As a complete newbie to DMing in DnD (I'm used to a quite old Swedish PnP system) I found myself in charge of a campaign. The first adventure went very well, and I have some other adventures in store for the players... If this is too much text, skip to the list at the end.
However, I want to begin preparing for the focus of the campaign itself. I have two things I want incorporated and one is pretty easy to add and I am basically sure of exactly how I want it done. The heroes will gradually learn about a secret weapon developed by house Cannith called the Planar Sphere (blatant plagiarism from BG2). It's an object that allows for transportation between the planes and beyond. It enables teleportation to any place on any plane.
While the concept I just explained is fairly easy to get into a campaign, I have something that I still can only picture in my head but not in the game. I want something similar to the God Hand from Berserk. Not an exact copy, but something that creates the same kind of feeling. Basically four or five demonic creatures, some humanoid and some not, clearly from "somewhere else". I don't know what their objective will be I only know that they will each appear at some point, mock the main characters and then be encountered one-by-one after that. Each one the focus of a single encounter, and the campaign culminating in some kind of event that involves the last standing of these guys.
My main hurdles so far are trying to combine the planar sphere storyline with the group-of-big-bads, and trying to come up with characters for the group-of-big-bads as well.
This is basically a list of what I want in here somewhere:
1: Group of clearly demonic and inhuman villains from somewhere else
2: Villains wreak havoc on Eberron at some point
3: Planar sphere weapon by house Cannith enables transportation anywhere
4: The group of villains should ideally NOT be under the control of any known authority on Eberron. They should feel like they are a threat of their own and not as some kind of henchmen to worldly powers.
Basically I'm looking for tips and brainstorming of every kind here. No matter how crazy, I might consider it. Thanks in advance.
as to make them a group on their own: i'd rather not. e.g. let them be dragon-below worshippers, they can always be their own sect, who try to raise some daelkyr prince from his sleep as their ultimate goal. this feels disattached to everything else, but still it keeps it in a context that's eberron style.
as for wreaking havoc: there's lots to be destroyed. sharn is pretty likely to lose another tower to a coordinated assault, those demons could even be seeding war in different regions of the world. of course, they'd like to steal the planar device as well, so they can go and free their prince faster.
as for the characters, use basic principles of "evil": take the 7 capital sins, pick one for each of your demons. no need to take all 7 of them, but you could as well if you can fit them in together. you could also take some examples from popular movies, like se7en or from popular horror movies where there is the devil doing something. (maybe not devil's advocate, but well - your choice anyway)
if you need build/fluff options for your demons, just state so
Maybe those villians have a vested interest in Cannith completing work on that weapon. While they aren't working for Cannith(and Cannith may not even be aware that they're doing anything), every time the group gets closer to revealing/destroying/hampering the progress of the work, one or all of the villians are there, insuring its completion.
That sounds like an interesting solution actually. I think I'll use another character previously introduced as the leader of another group of characters who all have an interest in seeing the sphere completed.
if you need build/fluff options for your demons, just state so
:3
I have one of the baddies basically done but I'm open to more suggestions.
Saenon: Human half-fiend fighter. Wears black armour. He's basically the leader of the group.
Zuuin: Mind flayer. Is second in command.
I'm open to much crazier stuff now, as these guys are both basically both humanoids. Something really weird would be good, hmmm...
How do the Dragons feel about this? Is it part of the Prophecy? Or is it something that goes against it? If thay are for it, maybe one of those in the group has some connection to them, like a Dragon Shaman, or just a Barbarian.
One other thing you may really want to think about...
How do the Dragons feel about this? Is it part of the Prophecy? Or is it something that goes against it? If thay are for it, maybe one of those in the group has some connection to them, like a Dragon Shaman, or just a Barbarian.
Oh. I'm not read up on much of the Eberron setting at the moment. I have only read parts of the Eberron Campaign Setting book, but I assume these dragons are something of an organization itself? Like a council of dragons or something?
No one knows what the prophecy says though, because the dragons ain't talking.
The first would deal with attempting to stop cannith from developing the sphere. This would last quite a few adventures. Eventually the PC's end up fighting with the house about the time that the first true trial is about to start. Upon first activation something goes wrong and it releases these demons into the world.
They will initially run the characters off, (hence the taunting). And eventually take control of the forge that created the sphere. They now begin to use the forge to move from place to place, disturbing morgrave university, tower of the twelve, Arcane University, and even the church of the silver flame. They are attempting to obtain relics of power in order to strengthen the orb to bring out the "evil god" or whatever.
Its a tad Final Fantasy-ish, but it would give you a good outline to go by.
Couple of thoughts here. You might do a 2 part story.
The first would deal with attempting to stop cannith from developing the sphere. This would last quite a few adventures. Eventually the PC's end up fighting with the house about the time that the first true trial is about to start. Upon first activation something goes wrong and it releases these demons into the world.
They will initially run the characters off, (hence the taunting). And eventually take control of the forge that created the sphere. They now begin to use the forge to move from place to place, disturbing morgrave university, tower of the twelve, Arcane University, and even the church of the silver flame. They are attempting to obtain relics of power in order to strengthen the orb to bring out the "evil god" or whatever.
Its a tad Final Fantasy-ish, but it would give you a good outline to go by.
You know, I quite like that. I had another one in mind, but it'll take quite a while until I need to start introducing these guys so I'll just keep your suggestion in mind as well.
Btw: The sphere is effing huge, it's like a steel sphere with a door on one side, and inside there are control rooms and stuff.
Edit: I guess I can just as well detail my own thoughts on this matter.
Part 1
My current campaign plan is as follows: House Cannith is researching a planar sphere which will enable travel to pretty much any location. One insider, who's working for Morgrave University finds out about this sphere but is killed. The death leads to MU sending the heroes to investigate the incident and they uncover the existance of the planar sphere. The sphere has actually been in the possession of the house for several years. It had been developed by an offshoot group of magewrights working on it in secret but were found out.
The sphere was taken by the main house and the magewrights ran away or were killed so the house was without anyone who knew how the bloody thing worked. They hesitated for a couple of years until they decided to send it on a trial journey, which goes epically wrong. An attempt at scrying reveals that the sphere and the house members on the trial journey landed on Xen'Drik. Most of them ended up dying.
At the point the adventurs learn of this, they know only that the house is looking to retrieve something from Xen'Drik, and that Morgrave University seeks it as well. Now the players are open to take a mission from House Cannith to retrieve the sphere or accept to do the same thing for Morgrave University... And a group of mind flayers working for the Daelkyr are looking for it as well.
There's LOTS of place for improvisation here. Basically, they go to Xen'Drik and then retrieve the sphere which is unstable so they're taken on a ride across the planes... And well...
Part 2: (it is at this point I think I might include your version instead. It's less complicated than mine)
Once they get back to Khorvaire with the sphere I'd love it if they chose to NOT hand the sphere over... And I suspect that's precisely what they won't do... The wizard would love to have it for himself, I'm sure.
Anyway. Insane mofo has appeared who has a major beef with religion. He declares war upon every god in the Eberron pantheon, and basically says he will wreak so much havoc that he will ascend to the title of god. (because if the other gods can be called gods without actually appearing why can't he become a god by taking action)
That's basically it. Hell, maybe I can merge this plot and your suggestion. Maybe he was trapped in some kind of demi plane for a long time and the use of the sphere tore up the border and released him and his posse upon Eberron. Now that he's free, he and his right hand men will make an impression on the world.
Hmmm... I had an idea where the guy was originally a human as well. If he's a half-fiend now, then maybe he was somehow corrupted by the stay in that demi plane... That would explain his insanity.