Idea For a Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Idea For a Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Spirit_Golem
02-03-05, 05:11 PM I am a first time DM and I have an idea for a campaign that I would like to run; therefore, I think that I should run it past someone before I make set anything in stone.

Spoiler Space (do not read the following if you live in British Columbia, Canada)

The idea is that, due to the increasing amount of "adventurers" in the campaign world, a small minority of people is becoming belligerent towards them. This minority (which I will call the normal man’s society or NMS) believes that "adventurers", whether good or evil, are causing more harm than good for society. The NMS are, of course, not the most powerful stat wise; unfortunately, they have become of interest to a patron (be they the Daelkyr, the Blood of Vol, or anyone else). This patron gives this group of NPCs abilities that they would not normally have, or infiltrate the NMS and bend it towards their own ends. By doing this, the patron will be able to further their goals easier.

The game starts with the PCs doing PC-like things with smatterings of rumors of harassment, and eventually reaching a high point with a murder spree. If the PCs don’t want to investigate, someone from the Wayfinder Foundation approaches them about Lord Boroman’s condition. The representative says that some new information has come up and that the PCs can be of great help to Lord Boroman. The NMS is apparently behind Boroman’s curse, and the NMS may have a way of reversing the curse. If the PCs do want to investigate, they will find out about Boroman’s curse being caused by the NMS themselves.

The investigation will take them to various places within Khorvaire, and the PCs will eventually find out the basics about the group. Once the nature of the group is found out (that being that they hate adventurers), somehow the PCs will make contact with the NMS, and take them out. At the end of this adventure arc, the supposed BBEG will have things from their patrons and this will entice the PCs into further investigation.
Gurv
02-03-05, 06:38 PM Not a bad idea. Although whether there are enough adventurers in the world to constitute a problem is questionable. But then again, who said that someones complaint has to be reasonable?

This gives you a way to face the PCs with antagonists who have a problem with them simply because of what they are. If the antagonist makes their lives difficult in a subtle manner, or at least never does anything illegal, then when the players come after him/them they will just be proving the case for their foe.

In essense, you are trying to frame the characters. Acts adventurers perform are generally outside the realm of the law, and therefore framing them is easy. They really do things no one is supposed to...proving they did it for a good reason may be hard, or completely impossible. If you haven't, I suggest you read the Scofflaw Heroics (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20041011a)article. It might give you some ideas for how the BBEG can get the PCs in trouble for doing what they do best; just change each hook so that he/hey is behind it somehow.
Charles Phipps
02-03-05, 06:44 PM The best way to handle this is to simply have the politics against the people.

1. Restrictions against wizardry
2. Carrying arms in a place
3. Vigilantism laws

etc etc.

You can also simply have monarchs concerned with the people who have more gold than they do.

"Tell me of this...Conan...character."

"A violent populist renegade m'lord. He travels with a heavily armed band of companions while seeking out enemies of the people to win their favor by destroying. Humiliating the local authorities and drawing more and more worship to you. He also accumulates much treasure from his quest but wanders, preventing your proper taxation."

"I see...you think he has...designs...on my thrown."

"He's a foreigner/member of this country m'lord as well!"
Spirit_Golem
02-03-05, 08:24 PM I see what you are saying, but that does not fit my idea properly. The NMS is just a small group of people, not necessarily the nobles, or anyone else for that matter. In my mind the NMS is simply a grouping of like-minded individuals that hate adventurers. Although I could have the NMS attempt to "frame" the PCs, I think that the plot would be better served by subtly making the PCs feel unwelcome in some situations.
zambuka
02-03-05, 10:22 PM This is a great way for the Inspired to get a serious foothold in Khorvaire.

The background can be as simple as the Inspired starting off with a small group of nobodies with little more than a grudge against those who wield power. By slowly working their way up in society and numbers the NMS start start putting tighter and tighter controls on adventurers, or more precisely, people who can interfere with the goals of the Inspired.

