From Altaruk to Tyr - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

From Altaruk to Tyr

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Judah_FallenCypress
Apr 29, 2011 10:31:12
I am a fairly new DM running in Dark Sun. My PC's are just about finished with the first small adventure from the campaign setting and I would like the run Marauders of the Dune Sea next. But I don’t want it to seem like I'm rushing the PC's out of Altaruk without them at least spending sometime there. I plan on running the encounters adventure for the trip to Tyr, but I want them to spend time in Altaruk so its not like they are just hopping one adventure to the next. Are there any idea on how to get the adventures on the road to Tyr without rail roading them and making it seem like they have a option of what they do next?

#2
RAMEENN
Apr 29, 2011 11:36:08 I think the simplest way to make PC's leave their current location is to make them want to: something they want shoudl be in Tyr, whether that's fabulous treasure, freedom, or somebody the PC's want to kill. If they find out information that whatever it happens to be is in Tyr, they'll want to go there.
#3
HarbringerOfNok
Apr 29, 2011 11:47:45
Fleeing for your life is always a good plot device. A percieved crime linked to one of the PCs perhaps as part of a setup or a crime of necessity. Clearing thier names as the campaign continues can be another sidetrack adventure.
#4
mgbeach
Apr 29, 2011 13:32:32 And Tyr has very recently become free.. this is a completely new idea, and one that pretty much any character would probably want to check out... either to taste freedom or to take advantage of the situations that have arisen as a result (ie, power vacuums, freed slaves that can be rounded up and sold (if they are smuggled out of Tyr), rumors of empty nobles/templars estates ripe for the lootin', etc.) It should be pretty easy to get characters to want to go to Tyr. Especially seeing as Altaruk isn't much of a destination in and of itself. Were they not on the way to Tyr when they came to Altaruk in the first place? I didn't run the adventure in the book so I'm not quite sure.
#5
khorne37
Apr 29, 2011 13:53:56 You don't have to send them to Tyr if you don't want them to go. Have them stay in Altaruk.
#6
siromega
Apr 29, 2011 23:41:29 www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...

it takes you from Altaruk to Tyr, and your players can get a few magic items along the way, without really shoe-horning it. The entire adventure is about raiding a magic vault.

Word of Advice: Scrap some of the skill challenges. In practice the one where you decipher the Elven scroll worked fine, but when the party had to talk to the elven chief, things went pretty bad. Complexity 5's are just murder at the low-levels where you have little chance for re-rolls/bonuses. Same goes for the Arcana/Thievery SC. Absolute Murder.
#7
wiredlatino
May 07, 2011 17:05:25 In my current campaign the pcs simply saw a Balican agent question their innkeeper about them. They got the hint and left town in a hurry. Altaruk was just a stop in the grand scheme of things but outracing any Sorceror-King's agent is always a good idea. As far as adventuring ideas in Altaruk, the the campaign book has several hooks from helping the Veiled Alliance, getting out of town before a horde of giants raid, maybe there's signs of a plague, joining a merchant caravan as guards or escorting a well paying stranger to Tyr.

My current campaign (started at Grak's Pool and had individual introductions for each of my pcs) currently involves the pcs as added muscle for their patron, a Tyrian Noble and ex-Templar, and a boy that seems to have a mysterious and rare power (answers to this to be roleplayed throughout the campaign). The escort campaign keeps them moving towards a goal and you just fill in the dots with encounters. The next encounter in my campaign involves a seemingly abandoned village with that water well the pcs desperately need to get to but why is this village empty and then surprise!

Good luck DMing, you picked a great campaign world. Kudos to Wizards for such a great job on the new Dark Sun material (I certainly would buy anything related 4e Dark Sun)!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Judah_FallenCypress Apr 29, 2011 10:31:12	I am a fairly new DM running in Dark Sun. My PC's are just about finished with the first small adventure from the campaign setting and I would like the run Marauders of the Dune Sea next. But I don’t want it to seem like I'm rushing the PC's out of Altaruk without them at least spending sometime there. I plan on running the encounters adventure for the trip to Tyr, but I want them to spend time in Altaruk so its not like they are just hopping one adventure to the next. Are there any idea on how to get the adventures on the road to Tyr without rail roading them and making it seem like they have a option of what they do next?
#2 RAMEENN Apr 29, 2011 11:36:08	I think the simplest way to make PC's leave their current location is to make them want to: something they want shoudl be in Tyr, whether that's fabulous treasure, freedom, or somebody the PC's want to kill. If they find out information that whatever it happens to be is in Tyr, they'll want to go there.
#3 HarbringerOfNok Apr 29, 2011 11:47:45	Fleeing for your life is always a good plot device. A percieved crime linked to one of the PCs perhaps as part of a setup or a crime of necessity. Clearing thier names as the campaign continues can be another sidetrack adventure.
#4 mgbeach Apr 29, 2011 13:32:32	And Tyr has very recently become free.. this is a completely new idea, and one that pretty much any character would probably want to check out... either to taste freedom or to take advantage of the situations that have arisen as a result (ie, power vacuums, freed slaves that can be rounded up and sold (if they are smuggled out of Tyr), rumors of empty nobles/templars estates ripe for the lootin', etc.) It should be pretty easy to get characters to want to go to Tyr. Especially seeing as Altaruk isn't much of a destination in and of itself. Were they not on the way to Tyr when they came to Altaruk in the first place? I didn't run the adventure in the book so I'm not quite sure.
#5 khorne37 Apr 29, 2011 13:53:56	You don't have to send them to Tyr if you don't want them to go. Have them stay in Altaruk.
#6 siromega Apr 29, 2011 23:41:29	www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d... it takes you from Altaruk to Tyr, and your players can get a few magic items along the way, without really shoe-horning it. The entire adventure is about raiding a magic vault. Word of Advice: Scrap some of the skill challenges. In practice the one where you decipher the Elven scroll worked fine, but when the party had to talk to the elven chief, things went pretty bad. Complexity 5's are just murder at the low-levels where you have little chance for re-rolls/bonuses. Same goes for the Arcana/Thievery SC. Absolute Murder.
#7 wiredlatino May 07, 2011 17:05:25	In my current campaign the pcs simply saw a Balican agent question their innkeeper about them. They got the hint and left town in a hurry. Altaruk was just a stop in the grand scheme of things but outracing any Sorceror-King's agent is always a good idea. As far as adventuring ideas in Altaruk, the the campaign book has several hooks from helping the Veiled Alliance, getting out of town before a horde of giants raid, maybe there's signs of a plague, joining a merchant caravan as guards or escorting a well paying stranger to Tyr. My current campaign (started at Grak's Pool and had individual introductions for each of my pcs) currently involves the pcs as added muscle for their patron, a Tyrian Noble and ex-Templar, and a boy that seems to have a mysterious and rare power (answers to this to be roleplayed throughout the campaign). The escort campaign keeps them moving towards a goal and you just fill in the dots with encounters. The next encounter in my campaign involves a seemingly abandoned village with that water well the pcs desperately need to get to but why is this village empty and then surprise! Good luck DMing, you picked a great campaign world. Kudos to Wizards for such a great job on the new Dark Sun material (I certainly would buy anything related 4e Dark Sun)!