Campaign hooks for All-Monster party (aka: "Monstrous, Inc.") - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Campaign hooks for All-Monster party (aka: "Monstrous, Inc.")

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
thekiltedstranger
Jan 17, 2011 16:15:10 *Obligitory laughter at my own pun in the title*

So, before I pitch this to the guys at my FLGS, I want it to be, obviously, awesome. I figured I'd bounce my ideas off of anyone who might be interested, and try to get some feedback.

Comments welcome!

Possible hook 1.) All the PCs are from a land much like that place in Eberron what's filled with monsters. Project everything from a "normal" campaign through the lens of that society. Possibly have them surrounded by hostile, more "normal" races, and let them work in a world "that hates and fears them".

Ups: Easy to set up.
Downs: After the initial "Whoa, this is different", there's a potential for "same old, same old".

Possible hook 2.) Xavier's School for Frightening Youngsters: former adventurer, possibly a cleric, takes in the orphaned young of creatures killed by other adventurers and raises them "for good". Each adventure is a mission from Father X trying to show the world that, yeah, they're monsters, but that doesn't mean they have to act that way.

Ups: Everybody loves the X-men.
Downs: Miiiiight be kind of rail-roady.

Possible hook 3.) Drizzt did it first, but what the heck: they're all members of races who decide that they aren't cool with the status quo, and defect. Fate brings them together on a quest only they can bladda bladda.

Ups: Most room for freedom.
Downs: Stretches even my ability to suspend disbelief... but, again, what the heck.

Suggested by ScaleyBob
Possible hook 4.) Either some event in the past made most intelligent races acceptable in polite society, or flip-flop the status quo: evil races are the good guys saving the world from the evils of humans, dwarves and elves.

If this gets anyone's motor running, I'd love to hear the outcome. I'm open to suggestions to make these awesome, or if you think they're silly, kindly say so (emphasis on kindly). Any over-arching plot devices that come to mind are welcome as well.

Thanks, folks.

-tks
#2
FearOfTheDark
Jan 17, 2011 18:04:50 I would go for the X-Men category for how the group is brought together. For some of them, you could even do a Nightcrawler kind of story, where they are really not what they appear to be. If you don't make every adventure about how the world hates and fears them, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about railroading. Yes, it can be a theme, but you don't want to always shove that in their face at every opportune moment. Let them become their own party and their own characters.

Lately, it seems that some of these "monstrous" races have been given PC stat blocks (which I am all for, I just wish they would do Goblins), and for most of them, it's pretty easy to give a "good" alignment. Minotaurs were in PHB3, and I really like the article "Playing Dhampyr". Both give solid types of teammmates (the Minotaur could be Colossus). Don't forget that Tieflings could very easily be monstrous too.

I think the easiest way to pitch this is that maybe the "leader" who assembled these heroes/helped them out was in turn wronged by humanity in some way, and shown kindness by a "hostile" race. This forever changed him to the fact that when he saw humans/elves slaughtering a monster race, he tried to stop them, but could only save a young infant monster. This was the first student, and from then on, he's been trying to create negitiations and diplomacy to help the different cultures get along. Rescuing other races could make up the teams.

I don't think you really need a Magneto like figure, as this team could be sort of a "Black Ops" group that works somewhat behind the scenes, usually their abilities to speak with monster tribes and fight larger threats.
#3
thekiltedstranger
Jan 17, 2011 18:23:22 Okay, awesome.

First, just to get this out of the way, goblins are totally a playable race: they're in the character builder (or at least they were, unless they took them out), and I'm looking at them in the compendium right now (EDIT: under the "races" bit, not the "monsters" bit). That's part of the reason I'm trying to put this together: the races are there, but nobody seems to want to use them. They've got gobs, hobs, bugbears, bullywugs, kobolds, gnolls, all kinds of things just sitting on the character building waiting to be utilized.

As for how they're brought together, that's pretty cool: in the original "playing gnolls" article mentioned that not all of them have to be evil, which is something I'd never thought of before. That's a great reason for someone to try and help "monsters".

And I hadn't even thought of a Magneto; I guess I just didn't carry it that far. That said, it's totally doable: some uber monster, like a medusa or something, leading a group of monsters in direct opposition to the heroes. I know you said that wasn't necessary, but it's actually a pretty cool concept.

