Ack DM block [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ack DM block [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rikkuna
12-08-03, 12:31 PM Gotta hate it :)

I want to start a new game but I'm haveing trouble comeing up with a good campagin. So I thought I'd ask you guys and gals for help. Any of you run a good campagin that you would be willing to share? Or just some nifty idea seeds to get me started would be great. :D

Thanks in advance,
Little Rikkuna :angel:
Eightbitmage
12-08-03, 01:04 PM The PCs are invited to attend a combat school, and after they have agreed to join, the find out that the headmaster of the school is a half orc with int 8 named Thornton the mighty. The game takes place over a series of missions (or "field trip smash" as thornton calls it), and eventually has an overall connecting theme that links all the missions together.
Pongolyn
12-08-03, 01:50 PM Hippogriffs have been attacking crops and livestock of a nearby Peaceful Farming Village(tm). After a small child is taken, the PCs are called upon to rid the village of the menace.

After the party finds and defeats a few hippogriffs, they overhear a few people from the village are organizing a party to find the lair of the beasts and steal some eggs or hatchlings. The party is invited to come along and help destroy the nest (containing anywhere from 3-10 more hippogriffs) in the interest of protecting the village. You can have the PCs do this themselves (if they are powerful enough) or give them a little help in the form of a few low-level NPCs to provide cannon fodder.

Whether or not the PCs agree, some time later a local ranger or druid informs the party that the attacks were unusual as hippogriffs haven't been seen in this area for many years. He is convinced they are being pushed into civilized lands...possibly by a band of marauding hobgoblins looking to expand their territory. The PCs are charged to investigate and find not only hobgoblins, but some worgs and a troll or two...

This will probably suit a party of adventurers of level 3-4...you can substitute hippogriffs for griffons or smaller monsters, and hobgoblins for kobolds or something more powerful of course...
chimpman
12-08-03, 01:59 PM I've got a campaign that I've been meaning to run, but haven't yet. It's an Indiana Jones knock off.

The PCs work for a magical institution and are basically mercenary treasure hunters (preferably with a little bit of loyalty to the institution or whatever nation it is affiliated with). The first few adventures are your standard dungeon crawl, find the item type adventures. Bring the items back and the institution stores them away somewhere "safe".

For mid level adventures start throwing in hints about a war brewing in the backgrond between Nation A (who the PCs work for) and Nation B (read the "Nazis").

Higher level adventures will actualy pit the PCs group against a similar group workng for the bad guys. The artifacts that they go after could (and should) have a great impact on the outcome of the war.

Lots of other things can go on here too. Intrigue with the party's patrons. Are they really working for who they say they are working for, or are they double agents... anyway you get the general idea I'm sure.
Mojave Rattler
12-08-03, 02:36 PM Read this:

http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm

enjoy
YRM
12-08-03, 02:38 PM Just answer all of these questions, and you'll have a good start to a campaign.

Where is the campaign setting?

Is there a town that the PCs are based out of?

How large is the town, and what kind of town is it (agricultural, mining, trade, built around a college, built around a mage school, built around a center for knowledge)?

Name five key players in the town, such as the ruler, key heroes, key guildmasters, etc.

What sorts of dangers are located near the town?

What sort of major dangers are located somewhat near the area that are focuses of legend?

Are there any evil leaders in the area? Overt or covert? What are their plans? Are they tied into any of the legends above?

How is it that the PCs came to this area?

How much information should they know about the area to include in their backgrounds?

Can you keep track of the campaign on an old calendar? If so, can you mark down dates that vaguely mark milestones for NPC heroes and NPC villians (i.e. if the PCs don't stop Villianous by March, he'll likely have invaded the nearby town of Overhill)?

Will your campaign be a series of unrelated small adventures, or one, overarcing adventure with the occassional side adventure?

How magic rich is your world?

What is the most powerful magic item you want the party to have by level 3, level 6, level 9, level 12, as a rule of thumb?

Are there any political factions operating in the home area around the town, and if so, which groups have friction with each other? (rogue's guild hates elves and won't admit them, or fighter's guild is lead by a dwarf who dislikes the merchant's guild so he tries to overcharge them on caravan jobs)

If you can answer these questions, and any other relavent questions you need to answer, you should have the beginnings of a rich campaign world. Good luck.
Rikkuna
12-08-03, 03:51 PM If I could answer all those question I would have posted this thread in the first place. :rolleyes: But thanks anyway
was_fired
12-08-03, 04:11 PM A group of villagers have begun cutting down a druids forest to expand their settlement. The druid rallies goblins to stop the villagers which were forced from these lands into far less hospitible ones long ago by the general expansion which led to this village. The adventurers hear about evil goblin raiders and a reward to any who can stop them.