They can start recruiting more and more nobles and other people with power to their cause. They may even frame a number of adventuring groups.

The given "powers" could be little more than sufficient training and a couple of focus feats from the Psionics handbook (if you have it).

Now currently the NMS would be small but the Inpired have big plans for them. It is doubtful at this early stage that they have any real power. But they are working on it. Their biggest coup to date has been the recruitment of some minor noble and the poisoning of Boroman, a man who is known to support and hire adventures.

This gives you the plot line of your story. Adventurers have to deal with the poisoning, find out about the minor noble who then leads them on to the NMS. Finding the NMS they have to deal with a few commoners with some extra powers (perhaps a psionic level or two in amongst them). From that point the PC's find out about the person behind the NMS. They now have to find the Inspired, who becomes the BBEG.

Now to twist the plot a little the Inspired they come across is an ambassador from Sarlona so the PC's have to try to avoid any serious diplomatic incidents, perhaps they need to try to involve the ambassador in an "accident".

This whole things begins a long term thorn in the side of your PCs. Every now and then they find a new group, consisting of maybe 3 or 4 people who are new members of the NMS. They can slowly gain more and more power as your campaign progresses.

Hmm... from that simple adventure idea you put forward I can now see the beginnings of an entire campaign.
Greenintern
02-05-05, 06:15 PM The Nation of Zilargo has a secret group dedicated to discouraging Adventurers and Vigilantes. In fact, my players are going to probably be encountering these fellows in a little bit.
grimwarden
02-06-05, 07:00 AM cool idea Spirit...

I don't know wether the Inspired aren't a little bit over the top for extensive use for a first-time DM...

The other thing, at the end of the plot arc, I wouldn't let the player "put the NMS out". Let the NMS be convinced of the worth of PCs or freed from the "evil" influence.
This depends on the alignment of your PCs.
Spirit_Golem
02-09-05, 10:41 PM cool idea Spirit...

I don't know wether the Inspired aren't a little bit over the top for extensive use for a first-time DM...

The other thing, at the end of the plot arc, I wouldn't let the player "put the NMS out". Let the NMS be convinced of the worth of PCs or freed from the "evil" influence.
This depends on the alignment of your PCs.

Well, I couldn't think of any other phrase that would accurately explain what should happen to the NMS.

Also, I have a few questions that I don't know whether or not to post here or on another sub-forum, so I might as well post them here.

Since I'm a new DM I don't know how to properly set the pace for a game. For example, when writing an essay, I am the kind of person who only says what is absolutely necessary. This makes it hard to keep players from going through the entire plot too quickly. If I use the ideas that I have, how do I steady the rate of discovery? Also, because of my general ineptitude at writing, what should I do to have the players work through this plot arc?
Urko
02-10-05, 01:03 PM Some pacing suggestions:

Start dropping hints early. For example, the PCs while on their way to (dungeon crawl, secret mission, etc.) might witness another group of adventurers being harrassed, maybe even chased by a mob. After the adventure, they find that their usually friendly local tavern no longer "serves their type here." Goods and services suddenly become inexplicably unavailable, or prices increase outrageously for no apparent reason. Then, after a well publicized adventure (say, rescuing a noble's daughter), when the heroes are rewarded in front of the public, they are greeted with boos rather than cheers. By now the players should be primed to actively investigate what is going on and this plot thread can come to the fore.

In general, I think interspersing plot threads with unrelated action (or is it unrelated? - perhaps connections become clear in the end). It can take a lot of planning and work, but its well worth it in the end.
MarkB
02-10-05, 01:45 PM Just one suggestion: Call them the Normal Persons' Consortium. Makes for an appropriate acronym.
Urko
02-10-05, 02:05 PM :heehee
Raziel_Brokodar
02-10-05, 02:10 PM Spoiler Space (do not read the following if you live in British Columbia, Canada)

What... how is this bad for people in BC?
Spirit_Golem
02-10-05, 07:01 PM What... how is this bad for people in BC?