And I love me some black ops. Thanks, guy.
#4
FearOfTheDark
Jan 19, 2011 19:37:33 I know that Goblins are playable (I play a Goblin Artificer), but they lack the feat support and some other things that puts them on par with the other PC races. That's what I meant by "PC Stat Blocks".
It's not that people don't want to play them, it's just that people sometimes like a little more "oomph" with their characters. They have no feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.
#5
sheard33
Jan 20, 2011 10:29:01
About 6 months ago, I proposed much of the same idea to my group. I said to create characters of the more "wild" side, hoping to get bugbears and goblins and such. I got a Bugbear ranger, a Minotaur barbarian, and a Wilden seeker. This campaign is set in the Nentir Vale setting and I was running them through a Zehir / snake cult modified version of the Keep on the Shadowfell. Turned out to be gold, this is my groups favorite set of characters so far! The interactions with the townsfolk of Winterhaven, the suspicions of other citizens, and the racist views held by the more common folk of the Vale added to the adventure.
So, in my opinion, great idea and certainly one that can create a very memorable experience for both you and your players. I hope your campaign turns out even better than mine went :-)
#6
thekiltedstranger
Jan 20, 2011 12:13:20 @Fear: Okay, I gotcha. When I hear "stat block" I think of things like "+2 to dex" or whatever. Extra stuff would be pretty cool, and everybody loves feats. Maybe someday...

@4Esheard: Sweet! I knew I couldn't be the first person to think of this. How did you handle those racist villagers? The normal thing to do whenever anyone sees a bugbear is to stab first and then ask how to split the loot later. How'd you justify having that NOT happen?
#7
sheard33
Jan 20, 2011 16:38:39 This was obviously a very sticky situation for the players. They handled it by showing the villagers they were no threat, actions speak louder than words. Hanging on the outskirts of town, when the cultists came to kidnap the hapless farmers to turn them into their undead chattle, the players stepped in and prevented that from happening. Two or three encounters of this kind was enough for the town of Winterhaven to send an emissary to speak with the "Wild Bunch." Then they were brought in for a private meeting with Lord Padraig, who sent them on some smaller missions to build up a rapport with them, then he sent them in to clear up the Keep, although this was not their only motivation to do so, the Keep and the Zehir cultists were a blight to nature and threatening their respective tribes, who sent the players to rid the blight and save their tribes. But, the players choice to interact with the townsfolk was a great option and one that I was very glad to see that they chose to follow, even though it added difficulty. After the Keep was cleared they were somewhat accepted in town, the Minotaur decided to keep the Keep, and he offered an alliance with the town of Winterhaven to stand as a first guard against threats coming from the Stonemarch Mountains in return for his appearance in town on occasion and his Goblin underlings that he keeps in check. The Wilden bought the towns tavern that was facing bankruptcy, the Wilden was able to brew a tribal mead that has brought in business and trade from neighboring towns, and acts as a novelty for the town, come and see the fuzzy thing that brews great mead. The Bugbear ranger and his Goblin companion character, Splug, roam the hillsides around town stopping any threats that they come across. The two live in Ninaran's cabin on the outskirts of town, and although the two gain many looks when they enter the town, the townsfolk and especially Padraig are happy to have them. Padraig himself has been a great help to further their relations in the Vale, although not everybody in the Vale are as accepting as Padraig. They were not allowed entry into Fallcrest, but still accepted a mission to return slaves taken from the town of Harkenwold, they were the only takers for the mission. I guess the Wild Bunch will have to prove themselves to Fallcrest as well...that is if they survive the trip to Thunderspire Mountain! All in all, a very rewarding campaign and one that continues to bring enjoyment.
#8
ScaleyBob
Jan 24, 2011 21:59:36 My current campaign is a fairly open world - basically thanks to several events in the past most intelligent races are vaguely accepted in society. As a result the party has a Hobgoblin Battlemind and a Kobold Psion. (It also has an Elf Ranger , a Shifter Avenger and a Warlord who's the token Human)

So far they've been up against Elves and are about to go up against Dwarves - all part of a long term plan that invloves playing around with variuos accepted D&D tropes.

