Poll: Timeline you start new Campaigns? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Poll: Timeline you start new Campaigns? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Chronomage
05-14-04, 06:28 AM Hey all. Recently I finished up reworking a City of the Spider Queen Module for my 6y player group under the 32 point buy. So, I'm running them through that, and preparing a second campaign of my own manufacture, for them to play through as they're playing CotSQ, but elsewhere (near Cormyr or the Silver Marches, I think).

Anywho, the question I pose to you, wise DMs, is what time you would start a surface world adventure right now, considering the events listed out in Faerun, regarding the Return of the Archwizards, and Lolths Silence.

When I started running CotSQ, I had to do some hunting to figure out when I was supposed to start the adventure in the timeline. The only thing it said there was it starts 60 days after Lolths Silence. So I went into PGtF and found when Silence started, and than referred to FRCS to discover the dates 60 days past.

For this campaign, I lean towards starting the campaign a tenday or 2 after the Shades Mythallar was attacked, and the Evereskan Mythallar is reestablished, right after the RotAW basically. This would put it at either Eleint 1 of 1372, or Eleint 11 of 1372. Lolth would have fallen Silent, but it's still nearly a month until the events of the War of the Spider Queen series takes place. I was planning an adventure that dwelled more on the Surface in Cormyr and the Western Heartlands, the Unapproachable East, and the Silver Marches, with brief forays into the Planes, Underwater, and the Underdark. I'm just curious now where in teh timelines your campaigns are, and what events you have included (or to be quicker, what events you have excluded) from your slice of Faerunian life?
Chronomage
05-14-04, 07:09 AM Especially wondering if any of the suggested adventure hooks have been used.
Faraer
05-14-04, 09:02 AM Some time in the 1340s or 1350s DR.
Chronomage
05-14-04, 09:22 AM Interesting, I always kept cutting edge. Still, going back a few years might mean more control over things like prophesy. Hrmmm. Anyone else?
Autosponge
05-14-04, 09:37 AM 1372 DR.
The_Declaration
05-14-04, 10:12 AM Originally posted by Chronomage
Interesting, I always kept cutting edge. Still, going back a few years might mean more control over things like prophesy. Hrmmm. Anyone else?
same opinion over here.
I usually start in late 1371
Faraer
05-14-04, 12:45 PM I don't like the advancing timeline, at least the way it's done, and the neophilia it plays to. The 1360s are a mess of uncoordinated novel plots; the 1370s are more rigidly programmed according to a pattern (and certain ideas) I don't much like. For me, the earlier decades are far more vivid, complex, believable, and real-seeming; many NPCs I like are in their prime. The 1360s are good too, but my 1360s owe more to Polyhedron Current Clack and extrapolation of what went before than the official history.
Demetrios
05-14-04, 02:26 PM Usually 1370 or 1371 DR. That way your campaign is always just behind the current events and in more established history, and you won't be surprised by a plot twist from the latest novel and/or accessory which may seriously affect your campaign. As time goes by and the timeline advances, starting dates for my campaign will move forward as well, usually a year or two behind the current date.
Kuje31
05-14-04, 02:49 PM Hmmm my games are spread all of the timline. I have characters in the past, I have characters in the 1350's and also some in 1373.
The Quarterling
05-14-04, 04:31 PM Most recently i have a campaign in Deepindale in 1372 drawing upon the Storm Lord/Storm King (Cloud Giant Sorceror) plot hook from FRCS as well as in Archendale drawing upon the Woodsman's War with Tassledale.

I have also run not far back a campaign based in Daggerdale based a year or two after the ToT which made it interesting.

Generally I like to keep it pretty current, but a foray into the past now and then can be very fun. Especially because you can keep the players abreast of what going on in the world. Like in the Daggerdale campaign, I had a lot of talk about the rumored Tuigan invasion that cormyr was helping to fight off.
Lashan
05-14-04, 04:58 PM I, also, like to play in the past. I enjoy the Grey Boxed set more then any other supplement and prefer the flavor of that setting. Sure, I use the newer stuff, but I back date everything. One of my favorite campaigns I ran was with the party unwittingly helping Lashan on his war of conquest. My current game is set in 1340 DR, though.

If you have players that are new to FR or who don't know the many layered history of FR, then playing in the historical past is a great way for people to see the events and really learn them. You could run a campaign that was set in Cormyr a few years before the invasion. Have the campaign going along nicely, and then toss the invasion at them. They sure will be suprised and shocked to see the extreme devestation that happens in that plotline. That's something you can't really show someone, unless they are familiar with the Cormyr of before the invasion.
Herr Doktor
05-14-04, 05:27 PM Since the FRCS was released most of my campaigns begin in 1372 DR, usually sometime during the summer of that year.

Sometime ago I began planning an interesting campaign set far into the past, it would be a campaign that covered a LARGE expanse of time, from generation to generation of PC. They setting? Zhentil Keep, or what used to be called Flostren's Hold, or even earlier a nameless mining and trading camp.

