Approaching Epic Level Play *Long* [Archive] - Wizards Community

Approaching Epic Level Play *Long* [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Szat
02-21-05, 05:06 AM I'm currently running a Forgotten Realms campaign. It started at level 1 and the PC's are now cresting level 16. Vallic Ayolmen, a Saint Templated Paladin Of Tyr, has just completed construction of his church in the city of Westgate after purging The Night Masks, a thieve's organization, from the city. After successfully completing the church, there was a peaceful lull of about 6 months where the PC's had some down time. The new storyline, since they've completed the Westgate arc, is dealing with the Blood Wars. Essentially, Orcus formed a portal between the Material and his layer of the Abyss. In creating and wielding the Planar magic an abberation occured and rather than a portal being created a rift appeared. This single rift seems to be propegating and spawning new rifts. This means that at random locales in the Realms sections of the Abyss are replacing the material, vice versa with the Abyss. The havoc ensuing will be huge, and the PC's goal will be to shut the current rifts and prevent any more from appearing.

My problem is this, I have the story arc that I'm going to be running. But since I've never dealt with Epic Level play; this being my first campaign as a DM, I'm a little at a loss of what to do from here on in. I'd rather not just throw monsters with more Hit Dice at them or aged dragons, so I'm appealing to the wisdom of other DM's out there. What presents an interesting challenge for Epic Level PC's? Since my current story arc is not one that will be progressing quickly, the PC's will have time to do some adventuring. To me, a simple dungeon crawl/random encounter seems a little insignificant when approaching Epic levels. What sort of ideas/plots/side quests make for an interesting and exciting Epic Level game???? :confused:

The current party composition is this:

Vallic Ayolmen - Paladin Of Tyr 16/Saint Template
Caesar Borge - Cleric Of Helm 14/Divine Disciple 2/Good Lich Template
Marrett Phylax - Wizard 17
Tharuum Lijmar - Cleric Of Sune 17
*Unknown PC Name* - Druid 16
*Unknown PC Name* - Wizard 15/Archmage 1 *I Believe, This Character Has Yet To Play*

I do have my own concepts, but I figured that I would gleen what I can from the collective skill of the DM boards!!!!

Thank You
mcnoo
02-21-05, 06:02 AM Just off the top of my head, If you want to throw them heavily into things of epic poportions, how about they have to save a god's arse?
Say a young goodly god in favour with Sune and Tyr, and not in helm's bad books, has been imprisoned by an evil lesser god. The young god has been imprisoned in a plane that is innacesable to immortals, as such tyr and sune are incapable of aiding him.
The cleric and paladin are charged with freeing him, which will involve finding how to enter this plane and how to destroy the evil god.
A nice planeshifting romp ensues as the party chase down clues about how to do this near impossible task.
The party eventually somehow come across a weapon of terrible god slaying power in a plane removed from the timescale of other planes, effectively meaning it has existed since the creation of the rest of the multiverse, that is linked with the plane no immortals can enter. (pehaps say they were put there by the creator of the gods as a way of balancing the universe, everything has it's opposite and the like)
For plot convenience, make it whatever the paladin's favourite weapon is.(he's the only mostly fighter in the party, be fair)
In short (because i have to go very soon) they reach the prison plane, fight the evil god, one blow from the fancy weapon kills him. (but hitting him once is no easy task)
Using the weapon as a sort of key, the party can open the plane to get the goodly god out, horay, happy ending.
Alternately, as a twist you could say that if the paladin leaves holding the weapon, by his links to tyr the power surges back and hurts the god badly, causing the next quest: destroy this ancient terrible weapon that all the evil gods are after. Hang on, this suddenly looks a lot like lord of the rings. I was about to type something about taking it back to the creator. Damnit those books have reached my subconcious.
Szat
02-21-05, 06:50 AM Heh. Lord Of The Rings has infected us all, whether you like the books or not. On the "save a gods arse" idea, I was ruminating over the idea of doing just that. Orcus plans to ascend to deific status, hence his prescence in the realms. The concept of saving a god from a realm where only non-immortals can go poses a problem however......how do the bad/good gods get there to imprison and be imprisoned, respectively? Other than that, sounds like an interesting idea. A god slaying blade would be VERY interesting given the story arc I'm planning. Thanks for the idea and if you've got any more or wish to elaborate feel free to respond!

*Note I understand that everyone reading this thread probably wants to keep their own ideas in their own head, so keep the really juicy ones for yourself if you wish, but post your "not so juicy" ones here!!!*
mcnoo
02-21-05, 09:27 AM How did the god get there 'eh...hmm...*whips out his planar mechanics textbook*

There are two of these weapons, (or at least two involved in the campaign, future plot development anyone?) remembering they also act like planar keys, the evil god got his filthy mits on one, and used it to open up the plane, then close it again from the inside. He can't work out how to wield it against the goodly god without suffering it's powers himself however, through the power of magical froopyness, and seeing as anyone he commands to use it has divine links with him (either though being a worshiper or having divine power cast on them as a domination effect) he would get hit with the backlash, much as tyr does if the paladin carries it out of the plane.