Another idea for the OP is why not flip the worlds basic ideas - Heroic Orcs, Kobolds and Goblins have to save the world from the evils of Elves, Dwarves and humans.
#9
thekiltedstranger
Jan 25, 2011 10:25:05 @ScaleyBob: also valid options! If you don't mind, I'mma add those to the original post up top.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 thekiltedstranger Jan 17, 2011 16:15:10	Obligitory laughter at my own pun in the title So, before I pitch this to the guys at my FLGS, I want it to be, obviously, awesome. I figured I'd bounce my ideas off of anyone who might be interested, and try to get some feedback. Comments welcome! Possible hook 1.) All the PCs are from a land much like that place in Eberron what's filled with monsters. Project everything from a "normal" campaign through the lens of that society. Possibly have them surrounded by hostile, more "normal" races, and let them work in a world "that hates and fears them". Ups: Easy to set up. Downs: After the initial "Whoa, this is different", there's a potential for "same old, same old". Possible hook 2.) Xavier's School for Frightening Youngsters: former adventurer, possibly a cleric, takes in the orphaned young of creatures killed by other adventurers and raises them "for good". Each adventure is a mission from Father X trying to show the world that, yeah, they're monsters, but that doesn't mean they have to act that way. Ups: Everybody loves the X-men. Downs: Miiiiight be kind of rail-roady. Possible hook 3.) Drizzt did it first, but what the heck: they're all members of races who decide that they aren't cool with the status quo, and defect. Fate brings them together on a quest only they can bladda bladda. Ups: Most room for freedom. Downs: Stretches even my ability to suspend disbelief... but, again, what the heck. Suggested by ScaleyBob Possible hook 4.) Either some event in the past made most intelligent races acceptable in polite society, or flip-flop the status quo: evil races are the good guys saving the world from the evils of humans, dwarves and elves. If this gets anyone's motor running, I'd love to hear the outcome. I'm open to suggestions to make these awesome, or if you think they're silly, kindly say so (emphasis on kindly). Any over-arching plot devices that come to mind are welcome as well. Thanks, folks. -tks
#2 FearOfTheDark Jan 17, 2011 18:04:50	I would go for the X-Men category for how the group is brought together. For some of them, you could even do a Nightcrawler kind of story, where they are really not what they appear to be. If you don't make every adventure about how the world hates and fears them, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about railroading. Yes, it can be a theme, but you don't want to always shove that in their face at every opportune moment. Let them become their own party and their own characters. Lately, it seems that some of these "monstrous" races have been given PC stat blocks (which I am all for, I just wish they would do Goblins), and for most of them, it's pretty easy to give a "good" alignment. Minotaurs were in PHB3, and I really like the article "Playing Dhampyr". Both give solid types of teammmates (the Minotaur could be Colossus). Don't forget that Tieflings could very easily be monstrous too. I think the easiest way to pitch this is that maybe the "leader" who assembled these heroes/helped them out was in turn wronged by humanity in some way, and shown kindness by a "hostile" race. This forever changed him to the fact that when he saw humans/elves slaughtering a monster race, he tried to stop them, but could only save a young infant monster. This was the first student, and from then on, he's been trying to create negitiations and diplomacy to help the different cultures get along. Rescuing other races could make up the teams. I don't think you really need a Magneto like figure, as this team could be sort of a "Black Ops" group that works somewhat behind the scenes, usually their abilities to speak with monster tribes and fight larger threats.
#3 thekiltedstranger Jan 17, 2011 18:23:22	Okay, awesome. First, just to get this out of the way, goblins are totally a playable race: they're in the character builder (or at least they were, unless they took them out), and I'm looking at them in the compendium right now (EDIT: under the "races" bit, not the "monsters" bit). That's part of the reason I'm trying to put this together: the races are there, but nobody seems to want to use them. They've got gobs, hobs, bugbears, bullywugs, kobolds, gnolls, all kinds of things just sitting on the character building waiting to be utilized. As for how they're brought together, that's pretty cool: in the original "playing gnolls" article mentioned that not all of them have to be evil, which is something I'd never thought of before. That's a great reason for someone to try and help "monsters". And I hadn't even thought of a Magneto; I guess I just didn't carry it that far. That said, it's totally doable: some uber monster, like a medusa or something, leading a group of monsters in direct opposition to the heroes. I know you said that wasn't necessary, but it's actually a pretty cool concept. And I love me some black ops. Thanks, guy.
