Help me flesh out my first plot - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Help me flesh out my first plot

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tigrisaltaica
Jan 09, 2009 12:45:31 So, we are playing in the 4ED Forgotten Realms campaign setting. I had all the players make their own backstory however they whished, providing they were all in Cormyr at the start of the whole thing.

The kingdom of Cormyr is putting toghether an assortment of mercenary parties to handle problems within its borders, such as bandits, etc, due to having most of its military force committed to watching the border with Netheril. The PCs make up one of these parties. As their first assignment they had to investigate a surge of kobold raids by the northeast. After a couple of encounters and setting up an ambush, they managed to find out that the kobolds worship a red dragon of uknown name and age who has also apointed itself leader of a large tribe of lizardfolk and is using them to try and wipe the small sttlements of humans along the border of Sembia. What is really going on is that this Dragon (who has named himself the Red King) is allied to the Twelve Princes of Netheril, who promised him inmortality and power to forge his own kingdom in Cormyr. His plan is to stir up all the wilder humanoids into bringing war to the land from within. What I had planned is for the PCs to try and counter his hold over some of the more unwilling tribes, discovering some of their secrets along the way.

The last bit is where I need some help, I already have some very neat things planned out for the Lizardfolk, but I need a couple more tribes and suggestions. Any critique is apreciated. Thank You.
#2
Lazulli
Jan 09, 2009 15:41:23 I imagine as a dragon (even a pretty aggressive red one) he's still going to have some cunning. So this dragon has probably been looking for agents and such within cormyr near the border where it operates.

Either disenfranchised nobles, burghers, or "replaced" nobles and military officers that will weaken their defences when its lizardy horde sweeps through (ie: intentionally reducing the size of the standing army, deploying troops in places where they obviously aren't needed, reducing those availible where they are, refusing to pay their own soldiers and causing a mutiny, or something more political like stirring up internal strife between various political or mercantile factions).

As for the wilder tribes, the dragon has probably stirred up some of them against those which would be more resistant to a state of war. Maybe it's sent in its own "prophets" and "shamens" to influence the decisions of various tribes.

Or maybe, these wilder tribes currently live in a state of peace with the more civilised population. But the dragon sends in agents to perform acts which intentionally insult or aggrevate these tribes (I don't know cormyr too well admittedly). These agents will obviously make it look like the more civilised population is responsible and result in bad blood between the. Party objective could be proving who is REALLY behind it, etc etc.

Maybe they have been promised a position in the Red King's new kingdom or have been paid off from his own treasure horde in advance.
#3
nightmare_scenario
Jan 09, 2009 20:01:25 Am I to understand that you need flavor ideas for the tribes and some sort of quest to turn them away from the Red King? If so:

Eskimo-types getting bothered by Frost Giants

Aztec-ish peeps getting bothered by Goblins, who are getting bothered by the Red King into aggravating the tribe.

Native American-flavored who require the group to go on a spirit quest and convince their diety in order to join them. Think cross-planar neatness.

Aborigines whose ancestors keep rising from the dead recently and attacking their village. Party discovers, yup, you guessed it, necromancer shenanigans encouraged by the red king.

An entire village enslaved by (insert evil racial group here) and must be rescued.

Dwarves who need someone to explore a route through underdark for trade so they don't have to worry about dragon attacks if they switch sides.

That should get you started, maybe up to level 8 or 9 if you rock it right. It also leaves room for diplomatic, tracking, nature, religion, and healing-based skill challenges.

Thanks for asking this question, I now have a whole new quest line to plan for my own group.
#4
tigrisaltaica
Jan 10, 2009 10:11:29 Wow, some pretty interesting angles I needed to cover, these should really help.
#5
nightmare_scenario
Jan 13, 2009 19:26:49
Wow, some pretty interesting angles I needed to cover, these should really help.

YVW!
#6
eras
Jan 14, 2009 12:33:17 i love your way of thinking lazulli. the whole aspect with the agents in the city especially. Made me think of cunning nobles and high ranking military leaders showing their true colors in a heartbreaking treachery during the siege. Stabbing the PCs in the back by calling troops off, assasinating a leader mid fight etc.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tigrisaltaica Jan 09, 2009 12:45:31	So, we are playing in the 4ED Forgotten Realms campaign setting. I had all the players make their own backstory however they whished, providing they were all in Cormyr at the start of the whole thing. The kingdom of Cormyr is putting toghether an assortment of mercenary parties to handle problems within its borders, such as bandits, etc, due to having most of its military force committed to watching the border with Netheril. The PCs make up one of these parties. As their first assignment they had to investigate a surge of kobold raids by the northeast. After a couple of encounters and setting up an ambush, they managed to find out that the kobolds worship a red dragon of uknown name and age who has also apointed itself leader of a large tribe of lizardfolk and is using them to try and wipe the small sttlements of humans along the border of Sembia. What is really going on is that this Dragon (who has named himself the Red King) is allied to the Twelve Princes of Netheril, who promised him inmortality and power to forge his own kingdom in Cormyr. His plan is to stir up all the wilder humanoids into bringing war to the land from within. What I had planned is for the PCs to try and counter his hold over some of the more unwilling tribes, discovering some of their secrets along the way. The last bit is where I need some help, I already have some very neat things planned out for the Lizardfolk, but I need a couple more tribes and suggestions. Any critique is apreciated. Thank You.
#2 Lazulli Jan 09, 2009 15:41:23	I imagine as a dragon (even a pretty aggressive red one) he's still going to have some cunning. So this dragon has probably been looking for agents and such within cormyr near the border where it operates. Either disenfranchised nobles, burghers, or "replaced" nobles and military officers that will weaken their defences when its lizardy horde sweeps through (ie: intentionally reducing the size of the standing army, deploying troops in places where they obviously aren't needed, reducing those availible where they are, refusing to pay their own soldiers and causing a mutiny, or something more political like stirring up internal strife between various political or mercantile factions). As for the wilder tribes, the dragon has probably stirred up some of them against those which would be more resistant to a state of war. Maybe it's sent in its own "prophets" and "shamens" to influence the decisions of various tribes. Or maybe, these wilder tribes currently live in a state of peace with the more civilised population. But the dragon sends in agents to perform acts which intentionally insult or aggrevate these tribes (I don't know cormyr too well admittedly). These agents will obviously make it look like the more civilised population is responsible and result in bad blood between the. Party objective could be proving who is REALLY behind it, etc etc. Maybe they have been promised a position in the Red King's new kingdom or have been paid off from his own treasure horde in advance.
#3 nightmare_scenario Jan 09, 2009 20:01:25	Am I to understand that you need flavor ideas for the tribes and some sort of quest to turn them away from the Red King? If so: Eskimo-types getting bothered by Frost Giants Aztec-ish peeps getting bothered by Goblins, who are getting bothered by the Red King into aggravating the tribe. Native American-flavored who require the group to go on a spirit quest and convince their diety in order to join them. Think cross-planar neatness. Aborigines whose ancestors keep rising from the dead recently and attacking their village. Party discovers, yup, you guessed it, necromancer shenanigans encouraged by the red king. An entire village enslaved by (insert evil racial group here) and must be rescued. Dwarves who need someone to explore a route through underdark for trade so they don't have to worry about dragon attacks if they switch sides. That should get you started, maybe up to level 8 or 9 if you rock it right. It also leaves room for diplomatic, tracking, nature, religion, and healing-based skill challenges. Thanks for asking this question, I now have a whole new quest line to plan for my own group.
#4 tigrisaltaica Jan 10, 2009 10:11:29	Wow, some pretty interesting angles I needed to cover, these should really help.
#5 nightmare_scenario Jan 13, 2009 19:26:49	Wow, some pretty interesting angles I needed to cover, these should really help. YVW!
#6 eras Jan 14, 2009 12:33:17	i love your way of thinking lazulli. the whole aspect with the agents in the city especially. Made me think of cunning nobles and high ranking military leaders showing their true colors in a heartbreaking treachery during the siege. Stabbing the PCs in the back by calling troops off, assasinating a leader mid fight etc.