New Campaign Start - Help Please [Archive] - Wizards Community

New Campaign Start - Help Please [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GrayS
08-18-06, 02:59 AM I am shortly to pick up the DM reigns of our group after a long break, and intend to set my campaign in Eberron. I will probably start with the Forgotten Forge as it's such a great intro, but I also want to play the Shackled City AP from Dungeon. Since SC's city of Cauldron is normally set in the Endworld Mountains in the border of Q'barra (according to the great Kieth Baker at least), then my question is this:

How to move the group from Sharn to Q'barra without it seeming contrived/forced? The group have yet to roll up characters, so I can't guarantee anybody will be any specific class/race/religion.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Also, anbody got any good DETAILED sources for converting Shackled City to Eberron? I am in the process of doing it myself (the Cagewrights will be an arm of the Lords of Dust, and Carceri will become Khyber), but more detailed help would be very... erm... helpful?
Splendide
08-18-06, 03:05 AM OK, so lets say that your PCs are people of some repute after Forgotten Forge, and lets say that news of their exploits has extended to Q'barra.

A clever king that wants to use good adventurers for little cost may invite them to become landed nobility in the new lands. Of course, their land needs some clearing out, but agriculturally/economically it has enormous potential. There are a few conditions, but how often does this sort of opportunity come up?

So assuming your party have any kind of ambition at all, hey presto, you've got them in Q'barra with a vested interest in improving things there.
Nived
08-18-06, 10:54 AM I don't know much about the Shackled City but perhaps one of the useful NPCs from the adventure has concluded business in Sharn and needs to get home. Doesn't have the money for an airship. Needs bodygaurds and for whatever reason doesn't like House Denieth (where you'd normally hire such service). So he hires some adventureres to watch his back while he crosses Darguun and Valinar on the way to Q'Barra.

Hell that's an adventure in and of itself.
GrayS
08-19-06, 07:24 AM Hmmmmm... both interesting ideas. The more concepts I have to play with, the more flexibility I have to "engineer" the move cross-country according to the PCs actions.

FYI: SC's starting "hook" NPC is a cleric of St. Cuthbert (=Silver Flame when translated to Eberron) asking for help looking for some missing orphans. So my initial thought was that she asks the Sharn branch Church of the Silver Flame for help, and they then hire the nearest bunch of adventurers (possibly paying for their airship travel to Cauldron), but wasn't sure if this was too "contrived" or not.

Thoughts/suggestions?
Nature-boy
08-19-06, 11:14 AM You could follow Forgotten Forge with a watered down (normally a 3rd lvl adventure) Whispers of the Vampire's Blade, which originally brings the PCs from Sharn towards Karnath and into Thrane. But you could change the destination to Q'Barra.
Edymnion
08-19-06, 12:01 PM Um, call me silly, but the setting has two major plot devices built into it to allow this sort of thing. The Lightning Rail and Airships. Just toss some extra gold into the end of FF, and have them book passage on the rail and then an airship to get them where you want them to be.
GrayS
08-25-06, 02:31 AM I don't like to "dis" anybody, but Edymnion has slightly missed the point of my original question. Perhaps I worded it badly, in which case I apologise in advance.

But what I meant was, not HOW to get the players from Sharn to Q'barra (there are many different forms of transport available); but what I meant was: WHY should the players move from Sharn to Q'barra without me forcing them artificially? I want them to think the move is their idea, not me saying (effectively) "the next part of the adventure takes place 2500 miles away, so I need you all to book passage on a airship".

What I was asking for was ideas for good REASONS I could seed the players to make them want to go there.

Thanks in advance for any help here guys, as I am floundering a bit with this big move.
Darakhoranon
08-25-06, 05:58 AM I'd tend to go along with Splendide's idea. After all, the details depend on your players' characters (and your players).

You have a not-quite-good wizard looking for any way to increase his power? One or two hints at a forgotten wizard's tower or a powerful wizards' guild in Q'barra should have him running in the right direction in no time.
A Silver Flame psycho (aka Paladin)? No problem. Have him overhear some other paladins/clerics/adepts talk about an outbreak of Emerald Claw activity in Q'Barra (if this rumour is true is another matter).
A Kalashtar psion? As above, just instead of evil cultists use the DD.

I'm sure you've got the picture. As soon as you know what characters will be there, you can start dropping hints - possibly while they are busy taking care of the Forgotten Forge thing.
Naudachu
08-25-06, 01:01 PM Here's a couple other ideas.

You could involve PCs family members. Maybe an uncle Traveling Matt type is living in the outskirts of civilization in Q'Barra. He keeps in contact through Sivis messages, but recently the messages stopped. Or alternatively this could be a family member of a Dragonmarked House and the patron approaches them about saving his relative.

If the PCs are looking to go into an obscure PrC, Q'Barra could be the place where a master of this technique can be found.

Maybe one of the PCs has ties to Cyre and was separated from a relative on the day of Mourning. The PC found his way to Sharn and the relative went to Newthrone in Q'Barra to start over with other Cyran refugees. The PCs recent activities made the news and reached this relative. They reach out to the PC.

Or you could use one of the mountain ranges in Breland (Graywall might be good). Although there's still the matter of convincing them to go there.
maollelujah
08-25-06, 02:42 PM It all depends on what awaits them in Q'barra and what is the theme of the campaign.

The easiest way would be to have them hook up with Patron that can help them move from point to point. Ex. 1st they are hired to investigate some ruins near Lake Brey their patron (who is from Sharn) he will meet them in Starisluskar. Next he send them into the Mournland as the clues point, followed by investigations/research at the Arcane Congress in Korth. Then on to Q'Barra.

