New Eberron campaign - too grim? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 echelon_house Feb 04, 2010 22:56:08	So ... I'm gonna be DMing a new campaign with some friends soon, and I finally get a chance to run Eberron! I've been wanting to for quite some time, so I'm pretty excited. My idea is to have the PCs be relief workers shipped into the Mournlands to work in a House Jorasco refugee camp - and of course, they all have ulterior motives for being there. Jorasco has a secret motive too: they are naturally completely uninterested in the well-being of the survivors, and have only set up the camp as a way to prevent the flood of refugees from crossing the border into Valenar and bothering real people. The camp is essentially a prison for the displaced, and the PCs are its unknowing wardens. The first half of the campaign would revolve around their attempts to defend the camp from raiders, slavers, etc. The complication is that none of them are allowed to actually fight back. As per the conditions of the Treaty of Thronehold, all of what was once Cyre is still considered a sovereign state (whether this is canon or not isn't really an issue for me). If the PCs get involved in any violence it would be legally considered a military action by House Jorasco in violation of the Treaty and could start an international incident - or maybe even another war. Eventually the slavers destroy their only supply line/escape route out of the Mournlands. After that, the players would have to try and make the camp self-sustaining in the middle of a blasted-to-hell wasteland, care for the starving and wounded refugees with dwindling supplies, and try desperately to get rescued. At this point the mysterious properties of the Mournlands begin to play a greater role, especially the ambiguous, mute Warforged servants working in the camp who seem to disappear into the wasteland randomly, only to reappear again as if nothing had happened. They're worshippers of the Becoming God, and the PCs will eventually have to negotiate with the cult to escape with as many of the refugees as they can. So ... thoughts? I'm concerned that the story might be a little, well, dark. It's basically a mixture of LOST and Hotel Rwanda, neither of which are particularly uplifting. I don't want my players to leave each session depressed.
#2 Dargurd Feb 05, 2010 0:25:58	I think it really does depend on your players. This is a very adult them so im guessing your not likely to be running this for the under 10's ! I personally would like to play and/or DM this type of campaign. If I was in your shoes id be probably thinking of running this like TV show episodes e.g. 'issue of the week' type storylines with occasionally main campaign story arc intertwined with it. Yes it will be a grim and gritty setting but so what ! If your players like this kind of game i say go for it.
#3 DoctorBadWolf Feb 05, 2010 4:04:18	Sounds brilliant. It would be great if you could occasionally pop in with updates if you do end up going with this. I'd love to know how it goes, what you do with it session to session, etc.
#4 Gilo Feb 05, 2010 9:14:58	You may find the the Stillwater Station article (Dragon #368) useful.
#5 Ashlock Feb 05, 2010 9:24:58	Pretty cool premise. So this camp is within the Mournland? Who are the survivors, exactly? I thought survivors of the Mourning were those who either (1) were outside the borders of Cyre at the time or (2) those who were within the border but were able to flee across it when the killings clouds advanced across the landscape. In any case, it's a neat set-up. Your players are all aware that this camp is the focal point for the whole campaign? If you're worried about the campaign being overly grim simply because it's all within the Mournland, I'd recommend making some adventures that have the PCs venture outside of the Mournland on supply runs. To Karrlakton, perhaps, for basic supplies. Or across Lake Arul into Thrane. And these could merely be launching points to some other adventures...though they'll eventually need to return to the Jorasco camp. Where in the Mournland is this camp, anyway?
#6 Josha Mar 05, 2010 18:24:08	I'ts not too grim; Players will make their own comic relief in any situation (something will always spring up). And as long as the players themselves are not too grim and serious than you can trust them to keep the game lighthearted and fun. I agree eberron is quite dark and is not for young players thogh.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

echelon_house

Feb 04, 2010 22:56:08

So ... I'm gonna be DMing a new campaign with some friends soon, and I finally get a chance to run Eberron! I've been wanting to for quite some time, so I'm pretty excited. My idea is to have the PCs be relief workers shipped into the Mournlands to work in a House Jorasco refugee camp - and of course, they all have ulterior motives for being there. Jorasco has a secret motive too: they are naturally completely uninterested in the well-being of the survivors, and have only set up the camp as a way to prevent the flood of refugees from crossing the border into Valenar and bothering real people. The camp is essentially a prison for the displaced, and the PCs are its unknowing wardens.

The first half of the campaign would revolve around their attempts to defend the camp from raiders, slavers, etc. The complication is that none of them are allowed to actually fight back. As per the conditions of the Treaty of Thronehold, all of what was once Cyre is still considered a sovereign state (whether this is canon or not isn't really an issue for me). If the PCs get involved in any violence it would be legally considered a military action by House Jorasco in violation of the Treaty and could start an international incident - or maybe even another war.

Eventually the slavers destroy their only supply line/escape route out of the Mournlands. After that, the players would have to try and make the camp self-sustaining in the middle of a blasted-to-hell wasteland, care for the starving and wounded refugees with dwindling supplies, and try desperately to get rescued. At this point the mysterious properties of the Mournlands begin to play a greater role, especially the ambiguous, mute Warforged servants working in the camp who seem to disappear into the wasteland randomly, only to reappear again as if nothing had happened. They're worshippers of the Becoming God, and the PCs will eventually have to negotiate with the cult to escape with as many of the refugees as they can.

So ... thoughts? I'm concerned that the story might be a little, well, dark. It's basically a mixture of LOST and Hotel Rwanda, neither of which are particularly uplifting. I don't want my players to leave each session depressed.

Dargurd

Feb 05, 2010 0:25:58

I think it really does depend on your players. This is a very adult them so im guessing your not likely to be running this for the under 10's ! I personally would like to play and/or DM this type of campaign.

If I was in your shoes id be probably thinking of running this like TV show episodes e.g. 'issue of the week' type storylines with occasionally main campaign story arc intertwined with it.

Yes it will be a grim and gritty setting but so what ! If your players like this kind of game i say go for it.

DoctorBadWolf

Feb 05, 2010 4:04:18

Sounds brilliant. It would be great if you could occasionally pop in with updates if you do end up going with this. I'd love to know how it goes, what you do with it session to session, etc.

Gilo

Feb 05, 2010 9:14:58

You may find the the Stillwater Station article (Dragon #368) useful.

Ashlock

Feb 05, 2010 9:24:58

Pretty cool premise. So this camp is within the Mournland? Who are the survivors, exactly? I thought survivors of the Mourning were those who either (1) were outside the borders of Cyre at the time or (2) those who were within the border but were able to flee across it when the killings clouds advanced across the landscape.

In any case, it's a neat set-up. Your players are all aware that this camp is the focal point for the whole campaign? If you're worried about the campaign being overly grim simply because it's all within the Mournland, I'd recommend making some adventures that have the PCs venture outside of the Mournland on supply runs. To Karrlakton, perhaps, for basic supplies. Or across Lake Arul into Thrane. And these could merely be launching points to some other adventures...though they'll eventually need to return to the Jorasco camp.

Where in the Mournland is this camp, anyway?

Josha

Mar 05, 2010 18:24:08

I'ts not too grim; Players will make their own comic relief in any situation (something will always spring up). And as long as the players themselves are not too grim and serious than you can trust them to keep the game lighthearted and fun.

I agree eberron is quite dark and is not for young players thogh.