Shadowdweller
Explorer
This is intended to be list of plot ideas that encompass at least several adventures, possibly up to and including a full campaign. These should be the events and schemes that drive all the action; things that the players don't necessarily realize is going on at first.
1. Evil Storage Artifact: Long ago, a powerful hero/villain/spirit/angel/fiend sealed away dangerous creatures, spirits, magic, or forces inside an artifact; either to protect the world from them or to use for their own sinister purposes. Now, a villain has arisen that either seeks the artifact or has already come to possess it. Mayhem and murder come to the PCs' attention as the villain either seeks more information about the artifact, or begins to make use of it to smite enemies, assemble armies, seize power, or conduct destructive magic rituals.
Sample villain: Ashael, cambion
Motivations: Increase the power of his innate magical abilities (of mental manipulation); gain personal power and influence
Developments:
* Burglaries occur in several public and private libraries. Rewards are offered for stolen works.
* A well-respected historian is kidnapped
* Ashael and minions locate and take possession of the artifact
* A few townsfolk start to disappear; if / when located it seems their minds have been magically manipulated
* A prominent noble starts acting strangely...to the detriment of her fiefdom. The population begins to suffer.
* A wealthy merchant turns to the PCS for help regarding a strange and horrible legal judgment (required to hand over first-born son for a minor fine maybe).
* Local Society is transformed into a twisted, repressive mockery of what it once was. People disappear, the legal system loses all pretense of fairness, excessive bribes are required to get the government to work, any potentially threatening individuals or institutions are brutally repressed.
2 Displaced: A dragon or other powerful beast settles in a new lair where weaker but still dangerous enemies live. These others are driven from their former homes, leading them to raid / conquer / or settle in civilized lands for survival. The dragon itself probably needs to be dealt with once the PCs are powerful enough.
Sample villain: Skaladar Black-Death, adult black dragon.
Motivations: Find new food sources, new victims to extort wealth from
Developments:
* Skaladar takes up residence in a bog near the duchy of Ernst.
* Increased goblinoid raids start to occur in and around Ernst.
* Livestock in the duchy start to go missing. Villagers report the beating of large wings.
* Large lizardfolk war parties begin attacking settlements.
* Lizardfolk refugees try to settle in places claimed by local peasantry. Conflicts occur.
* A township appeals to the Duke for help, reporting that a dragon has been demanding ever-increasing amounts of tribute. After making unpayable demands, the dragon attacked and killed several of the townsfolk.
* The duke sends an armed force to defend the township. All are slain. Rewards are offered to any who can free Ernst of the beast.
3. Alien Invasion: A cultist, mad wizard, or hapless explorer intentionally or unintentionally opens a portal to a place where fiends or nightmare creatures live. Some of what steps through is cunning enough to work together and to keep the existence of the portal secret as they work to undermine and take control of the new land they find themselves in.
Sample villain: A small group of allied demons
Motivation: Undermine and seize control of new territory; harvest souls.
Developments:
* Pets and livestock start to go missing in the city of Pythagora.
* A court clerk appeals to the PCs for help, claiming that someone is following him.
* Acts of vandalism occur at a local church. Evidence points to worshippers of another deity.
* Reports of strange creatures being sighted start to circulate. Attacks occur on lone and vulnerable members of the population.
* A new criminal group appears to be taking out other gangs within the city. Disturbing reports of monstrous members of this group.
* Crime increases in the city. Citizens are demanding action by the governing body.
* Tensions rise within the city - zealots of religious institutions appear to be at each others' throats. Riots occur.
* Martial law is declared; the populace, however, is up in arms over real or fabricated abuses by the military.
* Full on demonic attacks call into question the ability of the government to protect this city.
* The new underworld group seizes control of the city in a coup.
* Very bad things happen.
4. Wages of War: Two nations, leaders, or institutions declare war upon each other. As the war presses on, the monsters that the military was previously able to keep at bay come to raid and lair in previously well-defended lands. Furthermore, any hero that makes a name for herself by defending the civilian population risks being conscripted into the military (leaving the people once again undefended); possibly finding themselves on the wrong side of the law if they refuse.
5. Conned Cultists: A clever scoundrel has convinced a cult that he can summon their revered demon or god. He just requires a bunch of very valuable things that are probably lost to antiquity or owned by someone else to do so.
6. Raising Legions: A powerful necromancer has found or created artifacts that can raise and command all bodies within a limited radius into undying servitude. Undead armies are brought to bear, invading, killing, and conquering the land. If the PCs can figure out what's going on, the artifacts can be destroyed and the armies put down.
