Campaign Shift [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Shift [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GoriceXII
03-27-07, 09:53 AM My military style campaign is shifting from a siege, which has been the focus for the past 3 months of gaming, to a more open situation where the players have stated their desire to scout out an area largely occupied by the enemy in order to figure out what they want to attack.

My players are starting to show real initiative in the game and I don't want to mission orient the game entirely at this stage--I'd rather encourage them by having a series of adventure hooks. What I'd appreciate is a few ideas on how to change the current focus of the game and make it as exciting and tense as the siege was but in a different way.

A few thoughts of mine:
1. It is now late autumn in the game, winter is approaching. I am thinking that I'd like weather to be an underlying theme.

2. As far as the terrain goes: I need to fill in some blanks on the map. I know that near the city the players were helping defend it was good fertile farm country to the immediate north, a fair amount of rocky coast and then a riverine harbour for the city. A lot of the area was burned and destroyed as the defenders retreated. However I'd like a sense of terrain leading from beyond there to a harbour city and a city roughly 20 miles north of it inland and the areas between. both cities are occuppied by enemy forces; the harbour city was forcibly taken and pillaged for several days. The second was partly burned by a young red dragon and part of the walls destroyed but ultimately surrendered.

3. I have decided that the enemy forces are divided into three main divisions--one force is demoralized but whole and retreating from the city the players were defending. Two are occupying the cities I mentioned.

4. The general political climate of the Republic is this: part of the ruling Council wants to consider terms at this stage to halt further fighting. Not so much abject surrender so much as 'live today, fight tomorrow' since they would still control two major cities, the river country and the eastern half of the country. The other half is eager for sticking to their guns, maintaining that they broke the one siege, they can certain harass the enemy and meanwhile send for help from potential allies.
Escef
03-27-07, 01:04 PM Instead of focusing on what to do with the PCs, focus on what each side is doing. What are the attackers doing in the meantime? Are they regrouping? An army on the attack requires a huge amount of resources, especially food. Where are the various units keeping their supplies and how well are they guarded? Is there a guerilla resistance in the countryside? If so, how much of the attacking force is being used to guard against them or hunt them down?

IIRC, the attacking force consists of hobgoblins (mostly). Keeping them on the attack, especially with winter fast approaching, is going to be difficult. The cold makes troops sluggish, even more so when snow gets involved. If the defenders hold out much longer the hobgoblins might start looking for easier targets, or even look to find someplace comfy and go to ground for the winter. The attackers could be going to ground for now but in the meantime sending out sappers to tunnel the distance to the target and start to work on the ground under the walls, or perhaps breaking into the sewers to create a breach to turn the tide of battle.

The point is that you should set the field and wait for the PCs to pick a direction. From there everyone needs to react as appropriate to their capabilities and intentions.

Before I forget, how did that attack at the bridge go?
GoriceXII
03-27-07, 04:37 PM It more or less failed as a player defense--they got a little muddled on their tactics and I told them this was a good example of why it was wise to discuss their plans (among themselves if need be) before they did something rather than being at cross purposes. (casting spells that others don't know you're going to at key moments, etc) The bridge fell to the enemy.
swallowyersoul
03-27-07, 04:42 PM for the weather, have the bad guys hire some light-sensitive bad guys like drow or even shadows. as the days get shorter, the threat gets more severe. suddenly they have a time limit on blocking these new enemies -- either killing them all or convincing them to go elsewhere....
GoriceXII
03-28-07, 08:04 AM I'm keeping drow out of the campaign but I like the idea of shadows--I hit upon a way to truly creep my players out using them in the second dungeon delve of the game, I actually saw one player shudder at the description.
Imatash
03-28-07, 09:11 AM some thoughts:
Have them sent to meet with the underground forces in either or both of the cities
They need to get on a ship to carry letters to a nearby possible or current ally
Simple hit and run campaign
Specific commando style mission
Depending on the levels have them act as assassins against the opponents high command
Have them enter one of the cities and act as insurgents
Since it is winter have them attack their opponents supply convoys

Sit down and do a quick pencil and paper on the various choices.
Have them discuss this prior to your next game and then they can tell you and you can devise the various threads in more detail.

Remember Player Characters die....:)
Imatash
GoriceXII
03-28-07, 09:50 AM Hm...I'm having a brainwave actually.

Here's a thought:

There is a lich among the enemy high command, albeit in disguise. (the players actually met him during negotiations but think he is a kindly yet vaguely sinister old wizard, the duke's advisor) They don't know this yet. I had an earlier adventure hook for this but never used it.

While they are scouting out the enemy looking for opportunities they begin to hear rumors from refugees and the like about undead stalking the land. I should emphasize that this is relatively rare within the Republic, it is a small country and normally well patrolled--though on the borderlands there are often incursions of strange monsters or humanoid attacks.

