Campaign Plot Help Request! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign Plot Help Request! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
waywreth
11-21-03, 10:23 AM I need help with an ongoing campaign! My game is Saturday as the other DM cancelled so I'm likely going to run something if I can come up with a good idea. The part where it says help is what I need. Basically, before the PCs attack the 3 giant fortresses, and break open the conspiracy, have an epic battle including the betrayal of the "paladin", I need some material!

Thanks, and here's the background!

what has gone before (the condensed version):

Their life has been shattered, their small town crushed beneath the awesome might of the Giant's armies. Able to escape and attempting to seek help, they encountered many trials and tribulations on their way to the elven city where they were told reinforcements could be found. They found a holy shrine, defiled by evil.

Entering they found an unholy priest conducting dark and horrifying experiments. They proceeded to annilate him and his forces, returning the shrine to the light.

The finally made it to the elven city only to find it barely surviving the same onslaught. They snuck through the Giants citadel in the trees to recover some lost elven artifacts, and learned they had to visit the Burning Sage so he could explain what was going on. Sadly the Burning Sage had died 1000 years ago and his spirit was trapped in his own tower. They fought off the spirits and the
white dragon and set him free. His consort, an immortal spirit
(angel sort) granted them favors and set them off to the right
city.

They went to this next city run by the Giants and encountered the resistance. They were sent to free a great champion of goodness waiting to be released from his long slumber. They succedded setting things in motion. For what they did not know (and still do not) is that setting him free, set his evil counterpart free.

Next off they were sent to recover the Chaos Key, an artifact that could help them in their cause. Instead they decided to use the key to open the door (I figured this would happen), garnering items and information, but failing to return the key.

The next mission was to recover 4 lost weapons (aka Return to White Plume Mountain) which could help the cause. Instead, they used the weapons to free a trapped soul (understandable of course).

They arrive back in time to the present situation of... help!

DM Information (aka some has already happened, some will in the future).

As this is set in the Against the Giants Silver anniversary campaign setting, the PCs are fighting mainly giants and whatnot.

Two groups control the various factions of earthbound giants, the
dark elves and the evil cloud giants. These two groups know about each other but do not work together. Additionally, there's the wildcard of the champion of evil.

As such the Paladin has actually been killed in mortal combat by
his evil counterpart, although the battle was extremely taxing.

He's recovering, and plans to take the place of the Paladin and
betray them and their army at the worst possible time.

PCs range from level 5 to level 10 and we have 7 or 8 PCs!
ChaoticGod
11-21-03, 01:19 PM It's time for the consequences of past decisions.

They failed to return the Chaos Key. Why did they need it in the first place? Whatever the Chaos Key did they should run into a situation that could easily be handled by its powers but now they will have to do things the hard way. Perhaps they could have used it to close that Gate to the Abyss that a drow priestess just opened which is specially designed to plot out the sun . . .

Standing in their way are four Half Dragon Giants, each of which has a weakness against one of the 4 lost weapons which they didn't recover.

Give some foreshadowing of the dark paladin's betrayal. Don't give it away but have some cryptic divinations or prophecies pop such as "The light shines through a mirror darkly" or some such. When players are betrayed out of the blue they see it as a DM plot device. When they have been warned in a way they can recognize after the fact they feel some of the responsibility themselves. "I should have seen that coming."

Sorry I can't be more helpful but I'm not familiar with the details of these modules (heard of them) nor am I prepared to write an entire adventure for you.
Deamon Kase
11-21-03, 02:28 PM They failed to return the Chaos Key. Why did they need it in the first place? Whatever the Chaos Key did they should run into a situation that could easily be handled by its powers but now they will have to do things the hard way. Perhaps they could have used it to close that Gate to the Abyss that a drow priestess just opened which is specially designed to plot out the sun . . .
Standing in their way are four Half Dragon Giants, each of which has a weakness against one of the 4 lost weapons which they didn't recover.

that is a great idea. You definetly have to use the things they didn't bring back against them... BUT, you can use the freed soul to help them. So all the trouble of wasting the weapons to free him won't completly have been useless. Like when they are going to get betrayed by the paladin, have one of the pc have a deam where the free soul (with the help of a celestial agent) tells him about it so they can stop him before he ruines everything. or something like that... or have him appear has a silent ghost that tries (intelligence check DC something) to mime to one pc the weakness of those halfdragon giants.

You could give the PC an edge by making them know one way or another that there is too factions of giants and that maybe they don't like each other...

you could make them go search for a holy weapon that the evil (who acts like the paladin) would like to have so he can destroy it... turns out the sword is stronger than him and turns him good so he can help the PCs....

I dunno could be more ideas but now that's all i got.
waywreth
11-21-03, 02:37 PM Interesting replies. Thank you for the advice.

