Help With History Arc [Archive] - Wizards Community

Help With History Arc [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
hfolkense
06-12-04, 02:07 AM Hi, i am a fairly new DM to the realms, and i am starting to run a FR campaing because my players beg me to do it. I used a riddle adventure plubished sometime ago "gorgoldand's lair" and some wilderness encounters to get my players to level 3, where they participated at the shieldmeet at ashebenford and encountered some wererat and werewolfs spys of the zhentarim who were making some trouble (i haven't thought why yet) as they have killed 1 or 2 NPC's vendors that came to the festival.
I thought that they killed them cause they sneak peeked into a Evil doer's plan meeting. Just to get them away from the not-yet-
finished-story-arc I sent them to some caves made by me and called the howling caves placed in the cormanthor forest wich are some miles into the woods. I placed there The secret meeting of WereZhent Spys who don't want to draw attention to the Galath's Roost. The boss of the level is a werewolf ftr2 who uses scorpions when the PC's make a mess of his secret cave.

The point is have problems continuing the story arc after they kill The werewolf and alert Harek Malesk of the presence of a Zhent Spy in town.

I would like to use the zhents as i could use the bane resurrection as the cleric of Tyr PC hook, but i am not sure whre i should head next.

See, I have this problem with FR, there is so much to do that I don't know where to start.

I know the campaing shouldn't stay in the north and i would like to visit the south lands and the red wizards country, but i don't know if that would be too much for one campaing.

Any advice from you real doers? I could really appreciate help

I also would like to use dragons...yea cliched, but always make interesting encouenters if played properly

My partys consists of:
A)Drd3, clc3 of gnome deity, Ftr3, Rog3 and RGR 3. This party is very undisciplined, and Take authority or evil guys not as seriously as i would like. As a result of this (not forced in any way by me, but just roleplaying) they have had some problems with local authorities, to the point of being holded mass, just so i didn't have to kill them. They are a bunch of party animals, as when they were instrucetd to patrol they went right to the tabern while there was a drow raid in the town at the same time.

B)FTR3, CLC3 of TYR, ROG3, PAL3 of Elven Deity. This is a much more disciplinated and roleplaying group, as they are more experienced, i can hope for more intrincated realtions to NPC's but also means i have to tailor some more well grounded Hooks, as they have seen many and could easily refute them. The rogue is always sleighting of hand at all npc's and crouds, always pulling something from GP's to Shields, passing from turtles to a ring of perpetual smile :D my invention.

They are at the same stage now, just about to finalice the werewolf lair. They don't kknow each other (Group A people are from school, group B people are from a gym)

HELP!
Lancelot3679
06-12-04, 10:14 AM I would say that there are two big questions, one that you have already answered, and one you might not want to.
First, you said that you wanted to keep it in the North and maybe head to Thay for some Red Wizards. Well, if you want to do that, I would just start dropping some Red Wizards into the north. Maybe after the characters get through the caves and deal with the Zhent threat you could have them start out after a 13th level Red Wizard.

I wouldn't put them into the fight, make up a really godo wizard though that can keep ahead of them, a powerful NPC Villian that stays 7-8 levels above them. At first, make it so they don't see him or ever face him directly. Maybe drop something in the Werewolves posession that it shouldn't have... some ancient relic with no significant powers but that the Red Wizard(s) want for some dark purpose. The characters have it, and there are people persuing them to get it back. In the end they are confronted/taken captive/something by the Wizard who demands the item. For a real "bad guy" twist that I have used, just outright kill one of the PC's. Your group isn't strong enough yet to use raise dead or anything, and can't aford it, and this is something that evil does. Let the other's break free, but make the guy a villian. From there you can have the PC's chase him where ever they want trying to foil his plans. But, keep him one step ahead of them unless they plan something really masterful. When the PC's are level 14-15, start having them confront him agian directly.

Also, if you want to throw in dragons, maybe make a cohort to the mage a dragon at higher levels. I really don't like throwing characters up against dragons until higher levels because my dragons are deadly. Most likely a PC or two will die without proper planning.

But, before you start planning it out too much, you might want to spend some time looking into other source material other than the Forgotten Realms Setting for 3.0, and there are a number of old source books that have useful information. If you can't go that route, don't want to, whatever; just use what you have to the best of your ability and make the rest up. Flesh out what you can, and go from there.

Also, thanks, I am now thinking of throwing a Red Wizard or Enclave of them into my game with a handle like that.
hfolkense
06-12-04, 01:05 PM Wow, i wouldn't ever thought of that myself.

The new ideas i wil be defintely incroporting are:

-BBEG who levels at their pace, because he also is struggling and for some reason to be a head in the Thay empire, or whatever. SO he should start level 6, have a direct confrontation and escape, so players would think he isn't invincible.

-Varios underlings attack the PC's

-When they finally"meet" him, 1 pc is killed, that should be more than enough for party A to start following anytrails of the BBEG as they are very viceral. PAL in party B should avenge a fallen comrade. If the player is all right i will pull him to another group as i don't like to play with 5 PC's

-I am planning of making the merchant guy who helped them get to ashebenford the BBEG, they have others NPC so it wouldn't feel that they are being stripped out of friends at a purpose
hfolkense
06-13-04, 11:58 PM /me rolls a D20

20!

/me rolls another D20

20!

yay you know what that is?

critical :bump:

the thread looks at you with eyes full of terror, and you hit.

