D&D 5E Campaign Idea: demonic portal

[Tyler Dunn]

I have an idea for a campaign and would like to hear what you guys think of it.

The campaign starts out with Demogorgon opening a portal to his layer of the Abyss in a populated city, sending hordes of demons to attack the innocent people of the city. The party will have to find a way to escape the city and get to safety. Afterwards, the party will begin to seek out a magical sword capable of closing the portal to the Abyss, looking for the shards of this magical sword in various locations. Finally, the party will have to bring the sword to the portal and use its power to close said portal, ending the demonic threat.

What do you guys think?

 

[MarkB]

It's a little stereotypical. Big bad sends minions to invade, heroes need to find and assemble the McGuffin of Undoomifying, and in one stroke the evil plan is undone. It's crying out for some kind of twist.

Maybe it's not an invasion. Maybe Demogorgon's realm is being attacked by some greater extradimensional threat, and he staged all this specifically so that someone would retrieve and assemble the Sword of Portal Closing, which he needs in order to solve his own issues.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Although stereotypical, there is nothing wrong with that, especially if you have newer players who haven't played through an adventure of this sort.

First, I would have it start small. In the city or it's sewers, a couple rogue minor fiends are starting to show up, causing problems. Maybe the PCs get involved trying to find out just what is going on? They discover some cultists are bringing them in from someplace not too far off, as the PCs begin to follow the trail, they eventually discover a larger plot is afoot!

When the think they have figured out a way to stop the cultists of Demogorgon (or whoever... maybe a major fiend not used so often?), it turns out they were wrong! Their actions actually caused the portal to explode open, creating a way for more numerous and powerful fiends to escape to their world. Now they have to hurry to the nearby city and warn other to escape. While more "powerful" heroes work to stop the hordes of fiends, the PCs are sent to find a way to close the portal (as you suggest).

After several adventures, with whatever items they need assembled, they return to close the portal--only to learn, as @MarkB suggests, that the reason the portal was opened was so the fiends could escape their world--which is mortal peril! Will the PCs use the portal-closing device to help the fiends as well? Or leave them to their fate?

Lots of good options here. Most stories are typical, so don't worry about the larger picture--the devil (or in this case, the demon ) is in the details.

Hope that gives you some food for thought.

 

[Oofta]

Part of this depends on how long you want the campaign to last and so on. But, I'd start with a normal town, maybe even a simple intro adventure or two to introduce people and get to know the town. But something weird is happening, things no one can explain. Think killer demonically enhanced ginger bread man and the baker has gone crazy and hears voices whispering in their head.

Maybe even give the group the option to try to stop the portal from opening in the first place. If successful it only seems to work, or perhaps works for a short time but someone undoes their work. When it's reopened there was a buildup of pressure from the other side and closing it now is beyond their abilities. Alternative of course is that they try to close it and realize they have no chance but perhaps get clues on how to accomplish the goal.

As far as getting the McGuffin, think about what kind of solution you want. There's nothing wrong with it being a sword, but it could be literally anything. I'd also consider how they have to close it. Can it be closed from the mortal side of things or do they have to cross over?

As far as the story being a bit cliche, it may be. But there are only so many stories you can tell, the fun is in the spin you put on it and making it a story unique to you and your group.

 

[DND_Reborn]

As far as the story being a bit cliche, it may be. But there are only so many stories you can tell, the fun is in the spin you put on it and making it a story unique to you and your group.

Exactly. In the city campaign I was running for a while, it was basically the concept I outlined: cultists of a demon-god, Levin, using a artifact-like chain worn by a little girl, were summoning fiends who possessed the child, etc. They finally succeeded in getting the chain off of the child, but instead of destroying it sold it to the assassin's guild for 5000 gp. shrug, you never know how things will work out...