#4 FearOfTheDark Jan 19, 2011 19:37:33	I know that Goblins are playable (I play a Goblin Artificer), but they lack the feat support and some other things that puts them on par with the other PC races. That's what I meant by "PC Stat Blocks". It's not that people don't want to play them, it's just that people sometimes like a little more "oomph" with their characters. They have no feats, paragon paths, and epic destinies.
#5 sheard33 Jan 20, 2011 10:29:01	About 6 months ago, I proposed much of the same idea to my group. I said to create characters of the more "wild" side, hoping to get bugbears and goblins and such. I got a Bugbear ranger, a Minotaur barbarian, and a Wilden seeker. This campaign is set in the Nentir Vale setting and I was running them through a Zehir / snake cult modified version of the Keep on the Shadowfell. Turned out to be gold, this is my groups favorite set of characters so far! The interactions with the townsfolk of Winterhaven, the suspicions of other citizens, and the racist views held by the more common folk of the Vale added to the adventure. So, in my opinion, great idea and certainly one that can create a very memorable experience for both you and your players. I hope your campaign turns out even better than mine went :-)
#6 thekiltedstranger Jan 20, 2011 12:13:20	@Fear: Okay, I gotcha. When I hear "stat block" I think of things like "+2 to dex" or whatever. Extra stuff would be pretty cool, and everybody loves feats. Maybe someday... @4Esheard: Sweet! I knew I couldn't be the first person to think of this. How did you handle those racist villagers? The normal thing to do whenever anyone sees a bugbear is to stab first and then ask how to split the loot later. How'd you justify having that NOT happen?
#7 sheard33 Jan 20, 2011 16:38:39	This was obviously a very sticky situation for the players. They handled it by showing the villagers they were no threat, actions speak louder than words. Hanging on the outskirts of town, when the cultists came to kidnap the hapless farmers to turn them into their undead chattle, the players stepped in and prevented that from happening. Two or three encounters of this kind was enough for the town of Winterhaven to send an emissary to speak with the "Wild Bunch." Then they were brought in for a private meeting with Lord Padraig, who sent them on some smaller missions to build up a rapport with them, then he sent them in to clear up the Keep, although this was not their only motivation to do so, the Keep and the Zehir cultists were a blight to nature and threatening their respective tribes, who sent the players to rid the blight and save their tribes. But, the players choice to interact with the townsfolk was a great option and one that I was very glad to see that they chose to follow, even though it added difficulty. After the Keep was cleared they were somewhat accepted in town, the Minotaur decided to keep the Keep, and he offered an alliance with the town of Winterhaven to stand as a first guard against threats coming from the Stonemarch Mountains in return for his appearance in town on occasion and his Goblin underlings that he keeps in check. The Wilden bought the towns tavern that was facing bankruptcy, the Wilden was able to brew a tribal mead that has brought in business and trade from neighboring towns, and acts as a novelty for the town, come and see the fuzzy thing that brews great mead. The Bugbear ranger and his Goblin companion character, Splug, roam the hillsides around town stopping any threats that they come across. The two live in Ninaran's cabin on the outskirts of town, and although the two gain many looks when they enter the town, the townsfolk and especially Padraig are happy to have them. Padraig himself has been a great help to further their relations in the Vale, although not everybody in the Vale are as accepting as Padraig. They were not allowed entry into Fallcrest, but still accepted a mission to return slaves taken from the town of Harkenwold, they were the only takers for the mission. I guess the Wild Bunch will have to prove themselves to Fallcrest as well...that is if they survive the trip to Thunderspire Mountain! All in all, a very rewarding campaign and one that continues to bring enjoyment.
#8 ScaleyBob Jan 24, 2011 21:59:36	My current campaign is a fairly open world - basically thanks to several events in the past most intelligent races are vaguely accepted in society. As a result the party has a Hobgoblin Battlemind and a Kobold Psion. (It also has an Elf Ranger , a Shifter Avenger and a Warlord who's the token Human) So far they've been up against Elves and are about to go up against Dwarves - all part of a long term plan that invloves playing around with variuos accepted D&D tropes. Another idea for the OP is why not flip the worlds basic ideas - Heroic Orcs, Kobolds and Goblins have to save the world from the evils of Elves, Dwarves and humans.
#9 thekiltedstranger Jan 25, 2011 10:25:05	@ScaleyBob: also valid options! If you don't mind, I'mma add those to the original post up top.