Help me with The Big Picture, part 2

[RatPunk]

Last week on the temporary boards, I started a thread asking for help developing The Big Picture for the campaign I am preparing to take over.

The quick recap was that it would be a 1st level group from Greyhawk who is transported to Kalamar to stop an Evil Plot. The first portion of their stay in Kalamar is to be Kenzer's Coin Trilogy of adventures.

I received a couple of good suggestions and the one that intrigued me most was the use of a follower of Tharizdun (I'm sorry I don't remember who suggested it).

Then the temp boards were replaced with the regular boards and my thread disappeared. In the meantime, I've done some expanding on the Tharizdun plot and wanted to see what everyone thought and if anyone had any further suggestions.

Here's what I'm thinking of so far:

A priest (or follower) of Tharizdun has fled from Greyhawk to Kalamar. Since Tharizdun is not well known on Tellene, he reasons, he should be able to make all of his preparations to awaken the sleeping god there with little or no interference, then return to Greyhawk and complete his task.

Unfortunately for him, someone on Greyhawk has learned of his plans (in general) and has sent the PCs to stop him.

Unfortunately for the PCs, the person they were supposed to meet upon arrival (who would have explained everything to them) has been intercepted and killed.

Idea: Veoden (the wizard in the first Coin adventure) is the follower of Big T. He is (most likely) the first person the PCs encounter and he is the one who sends them on the Coin trilogy adventures. Perhaps the follower is posing as Veoden and the real Veoden was the person the PCs were supposed to meet with?

His plan: Assemble the three items of power he will need to attempt a ceremony to bring Tharizdun back to Oerth. The Coin of Power could be the first item. Having learned of Daresh’s attempt to create one, he sends the PCs to a). Prevent her from controlling it and, b). Acquire Halaan’s research on how to make one. Once Halaan has made the second Coin and the PCs are on their way to battle Daresh, Veoden kills Halaan and takes his research. Items two and three are to be determined…

That's what I've got so far. Any thoughts, ideas, opinions or suggestions?

 

[Warchild]

Hmm....i think you need to create or illustrate a good reason why anyone is sending a bunch of 1st level characters to stop the reawening of Tharizdun on another plane. Creating a logical reason and/or situation why that happened will help create a sound foundation to start from. Are they related to great champions, or are different somehow than any number of higher level characters that should really be sent on such a mission. That sort of stuff.

 

[RatPunk]

To be honest, I'm still working on that part.

It's one of the reasons that the PCs contact in Kalamar is dead when they arrive. It gives me more time to figure out who sent them there and why, just in case I don't come up with anything before the campaign starts (in just under 4 weeks).

 

[Warchild]

Well, my brain is beginning to cloud up with sleep deprevation (sp?), but i can think of a couple. Though they are kinda weak.
Maybe the trip between planes won't allow higher powered characters (sort of like the Dragonlance ban against high level characters)? Told you it was weak.
Maybe a better one would be that this Veoden or other followers of Big T. in Kalamar are looking/scrying for heroes that might be coming to stop them. So the Good guy that sends them into the other prime material (kalamar) needs to send low powered people that can slip in under the radar. You can have the Main Good NPC give them a few trinkets, including an orb with which they can communicate with him in times of need and maybe thorugh which he can help them out in special cases (though i'd keep the lid on tight with that, don't want it ot get out of hand!).

Thats all i got in the tank right now, sorry.

 

[RatPunk]

Not bad for someone suffering from sleep deprivation.

I think I like the "low level to slip under the radar" theory best. I'll have to see what I can do with it.

 

[Pyske]

Blood Descendants

Maybe you could try this in reverse. One of the criteria for bringing back T is the death of all the descendants of _historically significant person_. The PCs are some of said descendants. The archmage sends them to Kalamar to escape. They aren't the only descendants, so no special effort is made to protect them, but a servant is sent along to tell them why they were whisked away (or if not, the archmage doesn't want to give away their position).

As for the coin? It is a descendant detector, sent from Greyhawk (since no-one of the bloodline normally lives in Kalamar). The first time he meets them, the enemy mage doesn't realize they are the people he needs to kill. Imagine his chagrin when he finds that someone has cannibalized his descendant detector to make some stupid COIN!

. . . . . . . -- Eric

 

[Errant]

Why 1st level?

How about...

The 1st level PCs were never supposed to be the ones sent to prevent Tharizdun's resurrection.

They were the intended heroes' retainers, or perhaps they came across the blasted remains of the intended heroes, just in time to be recruited as last minute replacements 'to warn the powers that be' by the "someone on Greyhawk" who heard of the plot. The idea that the PCs might go on to try & foil the plot might never have entered the "someone on Greyhawk's" mind.

Unfortunately I never saw your original thread, & I've never heard of the Coin adventures.