What would you do? Help needed for an open ended game. ALL IDEAS WELOME. [Archive] - Wizards Community

What would you do? Help needed for an open ended game. ALL IDEAS WELOME. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Evil DM Mk3
03-13-07, 07:17 PM This is what I need, below is a PC's knowledge of the area that they are in. I need you to tell me what you would do so I can prepare the way for what they are likely to do. This way they can have a truly "open ended, freeform game" with no direct DM plot hooking, like they asked for.

The party are all "Chosen", that is to say Gestalt. Not all characters are gestalt, only Chosen. All PCs are chosen, not all Chosen are PCs, all Chosen are significant, encountering more than one at once means they are somehow connected. Coincidences are very rare. They are easily <0.1% population. They are not Chosen by any known force, but seemingly by Fate itself.

They all have Paladin as one of their gestalt levels, maintained throughout or replaced by "Paladineske" PrCs. They are all members of the same order and that order is made up mainly of those who have dark or bleak pasts. One of them (Paladin/Ranger FYI) has told me he wishes to be a liberated slave (liberated during childhood). The order sends squads to areas to try and take law to the lawless. The reason why we agreed to this (on, yes a high point buy) is to give me a level of control and predictability. The PCs are level 8. They know that they can take on most natural hazards and about the lower 40% of the established organised opponents, that is to say most likely the ones actually moving around, although there are some out there in the wilderness they are unlikely to be unable to take one. Drow and Scrade (evil patriarchal surface elves who’s lives revolve around wealth, pleasure and beauty) are both LE in my world.

Right the area:

Sector 17, The Slave Pit. It is in the Under-Realms and stretches from the Great Wall in the north, Skarduvak in the south, Hope ridge in the east and the great black in the west. Areas:

The great wall, the edge of the cavern, the massive (pop (inc slaves, slaves=70% pop)> million) Drow city of Hargrenzak. When a slave commits a crime or fails to be useful in Hargrenzak they are set free, with any wings bound, from "slaves leap" a massive platform at the top of the wall. The city patrols a large area of the surrounding under-realms. They trade a lot with the Scradi and Scraduvak.

Scraduvak is a massive mining complex, founded by Scradi investment (now paid back) by run by various Drow, Durregar and Renegade Mind Flayer companies. Corrupted Inevitables calculate the profits generated by each company each month and each company has voting power on polices equal to their profit percentage. Noted for it's huge slave markets and very short slave life expectancy.

Hope ridge is a massive chasm, miles deep. The only major feature is a Mind Flayer city. Their Elder Brain allows collaboration on slaving because they cannot survive without the imported slaves, but outsiders are not allowed in the city.

The great black is a desert, populated by small renegade slave colonies and a beholder nest.

The only way to the surface is the stairway of Ker-Shothat. It is a real stairway, cut into a huge stalagmite. The great jungle of Hershivad is above, along with the Scardi city of Shelkr-ak-ak-ak-ah. Most of the slaves brought down are from the jungle but about 10% are purchased in on longer range contracts. The stairway is the weak link in the slave train, and the slaves know it. It is guarded by an army almost 10,000 strong and lead by the dreaded Scradi General Shelmist (one of the legendary Scradi warrior women, Chosen Barbarian/Rouge) and Drow General Iblioth (Male, expert in defensive stratagems and noted hobbyist torture Master(one of the highest ranks on the Drow Merit Exams, for it to be his oficial hobby his main role (defence general) must be higher. Two ransk higher than Master entiltes you to aristocratic title and a large tax funded stipend and slave allowance). The two elven groups get on quite well but the other groups dislike the stranglehold they have on the slave train. It is rumoured that Shelmist and Iblioth are lovers. That would be VERY VERY Illegal. They are both currently official concubines to powerful lords (or rather a powerful Lord and and a powerful Lady)
taradusis
03-13-07, 10:23 PM So,a bleak world adventure?Missions to rescue slaves from caravans and pens,draw up slave pens/caravans.Head-snatching,kidnap an enemy leader and squeeze them for info,draw up useful info that PCs might want?Contact surface world and recruit an army might occur to me,prepare by drawing up nomads or barbarians who might form ragtag army?RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Kravell
03-14-07, 02:47 PM I'd want to take that paladin PCR from complete scoundral, the grey guard, and go around freeing slaves. Maybe build a stronghold from the Stronghold Builder's Guide and create a free society--no slaves. Launch a war against slavers from there.
GuardianLurker
03-14-07, 11:19 PM 1) Establish a "safe landing" at the bottom of Slave's Leap so that slaves live and are free.
2) Attack/collapse make unprofitable that stairwell.
3) Ditto for the mine.
4) Establish a literal underground railroad to lead the slaves to safety and freedom.
5) Kill *all* the Mind Flayers.

