D&D 5E Campaign Synopsis Brainstorm Thread: The Prequel

[Inchoroi]

One thing I would desperately love to have is a "Campaign Synopsis Creation" thread, where people, experienced GMs, or others, would get together and build a campaign from scratch; not the details, obviously, but for a good example what I mean, check 4e's Demonomicon (its the only one that comes to mind). It has a three-part campaign written out, which details the big events that happen, part by part, and not just a one-paragraph synopsis (now, its not to say that its a very good campaign...but hey, at least its an example). That would allow us who suck at coming up with big plots to take that and build it into a complete campaign, because the big stuff is already decided. I'd really, really, really, really like this sort of thread series. Of course, I can do this with Adventure Paths, but building it is part of the fun, for me, at least. I'm just not that good at coming up with the big plot (I refer to myself as a Technically Proficient DM^TM).

I posted this in another thread as an idea that I had, and really wanted to do it. The intention is for the ENWorld Community to brainstorm a campaign. In addition, the thread should take as a given that "Use Adventure Path X and run that" as non-constructive suggestions, as helpful as they may be, the hope being that we'd, as a community, come up with a cool campaign that isn't just a conversion of an published campaign. We'd start with Volume 1, and when we're generally happy with the campaign, we'd move on to volume 2--or maybe go ahead and work it out as a group as an entire campaign.

Is this something people would be interested in doing?

 

[steeldragons]

Merchants from a far off city are looking to make in-roads to a small farming village and set up a trade post and mining operations and otherwise throw the community into chaos.

The locals/farmers don't understand why since they are well aware there are no ores or minerals of any value in their fertile valley.

At the same time some rangers are starting to be seen about town on occasion. Sally down at the Griffon's Grog says she even saw an elf among them a few weeks back. They are from a hunters' lodge/hall far up the valley in the northern woods and only rarely come into the village. Their regular sightings are beginning to make folks uneasy.

There is a story in the local folklore of a dragon that lived in the valley "once upon a time" but no one has ever seen one.

That oughta get some balls rolling.
Go!

 

[Inchoroi]

Merchants from a far off city are looking to make in-roads to a small farming village and set up a trade post and mining operations and otherwise throw the community into chaos.

The locals/farmers don't understand why since they are well aware there are no ores or minerals of any value in their fertile valley.

At the same time some rangers are starting to be seen about town on occasion. Sally down at the Griffon's Grog says she even saw an elf among them a few weeks back. They are from a hunters' lodge/hall far up the valley in the northern woods and only rarely come into the village. Their regular sightings are beginning to make folks uneasy.

There is a story in the local folklore of a dragon that lived in the valley "once upon a time" but no one has ever seen one.

That oughta get some balls rolling.
Go!

First thing that comes to mind, of course, is the merchants are really seeking the dragon's horde, which is hidden somewhere in the valley.

The merchants could also be really thieves or similar unsavory individuals, which could include competing factions, which brings conflict to the region.

 

[steeldragons]

Basicaly where I was going.

I should specify, when I said "Merchants from a far off city", I was thinking like a huge powerful merchants' guild/organization...not just a coupla guys that came to town. But groups of individuals, with money to basically do whatever they want...and that becomes manpower and guards/mercenary soldiers with their increasing caravans of resources. They are, absolutely, intended to be the ultimate Big Bad...not just this village, but of the whole campaign, so eventually taking the party out of this valley (perhaps by force or under the auspices of hiring them for some other mission?) and to that city, eventually, to "take down" the guild (or at least overthrow the leadership and "save the land/city/all of humanity" from these guys.

They are decidedly secretive and "unsavory" to do business with...but the type that don't give you much choice. The extent of their influence, corruption and power, however, (since we're talking about a campaign) should be revealed slowly and continuously at different moments as the party levels up.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

There is a story in the local folklore of a dragon that lived in the valley "once upon a time" but no one has ever seen one.

My first thought was that the dragon serves as a guardian for an artifact that once belonged to a tyrant. When the tyrant was defeated the artifact could not be destroyed for some reason so it was instead transported to this sleepy valley for containment. The rangers in the area are one of the few organizations left that remember this arrangement. But lately traces of the artifact's power have been sighted. The rangers have come to investigate.

Open questions:
- Did the dragon agree to be the guardian willingly or was it coerced?
- What is the nature of the evil of the artifact?
- Do the merchants also know about the existence of the artifact? How much do they know about the evil happenings?

 

[Inchoroi]

I have some ideas, but I'm at work, so I'll post them in a bit.

EDIT:
QUOTE=MonkeezOnFire;6665478]My first thought was that the dragon serves as a guardian for an artifact that once belonged to a tyrant. When the tyrant was defeated the artifact could not be destroyed for some reason so it was instead transported to this sleepy valley for containment. The rangers in the area are one of the few organizations left that remember this arrangement. But lately traces of the artifact's power have been sighted. The rangers have come to investigate.

Open questions:
- Did the dragon agree to be the guardian willingly or was it coerced?
- What is the nature of the evil of the artifact?
- Do the merchants also know about the existence of the artifact? How much do they know about the evil happenings?[/QUOTE]

That sounds like fun twist. The dragon is a metallic dragon (I'm partial to silver, myself).

The beginning of the campaign could be a subversive push by the merchant guild to gain control of the region by what outsiders would veiw as a legal manner. This could involve assassination, bribing, scare tactics--what if the party is hired to protect the current mayor after an attempt on his life. The merchant guild could be bankrolling the thieves and/or the assassins on the sly to push the town into asking for financial aid, supplies, and guards.

The above would be the excuse the party would need to break the guild that is operating there (almost makes me want to have them be the Zhentarim, come to think of it). Of course, just because the guild members in the area are taken care of didn't mean they are going to stop.

After being foiled by the party, the Zhentarim decides to hire an infamous assassin to go after the party and the mayor themselves. Then, the guild can lay seige to the town to prevent anyone from getting away (this means the town has to be decently fortified, and has to have a reason for such, like orcs and goblins in the area--side quests!).

Then, the party, having learned what the Zhentarim are after, have to sneak out of the city, about the Zhentarim, and try to destabilize it, then learn of the artifact from the Zhentarim members they meet along the way. Something fun might be the Zhentarim has its leader be betrayed by his protégé, who uses the party to kill him, in exchange for leading the town alone--for now.

Alternatively, they could go ahead and search for the artifact, take it and figure out how to destroy it, assuming they learned of it from the factors in the town.