I'm going to run the free adventure I found on this site with the frost giant for tomorrow's campaign, but I'm going to try to fit in that dream mentioned, at least some sort of cryptic hint about the fate of the paladin. I like that one. Give them enough rope theory...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
waywreth 11-21-03, 10:23 AM	I need help with an ongoing campaign! My game is Saturday as the other DM cancelled so I'm likely going to run something if I can come up with a good idea. The part where it says help is what I need. Basically, before the PCs attack the 3 giant fortresses, and break open the conspiracy, have an epic battle including the betrayal of the "paladin", I need some material! Thanks, and here's the background! what has gone before (the condensed version): Their life has been shattered, their small town crushed beneath the awesome might of the Giant's armies. Able to escape and attempting to seek help, they encountered many trials and tribulations on their way to the elven city where they were told reinforcements could be found. They found a holy shrine, defiled by evil. Entering they found an unholy priest conducting dark and horrifying experiments. They proceeded to annilate him and his forces, returning the shrine to the light. The finally made it to the elven city only to find it barely surviving the same onslaught. They snuck through the Giants citadel in the trees to recover some lost elven artifacts, and learned they had to visit the Burning Sage so he could explain what was going on. Sadly the Burning Sage had died 1000 years ago and his spirit was trapped in his own tower. They fought off the spirits and the white dragon and set him free. His consort, an immortal spirit (angel sort) granted them favors and set them off to the right city. They went to this next city run by the Giants and encountered the resistance. They were sent to free a great champion of goodness waiting to be released from his long slumber. They succedded setting things in motion. For what they did not know (and still do not) is that setting him free, set his evil counterpart free. Next off they were sent to recover the Chaos Key, an artifact that could help them in their cause. Instead they decided to use the key to open the door (I figured this would happen), garnering items and information, but failing to return the key. The next mission was to recover 4 lost weapons (aka Return to White Plume Mountain) which could help the cause. Instead, they used the weapons to free a trapped soul (understandable of course). They arrive back in time to the present situation of... help! DM Information (aka some has already happened, some will in the future). As this is set in the Against the Giants Silver anniversary campaign setting, the PCs are fighting mainly giants and whatnot. Two groups control the various factions of earthbound giants, the dark elves and the evil cloud giants. These two groups know about each other but do not work together. Additionally, there's the wildcard of the champion of evil. As such the Paladin has actually been killed in mortal combat by his evil counterpart, although the battle was extremely taxing. He's recovering, and plans to take the place of the Paladin and betray them and their army at the worst possible time. PCs range from level 5 to level 10 and we have 7 or 8 PCs!
ChaoticGod 11-21-03, 01:19 PM	It's time for the consequences of past decisions. They failed to return the Chaos Key. Why did they need it in the first place? Whatever the Chaos Key did they should run into a situation that could easily be handled by its powers but now they will have to do things the hard way. Perhaps they could have used it to close that Gate to the Abyss that a drow priestess just opened which is specially designed to plot out the sun . . . Standing in their way are four Half Dragon Giants, each of which has a weakness against one of the 4 lost weapons which they didn't recover. Give some foreshadowing of the dark paladin's betrayal. Don't give it away but have some cryptic divinations or prophecies pop such as "The light shines through a mirror darkly" or some such. When players are betrayed out of the blue they see it as a DM plot device. When they have been warned in a way they can recognize after the fact they feel some of the responsibility themselves. "I should have seen that coming." Sorry I can't be more helpful but I'm not familiar with the details of these modules (heard of them) nor am I prepared to write an entire adventure for you.
Deamon Kase 11-21-03, 02:28 PM	They failed to return the Chaos Key. Why did they need it in the first place? Whatever the Chaos Key did they should run into a situation that could easily be handled by its powers but now they will have to do things the hard way. Perhaps they could have used it to close that Gate to the Abyss that a drow priestess just opened which is specially designed to plot out the sun . . . Standing in their way are four Half Dragon Giants, each of which has a weakness against one of the 4 lost weapons which they didn't recover. that is a great idea. You definetly have to use the things they didn't bring back against them... BUT, you can use the freed soul to help them. So all the trouble of wasting the weapons to free him won't completly have been useless. Like when they are going to get betrayed by the paladin, have one of the pc have a deam where the free soul (with the help of a celestial agent) tells him about it so they can stop him before he ruines everything. or something like that... or have him appear has a silent ghost that tries (intelligence check DC something) to mime to one pc the weakness of those halfdragon giants. You could give the PC an edge by making them know one way or another that there is too factions of giants and that maybe they don't like each other... you could make them go search for a holy weapon that the evil (who acts like the paladin) would like to have so he can destroy it... turns out the sword is stronger than him and turns him good so he can help the PCs.... I dunno could be more ideas but now that's all i got.
waywreth 11-21-03, 02:37 PM	Interesting replies. Thank you for the advice. I'm going to run the free adventure I found on this site with the frost giant for tomorrow's campaign, but I'm going to try to fit in that dream mentioned, at least some sort of cryptic hint about the fate of the paladin. I like that one. Give them enough rope theory...