If the players are planning on doing the first 4, they aren't saying "I wanna play a slave liberator". #5 is just good on general principles.

Oh, and given their background concept of "Chosen" don't be afraid to harass them. As I tell my players "being a redliner (i.e. PC) means that if you don't go to the adventure, the adventure comes to you."
Evil DM Mk3
03-21-07, 07:34 PM Partial bump, partial question.

What would they do for buyign and selling loot? The only real way up is the Ker-Shothat...
taradusis
03-21-07, 10:19 PM Develope a set of false identities to sell stuff in the slave pits?Perhaps barter for things?As DM you may need to award more XP,less loot.RANDOM THOUGHTS.
taradusis
03-25-07, 10:37 AM Some counter-intelligence groups set up phony resistance movements to see who will join?
DrBaltar
03-25-07, 09:50 PM Perhaps there are factions among the Illithids, Scrade, and Drow which want to use the PC's for their own ends?

For example, Drow Group A has monopolized the grain trade (hey, an elf has got to eat) within the city. Drow Group B wants to get in on the trade and hires the PC's to murder some Group A officials. But then Group A comes back with a counter offer, offering the PCs payment to turn on their Group B employers. And then Illithid Group C comes in, promising the PC's magical items if wipe out both A and B. Of course, this could be too much plot.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Evil DM Mk3 03-13-07, 07:17 PM	This is what I need, below is a PC's knowledge of the area that they are in. I need you to tell me what you would do so I can prepare the way for what they are likely to do. This way they can have a truly "open ended, freeform game" with no direct DM plot hooking, like they asked for. The party are all "Chosen", that is to say Gestalt. Not all characters are gestalt, only Chosen. All PCs are chosen, not all Chosen are PCs, all Chosen are significant, encountering more than one at once means they are somehow connected. Coincidences are very rare. They are easily <0.1% population. They are not Chosen by any known force, but seemingly by Fate itself. They all have Paladin as one of their gestalt levels, maintained throughout or replaced by "Paladineske" PrCs. They are all members of the same order and that order is made up mainly of those who have dark or bleak pasts. One of them (Paladin/Ranger FYI) has told me he wishes to be a liberated slave (liberated during childhood). The order sends squads to areas to try and take law to the lawless. The reason why we agreed to this (on, yes a high point buy) is to give me a level of control and predictability. The PCs are level 8. They know that they can take on most natural hazards and about the lower 40% of the established organised opponents, that is to say most likely the ones actually moving around, although there are some out there in the wilderness they are unlikely to be unable to take one. Drow and Scrade (evil patriarchal surface elves who’s lives revolve around wealth, pleasure and beauty) are both LE in my world. Right the area: Sector 17, The Slave Pit. It is in the Under-Realms and stretches from the Great Wall in the north, Skarduvak in the south, Hope ridge in the east and the great black in the west. Areas: The great wall, the edge of the cavern, the massive (pop (inc slaves, slaves=70% pop)> million) Drow city of Hargrenzak. When a slave commits a crime or fails to be useful in Hargrenzak they are set free, with any wings bound, from "slaves leap" a massive platform at the top of the wall. The city patrols a large area of the surrounding under-realms. They trade a lot with the Scradi and Scraduvak. Scraduvak is a massive mining complex, founded by Scradi investment (now paid back) by run by various Drow, Durregar and Renegade Mind Flayer companies. Corrupted Inevitables calculate the profits generated by each company each month and each company has voting power on polices equal to their profit