Outline for an E6 campaign

This is a compilation of information for a campaign that I'm attempting to put together. It is primarily a place where I can organize everything for myself, but I would also like to welcome any comments, especially from people who have used any of the resources that I've referenced. Much of it is available for free (I'm pretty cheap), but some of it (like the alternate races) is not.

Note: There might be some spoilers to adventures, I'll try and hide them if possible.

The campaign will be based on E6, where nothing can have more than 6 class levels before advancement is limited to feats.

The first adventure I would like to run is A Dark and Stormy Knight. It gives a chance to bring together PCs from various backgrounds, and puts them all in one place. This introduces an older culture of Giants/Bugbears/goblinoids that used to have power in the area. This tomb is just one of many Tors, which could be explored at the PCs whim.

Further, the hobgoblin in the adventure has orders to look for G's Gauntlet and the Hoardmaster there, and has a map to it that the PCs can find. This idea is borrowed (stolen?) from rycanada from two threads, Depth in Worldbuilding and Gorgoldand's Gauntlet. One of the primary conflicts available for the players to take up is the one between the wielders of Hoardmasters and the hobgoblins. This set up opens to door to dungeon crawls, city adventure, and politics/intrigue. There's lots of potential there.

About this time, I'd been reading a Collaborative setting about Fey, which clicked with the Jibigi/hobgoblin as some sort of Dark Fey link. Some elements from that thread (like the Order of Johannes and trodes) I'd like to include.

I've also gleaned a few ideas from the very handy Pathfinder blog, which has great artwork, and outlines several adventure seeds, etc.

Other resources - Brindinford

With the baron in political trouble, two adventures stood out: from Dungeon #130, Within the Circle, although I'd like to shift the focus away from Yuan-ti , and instead shift the focus toward the group in an adventure that I've had forever but never used, Speaker in Dreams. The city of Brindinford is the seat of Baron Polrost's power, using the map from Speaker. For the assassins in the adventure, I wanted to substitute the (extremely well-written) group from Eye for an Eye.

What this all amounts to is that some secret power helped the Baron gain power, and now that trouble's coming they've offered him more help. He is loathe to accept this, though, without knowing more about what the costs will be. I imagine him as a basically good person who didn't ask many questions when they first gave him aid a dozen years ago. His conscience has worked on him, however, and now he doesn't want a part in anything underhanded. I've given him some more backstory, but I can extrapolate on this later. The whole thing can culminate with Speaker, which should be as the PCs approach Epic.

Another event to forshadow will be the adventure The Menagerie. I want this wizard who collects magical beasts to be someone the players have a chance to meet and possibly befriend, and later in the campaign, this can be sprung on them. Whether the escaped animals are accidental, or a plot by one of the groups opposing the PCs can be decided later.

Other resources - Deepwatch

The next town upriver from Brindinford is going to be Deepwatch (map from Dungeon #103), a city on a lake. The primary adventure that I'd like to set there is from Dungeon #109, Devil Box. The Shackling festival would be a very interesting event in any case.

The other focus of Deepwatch will be on the political front: [sblock] I imagine that the local lord is a bit of a tyrant. His father was an ally of the former Baron (Camis' older brother). However, this Earl has a short temper, and is very strict. He rules the region with his band of cavalry, which he uses to strike bandits, but also strikes fear into the average person. He also loves the hunt. The Earl isn't a great supporter of the Baron, and I get the idea that if he gets wind of the plot by Adstone, he might make a play for the Barony in exchange for helping to oust him. I also got the idea in my head that, ironically, the Earl helped earn Polrost the ire of Adstone. Something about the Earl's sister was courted by a minor visiting noble from Adstone, and the protective older brother killed him in a duel for the sake of 'family honor.' It was just a thinly veiled excuse for killing someone that he imagined had sleighted him. The Adstone's won't directly strike back, as technically all teh proper forms were followed. [/sblock]

Upriver from Deepwatch is the tiny mill-town of Aulbesmil, which lends itself to the adventures Beasts of Aulbesmil (from #131, and use this map) and Cry Wolf (from #102). The bandit groups here will be linked to the Jibigi cult, as they are trying to sow unrest in the region. There should also be clues that start the investigation toward House Adstone from the bandits.

I love how you're using my Depth in Worldbuilding idea to weave these things together.

If you change the half-orc cleric to a hobgoblin disciple of Jibigi, the Burning Plague would fit pretty well in the same milieu. Another thing that would work nicely is making Duvik's Pass technically inside Adstone, and the PCs, once they take care of it, earn the direct ire of Adstone as "Polrost's troublemakers"

Other resources - Duvik's Pass

The next (and final) town upriver from Deepwatch is Duvik's Pass (however, the map is stolen from Redgorge, in the Shackled City AP - Demonskar Legacy, Dungeon #104. I expect the adventures here to be extremely Dungeon Crawl, with Burning Plague, Windswept Wall, and a megadungeon from Worldwide Adventure Writer's Month (specifically, the Maze of Cherno, Xathyl's Redoubt, and he's adding a third that I don't believe is complete yet).

I don't have a great idea about the politics of the pass yet - I only know that the arrival of Sionas has created a stir by 'stealing' miners away from the silver mines, and people wonder what he's all about. The Burning Plauge will then occur, further exacerbating the problem. I've not been real thrilled with the maps, so I'm considering using the Delve maps from Dungeons 109 (see Devil Box, above) and 111. Also, I would consider making the Orc cleric related to the Jibigi plot. This way, the PCs might draw her ire for killing one of her siblings, and they're further drawn in.

Edit: Ah! You've stolen my thunder! Actually, that's a great way to include the previous political situation in Duvik's Pass. I like it, and I'm glad that you approve of my use of your ideas.

I like how this setting doesn't say "Go here first, then go there, then go there" - it's nice and open for however the PCs want to approach it. Like an amusement park.

rycanada said:

I like how this setting doesn't say "Go here first, then go there, then go there" - it's nice and open for however the PCs want to approach it. Like an amusement park.

Click to expand...

Exactly. I started doing that, but then you pointed that link out to me in an earlier thread. After I read that, I went back through the adventures and treated several of them like rides. I think the the progression from Dark Knight into G's Gauntlet, pointing them to the Baron and Within the Circle is about as far as it'll go. From there, PCs can explore anywhere, as their fancy dictates. If they get really involved with certain plots, NPCs can point them around, but I don't think that there will be much 'leading the players by the nose' after those first sessions.

There are lots of leads, and lots of potential bad guys for Epic level conflict (Jibigi, Adstone, the Dreaming cult in Brindinford, the Red Dragon that hunted Gorgoldand . . .). I want it to really give players a chance to have input into the campaign.

In a few posts, I'll describe one of the potential restaurants.

Oh, FYI, Baron Dennel Adstone did make an appearance as a recurring nonviolent antagonist in one of my old campaigns. If you get the chance, seizing PC or allied NPC assets is just about the best way to get PCs pissed off at Adstone.

I almost forgot for Deepwatch, one of the sites in the town should be the Ministry of Winds. This can be tied into almost anything, but it might remain neutral so that not every campaign event ties into something.

So you're using 100% free stuff, right? If so this is a godsend.

Edit: You mentioned somewhere in your OP that it's not ALL free - what isn't free? I might be able to track down a free alternative...