My group is hoping to kick off its Zeitgeist campaign this weekend. I was one of the lucky few to see
Island at the Axis of the World before its official publication date, but I have refused all attempts to persuade me to run it early or reveal its contents
Instead we plan to kick things off with a background and prequel session to get the PCs and the group bedded down.
The purpose for the session for me is to:
- Crash-test the MapTool framework that we're going to be using for the campaign to make sure that it works.
- Lay down some of the themes that lie at the heart of the AP so that there's no confusion among the group.
I'm planning on running an ad-lib session where I extract background information from the players by using a question and answer format. Hopefully, their off-the-cuff responses will make the party a little more cohesive when the formal campaign starts with Adventure 1.
I'm stealing this idea from DM Samuel's Ruboryn campaign, and his ad-lib session is available to download as a podcast
here.
As the capstone of the session, I want to co-operatively create an investigation with my players, to give them a chance to think about how their PCs are going to solve mysteries and engage with the world. I currently want to put some focus on the politics of the setting (and thus the idea that not every bad guy can be gutted like a fish) and on the sort of threats that the RHC is called on to deal with (ie. supernatural, foreign or significant ones).
With that in mind, I'm currently leaning towards a crime at the Danoran consulate in Flint or a threat/assassination by the eladrin terrorist Gale.
If the former, the culprit will turn out to be a member of the Danoran staff and will have some form of diplomatic immunity. If the latter, Gale herself will get away, but the PCs will get to deal with some fey involvement and lay the groundwork for their future decisions on that issue.
I'm open to suggestions.