Because that's where I live, and I don't want my future players knowing what the entire camapaign is about.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Spirit_Golem 02-03-05, 05:11 PM	I am a first time DM and I have an idea for a campaign that I would like to run; therefore, I think that I should run it past someone before I make set anything in stone. Spoiler Space (do not read the following if you live in British Columbia, Canada) The idea is that, due to the increasing amount of "adventurers" in the campaign world, a small minority of people is becoming belligerent towards them. This minority (which I will call the normal man’s society or NMS) believes that "adventurers", whether good or evil, are causing more harm than good for society. The NMS are, of course, not the most powerful stat wise; unfortunately, they have become of interest to a patron (be they the Daelkyr, the Blood of Vol, or anyone else). This patron gives this group of NPCs abilities that they would not normally have, or infiltrate the NMS and bend it towards their own ends. By doing this, the patron will be able to further their goals easier. The game starts with the PCs doing PC-like things with smatterings of rumors of harassment, and eventually reaching a high point with a murder spree. If the PCs don’t want to investigate, someone from the Wayfinder Foundation approaches them about Lord Boroman’s condition. The representative says that some new information has come up and that the PCs can be of great help to Lord Boroman. The NMS is apparently behind Boroman’s curse, and the NMS may have a way of reversing the curse. If the PCs do want to investigate, they will find out about Boroman’s curse being caused by the NMS themselves. The investigation will take them to various places within Khorvaire, and the PCs will eventually find out the basics about the group. Once the nature of the group is found out (that being that they hate adventurers), somehow the PCs will make contact with the NMS, and take them out. At the end of this adventure arc, the supposed BBEG will have things from their patrons and this will entice the PCs into further investigation.
Gurv 02-03-05, 06:38 PM	Not a bad idea. Although whether there are enough adventurers in the world to constitute a problem is questionable. But then again, who said that someones complaint has to be reasonable? This gives you a way to face the PCs with antagonists who have a problem with them simply because of what they are. If the antagonist makes their lives difficult in a subtle manner, or at least never does anything illegal, then when the players come after him/them they will just be proving the case for their foe. In essense, you are trying to frame the characters. Acts adventurers perform are generally outside the realm of the law, and therefore framing them is easy. They really do things no one is supposed to...proving they did it for a good reason may be hard, or completely impossible. If you haven't, I suggest you read the Scofflaw Heroics (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20041011a)article. It might give you some ideas for how the BBEG can get the PCs in trouble for doing what they do best; just change each hook so that he/hey is behind it somehow.
Charles Phipps 02-03-05, 06:44 PM	The best way to handle this is to simply have the politics against the people. 1. Restrictions against wizardry 2. Carrying arms in a place 3. Vigilantism laws etc etc. You can also simply have monarchs concerned with the people who have more gold than they do. "Tell me of this...Conan...character." "A violent populist renegade m'lord. He travels with a heavily armed band of companions while seeking out enemies of the people to win their favor by destroying. Humiliating the local authorities and drawing more and more worship to you. He also accumulates much treasure from his quest but wanders, preventing your proper taxation." "I see...you think he has...designs...on my thrown." "He's a foreigner/member of this country m'lord as well!"
Spirit_Golem 02-03-05, 08:24 PM	I see what you are saying, but that does not fit my idea properly. The NMS is just a small group of people, not necessarily the nobles, or anyone else for that matter. In my mind the NMS is simply a grouping of like-minded individuals that hate adventurers. Although I could have the NMS attempt to "frame" the PCs, I think that the plot would be better served by subtly making the PCs feel unwelcome in some situations.
