Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TheGreatPook 04-27-07, 06:10 PM	Hey everybody. I'm starting to work on a short campaign of my own that will center around a Ghost Train and I was looking for any ideas on what to do with it. I'm having a little bit of creativity block and can't come up with anything more, so I was hoping somebody would help me brainstorm! Also, are there any stats for trains in general? Thanks for your help. :)
SD 04-27-07, 06:36 PM	Eberron's lightning train is a train. It is not, however, lightning. That's all I know about it. Now, what's the other 78% of your question? Do you want Ghost Train adventures? Locations? Creatures? Are we talking a train made of ghosts, the ghost of a train, a train powered by ghosts, or just a train with ghosts? Are we talking a ghost that is trained, or the ghost of pop music sensation Train? It this just a way to force your players into an episode of Soul Train (because if so, that's awesome)? Do the players have levels, classes, or a quantity? Is anything about the campaign type (level, tone, fundage, setting) specified? Are there any useful books (Libris Mortis, Ghostwalk, Heroes of Horror) that we shouldn't suggest because you don't have them / don't want them / can't get them? Is there any particular folklore to which you're aspiring or specifically trying to avoid? Do the characters travel on, travel to, try to escape, fight, converse with attempt to outwit, befriend, destroy, derail, or assist the Ghost Train? Basically all you've given us is the adventure name. What kind of help do you want?
TheGreatPook 04-27-07, 06:58 PM	Well, it's a game that will be played in a homebrewed campaign setting our group as a whole came up with. I was kind of going for an adventure that would take place on the Ghost Train, where the train itself is ghostly and carries souls to the afterlife. The players will be alive on the train, most likely the only living things on it. I wanted to shy away from something such as the PCs destroying the train, but it is a possibility. There isn't any specific party yet, but I am thinking it will probably be starting around level 5. Any books you could suggest would be very welcome, and I will certainly try to take a look at the three you have suggested. The ghost of pop music sensation Train would be cool, but I think it would be too hard to stat out. :D
SD 04-27-07, 07:12 PM	Pfft, bards. Trains are small, which is one reason they're viable. At least they're smaller than a city, smaller than a country, smaller even than many forts. As such, adventuring on the train itself will either be very limited or quickly and nigh-infinitely mutable (parts of the train change whenever the players leave them to keep things varied). The players may be better off stopping at locations (probably where the train is making scheduled stops anyway) or exploring extradimensional parts of the train. Perhaps they help ghosts, either at stops, removing whatever keeps the ghosts from moving on, or on the train, by being teleported (or shunted through time) to correct an issue that the ghost can't leave alone. Perhaps they need to defend the ghosts from something on the train or defend the train from something looking to derail or delay it. Perhaps the whole campaign has a time limit because the train is going to reach its destination on Tuesday and if the players aren't done by then, they fail (or at least succeed less). Perhaps they're turning ghostly and don't want to be on the train but have to do something before they can leave. Short version: Campaigns have plots and plots have conflicts. That's the point. Come up with a central "this is why we're here" idea, even if it's just one verb ("save", "release", "collect", "flee", "protect") to get the feel for what the overarching goal is. Once you have that, you're a long way toward narrowing down how the campaign will feel.
TheGreatPook 04-27-07, 07:25 PM	Thanks a lot! Those are all really great ideas. I especially like the idea of the train cars changing as the players move about as well as the players slowly turning ghostly from being on the train. Your tips have really helped, and I'm going to spend some time working stuff out. Again, thanks a bunch. Also, I think Train would be more than just bards. Godly bards maybe, but more than just bards.
krichaiushii 04-27-07, 07:35 PM	Perhaps the train only appears at certain stations at certain times; it picks up passengers, but those on board do not age again until leaving the train - they might go crazy living with the ghosts, but they might have useful items or information exclusive to themselves. Alternatively, the train can stop at "ghost towns" - places that are no longer accessible via the real world. Your thread title reminded me of this story: Lincoln's Ghost Train (http://www.shadowseekers.org/ohiohaunts/abrahamlincolnsfuneraltrain.html) - the ghost story part is near the bottom of the page.
SD 04-27-07, 07:42 PM	Just bards. Possibly healers. Perform is cross-class for healers, right?
SilvercatMoonpaw 04-27-07, 08:03 PM	I'm getting definite echoes of Final Fantasy here.
taradusis 04-27-07, 09:08 PM	How about the train is powered by an Infernal engine.People are fed into the boiler and their souls escape and float down the train?The players must defeat the demons who are running the train in order for it to stop.RANDOM THOUGHTS