It has been bumped

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
hfolkense 06-12-04, 02:07 AM	Hi, i am a fairly new DM to the realms, and i am starting to run a FR campaing because my players beg me to do it. I used a riddle adventure plubished sometime ago "gorgoldand's lair" and some wilderness encounters to get my players to level 3, where they participated at the shieldmeet at ashebenford and encountered some wererat and werewolfs spys of the zhentarim who were making some trouble (i haven't thought why yet) as they have killed 1 or 2 NPC's vendors that came to the festival. I thought that they killed them cause they sneak peeked into a Evil doer's plan meeting. Just to get them away from the not-yet- finished-story-arc I sent them to some caves made by me and called the howling caves placed in the cormanthor forest wich are some miles into the woods. I placed there The secret meeting of WereZhent Spys who don't want to draw attention to the Galath's Roost. The boss of the level is a werewolf ftr2 who uses scorpions when the PC's make a mess of his secret cave. The point is have problems continuing the story arc after they kill The werewolf and alert Harek Malesk of the presence of a Zhent Spy in town. I would like to use the zhents as i could use the bane resurrection as the cleric of Tyr PC hook, but i am not sure whre i should head next. See, I have this problem with FR, there is so much to do that I don't know where to start. I know the campaing shouldn't stay in the north and i would like to visit the south lands and the red wizards country, but i don't know if that would be too much for one campaing. Any advice from you real doers? I could really appreciate help I also would like to use dragons...yea cliched, but always make interesting encouenters if played properly My partys consists of: A)Drd3, clc3 of gnome deity, Ftr3, Rog3 and RGR 3. This party is very undisciplined, and Take authority or evil guys not as seriously as i would like. As a result of this (not forced in any way by me, but just roleplaying) they have had some problems with local authorities, to the point of being holded mass, just so i didn't have to kill them. They are a bunch of party animals, as when they were instrucetd to patrol they went right to the tabern while there was a drow raid in the town at the same time. B)FTR3, CLC3 of TYR, ROG3, PAL3 of Elven Deity. This is a much more disciplinated and roleplaying group, as they are more experienced, i can hope for more intrincated realtions to NPC's but also means i have to tailor some more well grounded Hooks, as they have seen many and could easily refute them. The rogue is always sleighting of hand at all npc's and crouds, always pulling something from GP's to Shields, passing from turtles to a ring of perpetual smile :D my invention. They are at the same stage now, just about to finalice the werewolf lair. They don't kknow each other (Group A people are from school, group B people are from a gym) HELP!
Lancelot3679 06-12-04, 10:14 AM	I would say that there are two big questions, one that you have already answered, and one you might not want to. First, you said that you wanted to keep it in the North and maybe head to Thay for some Red Wizards. Well, if you want to do that, I would just start dropping some Red Wizards into the north. Maybe after the characters get through the caves and deal with the Zhent threat you could have them start out after a 13th level Red Wizard. I wouldn't put them into the fight, make up a really godo wizard though that can keep ahead of them, a powerful NPC Villian that stays 7-8 levels above them. At first, make it so they don't see him or ever face him directly. Maybe drop something in the Werewolves posession that it shouldn't have... some ancient relic with no significant powers but that the Red Wizard(s) want for some dark purpose. The characters have it, and there are people persuing them to get it back. In the end they are confronted/taken captive/something by the Wizard who demands the item. For a real "bad guy" twist that I have used, just outright kill one of the PC's. Your group isn't strong enough yet to use raise dead or anything, and can't aford it, and this is something that evil does. Let the other's break free, but make the guy a villian. From there you can have the PC's chase him where ever they want trying to foil his plans. But, keep him one step ahead of them unless they plan something really masterful. When the PC's are level 14-15, start having them confront him agian directly. Also, if you want to throw in dragons, maybe make a cohort to the mage a dragon at higher levels. I really don't like throwing characters up against dragons until higher levels because my dragons are deadly. Most likely a PC or two will die without proper planning. But, before you start planning it out too much, you might want to spend some time looking into other source material other than the Forgotten Realms Setting for 3.0, and there are a number of old source books that have useful information. If you can't go that route, don't want to, whatever; just use what you have to the best of your ability and make the rest up. Flesh out what you can, and go from there. Also, thanks, I am now thinking of throwing a Red Wizard or Enclave of them into my game with a handle like that.
hfolkense 06-12-04, 01:05 PM	Wow, i wouldn't ever thought of that myself. The new ideas i wil be defintely incroporting are: -BBEG who levels at their pace, because he also is struggling and for some reason to be a head in the Thay empire, or whatever. SO he should start level 6, have a direct confrontation and escape, so players would think he isn't invincible. -Varios underlings attack the PC's -When they finally"meet" him, 1 pc is killed, that should be more than enough for party A to start following anytrails of the BBEG as they are very viceral. PAL in party B should avenge a fallen comrade. If the player is all right i will pull him to another group as i don't like to play with 5 PC's -I am planning of making the merchant guy who helped them get to ashebenford the BBEG, they have others NPC so it wouldn't feel that they are being stripped out of friends at a purpose
hfolkense 06-13-04, 11:58 PM	/me rolls a D20 20! /me rolls another D20 20! yay you know what that is? critical :bump: the thread looks at you with eyes full of terror, and you hit. It has been bumped