zambuka 02-03-05, 10:22 PM	This is a great way for the Inspired to get a serious foothold in Khorvaire. The background can be as simple as the Inspired starting off with a small group of nobodies with little more than a grudge against those who wield power. By slowly working their way up in society and numbers the NMS start start putting tighter and tighter controls on adventurers, or more precisely, people who can interfere with the goals of the Inspired. They can start recruiting more and more nobles and other people with power to their cause. They may even frame a number of adventuring groups. The given "powers" could be little more than sufficient training and a couple of focus feats from the Psionics handbook (if you have it). Now currently the NMS would be small but the Inpired have big plans for them. It is doubtful at this early stage that they have any real power. But they are working on it. Their biggest coup to date has been the recruitment of some minor noble and the poisoning of Boroman, a man who is known to support and hire adventures. This gives you the plot line of your story. Adventurers have to deal with the poisoning, find out about the minor noble who then leads them on to the NMS. Finding the NMS they have to deal with a few commoners with some extra powers (perhaps a psionic level or two in amongst them). From that point the PC's find out about the person behind the NMS. They now have to find the Inspired, who becomes the BBEG. Now to twist the plot a little the Inspired they come across is an ambassador from Sarlona so the PC's have to try to avoid any serious diplomatic incidents, perhaps they need to try to involve the ambassador in an "accident". This whole things begins a long term thorn in the side of your PCs. Every now and then they find a new group, consisting of maybe 3 or 4 people who are new members of the NMS. They can slowly gain more and more power as your campaign progresses. Hmm... from that simple adventure idea you put forward I can now see the beginnings of an entire campaign.
Greenintern 02-05-05, 06:15 PM	The Nation of Zilargo has a secret group dedicated to discouraging Adventurers and Vigilantes. In fact, my players are going to probably be encountering these fellows in a little bit.
grimwarden 02-06-05, 07:00 AM	cool idea Spirit... I don't know wether the Inspired aren't a little bit over the top for extensive use for a first-time DM... The other thing, at the end of the plot arc, I wouldn't let the player "put the NMS out". Let the NMS be convinced of the worth of PCs or freed from the "evil" influence. This depends on the alignment of your PCs.
Spirit_Golem 02-09-05, 10:41 PM	cool idea Spirit... I don't know wether the Inspired aren't a little bit over the top for extensive use for a first-time DM... The other thing, at the end of the plot arc, I wouldn't let the player "put the NMS out". Let the NMS be convinced of the worth of PCs or freed from the "evil" influence. This depends on the alignment of your PCs. Well, I couldn't think of any other phrase that would accurately explain what should happen to the NMS. Also, I have a few questions that I don't know whether or not to post here or on another sub-forum, so I might as well post them here. Since I'm a new DM I don't know how to properly set the pace for a game. For example, when writing an essay, I am the kind of person who only says what is absolutely necessary. This makes it hard to keep players from going through the entire plot too quickly. If I use the ideas that I have, how do I steady the rate of discovery? Also, because of my general ineptitude at writing, what should I do to have the players work through this plot arc?
Urko 02-10-05, 01:03 PM	Some pacing suggestions: Start dropping hints early. For example, the PCs while on their way to (dungeon crawl, secret mission, etc.) might witness another group of adventurers being harrassed, maybe even chased by a mob. After the adventure, they find that their usually friendly local tavern no longer "serves their type here." Goods and services suddenly become inexplicably unavailable, or prices increase outrageously for no apparent reason. Then, after a well publicized adventure (say, rescuing a noble's daughter), when the heroes are rewarded in front of the public, they are greeted with boos rather than cheers. By now the players should be primed to actively investigate what is going on and this plot thread can come to the fore. In general, I think interspersing plot threads with unrelated action (or is it unrelated? - perhaps connections become clear in the end). It can take a lot of planning and work, but its well worth it in the end.
MarkB 02-10-05, 01:45 PM	Just one suggestion: Call them the Normal Persons' Consortium. Makes for an appropriate acronym.
Urko 02-10-05, 02:05 PM	:heehee
Raziel_Brokodar 02-10-05, 02:10 PM	Spoiler Space (do not read the following if you live in British Columbia, Canada) What... how is this bad for people in BC?
Spirit_Golem 02-10-05, 07:01 PM	What... how is this bad for people in BC? Because that's where I live, and I don't want my future players knowing what the entire camapaign is about.