preparing for an encounter and then engaging it. Opposition Here's the run-down of what they will be fighting: Ironthorn, Huge Plant, CR 10 (Sandstorm) Crawling Apocalypse, Gargantuan Undead, CR 11 (Sandstorm) Woolly Mammoth, Gargantuan Animal, CR 11 (Frostburn) Malasynep, Gargantuan Aberration, CR 12 (Frostburn) Golem, Coral, Gargantuan Construct, CR 12 (Stormwrack) Caller from the Deep, Gargantuan Elemental, CR 13 (Stormwrack) Most of the creatures have been advanced, by adding additional HD to the base. I believe that I have calculated the new CRs correctly, but if you can see any errors please let me know. Help Wanted What I could use a little help with is constructing side-adventures around the discovery and location of the creatures. How do they discover where they are? What obstacles might they encounter? Is someone going to oppose them, try to stop them hunting the creature? Are there pieces of equipment they may need for a specific creature they ought to find? How do they go about getting these items? OK, hope you enjoyed reading about my little campaign, and as I said above any comment is welcomed.
Yayhya 04-29-07, 06:42 PM	WOW i just played that last night at a friends . . . funny it should get mentioned anyways lets see. As i remember each "Colossus"had its own area, a temple lake etc etc. so you should probably think about this and design an are around this, and also each "Colossus" had a weakness but was pretty much unharmed by any other attacks if i remember correctly . . . so this would probably bump the CR up by 4-5 points, thats just my call. Also these wild areas should have wild tribes clans or what ever, think stone age, or Attila the Hun nomads but they are always fighting. that alow should be a challenge, so just throw in some monsters and you got a fun game go for it
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers 04-30-07, 12:10 PM	Hey there, Yayhya thanks for the reply. Good call evoking the Colossus' areas, I definitely want to stage each of these scenarios in a dramatic scene. Most of the fights take place in awkward locations (on/under water etc.) so the ECL is probably raised a bit. Like you said, I'll probably have some crude civilizations in the area, perhaps even a tribe which either worships the creature or at least reveres it.
icegodoflunae 04-30-07, 03:55 PM	Encounters: Make it like collossus (minus the sword) You plan where the monsters will be, they just kind of stumble along them. and its a fight for their lives. In the end there could either be somebody else killing the monsters or protecting them.
Lord_of_the_Seven_Towers 05-01-07, 04:24 AM	Hey icegodoflunae, I definitely agree about the creatures fighting for their lives, I picked creatures with no real intelligence, or at least no way to communicate. The attacks are all unprovoked and the creatures are just trying to survive. I like the idea that there might be others trying to kill the monsters, I could probably use that to throw a light on what the PCs are doing, point out the brutality and senselessness.