A group of elves begins to blame a local tribe of <evil monster> for crop problems. The elves are actually clerics of an evil god and are trying to distract the populace as they slowly cut off their food supply in order to ensure a weakened populace so they can sieze control. The <evil monsters> know nothing about this except that they have fallen under attack by the people and in turn launch back attacks of their own and begin razing settlements. Meanwhile a young dragon is planning to anex the entire area and is playing all three sides and pretending to give them aid. The dragon contacts the adventures to aid the populace and smite the evil monsters which he claims are cutting into his earning (an exuse if you use an evil dragon). The adventures will most likely be extremly suspicious, but they should help the populace which will get the ball rolling.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rikkuna 12-08-03, 12:31 PM	Gotta hate it :) I want to start a new game but I'm haveing trouble comeing up with a good campagin. So I thought I'd ask you guys and gals for help. Any of you run a good campagin that you would be willing to share? Or just some nifty idea seeds to get me started would be great. :D Thanks in advance, Little Rikkuna :angel:
Eightbitmage 12-08-03, 01:04 PM	The PCs are invited to attend a combat school, and after they have agreed to join, the find out that the headmaster of the school is a half orc with int 8 named Thornton the mighty. The game takes place over a series of missions (or "field trip smash" as thornton calls it), and eventually has an overall connecting theme that links all the missions together.
Pongolyn 12-08-03, 01:50 PM	Hippogriffs have been attacking crops and livestock of a nearby Peaceful Farming Village(tm). After a small child is taken, the PCs are called upon to rid the village of the menace. After the party finds and defeats a few hippogriffs, they overhear a few people from the village are organizing a party to find the lair of the beasts and steal some eggs or hatchlings. The party is invited to come along and help destroy the nest (containing anywhere from 3-10 more hippogriffs) in the interest of protecting the village. You can have the PCs do this themselves (if they are powerful enough) or give them a little help in the form of a few low-level NPCs to provide cannon fodder. Whether or not the PCs agree, some time later a local ranger or druid informs the party that the attacks were unusual as hippogriffs haven't been seen in this area for many years. He is convinced they are being pushed into civilized lands...possibly by a band of marauding hobgoblins looking to expand their territory. The PCs are charged to investigate and find not only hobgoblins, but some worgs and a troll or two... This will probably suit a party of adventurers of level 3-4...you can substitute hippogriffs for griffons or smaller monsters, and hobgoblins for kobolds or something more powerful of course...
chimpman 12-08-03, 01:59 PM	I've got a campaign that I've been meaning to run, but haven't yet. It's an Indiana Jones knock off. The PCs work for a magical institution and are basically mercenary treasure hunters (preferably with a little bit of loyalty to the institution or whatever nation it is affiliated with). The first few adventures are your standard dungeon crawl, find the item type adventures. Bring the items back and the institution stores them away somewhere "safe". For mid level adventures start throwing in hints about a war brewing in the backgrond between Nation A (who the PCs work for) and Nation B (read the "Nazis"). Higher level adventures will actualy pit the PCs group against a similar group workng for the bad guys. The artifacts that they go after could (and should) have a great impact on the outcome of the war. Lots of other things can go on here too. Intrigue with the party's patrons. Are they really working for who they say they are working for, or are they double agents... anyway you get the general idea I'm sure.
Mojave Rattler 12-08-03, 02:36 PM	Read this: http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm enjoy
YRM 12-08-03, 02:38 PM	Just answer all of these questions, and you'll have a good start to a campaign. Where is the campaign setting? Is there a town that the PCs are based out of? How large is the town, and what kind of town is it (agricultural, mining, trade, built around a college, built around a mage school, built around a center for knowledge)? Name five key players in the town, such as the ruler, key heroes, key guildmasters, etc. What sorts of dangers are located near the town? What sort of major dangers are located somewhat near the area that are focuses of legend? Are there any evil leaders in the area? Overt or covert? What are their plans? Are they tied into any of the legends above? How is it that the PCs came to this area? How much information should they know about the area to include in their backgrounds? Can you keep track of the campaign on an old calendar? If so, can you mark down dates that vaguely mark milestones for NPC heroes and NPC villians (i.e. if the PCs don't stop Villianous by March, he'll likely have invaded the nearby town of Overhill)? Will your campaign be a series of unrelated small adventures, or one, overarcing adventure with the occassional side adventure? How magic rich is your world? What is the most powerful magic item you want the party to have by level 3, level 6, level 9, level 12, as a rule of thumb? Are there any political factions operating in the home area around the town, and if so, which groups have friction with each other? (rogue's guild hates elves and won't admit them, or fighter's guild is lead by a dwarf who dislikes the merchant's guild so he tries to overcharge them on caravan jobs) If you can answer these questions, and any other relavent questions you need to answer, you should have the beginnings of a rich campaign world. Good luck.
Rikkuna 12-08-03, 03:51 PM	If I could answer all those question I would have posted this thread in the first place. :rolleyes: But thanks anyway
was_fired 12-08-03, 04:11 PM	A group of villagers have begun cutting down a druids forest to expand their settlement. The druid rallies goblins to stop the villagers which were forced from these lands into far less hospitible ones long ago by the general expansion which led to this village. The adventurers hear about evil goblin raiders and a reward to any who can stop them. A group of elves begins to blame a local tribe of <evil monster> for crop problems. The elves are actually clerics of an evil god and are trying to distract the populace as they slowly cut off their food supply in order to ensure a weakened populace so they can sieze control. The <evil monsters> know nothing about this except that they have fallen under attack by the people and in turn launch back attacks of their own and begin razing settlements. Meanwhile a young dragon is planning to anex the entire area and is playing all three sides and pretending to give them aid. The dragon contacts the adventures to aid the populace and smite the evil monsters which he claims are cutting into his earning (an exuse if you use an evil dragon). The adventures will most likely be extremly suspicious, but they should help the populace which will get the ball rolling.