Where to next - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Where to next

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
patories
Apr 21, 2011 16:13:15
I started my adventures heading towards the ruins at Bodach before I really had a chance to look at the history and background of what happened there. The over arching quest that my players are traveling through leads them across Athas in search of hidden strongholds of House Madar, the merchant house that was destroyed. According to clue that they found, Bodach was the next stop in the puzzle, but at level 4, I would like to wait a few levels so I can throw and undead gauntlet at them while they try to flee the city.

So now I am trying to figure out how to drop in a side quest that will give them a chance to level up, while not giving out the surprise that they will likely encounter. They are currently on the route from Gulg to Salt View, there is scheduled to be an encounter along the road at an ancient stronghold. I can drop clues in the stronghold that there is more to the puzzle in Bodach then the key they received, such as a puzzle that mentions more items needs.

Another option is if they manage to bypass the encounter at the stronghold, I can have a contact of their current employer catch up to them and let them know what has been discovered and another option that they need to go investigate. With this option I can see utilizing the “contact” as a member of House Tsalxia, and eventually betray them in Bodach, after they have recovered the next set of codes to the final vault.

In my story House Madar was destroyed not only out of rival trade, but because they were opposing Rajaat and the Cleansing war. There employer is actually the only living descendent of House Madar, but is unable to retrieve the items herself.

So where should I send my players that will give them a few levels, make them more battle hardened and still be an interesting jaunt? I am thinking of either the Glowing Desert, one of the many Halfling villages along the Misty Border, or event o Kurn.
#2
windlane
Apr 21, 2011 16:29:07 If they have something or someone valuable to them, having it taken is an easy way to get them to follow for a while.

I love halflings in Dark Sun, so having a halfling raiding party take the item or person (fast food run) definitely gives a good reason to follow with a race that can be handled through combat encounters or pure role play with skill powers being a middle ground.

The cool thing is, you can present several options and let the players decide how they think would be best to deal with things.

What's also fun, is that although you are just using this as a way to get players to the level you want for their next stop on their main quest, you can come back to it at a later time based off of what the players do so that their actions have long lasting repercussions.

Let us know what you end up doing and how the players take to it.
#3
khorne37
Apr 21, 2011 18:07:59 You could just have them sneak into Bodache and back out again. Stress the fact that powerful undead lurk behind every corner and they could make a return visit and do some house cleaning at later levels...
#4
patories
Apr 22, 2011 11:05:39 I have decided that I am going to take two pre-gened adventures, some betrayal and throw the parties against some undead in Bodach...

The will arrive at dawn about an hours walk from Bodach by a silt skimmer captian who was "hired" by their employer, near the meeting ground is an abandoned building/temple. When they arrive in Bodach it will be deathly quite. The will come across an crumbling tower (Ghost Tower, Dungeon 182) where they will encounter some undead as they run through that. The will finally find that the Necromancer at the end was a member of House Madar, and he will taunt them about failing to find the true vault and that the time wasted here will be their end.. Somehow they will find out that they actually need a few more keys for their cipher to unlock the true vault, but since they wasted their time here for so long night is falling..

They can either attempt to find something for cover in Bodach, or run back to where they were dropped off from the Silt Skimmer, which according to the captian should be there to meet them in less then an hour.

Upon getting to the meeting spot they will finally realize that the captain betrayed them, there will be undead coming from Bodach craving their flesh and the will need to survive until dawn. This will then throw them into the Dead by Dawn adventure... in the building they will eventually figure out that this was a trade outpost for House Madar, and there will be some information pointing them to their next direction.

This should put the scare into them about Bodach, throwing in the betrayal of their employer, and a reason to search out a few more locations to level up...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 patories Apr 21, 2011 16:13:15	I started my adventures heading towards the ruins at Bodach before I really had a chance to look at the history and background of what happened there. The over arching quest that my players are traveling through leads them across Athas in search of hidden strongholds of House Madar, the merchant house that was destroyed. According to clue that they found, Bodach was the next stop in the puzzle, but at level 4, I would like to wait a few levels so I can throw and undead gauntlet at them while they try to flee the city. So now I am trying to figure out how to drop in a side quest that will give them a chance to level up, while not giving out the surprise that they will likely encounter. They are currently on the route from Gulg to Salt View, there is scheduled to be an encounter along the road at an ancient stronghold. I can drop clues in the stronghold that there is more to the puzzle in Bodach then the key they received, such as a puzzle that mentions more items needs. Another option is if they manage to bypass the encounter at the stronghold, I can have a contact of their current employer catch up to them and let them know what has been discovered and another option that they need to go investigate. With this option I can see utilizing the “contact” as a member of House Tsalxia, and eventually betray them in Bodach, after they have recovered the next set of codes to the final vault. In my story House Madar was destroyed not only out of rival trade, but because they were opposing Rajaat and the Cleansing war. There employer is actually the only living descendent of House Madar, but is unable to retrieve the items herself. So where should I send my players that will give them a few levels, make them more battle hardened and still be an interesting jaunt? I am thinking of either the Glowing Desert, one of the many Halfling villages along the Misty Border, or event o Kurn.
#2 windlane Apr 21, 2011 16:29:07	If they have something or someone valuable to them, having it taken is an easy way to get them to follow for a while. I love halflings in Dark Sun, so having a halfling raiding party take the item or person (fast food run) definitely gives a good reason to follow with a race that can be handled through combat encounters or pure role play with skill powers being a middle ground. The cool thing is, you can present several options and let the players decide how they think would be best to deal with things. What's also fun, is that although you are just using this as a way to get players to the level you want for their next stop on their main quest, you can come back to it at a later time based off of what the players do so that their actions have long lasting repercussions. Let us know what you end up doing and how the players take to it.
#3 khorne37 Apr 21, 2011 18:07:59	You could just have them sneak into Bodache and back out again. Stress the fact that powerful undead lurk behind every corner and they could make a return visit and do some house cleaning at later levels...
#4 patories Apr 22, 2011 11:05:39	I have decided that I am going to take two pre-gened adventures, some betrayal and throw the parties against some undead in Bodach... The will arrive at dawn about an hours walk from Bodach by a silt skimmer captian who was "hired" by their employer, near the meeting ground is an abandoned building/temple. When they arrive in Bodach it will be deathly quite. The will come across an crumbling tower (Ghost Tower, Dungeon 182) where they will encounter some undead as they run through that. The will finally find that the Necromancer at the end was a member of House Madar, and he will taunt them about failing to find the true vault and that the time wasted here will be their end.. Somehow they will find out that they actually need a few more keys for their cipher to unlock the true vault, but since they wasted their time here for so long night is falling.. They can either attempt to find something for cover in Bodach, or run back to where they were dropped off from the Silt Skimmer, which according to the captian should be there to meet them in less then an hour. Upon getting to the meeting spot they will finally realize that the captain betrayed them, there will be undead coming from Bodach craving their flesh and the will need to survive until dawn. This will then throw them into the Dead by Dawn adventure... in the building they will eventually figure out that this was a trade outpost for House Madar, and there will be some information pointing them to their next direction. This should put the scare into them about Bodach, throwing in the betrayal of their employer, and a reason to search out a few more locations to level up...