But I really would like your help, i always find somenthing useful on these boards.
I am a DM in a FR homebrew campaign (we houserules lot of stuff like fumbles, serious wounds, etc.) and after 2 years of campaign... well I feel i'm getting off my tracks. I dont know where i'm headed with all this story.
maybe just writing it up to you will help me, maybe (i'm sure of this) some of you will help me with great ideas.
(as usual i apologize if any of my sentences dont make sense. english is not my first language but i'm trying to improve it! ^^)
i really like reconverting pre-generated adventures, using their maps and sometimes their encounters, but adjusted to fit into my storyline.
We started in the 3.0 forgotten realms setting (with 4e rules); the group was going to join a cormyrean baron's army to tidy up the Stonelands and their goblin/hob/orc/whatever raiders.
every player was new to 4e (just like me as a 4e DM) so i run a pretty linear 1st level campaign, with selection for being recruited in this army and pretty easy fights.
then after i read the 4e FR campaign guide i decided i could go nuts, they're *my* Realms, after all ^^
so i decided to introduce a new player, who had visions and nightmare on the upcoming blue fire apocalypse. he led the group in an "abandoned" underground temple in the stonelands (aka "the keep on the shadowfell") where an evil cleric (Kalarel) was trying to resurrect an enormous fang-dragon, touched by the shadowfell, using a portal.
the group stopped him hurling Kalarel and a PC Martyr into the portal, but due to the huge quantity of magic potential stored into the portal, they attended a projection of the slaying of mystra, just like a Pay per view.
in the moment mystra was slayed they were on the edge of the portal, and the magic froze them inside the portal (and in time).
the years went by and one day, now in 1479, an elf (the ex-martyr-player with his new PC), looking for his sister kidnapped by gnoll raiders, found a portal in a forest in Cormyr and touched it, unfreezing the group (who had some random mutations, due to the blue fire. the halfling rogue was lucky enough to get a "signature" weapon, because the blue fire touched his dagger).
to thank him they joined the elf in a quick serach of his sister who was brought into a dungeon, to be sold to duergar slavers (aka Thunderspire Labyrinth)
they had fun in this dungeon, i adjusted it to their "likes and needs". they even made a home in Thunderspire, gaining the trust of all the village.
the evil wizard paldemar betrayed the other mages of the settlement and tried to conquer the 7 pillared hall (the underground settlement) but the group and the elf (with the help of the elf's village) protected the city from a large scale attack. but paldemar and murkelmor (the duergar's boss) managed to escape, thanks to a mysterious voice and its magic. [my players like recurring enemies, so i thought they were the right evil-choiche. my group really liked them]
the group began immediatly a search for paldemar, they wanted him dead. (in the meantime the bluefire dagger slayed a powerful demon and absorbed its essence, becoming a +1 flaming)
they went to arabel, seeking help from a wizard.
at this point i had my first "writer block". but i had a nice set of pieces on my chessboard so i thought: "let's use them!"
paldemar and murkelmor had to be recurring evil-characters, but paldemar had to die at the end of *this* arc, because he escaped once before. another escape would have enraged my players.
then i thought: if my players managed to survive in "time stasis" for 100 years, why cant kalarel have done the same? so i decided kalarel was alive, just like them, and was looking for a way to resurrect the fang-shadow-dragon again.
then i thought about the dagger. this thing grows every time it slays a powerful magical-being so it must be a very powerful object. what if it has within the power of the blue fire, or even a piece of the mystra's essence itself? then it would be an extremely powerful magical catalyst, maybe what kalarel needs to carry out his evil plan.
so paldemar could be a kalarel's deputy, and they're looking for a catalyst to carry on with the project. but the catalyst found them, when the halfling and the group kicked paldemar's butt.
so the storyline carried on, because the group didnt know the true potential of the blue dagger, as they were looking for paldemar and paldemar (for kalarel) was looking for the dagger.
they chased the wizard and finally killed him and his minions. only to find out a terrible truth behind him. i needed a group behind this story, so i dug into FR story and found out an old evil "guild" called The Night parade. so i decided kalarel was an officer from the night parade, trying to use the shadowfell and its magic to enslave, kill and so on.
returning to arabel my group messed up with local authorities so they became Wanted, and managed to leave Cormyr.
they bumped into a halfling friend of them, who joined them into their trip to Westgate (they wanted to spend some time there just to allow the dust to settle.)
they found out the halfling wasnt their real friend, but a doppleganger chasing them (maybe trying to snatch the dagger? they don't suspect i WANT the dagger, right now)
they finally managed to arrive in westgate, and here i stand, with my new "DM's block".
where am i heading? i know i want to use the night parade, i know how i want to run the storyline long-term (shadow touched former allies, fight with kalarel, fight with the dragon, epics bull*****)... but now i don't see where i'm going.
can you show me the right way?
thanks,
Ace
Ok guys I warn you, this is going to be a hell-of-a-long post!
