KOTS Aftwermath - Portal opened (spoilers) - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

KOTS Aftwermath - Portal opened (spoilers)

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
cruel
Jul 29, 2008 7:08:48 Ok. just finished KOTS.. and without going into the long and sordid details,
The PC's survived and ran, Kalarel opened the portal.

Just looking for inspiration on how to handle what comes next

Legions of Undead engulf everything and everybody for 100 of miles?

Complete destruction of Keep? Winterhaven? Fallcrest?

Id like to give the PC's a second chance and making amends but what do you guys think? now of wait a few levels..
#2
quizzit_dup
Jul 29, 2008 8:14:18 Just a couple ideas off the cuff for you.

1) Look in the KOTS extra encounters that was released in last month's Dungeon....I think. There is an encounter with a few dozen or so undead minions along with a "Maw" (again I think) that keeps bringing the minions back to "life". You could adapt that encounter and save Winterhaven from the onslaought of undead.

2) Check out the Ashen Covenant stuff in last months Dragon. You could adapt some of that to adjust your story.

3)Lastly, say what came though the portal was just the essance of Orcus (he actually lives in teh Abyss anyway), and that esssence fuses with Karalel. Make Karalel a Solo Monster for thier level and voila, the new final encounter!
#3
gundarr
Jul 29, 2008 9:16:41 Or make it the start of a "war against the undead" campaign.
The undead invade, both not in a sudden "the undead sweep the lands. New campaign"-style. The undead have to built up forces, and securing the Keep and the portal will have their priority over starting with conquest right away.

Which leaves for many opportunities for adventure.
Getting the citizens of Winterhaven to a safe place would be a first (maybe by holding off some pursuing skellies/zombies. Than helping Fallcrest to get ready to defend itself, and warn outlying areas like Darkwold of the threat.

You can send the players all over the Nentir Vale to find weapons against the undead, or perform quests that possible allies as a price for their participation in the upcoming war.

And when all is gathered, the players can be special troops in the war to drive the undead back (strike at the skeleton-factories that the undead made out of the local graveyards, destroy particular dangerous undead).

In the end they'll face the leader of the undead army. Maybe as a plot-twist, this won't be Kalarel. Kalarel expected to be made leader, because of his efforts to open the portal, but his expectations may have been wrong. The undead on the other side of the portal may already have had a leader.
Which makes Kalarel feel betrayed, and willing to share the secret of closing the portal with the players, just to see the new leader fall flat on his face.
#4
razal_dazzle
Jul 29, 2008 9:19:33
Or make it the start of a "war against the undead" campaign.
The undead invade, both not in a sudden "the undead sweep the lands. New campaign"-style. The undead have to built up forces, and securing the Keep and the portal will have their priority over starting with conquest right away.

Which leaves for many opportunities for adventure.
Getting the citizens of Winterhaven to a safe place would be a first (maybe by holding off some pursuing skellies/zombies. Than helping Fallcrest to get ready to defend itself, and warn outlying areas like Darkwold of the threat.

You can send the players all over the Nentir Vale to find weapons against the undead, or perform quests that possible allies as a price for their participation in the upcoming war.

And when all is gathered, the players can be special troops in the war to drive the undead back (strike at the skeleton-factories that the undead made out of the local graveyards, destroy particular dangerous undead).

In the end they'll face the leader of the undead army. Maybe as a plot-twist, this won't be Kalarel. Kalarel expected to be made leader, because of his efforts to open the portal, but his expectations may have been wrong. The undead on the other side of the portal may already have had a leader.
Which makes Kalarel feel betrayed, and willing to share the secret of closing the portal with the players, just to see the new leader fall flat on his face.

Nice........May I use?
#5
danmarlok
Jul 29, 2008 14:21:48 Probably not much help because this assumes that hte portal was closed but this cuold be an 'opener' to indicate what troubles have been unleashed in the world because the portal wasn't closed.

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1065908
#6
fervos
Jul 30, 2008 7:50:39
Probably not much help because this assumes that hte portal was closed but this cuold be an 'opener' to indicate what troubles have been unleashed in the world because the portal wasn't closed.