Hmm...i may have to use this one myself sooner or later.
Szat
02-21-05, 07:05 PM See those are always the side effects of these types of threads, the DMs who post inevitably start thinking "hey that idea fits real well into MY campaign" Thanks for your input mcnoo. This sounds like just the sort of "side quest" I was looking for!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Szat 02-21-05, 05:06 AM	I'm currently running a Forgotten Realms campaign. It started at level 1 and the PC's are now cresting level 16. Vallic Ayolmen, a Saint Templated Paladin Of Tyr, has just completed construction of his church in the city of Westgate after purging The Night Masks, a thieve's organization, from the city. After successfully completing the church, there was a peaceful lull of about 6 months where the PC's had some down time. The new storyline, since they've completed the Westgate arc, is dealing with the Blood Wars. Essentially, Orcus formed a portal between the Material and his layer of the Abyss. In creating and wielding the Planar magic an abberation occured and rather than a portal being created a rift appeared. This single rift seems to be propegating and spawning new rifts. This means that at random locales in the Realms sections of the Abyss are replacing the material, vice versa with the Abyss. The havoc ensuing will be huge, and the PC's goal will be to shut the current rifts and prevent any more from appearing. My problem is this, I have the story arc that I'm going to be running. But since I've never dealt with Epic Level play; this being my first campaign as a DM, I'm a little at a loss of what to do from here on in. I'd rather not just throw monsters with more Hit Dice at them or aged dragons, so I'm appealing to the wisdom of other DM's out there. What presents an interesting challenge for Epic Level PC's? Since my current story arc is not one that will be progressing quickly, the PC's will have time to do some adventuring. To me, a simple dungeon crawl/random encounter seems a little insignificant when approaching Epic levels. What sort of ideas/plots/side quests make for an interesting and exciting Epic Level game???? :confused: The current party composition is this: Vallic Ayolmen - Paladin Of Tyr 16/Saint Template Caesar Borge - Cleric Of Helm 14/Divine Disciple 2/Good Lich Template Marrett Phylax - Wizard 17 Tharuum Lijmar - Cleric Of Sune 17 Unknown PC Name - Druid 16 Unknown PC Name - Wizard 15/Archmage 1 I Believe, This Character Has Yet To Play I do have my own concepts, but I figured that I would gleen what I can from the collective skill of the DM boards!!!! Thank You
mcnoo 02-21-05, 06:02 AM	Just off the top of my head, If you want to throw them heavily into things of epic poportions, how about they have to save a god's arse? Say a young goodly god in favour with Sune and Tyr, and not in helm's bad books, has been imprisoned by an evil lesser god. The young god has been imprisoned in a plane that is innacesable to immortals, as such tyr and sune are incapable of aiding him. The cleric and paladin are charged with freeing him, which will involve finding how to enter this plane and how to destroy the evil god. A nice planeshifting romp ensues as the party chase down clues about how to do this near impossible task. The party eventually somehow come across a weapon of terrible god slaying power in a plane removed from the timescale of other planes, effectively meaning it has existed since the creation of the rest of the multiverse, that is linked with the plane no immortals can enter. (pehaps say they were put there by the creator of the gods as a way of balancing the universe, everything has it's opposite and the like) For plot convenience, make it whatever the paladin's favourite weapon is.(he's the only mostly fighter in the party, be fair) In short (because i have to go very soon) they reach the prison plane, fight the evil god, one blow from the fancy weapon kills him. (but hitting him once is no easy task) Using the weapon as a sort of key, the party can open the plane to get the goodly god out, horay, happy ending. Alternately, as a twist you could say that if the paladin leaves holding the weapon, by his links to tyr the power surges back and hurts the god badly, causing the next quest: destroy this ancient terrible weapon that all the evil gods are after. Hang on, this suddenly looks a lot like lord of the rings. I was about to type something about taking it back to the creator. Damnit those books have reached my subconcious.
Szat 02-21-05, 06:50 AM	Heh. Lord Of The Rings has infected us all, whether you like the books or not. On the "save a gods arse" idea, I was ruminating over the idea of doing just that. Orcus plans to ascend to deific status, hence his prescence in the realms. The concept of saving a god from a realm where only non-immortals can go poses a problem however......how do the bad/good gods get there to imprison and be imprisoned, respectively? Other than that, sounds like an interesting idea. A god slaying blade would be VERY interesting given the story arc I'm planning. Thanks for the idea and if you've got any more or wish to elaborate feel free to respond! Note I understand that everyone reading this thread probably wants to keep their own ideas in their own head, so keep the really juicy ones for yourself if you wish, but post your "not so juicy" ones here!!!
mcnoo 02-21-05, 09:27 AM	How did the god get there 'eh...hmm...whips out his planar mechanics textbook There are two of these weapons, (or at least two involved in the campaign, future plot development anyone?) remembering they also act like planar keys, the evil god got his filthy mits on one, and used it to open up the plane, then close it again from the inside. He can't work out how to wield it against the goodly god without suffering it's powers himself however, through the power of magical froopyness, and seeing as anyone he commands to use it has divine links with him (either though being a worshiper or having divine power cast on them as a domination effect) he would get hit with the backlash, much as tyr does if the paladin carries it out of the plane. Hmm...i may have to use this one myself sooner or later.
Szat 02-21-05, 07:05 PM	See those are always the side effects of these types of threads, the DMs who post inevitably start thinking "hey that idea fits real well into MY campaign" Thanks for your input mcnoo. This sounds like just the sort of "side quest" I was looking for!