But I really would like your help, i always find somenthing useful on these boards.
I am a DM in a FR homebrew campaign (we houserules lot of stuff like fumbles, serious wounds, etc.) and after 2 years of campaign... well I feel i'm getting off my tracks. I dont know where i'm headed with all this story.
maybe just writing it up to you will help me, maybe (i'm sure of this) some of you will help me with great ideas.
(as usual i apologize if any of my sentences dont make sense. english is not my first language but i'm trying to improve it! ^^)
i really like reconverting pre-generated adventures, using their maps and sometimes their encounters, but adjusted to fit into my storyline.
We started in the 3.0 forgotten realms setting (with 4e rules); the group was going to join a cormyrean baron's army to tidy up the Stonelands and their goblin/hob/orc/whatever raiders.
every player was new to 4e (just like me as a 4e DM) so i run a pretty linear 1st level campaign, with selection for being recruited in this army and pretty easy fights.
then after i read the 4e FR campaign guide i decided i could go nuts, they're *my* Realms, after all ^^
so i decided to introduce a new player, who had visions and nightmare on the upcoming blue fire apocalypse. he led the group in an "abandoned" underground temple in the stonelands (aka "the keep on the shadowfell") where an evil cleric (Kalarel) was trying to resurrect an enormous fang-dragon, touched by the shadowfell, using a portal.
the group stopped him hurling Kalarel and a PC Martyr into the portal, but due to the huge quantity of magic potential stored into the portal, they attended a projection of the slaying of mystra, just like a Pay per view.
in the moment mystra was slayed they were on the edge of the portal, and the magic froze them inside the portal (and in time).
the years went by and one day, now in 1479, an elf (the ex-martyr-player with his new PC), looking for his sister kidnapped by gnoll raiders, found a portal in a forest in Cormyr and touched it, unfreezing the group (who had some random mutations, due to the blue fire. the halfling rogue was lucky enough to get a "signature" weapon, because the blue fire touched his dagger).
to thank him they joined the elf in a quick serach of his sister who was brought into a dungeon, to be sold to duergar slavers (aka Thunderspire Labyrinth)
they had fun in this dungeon, i adjusted it to their "likes and needs". they even made a home in Thunderspire, gaining the trust of all the village.
the evil wizard paldemar betrayed the other mages of the settlement and tried to conquer the 7 pillared hall (the underground settlement) but the group and the elf (with the help of the elf's village) protected the city from a large scale attack. but paldemar and murkelmor (the duergar's boss) managed to escape, thanks to a mysterious voice and its magic. [my players like recurring enemies, so i thought they were the right evil-choiche. my group really liked them]
the group began immediatly a search for paldemar, they wanted him dead. (in the meantime the bluefire dagger slayed a powerful demon and absorbed its essence, becoming a +1 flaming)
they went to arabel, seeking help from a wizard.
at this point i had my first "writer block". but i had a nice set of pieces on my chessboard so i thought: "let's use them!"
paldemar and murkelmor had to be recurring evil-characters, but paldemar had to die at the end of *this* arc, because he escaped once before. another escape would have enraged my players.
then i thought: if my players managed to survive in "time stasis" for 100 years, why cant kalarel have done the same? so i decided kalarel was alive, just like them, and was looking for a way to resurrect the fang-shadow-dragon again.
then i thought about the dagger. this thing grows every time it slays a powerful magical-being so it must be a very powerful object. what if it has within the power of the blue fire, or even a piece of the mystra's essence itself? then it would be an extremely powerful magical catalyst, maybe what kalarel needs to carry out his evil plan.
so paldemar could be a kalarel's deputy, and they're looking for a catalyst to carry on with the project. but the catalyst found them, when the halfling and the group kicked paldemar's butt.
so the storyline carried on, because the group didnt know the true potential of the blue dagger, as they were looking for paldemar and paldemar (for kalarel) was looking for the dagger.
they chased the wizard and finally killed him and his minions. only to find out a terrible truth behind him. i needed a group behind this story, so i dug into FR story and found out an old evil "guild" called The Night parade. so i decided kalarel was an officer from the night parade, trying to use the shadowfell and its magic to enslave, kill and so on.
returning to arabel my group messed up with local authorities so they became Wanted, and managed to leave Cormyr.
they bumped into a halfling friend of them, who joined them into their trip to Westgate (they wanted to spend some time there just to allow the dust to settle.)
they found out the halfling wasnt their real friend, but a doppleganger chasing them (maybe trying to snatch the dagger? they don't suspect i WANT the dagger, right now)
they finally managed to arrive in westgate, and here i stand, with my new "DM's block".
where am i heading? i know i want to use the night parade, i know how i want to run the storyline long-term (shadow touched former allies, fight with kalarel, fight with the dragon, epics bull*****)... but now i don't see where i'm going.
can you show me the right way?
thanks,
Ace
Actually, you can lead your characters anyway you want just by telling them. I have long wanted the DM to be an actual character and part of the story. Other games have used this concept. In this way the DM (which can be of any form or gender) can be a character in the story that guides the players as needed. Think Q in Star Trek: TNG.
