Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rasmus 08-24-03, 12:24 PM	Hi, all you helpful DM's! I've just started my first campaign in Forgotten Realms, read the book, got the FR MM and Lords of Darkness. I am using 3.5. We play in the Dalelands, currently around Scardale and Scardale Town (and all the intrigues going on there). Date: Mirtul 1372 DR. The group consists of: Thayan Invoker, lvl 4, LN, Sembian Rogue, lvl 4, N, who is hunted by the Church of Cyric for stealing one of their sacred items. Elven Fighter/Wizard, lvl 3/1, NG, going for Arcane Archer, and who has been sent be an elven prince, along with other elves, to investigate and combat the recent drow threat to the Dalelands. Human Fighter, lvl 3, a new player, who hasn't got that much background, except that he fought in the war in Cormyr. So far they have searched for, and found, a missing Thayan caravan which had been attacked by drow spider-kissers, who had a base in Dracandros' tower on Haptooth hill. They have also visited the Abbey of the Sword and helped them recover some bodies of clerics who fell during the drow attack (I moved the event a bit forward). They have returned to Scardale Town, and went off again, into Cormanthor, to finde the 200 drow...:devil: (yeah, they are in for a BIG surprise), and now I'm just looking for input, any great ideas, suggestions or whatever, which might spice up my campaign, and hopefully make it more intriguing and interesting.
gavagai 08-25-03, 05:40 AM	Hi Rasmus - uh, your question leaves me a bit in the open, maybe you have some more specific ideas yourself? Here's a plan anyway: Let's assume there was something special supposed to be in the caravan; a spellbook, a material component or whatever, and serveral groups were inetrested in it: the Thay, Cyric, the Drow, Cormyrians and so on. So as the fame spreads, old pals of your PCs drop in and ask questions, or old foes (in the case of the Rogue) start to sneak around for no reason (and the Rogue may think they are after him). As this component (lets make it the heart of a special dragon, alchemically prepared by the great Shoon himself for use in an artefact, centuries ago) isn't found anywhere, most of these people conclude it's with the PCs, so they start asking the PCs (depending on alignment and political differences, by sword or diplomacy), or attempt to pressure them to surrender the item. Backtracking the caravan, the PCs find (for example, by interviewing stablehands and innkeepers at caravan stops) that there was some intrigue going on in the caravan, some caravan guards got killed and a group or two split from the caravan. That was an ambitious young thayan mage with his bride, taking the heart with them (btw: why didn't the Thayans just teleport the heart to Thaymount? The magical energies may have changed its delicate composition). He tries to sell it to the Zhents, doublecrossed them (so the Zhent agent is going to take on anyone asking for the heart, hoping to gain some clues) and made his way through the dales, finally falling prey to another drow fraction, the Kiaransalee (sp?) guys from City of the Spider Queen. So that's where you can hook on that adventure, skipping the part were the drow are raiding the surface (which is kind of lame anyway - they live a couple of centuries and don't have the patience to wait a couple of months for there revenat army? come on). Presto!
Rasmus 08-25-03, 07:11 AM	Well, it seems that most people on this board is rather tired of drows, which I think is understandable, given all the attention they have got. My players and I have though not been playing FR in this period, and I actually think the surface drow adds to the game. Because: 1: My players have some inbred expectations about drow. They cant help metagame (but they thankfully don't know much!), which will only get them in trouble ("aren't the drow deities, like, allies??" says the guy without knowledge religion to the other guy without knowledge religion. :D 2: It gives a lot of suspense to the Dalelands area, since the players will begin to constantly worry about being attacked by drows. They are stealthy and powerful, which makes them ideal for this purpose. To be more specific in my questions: HAve anyone run a campaign dealing with the surface drow? How did it go? Since my players are based in Scardale, Scyllas claim will influence the campaign heavily. Is it legitimate? (I doubt it :), but is there an official version? I personally think that she is waiting to claim the "throne" because the more chaos there is, the greater is the chance that people will accept her, despite being Zhentarim. To Gavagai: I like the old "friends from Sembia idea, combined with Thay and Zhent cloak and dagger stuff, but I don't plan on buying any published adventures/campaigns, so City of the Spider Queen is out of the question.
Xante Flatnose 08-25-03, 10:11 AM	Rasmus I currently Running a campaign going on dales with the surface slaver drows. It is going very well. Let me tell you what did happened.There are 4 players in my group. 2 of my players(elven wizard,elven rogue) was living in great dale but one day they have been captured by drow slavers .they were heading to the west coast.(that is the point where the adventure starts). they were in a slave caravan and managed to escaped.(near by the Horrowdale town).While running they rescued one of the other player (dwarf-figther)from a drow necromancer.with the run they met their enemies(drowsss.:)):) they continued to run day by day (while running they made a lot of things but I m too lazy to write down.then they entered a small forest and meet human ranger(another pc) that s where we stopped.But In my future plans I m thinking to talk with the ranger one and make him one of drow agents(slave one)whom is directing the others to drows...