Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RellenMarn 03-23-08, 05:20 PM	Hey folks, I am looking to bounce a few ideas off you if you don't mind. I am soon to be running a campaign for a group of veteran DnD players, being the groups junior member by at least 10 years at 25 and by far the least familiar with the game. However, I do have a broad knowledge of the rules and am an experienced DM with other less demanding groups. I am planning to deliver something unique and memorable and so... I am going to start the PCs off with waking upon a marble slab. They will have no memory of how they got there, and if there is a Wizard in the party he will find his familiar nestled against his chest perfectly preserved, but quite dead. There will also be several other individuals upon the slab perfectly preseved, but seemingly dead - the slab radiates magic, and preserves anything upon it as per the gentle repose spell. There will be no door in the room they find themselves in and they will have no equipment other than their clothes and a dog earred spellbook - if there is a Wizard. A quick search will reveal a pot of paint with a single brush which radiates magic - Nystul's Marvelous Pigments. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#marvelousPigments This effectively allows the PCs to equip and even provison themselves - I hope. The plot is that the PCs were a famous adventuring party called the Crimson Hawks who were killed in a climactic battle with their nemesis a powerful evil Wizard - details to be fleshed out later. The party were all duplicated via the Clone spell, knowing they were to be faceing near insurmountable odds, etc., te PCs will be playing these clones. However, their opponent discovered they had been cloned and before killing them used a Wish spell to ensure they would not return. Being beyond the scope of a Wish spell this Wish did not work as intended and instead merely delayed the PCs return by 25 years. As a consequence of this the PCs now have no memory of most of their adventuring careers and must piece together the clues, etc. I plan to dictate the PCs prior conduct entirely any difference between the old them and new them will be explained as a result of their newly acquired experience versus their old. I will, of course, attempt to remain consistent with each players selected alignment and stat selection, etc. I plan to start the PCs off inside a Mountain they had specially prepared to conceal their clones. Beneath the Mountain is a small dungeon complex, formerly used as a kind of secret base by the PCs cloaked by anti divination magics and a Guards and Wards spell. I will likely have the lower levels infested by Goblins, etc. The PCs will be largely in the dark about what has happened to them and will only begin to acquire clues as they approach double digit levels. Comments and critiques very welcome!
Half_Dragon_Infernal 03-23-08, 06:15 PM	You put something in the room that gives a bonus to craft (painting) checks. Otherwise, good idea! What world are you using, and how has it changed since the PC's originally died?
RellenMarn 03-23-08, 06:46 PM	I am probably going to go with Greyhawk, but am still very much in the early planning stages. I am intending to run them through Red Hand of Doom, at around sixth level, and so will likely use some of the NPCs from that as major characters from their backstory. Changes since the PCs died will be the fall of Rhest - which will be more recent than in Red Hand of Doom's plot - the Ghost Lord was an old enemy of the PCs and without them to stop him was able to bring down ruin upon the ancient Kingdom. Much depends upon party composition, but I might make Lord Jaramath younger and have him be a PCs son. If we have a rogueish type I may have Lady Kaal be a former lover, or perhaps Soranna for a more lawful warrior type. I might also make use of Brindol's General Averforth (? I might have that totally wrong) who has an interesting backstory refusing to be magically healed of a wound he took in a battle with an Ogre in which his lover died. After Red Hand of Doom ends I will likely transition into a release of Tharizdun plot - I have been reading the excellent Gord the Rogue books by Gary Gygax recently RIP. I am considering having the Fane of Tiamat contain one of the three Theoparts - keys to Tharizdun's prison. The main enemy - who originally killed the PCs - would likely be a Wizard/Ur-Priest/Mystic Theurge for ninth level divine and arcane casting. Again I am stealing from the Gord series as this character is certainly inspired by Gravestone. This Theurge will likely have been engaged in a struggle between the Nine Hells and the Abyss for the Theoparts since the PCs death.
Half_Dragon_Infernal 03-23-08, 07:21 PM	Do you have Elder Evils? If so, I would recommend using one of them, I was thinking Atropus personally.
RellenMarn 03-23-08, 08:07 PM	Hmmm, I'll take a look, I don't have it, but I have been intrigued by some of the articcles on the site.
Eldritch_Lord 03-23-08, 10:13 PM	You might have it so that they narrowly defeated the Elder Evil last time, but 25 years was just long enough to let it regroup and try again. There would be some interesting NPC interactions if the PCs were famous from saving the world from the Elder Evil, and they all say "We know you can do it; you did it before!" and all that, but the PCs themselves don't remember anything about it.