Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 quickleaf_dup Jul 15, 2009 16:41:07	Our 4e campaign kicks off in 3 weeks and I've been having a heck of a time with translating the story into meaningful encounters. Any input is appreciated - a fresh perspective would be really helpful! The premise is the PCs are protecting the illegitimate son of the wicked Prince. The Prince is aiming for his father's throne, and while he wouldn't kill his own son, he wants the boy firmly under his control to avoid any complications. The PCs are opposed to the Prince's pretensions to the throne, and dont want to see the illegitimate son become Evil Prince Jr. I have the first 3 encounters (a skill challenge to hide a fugitive, a combat to save the illegitimate son from pursuers, a skill challenge to infiltrate the soldier's camp), but I've hit writer's block and don't know where to go next. DM's Background Eleven years ago, Prince Eydanus had a brief affair with Celonwy, a noble of the rival House Deveryn. When Celonwy became pregnant, the Queen sought an arranged marriage with an allied house to explain the child’s birth. However, when Celonwy learned her child might be taken from her, she went into hiding. During the first couple years, the King’s men searched high and low for her, and she entrusted her son Arslein to the witch Morae until it was safe for Celonwy to return. Morae raised the boy until his 10th year, teaching him of the earth and stars, how to heal and to tell the truth. However with the Prince’s imminent power grab, he consulted the morrigan to learn his son’s whereabouts and sent his redcoats led by the wicked Braseis to search Fallcrest and abduct Arslein. Only Braseis realizes his mission is also to retrieve 4 children for the morrigan – he hides this from his men by claiming they are “potential heirs” and the sniffer’s results were inconclusive.
#2 rovin Jul 15, 2009 16:57:53	So, the PCs are infiltrating the camp to what, rescue the bastard? Or the kids? Or both? The obvious place to go would be a fight with the guards, with hostages to protect or evacuate. OTOH, if there's too many redcoats to fight, then they have to sneak out, which could lead to one or more fights with patrols or pursuit teams, again with hostages in tow. Beyond that, you've probably got a party laden with young 'uns out in the wilderness, and afraid to go anyplace settled for fear of running into more redcoats than they can handle. They'll have to hole up somewhere inhospitable for a while, and inhospitable places in D&D are usually full of monsters. I'm partial to having them hide out in the swamp myself. You know, the one with the bullywug tribe that's fighting with poisonscale lizardfolk over territory, and that ruined wizard's tower with the undead and homunculi in the basement, and then of course there are all those the fell taints drifting around. That swamp. That ought to get them to level 2 or 3 at least, and they haven't even delivered the kids (and maybe the bastard) back home yet. Better yet, they haven't seen a single cliched kobold or dragon fight.
#3 gregt_314 Jul 15, 2009 21:38:05	Biggest problem with your game is finding a way for seven separate players to each get some spotlight time and make a meaningful contribution. You'll honestly have a better game if you politely show two of them the door. Which leads into the answer to your problems: character time. You've set up the plot and brought the players together, congratulations. Now we need to find out who these heroes are and what makes them tick. It's time to have the next plot twist drawn out of who your characters are. It's the question every story needs to confront: okay, we needed some heroes, but why are our heroes these guys?