percentage. Noted for it's huge slave markets and very short slave life expectancy. Hope ridge is a massive chasm, miles deep. The only major feature is a Mind Flayer city. Their Elder Brain allows collaboration on slaving because they cannot survive without the imported slaves, but outsiders are not allowed in the city. The great black is a desert, populated by small renegade slave colonies and a beholder nest. The only way to the surface is the stairway of Ker-Shothat. It is a real stairway, cut into a huge stalagmite. The great jungle of Hershivad is above, along with the Scardi city of Shelkr-ak-ak-ak-ah. Most of the slaves brought down are from the jungle but about 10% are purchased in on longer range contracts. The stairway is the weak link in the slave train, and the slaves know it. It is guarded by an army almost 10,000 strong and lead by the dreaded Scradi General Shelmist (one of the legendary Scradi warrior women, Chosen Barbarian/Rouge) and Drow General Iblioth (Male, expert in defensive stratagems and noted hobbyist torture Master(one of the highest ranks on the Drow Merit Exams, for it to be his oficial hobby his main role (defence general) must be higher. Two ransk higher than Master entiltes you to aristocratic title and a large tax funded stipend and slave allowance). The two elven groups get on quite well but the other groups dislike the stranglehold they have on the slave train. It is rumoured that Shelmist and Iblioth are lovers. That would be VERY VERY Illegal. They are both currently official concubines to powerful lords (or rather a powerful Lord and and a powerful Lady)
taradusis 03-13-07, 10:23 PM	So,a bleak world adventure?Missions to rescue slaves from caravans and pens,draw up slave pens/caravans.Head-snatching,kidnap an enemy leader and squeeze them for info,draw up useful info that PCs might want?Contact surface world and recruit an army might occur to me,prepare by drawing up nomads or barbarians who might form ragtag army?RANDOM THOUGHTS.
Kravell 03-14-07, 02:47 PM	I'd want to take that paladin PCR from complete scoundral, the grey guard, and go around freeing slaves. Maybe build a stronghold from the Stronghold Builder's Guide and create a free society--no slaves. Launch a war against slavers from there.
GuardianLurker 03-14-07, 11:19 PM	1) Establish a "safe landing" at the bottom of Slave's Leap so that slaves live and are free. 2) Attack/collapse make unprofitable that stairwell. 3) Ditto for the mine. 4) Establish a literal underground railroad to lead the slaves to safety and freedom. 5) Kill all the Mind Flayers. If the players are planning on doing the first 4, they aren't saying "I wanna play a slave liberator". #5 is just good on general principles. Oh, and given their background concept of "Chosen" don't be afraid to harass them. As I tell my players "being a redliner (i.e. PC) means that if you don't go to the adventure, the adventure comes to you."
Evil DM Mk3 03-21-07, 07:34 PM	Partial bump, partial question. What would they do for buyign and selling loot? The only real way up is the Ker-Shothat...
taradusis 03-21-07, 10:19 PM	Develope a set of false identities to sell stuff in the slave pits?Perhaps barter for things?As DM you may need to award more XP,less loot.RANDOM THOUGHTS.
taradusis 03-25-07, 10:37 AM	Some counter-intelligence groups set up phony resistance movements to see who will join?
DrBaltar 03-25-07, 09:50 PM	Perhaps there are factions among the Illithids, Scrade, and Drow which want to use the PC's for their own ends? For example, Drow Group A has monopolized the grain trade (hey, an elf has got to eat) within the city. Drow Group B wants to get in on the trade and hires the PC's to murder some Group A officials. But then Group A comes back with a counter offer, offering the PCs payment to turn on their Group B employers. And then Illithid Group C comes in, promising the PC's magical items if wipe out both A and B. Of course, this could be too much plot.