And we're going to get there how?

[DerHauptman]

You know, that's sorta like the kind of game I'd like to run one day. Have a big hex map. You start on one side. Your mission is to get to the other side. Every hex, there's an adventure or at least an encounter.

Now I'm talking myself into getting the Wilderlands boxed set....

Neat idea, I like it, the group could even be cartographers or explorers with a commission from the sovereign. Ala, Lewis and Clark. Perhaps a new land acquisition full of new and strange tribes and animals. It would be an easy game to run I think but with lots of potential.

In the end their reward could be land grants and titles as they reach levels 10-15.

Cool.

 

[Agent Oracle]

Okay... You've just hired adventurers to travel 1,400 miles, that's New York City to Houston, Texas. Furthermore, they will be traveling by boat... you're looking at just over a month of sailing, there and back.

I guess you'd better either get a really good narrative for them, or else plan a whole bunch of sea-type encounters.

 

[genshou]

Do you have Stormwrack? There are some decent vessels in there, but there's one from Arms and Equipment Guide that didn't make it into the new book–the catamaran. This is not your uncle's catamaran he takes to the lake every 4th of July. It is a big catamaran, with a crew of 16. The cost is only 2,000gp and it is the fastest ship you can get without going into the "elf pwns j00 ALL!" territory. A 3rd-level party should be able to come up with 2,000gp in cash if they save up after one or two adventures.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Neat idea, I like it, the group could even be cartographers or explorers with a commission from the sovereign.

"Here's a map of the region you'll be crossing."
"This map is blank."
"Yes. Just fill it in as you go, would you?"

-Hyp.

 

[Tatsukun]

My only advice would be to incorporate something other than random monsters. If there are several sessions in a row of “We keep going” “There’s a monster” “we kill it and keep going” it will get dull quickly.

How about having it so nobody really knows where the tower is? That way they have to ask natives, dig through old ruins, find ancient maps or whatever to get there. It takes it from Mortal combat to Battlestar Galactica (I guess, not a good metaphor).

-Tatsu

 

[Mr. Draco]

"Here's a map of the region you'll be crossing."
"This map is blank."
"Yes. Just fill it in as you go, would you?"

Fantastic diologue! In fact, I really like the whole Lewis & Clarke aspect. If you decide to go down that line, do check out the journals of Lewis & Clarke which you should be able to find in any Borders or Barnes & Noble (or similar large bookstore). It's a very interesting read, and you can see their adventures from their own point of view.

 

[seskis281]

There's always "Mak's Griffon Flights for Hire" - quick air travel on the backs of strong creatures is only a reservation away!

(Post is meant in the humorous vain - please take no sarcasm in this reply)

JMW

 

[Imp]

Why do they need to carry the boat with them?

The guy who's hiring them (who don't have a boat) should also have the marginal good sense to hire the captain of a small ship, to get them there. That's the most straightforward solution. Then, if you want to kill off the captain and crew a quarter way through the journey, well...

 

[smilinggm]

Ok Several responses:

1) How much is our patron paying us?
2) What do you mean that our patron is not going to fund and equip this expidition?
3) What does our patron know about this tower and the lands that it sits? What can you tell us about this tower? Can I get a sense motive check on our Patron?
4) How did our patron learn of this tower?
5) Who rules the lands where the tower is?
6) When was this tower abandonded?
7) Why was this tower abandoned?
8) Who abandonded this tower?
9) What do you mean that we have to port the boat across the islands. If the Islands are that close why do we even need a boat? Can't we just walk from island to island?
10) How many countries/empires will we have to cross?
11) What does our patron want from this tower?
12) What is guarding this tower?
13) Why is this tower being guarded?
14) Can my Gnome make a derrigable to fly us there?
15) What secrets does this tower hold?
16) What secrets will the PC's unover along the way to the tower?
17) What secrets is the patron hiding from the Pc's
18) Is there a portal near the tower that we can use to get too and from the tower?
19) What ledgends can we find out about this tower?
20) What ledgends does my bard know about this tower?
21) Who wants to stop the PC's from getting to / finding the tower?
22) What are the groups who want to stop the PC's willing to do to stop them?
23) Why do they want to stop the PC's from reaching this tower?
24) Who is the villian here? Is it the Patron or is it someone/something else?
25) Why would the PC's agree to go on such a trek?
26) Do the pc have basic map to lead them to this tower? If not what clues are in place to lead the PC's to the tower?
27) Does the patron provie a guide for the PC or do they have to find one along the way?
28) What drives this guide and what secrets does the guide hold?

A long series of random encouters does not make a good adventure; and rapidly becomes dull and boaring for the DM and the players.
There needs to be a driving force / reason behind this trek. Something that the players can sink there teath into and pull them along during the low points.
You should have this journey mapped and plotted out before the adventure starts, as a site based encounters.

This is a lot of food for thought but it should enrich this trek.

Enjoy

 

[Hypersmurf]

Fantastic diologue!

I stole it from the Blackadder the Second classic, Potato.

Melchett: Farewell, Blackadder.
[hands him a parchment]
The foremost cartographers of the land have prepared this for you; it's a map of the area that you'll be traversing.
[Blackadder opens it up and sees it is blank]
They'll be very grateful if you could just fill it in as you go along. Bye-bye.

-Hyp.