It'd be quite interesting when the the Hold finally changed name to Zhentil Keep, I'm sure it'd be a great suprise for any group of players not well-versed in the history of Zhentil Keep. I'd draw mostly from the Ruins of Zhentil Keep campaign book.
The Quarterling
05-14-04, 05:30 PM I think the Ruins of Zhentil Keep lends itself well to historical campaigns. That is what resource I used for my historical campaign as well.
Ezekiel (NL)
05-17-04, 11:55 AM I have placed the the party in about a few weeks before the Time of Troubles. (And they are gonna experience it too!! hehehe).

After the ToT the party will help in the destruction of Zhentil Keep!!
sidekick
05-17-04, 04:59 PM My current campaign starts in 1373, to keep in line with PGtF.

The next campaign I start when my players go overseas will be statring in something like 1635 (ish).
ZARATHOS1972
05-17-04, 09:02 PM I like using a year that has some meaning to the campaign. I most recently used 1373 the year of rogue dragons. The campaign was an "all rogue" in city campaign that featured a thieves guild called the poison dragons. I had the mayor of the city posing as a relative of finder wyvernspur, who was the guildmaster. I got the name of the guild from the wyvern part of the name, since they refer to wyverns as poison dragons. I know that you can't always find a match like that, but sometimes it works out pretty well. You may even get an idea for a storyline just by looking at the roll of years.
ClobberinTime
05-17-04, 09:38 PM I like starting my campaign a little bit before the main plot, like a year or so of game time so the players can be a little higher in level when it happens. So if I want the main enemy to be the shades I would start them in the summer before shade arrives and try and get them to a level they can have some impact like 10th to 14th or so.
Chosen Of Bhaal
05-17-04, 09:39 PM pre ToT so Bhaals alive :smirk:
Kezghan
05-18-04, 07:51 PM My last game started in 1344 and ended in 1347 when the players died exploring the Dungeon of the Ruins. They got to about 12th level.

