Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Trobon the Orange 05-21-07, 03:39 PM	Ok so starting next school year I am going to begin DMing a D&D campaign. I have a few ideas on how it can go and one of them is this. I am thinking of doing a campaign that has the basic feeling of the show "Lost" only in a mournland setting. For the campaign I would decide that whatever made the Mournlands into what it is was not a singular event, but rather happened at least once before. The players would have been on a boat bound for Xendrek when they get caught up in a magical storm and when they wake up they are the only survivers on the island (I am thinking possibly having a few NPC survivers). The island will be very large and I would like to come up with some ideas for whats inside. So far I know that I would need to be very careful how to assign treasure since the players won't be able to sell/buy treasure. I also know already I want at least a small area of the island not affected by the grey mist area so the players can have a place to rest and recuperate. Besides that though I have no real plans yet. So, I have three months basically to come up with: -What happened to the island and the mournlands -Who else is on the island -What sort of adventures can the PCs do -What the island looks like (Size, Shape) -Who lived on the island before the "Mourning" -When the "Mourning" occured I could use any suggestions/feedback of this so far.
Rechan 05-21-07, 04:01 PM	-What happened to the island and the mournlands Over on Places and Plots, there's a Your take on the Mournland (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=850159) thread. You can watch that and see if any of the suggestions really appeal. But in this case, there's a real simple suggestion: it's not something, but someone. Let's say it was the work of the Dragons. After all, they've pretty much battled everyone from Demons to Giants to Elves. The Mournland is just easier than laying siege to an entire continent. But the magic or ritual or whatever that made it what it is had to be tested first, and the island was the testing site for the Dragons' effect. -Who else is on the island You can pretty much decide any race you want. Pick one at random. Pick several if you want. It could have been a colony of giants (or psionic half-giants?) or a colony of Drow. It could have been an Island claimed by any organization from the Lords of Dust to the Blood of Vol as a testing facility, safe haven, or island resort. Naturally, anyone who's STILL on the Island is going to be mutated by the Mournland's effects. Those are the original inhabitants. Then you add in monsters (monsters that were once there that are now mutated, and regular animals that have been changed). In the Mournland, the Lord of Blades and other warforged have gathered; some other people may have came to the Island to set up shop after the cataclysm. Again, it's up to you WHO. What do you want, what would help fulfill the mood you have going? Ultimately it's up to you as to what sort of opponents you want the PCs to get involved with. -What sort of adventures can the PCs do The biggest one is try to get rescued/get off the island. Then gathering resources - supplies, food, shelter, etc. Then defending themselves from the inhabitants of the island, and finally exploring the island. Finally figuring out how the Island came to be in the state it's in. Some of these mesh together - while gathering supplies they can explore. -What the island looks like (Size, Shape) How about the size of a US state? (Likely one of the mid-sized ones, like say Georgia). As to what terrain and such, that's up to you - but I would go with either desert or jungle, myself.
Shady314 05-21-07, 05:53 PM	Ok so starting next school year I am going to begin DMing a D&D campaign. I have a few ideas on how it can go and one of them is this. I am thinking of doing a campaign that has the basic feeling of the show "Lost" only in a mournland setting. For the campaign I would decide that whatever made the Mournlands into what it is was not a singular event, but rather happened at least once before. The players would have been on a boat bound for Xendrek when they get caught up in a magical storm and when they wake up they are the only survivers on the island (I am thinking possibly having a few NPC survivers). Oh this is great because I've thought about this too! I never did though because the show is so popular everyone is going to know exactly what source material you're using when they find mysterious hatches and stuff on a mysterious island. :) so my first advice is unless none of your players watch the show at all you can't copy or use any of the show's twists. They'lll be expecting that. The island will be very large and I would like to come up with some ideas for whats inside. Don't make it too large. They have to be able to get around on foot. Use Xendrik and you can throw in the traveler's curse which will help a lot. So far I know that I would need to be very careful how to assign treasure since the players won't be able to sell/buy treasure. I also know already I want at least a small area of the island not affected by the grey mist area so the players can have a place to rest and recuperate. Besides that though I have no real plans yet. An area not affected by the mourning effect is definitely crucial. I'd suggest only small areas be affected. Especially at low levels no healing is an easy TPK. Add in what will probably be a shortage of loot as well... and the party may not survive the first night! :) It will be tricky but could be quite fun. So, I have three months basically to come up with: -What happened to the island and the mournlands Whatever you come up with means they'll probably also figure out alot about the mournland of cyre. Hard to see how they couldn't be connected. Definitely need to place this island off the coast of Xendrik. This will let you use the traveler's curse which will explain how no one seems able to find the island. -Who else is on the island Your first most important task is to come up with 30 or so airship survivors. Most should be injured or in harm's way when the airship crashes and they only have a few rounds to save the most people. Most NPCs should have some important ability they can lend to the group while being low level and need to be protected by the PCs. An expert Jorasco dragonmark heir with max ranks in heal would be a godsend. A low level druid that can make goodberry wine is a godsend for when they go into the mourning areas. She can also grow a garden and create food and water also very important. A low level bard commoner to keep people's spirits up. An overweight filthy rich noble of Aundair offering a big reward if anyone can get them off the island. A warforged vet and a Karnathi vet that protect the village while the PCs are away. A small town blacksmith from Breland that can repair the Warforged. It's a sad fact PCs just won't care about NPCs unless they can help them in some way. So draw inspiration from the show but don't directly copy anyone. And probably skip the fertility stuff. PCs aren't likely to care. On the other hand the unaffected areas having a souped up healing effect while in the mournlands there is no healing could be an awesome contrast and could tie into the "truth" behind the mourning. Also these NPCs should be up to stuff while the PCs are. The PCs can come back to a crisis in the village regarding missing food or a fight breaking out etc. Of course it falls to the PCs to handle this. Others fall in love, some die or disappear etc. Maybe a suicide for an NPC that just can't handle all this. They have to come across as real people. -What sort of adventures can the PCs do Everything they do needs to be a part of the over riding objective. Get the hell out of this crazy place! Of course to do that requires searching the area and seeing what's what. And protecting their band of survivors. -What the island looks like (Size, Shape) No reason shape should be important. It should just be islandy. Maybe a small river. The frist thing is to figure out the mystery behind your mourning and the island. From there we can decide just how the island should be set up. You don't want anything to clash with the mystery and create plot irrregularities. Oh and jungle is a must. You cannot have "LOST!" without the jungle. -Who lived on the island before the "Mourning" I'm going with giants researching the plane of Dal Quor. After that Quori and warforged. This could be the spot the Quori first entered Eberron. The giants here didn't take kindly to their pleas to let them settle parts of Xendrik and the rest is history... and myth. Or giants that survived the cataclysm of Xendrik and were researching a way to revenge themselves upon the dragons. -When the "Mourning" occured I'd say far in the past. It should become pretty clear how much the mourning here predates the disaster at Cyre. This way PCs and NPCs can really freak out about it. But you must first nail down what you want the Mourning to be. So you can nail down the mechanics of it, how it ties into Cyre if at all etc.
korcheck 05-21-07, 05:54 PM	perhaps instead of heading for xen'drik they could have been heading north there isn't as much activity that direction (I think) this idea gives you th option of the island not being a jungle but tundra or forest also you could have an underground site on the island as well perhaps this is where the inhabitant were to survive the mournland type disaster.
Trobon the Orange 05-22-07, 07:07 PM	Thanks for all the ideas so far. Any more help would still be appriciated from other people.
NthDegree256 05-22-07, 10:47 PM	http://www.pvponline.com/article/3257/wed-apr-11