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1065908

Beat me to it.
#7
erleni
Sep 08, 2008 8:12:54 Maybe I'm a little late, but here is what I'll do with my players.
The war against the Dark One (I'm not use I will use Orcus in the end) is far wider than the PCs believe. When they come back to Winterhaven after leaving the Keep they meet an emissary of a powerful agency which is fighting against the Dark One. In my game this is a sort of secret police of the Empire, but it can be anything else. This agent is willing to get all possible information from the characters about the threat they faced and will ask them to join the organization. If they do she will explain that the war is far wider than the PCs may imagine and stretches all over the world.
She will then enlist them to fight in the war, as special agents who have to achieve small victories in this big and hidden fight.
When the PCs will be around the heroic/paragon transition the agent which will have become their mentor will be murdered.
Later on the PCs will discover that the head of the organization is corrupted and it is actually collecting some crucial artifacts around the world in order to let the Dark One come back...
If the PCs lost against Kalarel and are willing to go back to the Keep as their first mission she will provide some help. I will repopulate the dungeon with undead and let them have a second chance.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cruel Jul 29, 2008 7:08:48	Ok. just finished KOTS.. and without going into the long and sordid details, The PC's survived and ran, Kalarel opened the portal. Just looking for inspiration on how to handle what comes next Legions of Undead engulf everything and everybody for 100 of miles? Complete destruction of Keep? Winterhaven? Fallcrest? Id like to give the PC's a second chance and making amends but what do you guys think? now of wait a few levels..
#2 quizzit_dup Jul 29, 2008 8:14:18	Just a couple ideas off the cuff for you. 1) Look in the KOTS extra encounters that was released in last month's Dungeon....I think. There is an encounter with a few dozen or so undead minions along with a "Maw" (again I think) that keeps bringing the minions back to "life". You could adapt that encounter and save Winterhaven from the onslaought of undead. 2) Check out the Ashen Covenant stuff in last months Dragon. You could adapt some of that to adjust your story. 3)Lastly, say what came though the portal was just the essance of Orcus (he actually lives in teh Abyss anyway), and that esssence fuses with Karalel. Make Karalel a Solo Monster for thier level and voila, the new final encounter!
#3 gundarr Jul 29, 2008 9:16:41	Or make it the start of a "war against the undead" campaign. The undead invade, both not in a sudden "the undead sweep the lands. New campaign"-style. The undead have to built up forces, and securing the Keep and the portal will have their priority over starting with conquest right away. Which leaves for many opportunities for adventure. Getting the citizens of Winterhaven to a safe place would be a first (maybe by holding off some pursuing skellies/zombies. Than helping Fallcrest to get ready to defend itself, and warn outlying areas like Darkwold of the threat. You can send the players all over the Nentir Vale to find weapons against the undead, or perform quests that possible allies as a price for their participation in the upcoming war. And when all is gathered, the players can be special troops in the war to drive the undead back (strike at the skeleton-factories that the undead made out of the local graveyards, destroy particular dangerous undead). In the end they'll face the leader of the undead army. Maybe as a plot-twist, this won't be Kalarel. Kalarel expected to be made leader, because of his efforts to open the portal, but his expectations may have been wrong. The undead on the other side of the portal may already have had a leader. Which makes Kalarel feel betrayed, and willing to share the secret of closing the portal with the players, just to see the new leader fall flat on his face.
#4 razal_dazzle Jul 29, 2008 9:19:33	Or make it the start of a "war against the undead" campaign. The undead invade, both not in a sudden "the undead sweep the lands. New campaign"-style. The undead have to built up forces, and securing the Keep and the portal will have their priority over starting with conquest right away. Which leaves for many opportunities for adventure. Getting the citizens of Winterhaven to a safe place would be a first (maybe by holding off some pursuing skellies/zombies. Than helping Fallcrest to get ready to defend itself, and warn outlying areas like Darkwold of the threat. You can send the players all over the Nentir Vale to find weapons against the undead, or perform quests that possible allies as a price for their participation in the upcoming war. And when all is gathered, the players can be special troops in the war to drive the undead back (strike at the skeleton-factories that the undead made out of the local graveyards, destroy particular dangerous undead). In the end they'll face the leader of the undead army. Maybe as a plot-twist, this won't be Kalarel. Kalarel expected to be made leader, because of his efforts to open the portal, but his expectations may have been wrong. The undead on the other side of the portal may already have had a leader. Which makes Kalarel feel betrayed, and willing to share the secret of closing the portal with the players, just to see the new leader fall flat on his face. Nice........May I use?
#5 danmarlok Jul 29, 2008 14:21:48	Probably not much help because this assumes that hte portal was closed but this cuold be an 'opener' to indicate what troubles have been unleashed in the world because the portal wasn't closed. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1065908
#6 fervos Jul 30, 2008 7:50:39	Probably not much help because this assumes that hte portal was closed but this cuold be an 'opener' to indicate what troubles have been unleashed in the world because the portal wasn't closed. http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1065908 Beat me to it.
#7 erleni Sep 08, 2008 8:12:54	Maybe I'm a little late, but here is what I'll do with my players. The war against the Dark One (I'm not use I will use Orcus in the end) is far wider than the PCs believe. When they come back to Winterhaven after leaving the Keep they meet an emissary of a powerful agency which is fighting against the Dark One. In my game this is a sort of secret police of the Empire, but it can be anything else. This agent is willing to get all possible information from the characters about the threat they faced and will ask them to join the organization. If they do she will explain that the war is far wider than the PCs may imagine and stretches all over the world. She will then enlist them to fight in the war, as special agents who have to achieve small victories in this big and hidden fight. When the PCs will be around the heroic/paragon transition the agent which will have become their mentor will be murdered. Later on the PCs will discover that the head of the organization is corrupted and it is actually collecting some crucial artifacts around the world in order to let the Dark One come back... If the PCs lost against Kalarel and are willing to go back to the Keep as their first mission she will provide some help. I will repopulate the dungeon with undead and let them have a second chance.