Help with campaign idea...? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help with campaign idea...? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jaxian Redleaf
06-24-03, 04:29 AM I like to frustrate my players with the bad guy isn't really the bad guy thing, so i was thinking about a campaign where the players get kidnapped by red wizards to be sold like slaves, somebody fixed so the PCs would get out of the way... But here comes the hard part why get rid of the characters? they're just 3rd level and don't even know eachother. And why don't just kill them? And who is behind this? I was thinking of having at least one more trick bad guy, so any ideas?:confused:
Amoun
06-24-03, 06:08 AM hmm alright.... perhaps a red wizard sees the potential or the exceptionality of the pcs.. decides to free them, make them run around and steer them to eliminate some competition so he can assume control. He is not as evil as his brethren but displays such vile cruelty and general vileness to not make him appear weak in front of his wizardly brothers. So he can act like an ass, free the pcs, steer them to do his bidding, then one day tell them to try to either spare him or work for him directly... I guess he considers them an expendable experiment that if successful will be great for him/her...

Dunno, just a thought
Jaxian Redleaf
06-24-03, 06:21 AM Thanks Amoun! great reply! But i like to do my campaigns a bit epic, you know sorta save the world or at least a part of it. And i like to hide who the real bad guy is.
But i'll think about incooperate the Red Wizard because he was a great idea!
Amoun
06-24-03, 06:47 AM playing on the disguised red wizard... you could make it the Ssaz tam was trying to take over all of thay, as is expected. If he managed the red wizards would have the ability to overwhelm both aglorand and rashmen, and the kind of friendly red wizard saviour opposes mr. big bad lich and helps the pcs and the pcs help him in turn... I dunno *shrugs*
Will Brandiman
06-24-03, 07:35 AM Originally posted by Jaxian Redleaf
But here comes the hard part why get rid of the characters? they're just 3rd level and don't even know eachother. And why don't just kill them? And who is behind this?
You didn't say if these were new characters generated at 3rd level or existing characters from different games who have never met each other.

Logic dictates that if the PC's don't know each other then the only possible connection must be someone they each know. Unless of course you were planning on having them all sold into slavery for different reasons - which could be fun but makes for a more difficult story.

If they are new characters then you simply need to insert a mutual acquaintance into each characters background. Then when they start swapping information they find out that they have a common link and they therefore must assume that he or she has something to do with their current circumstances.

If they are existing characters it's a bit more difficult as they may not have all met the same person. In that case you would need to have someone higher up pulling the strings of people that the PC's have met individually. This creates a ready-made net of intrigue. Of course you need to provide some clues as to how these higher powers are related to the people the PC's know otherwise they will never work out what has happened.

Trying to find reasons not to have the PC's simply killed is a tough one. I think you just have to assume that your chosen villain is a James Bond style villain and likes to see his victims suffer and then turn his back just long enough to let them escape and foil his dastardly plans.

:D
Jaxian Redleaf
06-24-03, 09:38 AM I'm gonna take them on one and one where they get kidnapped but they are not gonna know who.
Example a PC on an inn: There is a knock at your door, the PC opens the door and see a strong green light and then all becomes black. Then the character wakes up with the other characters in the claws of a red wizard.
There gonna create them on 3rd level.

Logic dictates that if the PC's don't know each other then the only possible connection must be someone they each know.

I was thinking of a prophecy that somehow involves the PCs and the bad guy think they must be alive to fullfill the prophecy but he wants them under controll understand what i mean?:)
Niftyone
06-24-03, 02:09 PM You could also have the BBEG be trying to take care of a few problems at the same time. As an example, there is no love lost between the Red Wizards and the Zhents. So if the BBEG is a Red Wizxard, he could be selling the PCs (through an intermidiary) to the local Zhents in hope that they can either escape and kill some Zhents (without him taking the blame) and then wage war against the local Zhents (which keeps them out of Red Wizard business).

Worst case, he can figure some slavers and the PCs both die, and he makes some money in the sale of the PCs.

If you like, have there be a reciept somewhere from the Zhents to the intermediary (who may have been a pawn who is now dead or the like - maybe now an undead servant of the Red Wizard even) and the PCs can use some divination magic to find him or his remains, or a Speak with Dead or the like.

Anyway, that's just an example, and you might be able to make something similar for your location and choice of baddies.
Jaxian Redleaf
06-25-03, 04:27 AM Well this is clear: They are going to get kidnapped one by one by someone and then wake up in the hands of the red wizard.
The red wizard, who is a good wizard in red wizard terms, will use them to take care of some problems who he has but he don't want to do himself, during this the PCs should level 1-3 times. After this the red wizard will release them and give them a clue of who the bad guy is but not why the bad guy don't like them.

So who will make a good bad guy?
spearmint
06-25-03, 05:17 AM Or...

The PCs, having been kidnapped and locked in a cell/slave caravan, discover they all have identical tatoos/birthmarks.