1. Evil Storage Artifact: Long ago, a powerful hero/villain/spirit/angel/fiend sealed away dangerous creatures, spirits, magic, or forces inside an artifact; either to protect the world from them or to use for their own sinister purposes. Now, a villain has arisen that either seeks the artifact or has already come to possess it. Mayhem and murder come to the PCs' attention as the villain either seeks more information about the artifact, or begins to make use of it to smite enemies, assemble armies, seize power, or conduct destructive magic rituals.
Sample villain: Ashael, cambion
Motivations: Increase the power of his innate magical abilities (of mental manipulation); gain personal power and influence
Developments:
* Burglaries occur in several public and private libraries. Rewards are offered for stolen works.
* A well-respected historian is kidnapped
* Ashael and minions locate and take possession of the artifact
* A few townsfolk start to disappear; if / when located it seems their minds have been magically manipulated
* A prominent noble starts acting strangely...to the detriment of her fiefdom. The population begins to suffer.
* A wealthy merchant turns to the PCS for help regarding a strange and horrible legal judgment (required to hand over first-born son for a minor fine maybe).
* Local Society is transformed into a twisted, repressive mockery of what it once was. People disappear, the legal system loses all pretense of fairness, excessive bribes are required to get the government to work, any potentially threatening individuals or institutions are brutally repressed.
2 Displaced: A dragon or other powerful beast settles in a new lair where weaker but still dangerous enemies live. These others are driven from their former homes, leading them to raid / conquer / or settle in civilized lands for survival. The dragon itself probably needs to be dealt with once the PCs are powerful enough.
Sample villain: Skaladar Black-Death, adult black dragon.
Motivations: Find new food sources, new victims to extort wealth from
Developments:
* Skaladar takes up residence in a bog near the duchy of Ernst.
* Increased goblinoid raids start to occur in and around Ernst.
* Livestock in the duchy start to go missing. Villagers report the beating of large wings.
* Large lizardfolk war parties begin attacking settlements.
* Lizardfolk refugees try to settle in places claimed by local peasantry. Conflicts occur.
* A township appeals to the Duke for help, reporting that a dragon has been demanding ever-increasing amounts of tribute. After making unpayable demands, the dragon attacked and killed several of the townsfolk.
* The duke sends an armed force to defend the township. All are slain. Rewards are offered to any who can free Ernst of the beast.
3. Alien Invasion: A cultist, mad wizard, or hapless explorer intentionally or unintentionally opens a portal to a place where fiends or nightmare creatures live. Some of what steps through is cunning enough to work together and to keep the existence of the portal secret as they work to undermine and take control of the new land they find themselves in.
Sample villain: A small group of allied demons
Motivation: Undermine and seize control of new territory; harvest souls.
Developments:
* Pets and livestock start to go missing in the city of Pythagora.
* A court clerk appeals to the PCs for help, claiming that someone is following him.
* Acts of vandalism occur at a local church. Evidence points to worshippers of another deity.
* Reports of strange creatures being sighted start to circulate. Attacks occur on lone and vulnerable members of the population.
* A new criminal group appears to be taking out other gangs within the city. Disturbing reports of monstrous members of this group.
* Crime increases in the city. Citizens are demanding action by the governing body.
* Tensions rise within the city - zealots of religious institutions appear to be at each others' throats. Riots occur.
* Martial law is declared; the populace, however, is up in arms over real or fabricated abuses by the military.
* Full on demonic attacks call into question the ability of the government to protect this city.
* The new underworld group seizes control of the city in a coup.
* Very bad things happen.
4. Wages of War: Two nations, leaders, or institutions declare war upon each other. As the war presses on, the monsters that the military was previously able to keep at bay come to raid and lair in previously well-defended lands. Furthermore, any hero that makes a name for herself by defending the civilian population risks being conscripted into the military (leaving the people once again undefended); possibly finding themselves on the wrong side of the law if they refuse.
5. Conned Cultists: A clever scoundrel has convinced a cult that he can summon their revered demon or god. He just requires a bunch of very valuable things that are probably lost to antiquity or owned by someone else to do so.
6. Raising Legions: A powerful necromancer has found or created artifacts that can raise and command all bodies within a limited radius into undying servitude. Undead armies are brought to bear, invading, killing, and conquering the land. If the PCs can figure out what's going on, the artifacts can be destroyed and the armies put down.
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