The recent game i just started is based in 1366. I usually like running behind the extremely current dates.
trogdor
05-19-04, 09:28 AM I've just started my campain in 1372 up in the Silver marches. Using the past time line to build on, but from now on I don't care what the novels tells us what happens (as they suck anyway - my opinion) Now it's up to the PC's to change the world =)
Chronomage
05-19-04, 09:50 AM I've decided to start my campaign in 1372 right after the Return of Shade events, but before the Silence of Lolth. It's an evil campaign that starts in the Silver Marches, with the players being hired by the Arcane Brotherhood to steal a mysterious package from a harper paladin on her way from Waterdeep to Silverymoon.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Chronomage 05-14-04, 06:28 AM	Hey all. Recently I finished up reworking a City of the Spider Queen Module for my 6y player group under the 32 point buy. So, I'm running them through that, and preparing a second campaign of my own manufacture, for them to play through as they're playing CotSQ, but elsewhere (near Cormyr or the Silver Marches, I think). Anywho, the question I pose to you, wise DMs, is what time you would start a surface world adventure right now, considering the events listed out in Faerun, regarding the Return of the Archwizards, and Lolths Silence. When I started running CotSQ, I had to do some hunting to figure out when I was supposed to start the adventure in the timeline. The only thing it said there was it starts 60 days after Lolths Silence. So I went into PGtF and found when Silence started, and than referred to FRCS to discover the dates 60 days past. For this campaign, I lean towards starting the campaign a tenday or 2 after the Shades Mythallar was attacked, and the Evereskan Mythallar is reestablished, right after the RotAW basically. This would put it at either Eleint 1 of 1372, or Eleint 11 of 1372. Lolth would have fallen Silent, but it's still nearly a month until the events of the War of the Spider Queen series takes place. I was planning an adventure that dwelled more on the Surface in Cormyr and the Western Heartlands, the Unapproachable East, and the Silver Marches, with brief forays into the Planes, Underwater, and the Underdark. I'm just curious now where in teh timelines your campaigns are, and what events you have included (or to be quicker, what events you have excluded) from your slice of Faerunian life?
Chronomage 05-14-04, 07:09 AM	Especially wondering if any of the suggested adventure hooks have been used.
Faraer 05-14-04, 09:02 AM	Some time in the 1340s or 1350s DR.
Chronomage 05-14-04, 09:22 AM	Interesting, I always kept cutting edge. Still, going back a few years might mean more control over things like prophesy. Hrmmm. Anyone else?
Autosponge 05-14-04, 09:37 AM	1372 DR.
The_Declaration 05-14-04, 10:12 AM	Originally posted by Chronomage Interesting, I always kept cutting edge. Still, going back a few years might mean more control over things like prophesy. Hrmmm. Anyone else? same opinion over here. I usually start in late 1371
Faraer 05-14-04, 12:45 PM	I don't like the advancing timeline, at least the way it's done, and the neophilia it plays to. The 1360s are a mess of uncoordinated novel plots; the 1370s are more rigidly programmed according to a pattern (and certain ideas) I don't much like. For me, the earlier decades are far more vivid, complex, believable, and real-seeming; many NPCs I like are in their prime. The 1360s are good too, but my 1360s owe more to Polyhedron Current Clack and extrapolation of what went before than the official history.
Demetrios 05-14-04, 02:26 PM	Usually 1370 or 1371 DR. That way your campaign is always just behind the current events and in more established history, and you won't be surprised by a plot twist from the latest novel and/or accessory which may seriously affect your campaign. As time goes by and the timeline advances, starting dates for my campaign will move forward as well, usually a year or two behind the current date.
Kuje31 05-14-04, 02:49 PM	Hmmm my games are spread all of the timline. I have characters in the past, I have characters in the 1350's and also some in 1373.
The Quarterling 05-14-04, 04:31 PM	Most recently i have a campaign in Deepindale in 1372 drawing upon the Storm Lord/Storm King (Cloud Giant Sorceror) plot hook from FRCS as well as in Archendale drawing upon the Woodsman's War with Tassledale. I have also run not far back a campaign based in Daggerdale based a year or two after the ToT which made it interesting. Generally I like to keep it pretty current, but a foray into the past now and then can be very fun. Especially because you can keep the players abreast of what going on in the world. Like in the Daggerdale campaign, I had a lot of talk about the rumored Tuigan invasion that cormyr was helping to fight off.
Lashan 05-14-04, 04:58 PM	I, also, like to play in the past. I enjoy the Grey Boxed set more then any other supplement and prefer the flavor of that setting. Sure, I use the newer stuff, but I back date everything. One of my favorite campaigns I ran was with the party unwittingly helping Lashan on his war of conquest. My current game is set in 1340 DR, though. If you have players that are new to FR or who don't know the many layered history of FR, then playing in the historical past is a great way for people to see the events and really learn them. You could run a campaign that was set in Cormyr a few years before the invasion. Have the campaign going along nicely, and then toss the invasion at them. They sure will be suprised and shocked to see the extreme devestation that happens in that plotline. That's something you can't really show someone, unless they are familiar with the Cormyr of before the invasion.
Herr Doktor 05-14-04, 05:27 PM	Since the FRCS was released most of my campaigns begin in 1372 DR, usually sometime during the summer of that year. Sometime ago I began planning an interesting campaign set far into the past, it would be a campaign that covered a LARGE expanse of time, from generation to generation of PC. They setting? Zhentil Keep, or what used to be called Flostren's Hold, or even earlier a nameless mining and trading camp. It'd be quite interesting when the the Hold finally changed name to Zhentil Keep, I'm sure it'd be a great suprise for any group of players not well-versed in the history of Zhentil Keep. I'd draw mostly from the Ruins of Zhentil Keep campaign book.
The Quarterling 05-14-04, 05:30 PM	I think the Ruins of Zhentil Keep lends itself well to historical campaigns. That is what resource I used for my historical campaign as well.
Ezekiel (NL) 05-17-04, 11:55 AM	I have placed the the party in about a few weeks before the Time of Troubles. (And they are gonna experience it too!! hehehe). After the ToT the party will help in the destruction of Zhentil Keep!!
sidekick 05-17-04, 04:59 PM	My current campaign starts in 1373, to keep in line with PGtF. The next campaign I start when my players go overseas will be statring in something like 1635 (ish).
ZARATHOS1972 05-17-04, 09:02 PM	I like using a year that has some meaning to the campaign. I most recently used 1373 the year of rogue dragons. The campaign was an "all rogue" in city campaign that featured a thieves guild called the poison dragons. I had the mayor of the city posing as a relative of finder wyvernspur, who was the guildmaster. I got the name of the guild from the wyvern part of the name, since they refer to wyverns as poison dragons. I know that you can't always find a match like that, but sometimes it works out pretty well. You may even get an idea for a storyline just by looking at the roll of years.
ClobberinTime 05-17-04, 09:38 PM	I like starting my campaign a little bit before the main plot, like a year or so of game time so the players can be a little higher in level when it happens. So if I want the main enemy to be the shades I would start them in the summer before shade arrives and try and get them to a level they can have some impact like 10th to 14th or so.
Chosen Of Bhaal 05-17-04, 09:39 PM	pre ToT so Bhaals alive :smirk:
Kezghan 05-18-04, 07:51 PM	My last game started in 1344 and ended in 1347 when the players died exploring the Dungeon of the Ruins. They got to about 12th level. The recent game i just started is based in 1366. I usually like running behind the extremely current dates.
trogdor 05-19-04, 09:28 AM	I've just started my campain in 1372 up in the Silver marches. Using the past time line to build on, but from now on I don't care what the novels tells us what happens (as they suck anyway - my opinion) Now it's up to the PC's to change the world =)
Chronomage 05-19-04, 09:50 AM	I've decided to start my campaign in 1372 right after the Return of Shade events, but before the Silence of Lolth. It's an evil campaign that starts in the Silver Marches, with the players being hired by the Arcane Brotherhood to steal a mysterious package from a harper paladin on her way from Waterdeep to Silverymoon.