The players then come upon a battlefield and there definitely are undead there--I was thinking of something like either shadows or ghouls. Tracking them they would find a lair in a more wild area and would discover evidence (i'm not sure how yet) that the old wizard is actually a lich. What I'm hoping for is for them to discover that they don't have to take on the lich directly (and yes this is very similar to a published module and I own it) but that the Duke's minions control his phylactery. If they were to get it he would leave, as he has other purposes.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GoriceXII 03-27-07, 09:53 AM	My military style campaign is shifting from a siege, which has been the focus for the past 3 months of gaming, to a more open situation where the players have stated their desire to scout out an area largely occupied by the enemy in order to figure out what they want to attack. My players are starting to show real initiative in the game and I don't want to mission orient the game entirely at this stage--I'd rather encourage them by having a series of adventure hooks. What I'd appreciate is a few ideas on how to change the current focus of the game and make it as exciting and tense as the siege was but in a different way. A few thoughts of mine: 1. It is now late autumn in the game, winter is approaching. I am thinking that I'd like weather to be an underlying theme. 2. As far as the terrain goes: I need to fill in some blanks on the map. I know that near the city the players were helping defend it was good fertile farm country to the immediate north, a fair amount of rocky coast and then a riverine harbour for the city. A lot of the area was burned and destroyed as the defenders retreated. However I'd like a sense of terrain leading from beyond there to a harbour city and a city roughly 20 miles north of it inland and the areas between. both cities are occuppied by enemy forces; the harbour city was forcibly taken and pillaged for several days. The second was partly burned by a young red dragon and part of the walls destroyed but ultimately surrendered. 3. I have decided that the enemy forces are divided into three main divisions--one force is demoralized but whole and retreating from the city the players were defending. Two are occupying the cities I mentioned. 4. The general political climate of the Republic is this: part of the ruling Council wants to consider terms at this stage to halt further fighting. Not so much abject surrender so much as 'live today, fight tomorrow' since they would still control two major cities, the river country and the eastern half of the country. The other half is eager for sticking to their guns, maintaining that they broke the one siege, they can certain harass the enemy and meanwhile send for help from potential allies.
Escef 03-27-07, 01:04 PM	Instead of focusing on what to do with the PCs, focus on what each side is doing. What are the attackers doing in the meantime? Are they regrouping? An army on the attack requires a huge amount of resources, especially food. Where are the various units keeping their supplies and how well are they guarded? Is there a guerilla resistance in the countryside? If so, how much of the attacking force is being used to guard against them or hunt them down? IIRC, the attacking force consists of hobgoblins (mostly). Keeping them on the attack, especially with winter fast approaching, is going to be difficult. The cold makes troops sluggish, even more so when snow gets involved. If the defenders hold out much longer the hobgoblins might start looking for easier targets, or even look to find someplace comfy and go to ground for the winter. The attackers could be going to ground for now but in the meantime sending out sappers to tunnel the distance to the target and start to work on the ground under the walls, or perhaps breaking into the sewers to create a breach to turn the tide of battle. The point is that you should set the field and wait for the PCs to pick a direction. From there everyone needs to react as appropriate to their capabilities and intentions. Before I forget, how did that attack at the bridge go?
GoriceXII 03-27-07, 04:37 PM	It more or less failed as a player defense--they got a little muddled on their tactics and I told them this was a good example of why it was wise to discuss their plans (among themselves if need be) before they did something rather than being at cross purposes. (casting spells that others don't know you're going to at key moments, etc) The bridge fell to the enemy.
swallowyersoul 03-27-07, 04:42 PM	for the weather, have the bad guys hire some light-sensitive bad guys like drow or even shadows. as the days get shorter, the threat gets more severe. suddenly they have a time limit on blocking these new enemies -- either killing them all or convincing them to go elsewhere....
GoriceXII 03-28-07, 08:04 AM	I'm keeping drow out of the campaign but I like the idea of shadows--I hit upon a way to truly creep my players out using them in the second dungeon delve of the game, I actually saw one player shudder at the description.
Imatash 03-28-07, 09:11 AM	some thoughts: Have them sent to meet with the underground forces in either or both of the cities They need to get on a ship to carry letters to a nearby possible or current ally Simple hit and run campaign Specific commando style mission Depending on the levels have them act as assassins against the opponents high command Have them enter one of the cities and act as insurgents Since it is winter have them attack their opponents supply convoys Sit down and do a quick pencil and paper on the various choices. Have them discuss this prior to your next game and then they can tell you and you can devise the various threads in more detail. Remember Player Characters die....:) Imatash
GoriceXII 03-28-07, 09:50 AM	Hm...I'm having a brainwave actually. Here's a thought: There is a lich among the enemy high command, albeit in disguise. (the players actually met him during negotiations but think he is a kindly yet vaguely sinister old wizard, the duke's advisor) They don't know this yet. I had an earlier adventure hook for this but never used it. While they are scouting out the enemy looking for opportunities they begin to hear rumors from refugees and the like about undead stalking the land. I should emphasize that this is relatively rare within the Republic, it is a small country and normally well patrolled--though on the borderlands there are often incursions of strange monsters or humanoid attacks. The players then come upon a battlefield and there definitely are undead there--I was thinking of something like either shadows or ghouls. Tracking them they would find a lair in a more wild area and would discover evidence (i'm not sure how yet) that the old wizard is actually a lich. What I'm hoping for is for them to discover that they don't have to take on the lich directly (and yes this is very similar to a published module and I own it) but that the Duke's minions control his phylactery. If they were to get it he would leave, as he has other purposes.