Campaign/Adventure/Module Idea - Simpler Times [Archive] - Wizards Community

Campaign/Adventure/Module Idea - Simpler Times [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Neo_Leviathan
03-04-08, 06:58 PM Heya. This is just an idea that popped into my head on my way to work this morning :)

The premise:
A family of farmers. Maybe a second level commoner, a couple of first level commoners, a first or second level expert, and maybe a first level warrior(militia member), standard or elite array.

One night a badly wounded man in rich robes stumbles into their farm, bleeding badly and obviously in a bad way. They attempt to care for him, but he is evidently poisoned and there is nothing they can do. Before he dies he pulls out a scroll (turns out to be true Ressurection, not that they have any way of telling) and tells them to take his body and the scroll to his cousin (name whatever) in Waterdeep (or similar large town maybe a week's journey away).
It was time to head towards market anyways with the latest batch of wheat, so the family decides to head to waterdeep. However! They find that there are creatures after them! Goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, etc, and they have to move fast! Maybe ditch the wagon at some point, maybe try and fight a couple of orcs off if they really think they can take them.

Then if they make it to the city they have to try and get past the city guard (You're transporting a DEAD BODY? Right! To the local prison with you until we figure out whats going on!), find the dead man's cousin, street thieves, people trying to swindle the 'simple country folk' out of their coin (You have a magic scroll there I see? Oh I can make you rich! I can give you 100gp for that scroll! Oh dont worry, I'll give it back after I copy it, you can still take it to the dead man's cousin.)

Basically a 'common citizen' party with like, 5gp worth of gear, doing a journey that any adventurer would breeze through with no issues. Having to deal with everyone from a position of weakness, rather than "Heh, I could blow him away with a thought if he attacks me", and little or no rights, since they're poor country commoners.

What do you guys & girls think? :)
Lord_Varos
03-05-08, 12:08 AM Good. Unique challenges, new circumstances for many players, and a major encourager of roleplaying. By far not the first time its been done, but if it's your group's first, then who's counting?

I see two potential problems. First, the lack of power could really encourage powergaming/min/maxing to compensate. They could anticipate challenges piling on and try to squeeze way too much power out of their farmers. If you don't mind (or even desire) this situation, then no problem at all.

Second, regarding the specific circumstances: why wouldn't they just sell the scroll for 100 gp? They have no reason at all to help the man. He just shows up, bringing trouble and monsters to their home, and tells them to do a dangerous mission for him with absolutely no reward. They have to lug his rotting corpse across the plains and evade monsters at the same time, even dropping their precious trade goods just to escape on his (dead) behalf. They are arrested for doing this, and don't know where the cousin is. When someone offers them a fortune (and the chance to go home and live off of it for a lifetime of almost no work) for a simple scroll that they can't use, why in the name of all of the gods would they keep it?! They would have to be insane and/or some extremely outlandish characters to make that choice, especially with the poor commoners putting in their votes.
Neo_Leviathan
03-05-08, 12:21 AM I see two potential problems. First, the lack of power could really encourage powergaming/min/maxing to compensate. They could anticipate challenges piling on and try to squeeze way too much power out of their farmers. If you don't mind (or even desire) this situation, then no problem at all.

I dont know how they'd manage to powergame first and second level commoners etc, since there would be enforcing "Only stuff that a farmer would have" rules.

Second, regarding the specific circumstances: why wouldn't they just sell the scroll for 100 gp? They have no reason at all to help the man. He just shows up, bringing trouble and monsters to their home, and tells them to do a dangerous mission for him with absolutely no reward. They have to lug his rotting corpse across the plains and evade monsters at the same time, even dropping their precious trade goods just to escape on his (dead) behalf. They are arrested for doing this, and don't know where the cousin is. When someone offers them a fortune (and the chance to go home and live off of it for a lifetime of almost no work) for a simple scroll that they can't use, why in the name of all of the gods would they keep it?! They would have to be insane and/or some extremely outlandish characters to make that choice, especially with the poor commoners putting in their votes.

Well the arresting part certainly isn't certain.

As to the 'why wouldn't they'. There isn't any reason why not :). If thats what they RPing-wise would do, then thats what they do :). It's entirely up to them if they do things the money way, the way they were asked, hand it over to the city watch, any of the above :)

Basically, they do things whatever way they want, with appropriate consequences.
GoriceXII
03-05-08, 06:33 AM I think this is a cool idea. You need to have them dazzled with a rich reward though so that the idea of going on this quest is thrilling.

Also the rotting body is going to be a problem. Not an unsolvable one--they could certainly stuff him in a barrel of lime or alcohol or something. In fact I'd make that their first leg of the quest--how will they get him there in one piece?

Then after that you have the question of who attacked him and why? I guess this is where the humanoids come in.

I'd like to suggest that perhaps a couple of things might help the quest along.

1. ephemeral magic (potions, etc) the dying man gives them as his last magical items to help them along the way.