Or just have them captured by Pirates, and heading for the Reidran marble mines, when they make a heroic escape, finding themselves off the coast of Q'Barra...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GrayS 08-18-06, 02:59 AM	I am shortly to pick up the DM reigns of our group after a long break, and intend to set my campaign in Eberron. I will probably start with the Forgotten Forge as it's such a great intro, but I also want to play the Shackled City AP from Dungeon. Since SC's city of Cauldron is normally set in the Endworld Mountains in the border of Q'barra (according to the great Kieth Baker at least), then my question is this: How to move the group from Sharn to Q'barra without it seeming contrived/forced? The group have yet to roll up characters, so I can't guarantee anybody will be any specific class/race/religion. Any suggestions would be gratefully received. Also, anbody got any good DETAILED sources for converting Shackled City to Eberron? I am in the process of doing it myself (the Cagewrights will be an arm of the Lords of Dust, and Carceri will become Khyber), but more detailed help would be very... erm... helpful?
Splendide 08-18-06, 03:05 AM	OK, so lets say that your PCs are people of some repute after Forgotten Forge, and lets say that news of their exploits has extended to Q'barra. A clever king that wants to use good adventurers for little cost may invite them to become landed nobility in the new lands. Of course, their land needs some clearing out, but agriculturally/economically it has enormous potential. There are a few conditions, but how often does this sort of opportunity come up? So assuming your party have any kind of ambition at all, hey presto, you've got them in Q'barra with a vested interest in improving things there.
Nived 08-18-06, 10:54 AM	I don't know much about the Shackled City but perhaps one of the useful NPCs from the adventure has concluded business in Sharn and needs to get home. Doesn't have the money for an airship. Needs bodygaurds and for whatever reason doesn't like House Denieth (where you'd normally hire such service). So he hires some adventureres to watch his back while he crosses Darguun and Valinar on the way to Q'Barra. Hell that's an adventure in and of itself.
GrayS 08-19-06, 07:24 AM	Hmmmmm... both interesting ideas. The more concepts I have to play with, the more flexibility I have to "engineer" the move cross-country according to the PCs actions. FYI: SC's starting "hook" NPC is a cleric of St. Cuthbert (=Silver Flame when translated to Eberron) asking for help looking for some missing orphans. So my initial thought was that she asks the Sharn branch Church of the Silver Flame for help, and they then hire the nearest bunch of adventurers (possibly paying for their airship travel to Cauldron), but wasn't sure if this was too "contrived" or not. Thoughts/suggestions?
Nature-boy 08-19-06, 11:14 AM	You could follow Forgotten Forge with a watered down (normally a 3rd lvl adventure) Whispers of the Vampire's Blade, which originally brings the PCs from Sharn towards Karnath and into Thrane. But you could change the destination to Q'Barra.
Edymnion 08-19-06, 12:01 PM	Um, call me silly, but the setting has two major plot devices built into it to allow this sort of thing. The Lightning Rail and Airships. Just toss some extra gold into the end of FF, and have them book passage on the rail and then an airship to get them where you want them to be.
GrayS 08-25-06, 02:31 AM	I don't like to "dis" anybody, but Edymnion has slightly missed the point of my original question. Perhaps I worded it badly, in which case I apologise in advance. But what I meant was, not HOW to get the players from Sharn to Q'barra (there are many different forms of transport available); but what I meant was: WHY should the players move from Sharn to Q'barra without me forcing them artificially? I want them to think the move is their idea, not me saying (effectively) "the next part of the adventure takes place 2500 miles away, so I need you all to book passage on a airship". What I was asking for was ideas for good REASONS I could seed the players to make them want to go there. Thanks in advance for any help here guys, as I am floundering a bit with this big move.
Darakhoranon 08-25-06, 05:58 AM	I'd tend to go along with Splendide's idea. After all, the details depend on your players' characters (and your players). You have a not-quite-good wizard looking for any way to increase his power? One or two hints at a forgotten wizard's tower or a powerful wizards' guild in Q'barra should have him running in the right direction in no time. A Silver Flame psycho (aka Paladin)? No problem. Have him overhear some other paladins/clerics/adepts talk about an outbreak of Emerald Claw activity in Q'Barra (if this rumour is true is another matter). A Kalashtar psion? As above, just instead of evil cultists use the DD. I'm sure you've got the picture. As soon as you know what characters will be there, you can start dropping hints - possibly while they are busy taking care of the Forgotten Forge thing.
Naudachu 08-25-06, 01:01 PM	Here's a couple other ideas. You could involve PCs family members. Maybe an uncle Traveling Matt type is living in the outskirts of civilization in Q'Barra. He keeps in contact through Sivis messages, but recently the messages stopped. Or alternatively this could be a family member of a Dragonmarked House and the patron approaches them about saving his relative. If the PCs are looking to go into an obscure PrC, Q'Barra could be the place where a master of this technique can be found. Maybe one of the PCs has ties to Cyre and was separated from a relative on the day of Mourning. The PC found his way to Sharn and the relative went to Newthrone in Q'Barra to start over with other Cyran refugees. The PCs recent activities made the news and reached this relative. They reach out to the PC. Or you could use one of the mountain ranges in Breland (Graywall might be good). Although there's still the matter of convincing them to go there.
maollelujah 08-25-06, 02:42 PM	It all depends on what awaits them in Q'barra and what is the theme of the campaign. The easiest way would be to have them hook up with Patron that can help them move from point to point. Ex. 1st they are hired to investigate some ruins near Lake Brey their patron (who is from Sharn) he will meet them in Starisluskar. Next he send them into the Mournland as the clues point, followed by investigations/research at the Arcane Congress in Korth. Then on to Q'Barra. Or just have them captured by Pirates, and heading for the Reidran marble mines, when they make a heroic escape, finding themselves off the coast of Q'Barra...