Post/Author/DateTime

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Magrus 02-26-08, 12:43 PM

I am thinking of working on a campaign over the next few months, as due to work related emergencies, I had to pull out of the games I was playing in and the one I was running for the next few months. I had good interest about 2 years ago for a game that had a monster theme with it, but it fell apart due to various reasons. I am thinking of doing the same in a different manner now. Here's my basic concept: I want to find some sort of monster race, that is up in the air now, which has slaves and uses magic heavily. Drow immediately sprang to mind, but I am not sure I want to use those. Any suggestions there would be helpful. I am thinking that if I had a intro session where these powerful arcane casters were to use an epic spell to transform a group of them into various monsters rather than your standard PC races it would open up for the players to be forced to pick a non-standard race to toy with. With everyone in the group forced to pick one, it would make them think creatively. Rather than your standard human character for an extra feat. My second issue here, is do I force all of them to pick a race that fits that ECL between HD and LA or no? Do I set a minimum of HD + LA combination to restrict the gap in the event it is a high starting ECL and someone picks a +1 LA template or race? Beyond all of that, I think I may use a Derro sorcerer who infiltrated a Drow city to use their slaves for this. An insane caster works with the flavor, and I am thinking that perhaps having him teleport the whole party into a strange setting would go well as well for forcing the party into an awkward situation. Perhaps into the lower regions of a dwarven stronghold, and compel them to get through to the surface as the initial adventure? This would provide them with a goal, and obstacle that would lead to a ripple effect depending on how they dealt with the dwarves. I am unsure of whether to make the compulsion be to fight their way through or be open ended. Making them fight their way through would fit more with a Derro's intentions, however, as I would be forcing them through this situation, leaving it open ended would give them more choice. They would be able to convince the dwarves of their plight if I didn't, and perhaps make them allies if they didn't just tear through them. It would open up the campaign to be either the characters going up above ground and never coming back, or running a dwarven stronghold, or once reaching the surface, going back down to hunt down the caster that transformed them. I am thinking of working in an ECL 6 base here. Something that would provide them with enough base power to deal with basic dwarven defenders and still struggle with the powerful members of the clan. Perhaps a required minimum of 4 HD or LA involved before taking up class races. This way the casters would be forced to stay close to the other classed characters, but wouldn't take a full on 6 level hit in spell progression. Anyone have thoughts on this that might be helpful to me? Ideas and such to implement here? Should I make the whole party settle on 1 race to use and make it themed that way to keep balance more in line or no?