Also...If you have a moment, please go to my "Your Votes Will Create This World" thread and please place a vote. It is Round VI, the last round, and this world can finally be born. Thanks! : )
The Fire Knives have serious issues with the Cormyrian royalty, and so do the Night Parade; an alliance would be in the best interests of both.
If you add the influence of Netheril and the Shadovar, you then get a major plot against Cormyr.
Another wrinkle can be added in the figure of prince Erzoured Orbaskyr, King Forils nephew, which according to the CG is scheming with Netheril to get the throne of Cormyr.
Your group can then either get a chance to patch things up with the Cormyrian authorities (which given the Wanted status, would make the quest above more dificult), or help the plot (if they prefer going in a more evil approach).
Regarding the dagger, it can be a major relic, infused with part of the essence of Mystra, as you said; in the Epic level, if you take it that far, it can be a weapon to kill Shar (the one behind the Shadovar and possibly even the Night Parade), bringing the story full circle, by making the PCs the Mystra Avengers.
If Shar knows (or at least suspects) of the daggers power, will probably move her minions to get it.
One possible plot is using the Fire Knives, one of the biggest criminal organization in Westgate.
The Fire Knives have serious issues with the Cormyrian royalty, and so do the Night Parade; an alliance would be in the best interests of both.
If you add the influence of Netheril and the Shadovar, you then get a major plot against Cormyr.
Another wrinkle can be added in the figure of prince Erzoured Orbaskyr, King Forils nephew, which according to the CG is scheming with Netheril to get the throne of Cormyr.
Your group can then either get a chance to patch things up with the Cormyrian authorities (which given the Wanted status, would make the quest above more dificult), or help the plot (if they prefer going in a more evil approach).
Regarding the dagger, it can be a major relic, infused with part of the essence of Mystra, as you said; in the Epic level, if you take it that far, it can be a weapon to kill Shar (the one behind the Shadovar and possibly even the Night Parade), bringing the story full circle, by making the PCs the Mystra Avengers.
If Shar knows (or at least suspects) of the daggers power, will probably move her minions to get it.
thanks for your help.
i was actually thinking about using either the fire knives either the golden swords.
i also wanted to bring in shar, placing her behind the night parade thing (all that shadowfell must come from something...
)my group is chaotig good oriented, so i would like to patch up their relationship with the cormyrean crown.
they arrived in westgate by sea, killing a sea-monster (actually a monster similar to an aboleth) near the city. i was thinking that maybe the fire knives/ golden swords (still have to figure which is the best to use) are trying to lure some sea monsters near the coast to give [westgate's commerce/ westgate's international relationship] a hard time.
i already accused them of being liars, trying to prove they killed the monster (but they have proofs in the ship's hold) and i was thinking of using one of the hooks suggested in the FRCS (the hook about a sea monster genasi hunter), just to throw in some fast-paced sea fights (actually i want to do this to take some time to decide where to go next.)
my group could encounter LOTS of sea monsters (even some real aboleths) and they should think that such "monster activity" isn't normal. (they know that aboleths NEVER touched westgate, in history). so they could investigate and uncover the evilguild scheme to [attack/undermine] the cormyrean crown. but if i go this way i'm afraid to let the actual storyline (night parade and their chase for the dagger) out of sight.
how can i merge these "stories"?
the night parade should know where they are, due to the doppelganger that tricked them in disguise. but it could take a while until they get to westgate...
i forgot to mention that my group is currently at 9th/10th lvl ( elf archer ranger, halfling rogue, human swordmage, dwarf panther shaman, shadarkai wizard)
However, neither should have any interest in affecting the overall commerce of Westgate (The western end of the Golden Way) IMHO, since both are deeply invested in it.
It can be the work of a completely unrelated threat as well, the Monolith (an aboleth outpost) for example.
- a famous pirate of old, which was killed and the ship/armada was sunked, rises as an aberration (possibly due to the Spellplague), in control of some sea creatures and monsters, and restarts preying on the shipping lines of the Dragonmere.
Defeating this threat is another way to fall into the good graces of the Cormyrean crown, whose ships have been targeted as well.