Later on the good/bad Red Wizard lets slip that the followers of a particular zulkir are jittery because, according to an ancient prophecy, this is the year when the 'Marked Ones' will come to Thay and lead to the downfall of the zulkir and the rebirth of his school of magic. The good/bad Red Wizard is hoping he can keep the PCs alive (albeit as slaves) long enough to find out if they really are the Marked Ones, whereupon he can use them a political pawns/weapons against the hated zulkir/whatever.
Jaxian Redleaf
06-25-03, 05:38 AM splendid idea spearmint!! Thanks very much!
But witch zulkir? Szass? or maybe aznar?
spearmint
06-25-03, 05:45 AM You're welcome, I'm glad you like it.
Jaxian Redleaf
06-27-03, 06:20 AM The red wizard is going to send the PCs on some missions when they get to Thay, any suggestions of what these can be? A remainder: they are 3rd level...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jaxian Redleaf 06-24-03, 04:29 AM	I like to frustrate my players with the bad guy isn't really the bad guy thing, so i was thinking about a campaign where the players get kidnapped by red wizards to be sold like slaves, somebody fixed so the PCs would get out of the way... But here comes the hard part why get rid of the characters? they're just 3rd level and don't even know eachother. And why don't just kill them? And who is behind this? I was thinking of having at least one more trick bad guy, so any ideas?:confused:
Amoun 06-24-03, 06:08 AM	hmm alright.... perhaps a red wizard sees the potential or the exceptionality of the pcs.. decides to free them, make them run around and steer them to eliminate some competition so he can assume control. He is not as evil as his brethren but displays such vile cruelty and general vileness to not make him appear weak in front of his wizardly brothers. So he can act like an ass, free the pcs, steer them to do his bidding, then one day tell them to try to either spare him or work for him directly... I guess he considers them an expendable experiment that if successful will be great for him/her... Dunno, just a thought
Jaxian Redleaf 06-24-03, 06:21 AM	Thanks Amoun! great reply! But i like to do my campaigns a bit epic, you know sorta save the world or at least a part of it. And i like to hide who the real bad guy is. But i'll think about incooperate the Red Wizard because he was a great idea!
Amoun 06-24-03, 06:47 AM	playing on the disguised red wizard... you could make it the Ssaz tam was trying to take over all of thay, as is expected. If he managed the red wizards would have the ability to overwhelm both aglorand and rashmen, and the kind of friendly red wizard saviour opposes mr. big bad lich and helps the pcs and the pcs help him in turn... I dunno shrugs
Will Brandiman 06-24-03, 07:35 AM	Originally posted by Jaxian Redleaf But here comes the hard part why get rid of the characters? they're just 3rd level and don't even know eachother. And why don't just kill them? And who is behind this? You didn't say if these were new characters generated at 3rd level or existing characters from different games who have never met each other. Logic dictates that if the PC's don't know each other then the only possible connection must be someone they each know. Unless of course you were planning on having them all sold into slavery for different reasons - which could be fun but makes for a more difficult story. If they are new characters then you simply need to insert a mutual acquaintance into each characters background. Then when they start swapping information they find out that they have a common link and they therefore must assume that he or she has something to do with their current circumstances. If they are existing characters it's a bit more difficult as they may not have all met the same person. In that case you would need to have someone higher up pulling the strings of people that the PC's have met individually. This creates a ready-made net of intrigue. Of course you need to provide some clues as to how these higher powers are related to the people the PC's know otherwise they will never work out what has happened. Trying to find reasons not to have the PC's simply killed is a tough one. I think you just have to assume that your chosen villain is a James Bond style villain and likes to see his victims suffer and then turn his back just long enough to let them escape and foil his dastardly plans. :D
Jaxian Redleaf 06-24-03, 09:38 AM	I'm gonna take them on one and one where they get kidnapped but they are not gonna know who. Example a PC on an inn: There is a knock at your door, the PC opens the door and see a strong green light and then all becomes black. Then the character wakes up with the other characters in the claws of a red wizard. There gonna create them on 3rd level. Logic dictates that if the PC's don't know each other then the only possible connection must be someone they each know. I was thinking of a prophecy that somehow involves the PCs and the bad guy think they must be alive to fullfill the prophecy but he wants them under controll understand what i mean?:)
Niftyone 06-24-03, 02:09 PM	You could also have the BBEG be trying to take care of a few problems at the same time. As an example, there is no love lost between the Red Wizards and the Zhents. So if the BBEG is a Red Wizxard, he could be selling the PCs (through an intermidiary) to the local Zhents in hope that they can either escape and kill some Zhents (without him taking the blame) and then wage war against the local Zhents (which keeps them out of Red Wizard business). Worst case, he can figure some slavers and the PCs both die, and he makes some money in the sale of the PCs. If you like, have there be a reciept somewhere from the Zhents to the intermediary (who may have been a pawn who is now dead or the like - maybe now an undead servant of the Red Wizard even) and the PCs can use some divination magic to find him or his remains, or a Speak with Dead or the like. Anyway, that's just an example, and you might be able to make something similar for your location and choice of baddies.
Jaxian Redleaf 06-25-03, 04:27 AM	Well this is clear: They are going to get kidnapped one by one by someone and then wake up in the hands of the red wizard. The red wizard, who is a good wizard in red wizard terms, will use them to take care of some problems who he has but he don't want to do himself, during this the PCs should level 1-3 times. After this the red wizard will release them and give them a clue of who the bad guy is but not why the bad guy don't like them. So who will make a good bad guy?
spearmint 06-25-03, 05:17 AM	Or... The PCs, having been kidnapped and locked in a cell/slave caravan, discover they all have identical tatoos/birthmarks. Later on the good/bad Red Wizard lets slip that the followers of a particular zulkir are jittery because, according to an ancient prophecy, this is the year when the 'Marked Ones' will come to Thay and lead to the downfall of the zulkir and the rebirth of his school of magic. The good/bad Red Wizard is hoping he can keep the PCs alive (albeit as slaves) long enough to find out if they really are the Marked Ones, whereupon he can use them a political pawns/weapons against the hated zulkir/whatever.
Jaxian Redleaf 06-25-03, 05:38 AM	splendid idea spearmint!! Thanks very much! But witch zulkir? Szass? or maybe aznar?
spearmint 06-25-03, 05:45 AM	You're welcome, I'm glad you like it.
Jaxian Redleaf 06-27-03, 06:20 AM	The red wizard is going to send the PCs on some missions when they get to Thay, any suggestions of what these can be? A remainder: they are 3rd level...