Help, I'm Stalled [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help, I'm Stalled [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
fighter_mcwarrior
02-01-08, 04:31 PM I'm trying to create a full lvl 1-20 campaign setting involving the Marru (an advanced race out of Sandstorm). So far, I have been able to plan out the late part of the game, which involves the use of a Marru artifact and a fight with the Marruspawn Abomination. I have also started to create several Marru ruins and a campaign backstory, but other than that, I am completely lost and have no idea how to create a good story arc.
For specifics, I am using the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and I have decided to involve Imaskar in the story.

What can I do to make this campaign viable at low-mid levels?
Orchomenos
02-05-08, 10:35 AM What about a Marru prophecy telling that some hero, born under specific circumstances, and having defeated the Marru at least thrice, should be defeated once and for all on the fourth occasion to allow the Marru to succeed? This hero could be a PC or a NPC needing some protection. The Marru would send marruspawns assassins out of their territory to test the would-be hero and attempt to inflict the final defeat when he's still weak.

Or perhaps the PCs early on find an intelligent magic item made by the Marru long, long ago. This intelligent magic item has one specific purpose: to defeat every intelligent race but the Marru. But the item is very intelligent, and won't force the PC to frenzically attack everyone who is not a marruspawn. Instead, it will force wars between orcs and goblins, giants and dragons, elves and dwarves. The only way to destroy this intelligent item would be with some old magic only found in Ismakar.

Take a look at the Online Adventures (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b). The Thunder Bellow would be a great climax; just replace the orcs by marruspawns.

OTOH, perhaps part of the plot consist of spreading land suitable to marruspawns. Try to find some adventure/encounter/campaign that involve spreading of an hostile terrain, in our case, the desert.
fighter_mcwarrior
02-05-08, 01:42 PM Thanks. This is all great material.
Squaba
02-05-08, 04:03 PM Is it your intention to have them battling marru throughout the game or just near the end againt the abomination? If you don't intend for them to have to fight them all the time then you might consider setting them up as allies, and have the heroes work with them on adventurers.

This will allow you to set up long lasting NPCs so that later when they need to go after the artifact and battle the abomination there's more of a feeling of dread abou what might happen to their marru allies if the abomination gets free
fighter_mcwarrior
02-05-08, 05:37 PM I had intended for the Marruspawn to show up throughout the game. I was thinking that the PCs would encounter a friendly clan of marruspawn as well as fighting the Marruspawn under the control of Wisdom, who wants to awaken the abomination so that he can use it as a weapon.

What do you think about including a side quest where the PCs discover a settlement on Pandemonium inhabited by Marru who survived the destruction of their empire?
GoriceXII
02-06-08, 03:28 PM That's a nice idea. You might also want to check out the old Desert of Desolation series as well, just for some ideas for adventures.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
fighter_mcwarrior 02-01-08, 04:31 PM	I'm trying to create a full lvl 1-20 campaign setting involving the Marru (an advanced race out of Sandstorm). So far, I have been able to plan out the late part of the game, which involves the use of a Marru artifact and a fight with the Marruspawn Abomination. I have also started to create several Marru ruins and a campaign backstory, but other than that, I am completely lost and have no idea how to create a good story arc. For specifics, I am using the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, and I have decided to involve Imaskar in the story. What can I do to make this campaign viable at low-mid levels?
Orchomenos 02-05-08, 10:35 AM	What about a Marru prophecy telling that some hero, born under specific circumstances, and having defeated the Marru at least thrice, should be defeated once and for all on the fourth occasion to allow the Marru to succeed? This hero could be a PC or a NPC needing some protection. The Marru would send marruspawns assassins out of their territory to test the would-be hero and attempt to inflict the final defeat when he's still weak. Or perhaps the PCs early on find an intelligent magic item made by the Marru long, long ago. This intelligent magic item has one specific purpose: to defeat every intelligent race but the Marru. But the item is very intelligent, and won't force the PC to frenzically attack everyone who is not a marruspawn. Instead, it will force wars between orcs and goblins, giants and dragons, elves and dwarves. The only way to destroy this intelligent item would be with some old magic only found in Ismakar. Take a look at the Online Adventures (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20030530b). The Thunder Bellow would be a great climax; just replace the orcs by marruspawns. OTOH, perhaps part of the plot consist of spreading land suitable to marruspawns. Try to find some adventure/encounter/campaign that involve spreading of an hostile terrain, in our case, the desert.
fighter_mcwarrior 02-05-08, 01:42 PM	Thanks. This is all great material.
Squaba 02-05-08, 04:03 PM	Is it your intention to have them battling marru throughout the game or just near the end againt the abomination? If you don't intend for them to have to fight them all the time then you might consider setting them up as allies, and have the heroes work with them on adventurers. This will allow you to set up long lasting NPCs so that later when they need to go after the artifact and battle the abomination there's more of a feeling of dread abou what might happen to their marru allies if the abomination gets free
fighter_mcwarrior 02-05-08, 05:37 PM	I had intended for the Marruspawn to show up throughout the game. I was thinking that the PCs would encounter a friendly clan of marruspawn as well as fighting the Marruspawn under the control of Wisdom, who wants to awaken the abomination so that he can use it as a weapon. What do you think about including a side quest where the PCs discover a settlement on Pandemonium inhabited by Marru who survived the destruction of their empire?
GoriceXII 02-06-08, 03:28 PM	That's a nice idea. You might also want to check out the old Desert of Desolation series as well, just for some ideas for adventures.