2. a potential friendly monster they might also be able to rescue (in true folk hero fashion) along the way, or even two or three, that will be of help to them in turn.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Neo_Leviathan 03-04-08, 06:58 PM	Heya. This is just an idea that popped into my head on my way to work this morning :) The premise: A family of farmers. Maybe a second level commoner, a couple of first level commoners, a first or second level expert, and maybe a first level warrior(militia member), standard or elite array. One night a badly wounded man in rich robes stumbles into their farm, bleeding badly and obviously in a bad way. They attempt to care for him, but he is evidently poisoned and there is nothing they can do. Before he dies he pulls out a scroll (turns out to be true Ressurection, not that they have any way of telling) and tells them to take his body and the scroll to his cousin (name whatever) in Waterdeep (or similar large town maybe a week's journey away). It was time to head towards market anyways with the latest batch of wheat, so the family decides to head to waterdeep. However! They find that there are creatures after them! Goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, etc, and they have to move fast! Maybe ditch the wagon at some point, maybe try and fight a couple of orcs off if they really think they can take them. Then if they make it to the city they have to try and get past the city guard (You're transporting a DEAD BODY? Right! To the local prison with you until we figure out whats going on!), find the dead man's cousin, street thieves, people trying to swindle the 'simple country folk' out of their coin (You have a magic scroll there I see? Oh I can make you rich! I can give you 100gp for that scroll! Oh dont worry, I'll give it back after I copy it, you can still take it to the dead man's cousin.) Basically a 'common citizen' party with like, 5gp worth of gear, doing a journey that any adventurer would breeze through with no issues. Having to deal with everyone from a position of weakness, rather than "Heh, I could blow him away with a thought if he attacks me", and little or no rights, since they're poor country commoners. What do you guys & girls think? :)
Lord_Varos 03-05-08, 12:08 AM	Good. Unique challenges, new circumstances for many players, and a major encourager of roleplaying. By far not the first time its been done, but if it's your group's first, then who's counting? I see two potential problems. First, the lack of power could really encourage powergaming/min/maxing to compensate. They could anticipate challenges piling on and try to squeeze way too much power out of their farmers. If you don't mind (or even desire) this situation, then no problem at all. Second, regarding the specific circumstances: why wouldn't they just sell the scroll for 100 gp? They have no reason at all to help the man. He just shows up, bringing trouble and monsters to their home, and tells them to do a dangerous mission for him with absolutely no reward. They have to lug his rotting corpse across the plains and evade monsters at the same time, even dropping their precious trade goods just to escape on his (dead) behalf. They are arrested for doing this, and don't know where the cousin is. When someone offers them a fortune (and the chance to go home and live off of it for a lifetime of almost no work) for a simple scroll that they can't use, why in the name of all of the gods would they keep it?! They would have to be insane and/or some extremely outlandish characters to make that choice, especially with the poor commoners putting in their votes.
Neo_Leviathan 03-05-08, 12:21 AM	I see two potential problems. First, the lack of power could really encourage powergaming/min/maxing to compensate. They could anticipate challenges piling on and try to squeeze way too much power out of their farmers. If you don't mind (or even desire) this situation, then no problem at all. I dont know how they'd manage to powergame first and second level commoners etc, since there would be enforcing "Only stuff that a farmer would have" rules. Second, regarding the specific circumstances: why wouldn't they just sell the scroll for 100 gp? They have no reason at all to help the man. He just shows up, bringing trouble and monsters to their home, and tells them to do a dangerous mission for him with absolutely no reward. They have to lug his rotting corpse across the plains and evade monsters at the same time, even dropping their precious trade goods just to escape on his (dead) behalf. They are arrested for doing this, and don't know where the cousin is. When someone offers them a fortune (and the chance to go home and live off of it for a lifetime of almost no work) for a simple scroll that they can't use, why in the name of all of the gods would they keep it?! They would have to be insane and/or some extremely outlandish characters to make that choice, especially with the poor commoners putting in their votes. Well the arresting part certainly isn't certain. As to the 'why wouldn't they'. There isn't any reason why not :). If thats what they RPing-wise would do, then thats what they do :). It's entirely up to them if they do things the money way, the way they were asked, hand it over to the city watch, any of the above :) Basically, they do things whatever way they want, with appropriate consequences.
GoriceXII 03-05-08, 06:33 AM	I think this is a cool idea. You need to have them dazzled with a rich reward though so that the idea of going on this quest is thrilling. Also the rotting body is going to be a problem. Not an unsolvable one--they could certainly stuff him in a barrel of lime or alcohol or something. In fact I'd make that their first leg of the quest--how will they get him there in one piece? Then after that you have the question of who attacked him and why? I guess this is where the humanoids come in. I'd like to suggest that perhaps a couple of things might help the quest along. 1. ephemeral magic (potions, etc) the dying man gives them as his last magical items to help them along the way. 2. a potential friendly monster they might also be able to rescue (in true folk hero fashion) along the way, or even two or three, that will be of help to them in turn.