I need a good story (NPC character development) [Archive] - Wizards Community

I need a good story (NPC character development) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
thinkhard
09-11-04, 12:31 PM I'm DMing an Eberron campaign. The party has just been hired by House Canneth to search out a treasure from a lost civilization that predates the Age of Monsters.

They're about to start their investigation into regional villages that might contain clues, and I want an interesting first town.

So far i've thought up a few things.
1) there will be what looks like a simple town, at first offering little information and being wary of the party for they are "outsiders"
2) the cleric in the party will get tied into a commoner family with a blind and deaf child. Being as clerics are rare in eberron, the town will beseech the party member for healing, which is my attempt to make the party stay a bit longer in the village and "stumble" upon the plot twists.
3) they will discover the double life of the village: it is purposely remote because most of its residents are Shatterskins (new race i made), and they are seeking refuge from the main society. (SHATTERSKIN specs in my sig)
4) i want to play up the moral dillema behind self preservation for the party vs. redemption of some not-so evil shatterskins, try to purposely play off the prejudice of the party against said shatterskins while getting some innocent shatterskins tied into the mix.
5) have the party attempt to "fix" the town by driving out the evil shatterskins, or perhaps helping the good shatterskins/normal humans evacuate the village before things get too messy.
6) discover a clue to the location of the lost treasure in the process.

Any ideas of how to flesh out the ideas behind this story, develop characters to convincingly create the microchasm, and/or any suggestions of what to change that i already wrote down?
I really want to make this session be righ with the motives and character depth of the NPC's.
Morka
09-11-04, 07:15 PM I don't really know Eberon, and I don't know what are the goals of the House Canneth. But here is what I suggest for you:

Your little village is in a remote area. For years, it was an harbor of freedom in a land where laws could be too restrictive. There was often raids from goblinoīds (or other thug monster humanoīds), and the militia was barely enough to drive them out. It was hard, but it was the price for freedom, and many citizen were happy to pay the price. Then a group of Shatterskins warriors came to the village; as a kind of feodal arrangement, they had the citizen conceal their presence and pay them some food tribute, and the Shatterskins would take care of the goblinoīds.
The Shatterskins were greedy and unpleasant, but it was the price to pay to get rid of the goblinoīds, and many citizen were ready, if not happy, to pay the price. With the time, there was interbreedings, some Shatterskins became simple commoners, while some villagers became soldiers.
The Shatterskin's leader typically keep an old "artefact": a talisman giving +1 natural armor bonus (to any race), and +4 deflection armor bonus to a Shatterskin only, as well as making the natural attack a +1 magical attack. This "artefact" was forged before the age of monsters. Now, could there be a Shatterskin in the House Canneth? Could someone in House Canneth have a debt toward a Shatterskin?
thinkhard
09-11-04, 07:19 PM I like the first part a lot, the part about the artifact tho seems a little out of place. I definately think i will use the historical explanation somewhere.
I still want some other peopls ideas about possible NPC's.
As in specific people to interact with.
thinkhard
09-13-04, 12:34 PM :bump:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
thinkhard 09-11-04, 12:31 PM	I'm DMing an Eberron campaign. The party has just been hired by House Canneth to search out a treasure from a lost civilization that predates the Age of Monsters. They're about to start their investigation into regional villages that might contain clues, and I want an interesting first town. So far i've thought up a few things. 1) there will be what looks like a simple town, at first offering little information and being wary of the party for they are "outsiders" 2) the cleric in the party will get tied into a commoner family with a blind and deaf child. Being as clerics are rare in eberron, the town will beseech the party member for healing, which is my attempt to make the party stay a bit longer in the village and "stumble" upon the plot twists. 3) they will discover the double life of the village: it is purposely remote because most of its residents are Shatterskins (new race i made), and they are seeking refuge from the main society. (SHATTERSKIN specs in my sig) 4) i want to play up the moral dillema behind self preservation for the party vs. redemption of some not-so evil shatterskins, try to purposely play off the prejudice of the party against said shatterskins while getting some innocent shatterskins tied into the mix. 5) have the party attempt to "fix" the town by driving out the evil shatterskins, or perhaps helping the good shatterskins/normal humans evacuate the village before things get too messy. 6) discover a clue to the location of the lost treasure in the process. Any ideas of how to flesh out the ideas behind this story, develop characters to convincingly create the microchasm, and/or any suggestions of what to change that i already wrote down? I really want to make this session be righ with the motives and character depth of the NPC's.
Morka 09-11-04, 07:15 PM	I don't really know Eberon, and I don't know what are the goals of the House Canneth. But here is what I suggest for you: Your little village is in a remote area. For years, it was an harbor of freedom in a land where laws could be too restrictive. There was often raids from goblinoīds (or other thug monster humanoīds), and the militia was barely enough to drive them out. It was hard, but it was the price for freedom, and many citizen were happy to pay the price. Then a group of Shatterskins warriors came to the village; as a kind of feodal arrangement, they had the citizen conceal their presence and pay them some food tribute, and the Shatterskins would take care of the goblinoīds. The Shatterskins were greedy and unpleasant, but it was the price to pay to get rid of the goblinoīds, and many citizen were ready, if not happy, to pay the price. With the time, there was interbreedings, some Shatterskins became simple commoners, while some villagers became soldiers. The Shatterskin's leader typically keep an old "artefact": a talisman giving +1 natural armor bonus (to any race), and +4 deflection armor bonus to a Shatterskin only, as well as making the natural attack a +1 magical attack. This "artefact" was forged before the age of monsters. Now, could there be a Shatterskin in the House Canneth? Could someone in House Canneth have a debt toward a Shatterskin?
thinkhard 09-11-04, 07:19 PM	I like the first part a lot, the part about the artifact tho seems a little out of place. I definately think i will use the historical explanation somewhere. I still want some other peopls ideas about possible NPC's. As in specific people to interact with.
thinkhard 09-13-04, 12:34 PM	:bump: