Assistance needed in creating first adventure! - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Assistance needed in creating first adventure!

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
odalis
Feb 07, 2010 14:42:47 Hi all,

My D&D group and I have been playing for several months now, and have just completed Keep on the Shadowfell (I know we're slow, we don't get a chance to get a gaming session in that often!) and are looking for a new adventure to start.

I've been toying around with some ideas for an adventure, and think I have a really strong start, but have absolutely no idea where to take it from there!

Here's the 'adventure' so far:

The party is staying at an inn in Winterhaven after defeating Kalarel at Keep on the Shadowfell, enjoying some well earned time off. One of the party members is discovered missing, with no clues as to his whereabouts (this'll be my human wizard PC, as I'm DM'ing I thought it would be good to have a reason why one of the party isn't present for the adventure).
Anywho, after a few skill checks and detective work the party discovers the wizard's last known location was a magic shop on the outskirts of town. When they get to the shop and investigate the disappearance, the shopkeeper is unhelpful and surly, attempting an intimidate check against one of the party members to get them to leave. As I know the player group fairly well, I know this isn't going to go down smoothly, and they'll definitely attempt to attack or at least atagonise the shopkeeper - at which point he transforms into a fairly low level demon - I was thinking something along the lines of the Neldrazu Demon from the Monster Manual 2.
After a short fight against this demon (i was going to scale back it's attacks and HP for the enounter to speed things up) I was going to have the demon retreat to a back room of the shop, and create a portal to another plane that the party have to follow through to find their missing companion. So far, I thought that this would be interesting as planar exploits will be a long time off in general for our party (we're between levels 3 to 4). I've already thought that the portal will be to the Shadowfell, to a Domain of Dread, where the demon from the shop could be working for a dark lord, capturing heroes for some unknown (but almost certainly grim) purpose...

The part I'm really stuck with though, is where to take it from here. I feel like this is a fairly strong start to an adventure, small start though it may be, as it's quite different from the adventure we've just completed, and will allow for some RP scope and detective skill work in solving out the location of the missing wizard.

I'm just not sure about the cause for the capture. I was thinking something along the lines of a prison, ruled by a dark lord, who is capturing arcane heroes for a dark ritual of some sort. Or it could be a dark magical arena, where a dark lord is capturing heroes and forcing them to fight against each other, and various monsters, for his amusement.

The main issue I'm facing is that none of the ideas I can come up with for a main story hook seem to be as interesting and fun for the players as the opening section in the magic shop. The sheer scope of being able to write *anything* for the second part of this encounter is almost *too* non-linear for me to scope ideas around.

So I guess my main question is: does anyone have any suggestions for where I could take the narrative of the story next? Or does anybody have any suggestions for ways to think about the next section of the story, in a way that would make it marginally less linear, and easier to create ideas around?

I've attempted to research through several custom adventures for ideas, and scoured old fantasy novels for inspiration, but to no avail. I'd really appreciate any help anyone can give me!

Apologies for length, wanted to get all the details in the post!
#2
sebiale
Feb 07, 2010 18:21:46
Some of your ideas aren't too bad, ritual idea in particular.
Could be some sort of demon out to create an army of half-demons, or transform the heroes into something dark.
The demon could have a hereidtary grudge from one of the mages ancestors.

Edit this post if I think of anymore.
#3
inconsistentdm
Feb 07, 2010 20:43:16 I say, use the arcane gladiator thing as the ritual to create half demons to fight in the blood war. This way you could hint at a larger planar conflict happening, while having a more immediate adventure occurring.

So, this big demon is kidnapping arcane hero's to fight in the arena where every victory they attain they step closer to being transformed into half demons to fight in the blood war (the big conflict between Demons and Devils). The PC's must rescue their friend or risk having him turn into a very powerful abomination of evil and in the processes stopping a greater evil.

If the PCs like it then you have a good idea on what to do for paragon tier as they head into the planes and possibaly Sigil (DMG2).

If they dig Planar adventures I highly suggest looking into TSRs old "Planescape" setting. Its got a bit of jargen but I think it pretty fun, turns traditional tropes on there butt

If your looking for Blood War fluff look for TSR's "Hellbound: the Blood War"

But thats WAY into the future, for the adventure you could have them step into a town that is very Abyssal in appreance and have them do a investigation/infiltration/assassination themed adventure.
#4
lokust
Feb 08, 2010 6:03:45
Shopkeeper (and other agents of his boss) have been kidnapping people to fuel a ritual. Ritual to prepare a new body for the Boss, who does this every now and then when his old body is about to die. The focus of the ritual, the Boss new body, must be an arcane spellcaster. The others can be anything humanoid and are only there to be sacrificed to boost the PC body until ready for possession. As the party finds their wizard the sacrifices has already begun.

If the player behind the wizard returns for the next adventure this could also serve as an explanation as how his power level is not behind the others. Tho he gained no xp he gained a couple of souls.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 odalis Feb 07, 2010 14:42:47	Hi all, My D&D group and I have been playing for several months now, and have just completed Keep on the Shadowfell (I know we're slow, we don't get a chance to get a gaming session in that often!) and are looking for a new adventure to start. I've been toying around with some ideas for an adventure, and think I have a really strong start, but have absolutely no idea where to take it from there! Here's the 'adventure' so far: The party is staying at an inn in Winterhaven after defeating Kalarel at Keep on the Shadowfell, enjoying some well earned time off. One of the party members is discovered missing, with no clues as to his whereabouts (this'll be my human wizard PC, as I'm DM'ing I thought it would be good to have a reason why one of the party isn't present for the adventure). Anywho, after a few skill checks and detective work the party discovers the wizard's last known location was a magic shop on the outskirts of town. When they get to the shop and investigate the disappearance, the shopkeeper is unhelpful and surly, attempting an intimidate check against one of the party members to get them to leave. As I know the player group fairly well, I know this isn't going to go down smoothly, and they'll definitely attempt to attack or at least atagonise the shopkeeper - at which point he transforms into a fairly low level demon - I was thinking something along the lines of the Neldrazu Demon from the Monster Manual 2. After a short fight against this demon (i was going to scale back it's attacks and HP for the enounter to speed things up) I was going to have the demon retreat to a back room of the shop, and create a portal to another plane that the party have to follow through to find their missing companion. So far, I thought that this would be interesting as planar exploits will be a long time off in general for our party (we're between levels 3 to 4). I've already thought that the portal will be to the Shadowfell, to a Domain of Dread, where the demon from the shop could be working for a dark lord, capturing heroes for some unknown (but almost certainly grim) purpose... The part I'm really stuck with though, is where to take it from here. I feel like this is a fairly strong start to an adventure, small start though it may be, as it's quite different from the adventure we've just completed, and will allow for some RP scope and detective skill work in solving out the location of the missing wizard. I'm just not sure about the cause for the capture. I was thinking something along the lines of a prison, ruled by a dark lord, who is capturing arcane heroes for a dark ritual of some sort. Or it could be a dark magical arena, where a dark lord is capturing heroes and forcing them to fight against each other, and various monsters, for his amusement. The main issue I'm facing is that none of the ideas I can come up with for a main story hook seem to be as interesting and fun for the players as the opening section in the magic shop. The sheer scope of being able to write anything for the second part of this encounter is almost too non-linear for me to scope ideas around. So I guess my main question is: does anyone have any suggestions for where I could take the narrative of the story next? Or does anybody have any suggestions for ways to think about the next section of the story, in a way that would make it marginally less linear, and easier to create ideas around? I've attempted to research through several custom adventures for ideas, and scoured old fantasy novels for inspiration, but to no avail. I'd really appreciate any help anyone can give me! Apologies for length, wanted to get all the details in the post!
#2 sebiale Feb 07, 2010 18:21:46	Some of your ideas aren't too bad, ritual idea in particular. Could be some sort of demon out to create an army of half-demons, or transform the heroes into something dark. The demon could have a hereidtary grudge from one of the mages ancestors. Edit this post if I think of anymore.
#3 inconsistentdm Feb 07, 2010 20:43:16	I say, use the arcane gladiator thing as the ritual to create half demons to fight in the blood war. This way you could hint at a larger planar conflict happening, while having a more immediate adventure occurring. So, this big demon is kidnapping arcane hero's to fight in the arena where every victory they attain they step closer to being transformed into half demons to fight in the blood war (the big conflict between Demons and Devils). The PC's must rescue their friend or risk having him turn into a very powerful abomination of evil and in the processes stopping a greater evil. If the PCs like it then you have a good idea on what to do for paragon tier as they head into the planes and possibaly Sigil (DMG2). If they dig Planar adventures I highly suggest looking into TSRs old "Planescape" setting. Its got a bit of jargen but I think it pretty fun, turns traditional tropes on there butt If your looking for Blood War fluff look for TSR's "Hellbound: the Blood War" But thats WAY into the future, for the adventure you could have them step into a town that is very Abyssal in appreance and have them do a investigation/infiltration/assassination themed adventure.
#4 lokust Feb 08, 2010 6:03:45	Shopkeeper (and other agents of his boss) have been kidnapping people to fuel a ritual. Ritual to prepare a new body for the Boss, who does this every now and then when his old body is about to die. The focus of the ritual, the Boss new body, must be an arcane spellcaster. The others can be anything humanoid and are only there to be sacrificed to boost the PC body until ready for possession. As the party finds their wizard the sacrifices has already begun. If the player behind the wizard returns for the next adventure this could also serve as an explanation as how his power level is not behind the others. Tho he gained no xp he gained a couple of souls.