Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gideon_Gideonson 01-06-08, 12:07 AM	I have a campaign idea all set up and I like where it's going, but I'm not sure WHY it's happening. So far it's set in Eberron, and the explorers to the Frostfell are slowly being killed off, as subtly as possible to avoid drawing attention. Obviously something big was discovered in the North, and kept secret, and only these few know about it. The problem I have is I don't have many ideas about what they discovered, why they kept it secret, and why whatever it is needs them dead. I'm not really looking for complete scenarios here...just some stuff to get me thinking along the right tracks.
Takk_Tealeaf 01-06-08, 01:07 AM	el dorado? giant squid? some sort of magical cube that transports people into another plane? hungry animals? dragon?
twad 01-06-08, 01:10 AM	I have a campaign idea all set up and I like where it's going, but I'm not sure WHY it's happening. So far it's set in Eberron, and the explorers to the Frostfell are slowly being killed off, as subtly as possible to avoid drawing attention. Obviously something big was discovered in the North, and kept secret, and only these few know about it. The problem I have is I don't have many ideas about what they discovered, why they kept it secret, and why whatever it is needs them dead. I'm not really looking for complete scenarios here...just some stuff to get me thinking along the right tracks. okay.. ill brainstorm here.. That spot might be the hidden entrance to a secret base, that the BBEG must (obviously) keep secret from the world. Long lost artifact that the BBEG know its there, but cant remove it from the ''Frostfell'' and he want it for himself. The BBEG is just some serial killer, his obsession is killing explorers in cold places. Maybe its the ''frostfell'' (whatever it is) itself that is slowly killing the intruders.. like some massive organism.. There is a portal in the FF, unactivated, and the killers are defender of the portal (a bit cliche..) to prevent it from oppening.
Grand_Commander13 01-06-08, 01:17 AM	I'd take the opportunity to do something unique and that isn't something you simply solve with a sword. Like... A spirit of some sort has been discovered by a bunch of archons that spawns seemingly at random, answers a question for the first humanoid it sees, and disappears. They have a friendly human who is trying to get the answer to a question the archons desperately need an answer to, but the spirit is being evasive. They simply do not have the time for it to answer questions for other, unknowing humanoids in the area, so are holding all of them they find off-site. Unless bodies are showing up, that should work. How's that work for ya?
Toran_A_Sunder 01-06-08, 01:37 AM	Take a creature from one of the MMs. A monster you've never used before in a game. Now, through on some templates and aybe advance it a little. Possibly a class level or two, to make it really different from others of it's kind. Like an advanced fiendish half-illithid white dragon shugenja. It's hiding in the frostfell because, on some level, it is aware of how much of a freak it is and doesnt want to be hunted down and killed, so it kills all who stumble across it acidentaly or otherwise. This solves A: food source and B: being discovered. Yes...I know tht the half-illithid template can only be added to humanoids. But you get the idea.
Thubby 01-06-08, 01:39 AM	if you want to do something unexpected, make it so they are trying to protect people. some ultra destructive force that slowly kills (or worse) those who come into contact with it, or unleashes some horrible plague that would destroy the world. these survivors (for now) are trying to prevent an outbreak, so they have to kill or capture al those who come to the area and get infected. ultimate mega magic canon gate to prison of ancient evil (their god) building an army and don't want people snooping around.
Sinfire Titan 01-06-08, 03:13 AM	Motivation for a villain? I have an idea for you: His motive is curiosity. Not the standard "Oh, I found an ancient artifact and want to activate it wildly", but more of "What would it be like to be evil?" kind. Now why would he be in the Frostfell? He doesn't want to use the item that was found. He wants to do what is evil, making them think it is something important. But in reality, the object in question holds no pertinence to anything involving the PCs. But it holds significant importance to the Cult of the Dragon Below/Blood of Vol/Inspired/Dark Six cultists/any other villainous groups, and everyone who died up until then was under their control. While he may have been doing things sheerly out of spite, he was in fact helping people by keeping that relic out of the wrong hands. Granted, he was still being evil for the sake of it, but he was doing some good for the world too. This fits in perfectly with the ECS. The entire campaign setting is about these shades of gray. They even say it in the intro passage.
Cifer 01-06-08, 10:57 AM	First, I'd suggest that you post this question on the Eberron boards - the people there have much more knowledge about the specific dangers of Eberron. One possibility would be a sealed Daelkyr. The explorers have found the seals that keep it imprisoned - seals that were forgotten by the Gatekeepers themselves. Upon returning home, one of them has contacted a rather radical Gatekeeper who thought that with their sect being stretched so thin as is, a newly found seal couldn't be defended adequately (especially since gatekeepers are strongest in environments that have trees and animals to work with), which is why he has taken to eliminate all knowledge of it - especially the other bearers of said knowledge.
lulzapalooza 01-06-08, 11:59 AM	It needn't be complicated or really artistic. D&D often works best in simple, almost cliche stories. You may think you and all of your smart players expect a story of human emotions, but trust me, when you're at that table, all the subtle details and alagories are lost, as are your efforts. Magic in D&D is the best possible plot tool. If you're playing D&D to express your opinions and your fears, then you're a hopeless dork. Here are some ideas for you; A dragon is collecting unwilling souls to trade to devil mercenaries to join him in an army to take over the world. A lich is afraid of death, and so is toying with a powerful magic artifact in an attempt to end all of existance, including death. To accomplish this though he must gather starlight by placing pools of humanoid blood under the night sky, and he doesn't want anybody to see. A ranger has been laying traps to keep people away from his one true love in life, his land. Reality has fractured and elementals of every type randomly wink in and out of existance at a certain place in the Frostfell.
DarthCestual 01-06-08, 01:31 PM	A powerful warforged wizard has created a new Forge to produce the Transforged, constructs able to take on other forms of standard D&D beasties for stealth and for combat such as rust monsters, displacer beasts, carrion crawlers, etc. She will use it to create an all-construct nation once her Transforged have infiltrated the surrounding areas and readied themselves for the uprising. :P
lulzapalooza 01-08-08, 02:23 PM	A powerful warforged wizard has created a new Forge to produce the Transforged, constructs able to take on other forms of standard D&D beasties for stealth and for combat such as rust monsters, displacer beasts, carrion crawlers, etc. She will use it to create an all-construct nation once her Transforged have infiltrated the surrounding areas and readied themselves for the uprising. :P Isn't that the storyline from the transformers movie?
DragonStrife 01-08-08, 04:19 PM	My character recommendation is: A old King/Queen/other ruling person that has been dominated by a vampire type thing with rouge and assassin type levels. Good luck by the way ;)