D&D (2024) Non-Human Party - Campaign help!

[JohnSnow]

I love the concept of a swamp-based campaign!

I think undead works well in a swamp and can work for a pollution/corruption theme. Maybe a tomb was flooded long ago and things are now able to climb out. Maybe it’s a section of the swamp people avoided but now it’s able to spread.

Well my initial plan for this game was to do a Shadowdark: In the Gloaming campaign because it actually offers a Witch class - before I realized excited newbie would LOVE the complexity of 5.24e, so I may pilfer some of Kelsey's ideas. Hey, steal from the best, right?

So, yeah, undead, fey, and a few other things are kinda topping my list of potential adversaries.

I like the idea of a quiet human village that lives mostly in harmony with the swamp denizens but some kind of industrialist is draining the swamp to expand farm land. There should be a distillery that makes some nice peaty whisky! Maybe that’s one of the main industries of the village.

yoink

I kinda love the notion of a quiet rustic village that lives mostly in harmony with the swamp denizens and makes peaty whisky from the swamp's natural products. My gaming group will find that hilarious.

I think a black dragon works well but I think the dragon shouldn’t be the ‘big bad’. Instead, it’s one of the factions. Maybe the undead is pushing the dragon’s denizens further into other territory. The dragon might be younger and, therefore, can’t deal with the undead problem. They can just keep their territory clear. Maybe an adult or adolescent dragon. Because undead are pushing the dragon’s denizens out(kobolds obviously), they are pushing into the human lands and raiding more which is causing adventures to push into the swamp to ‘solve the kobold problem’

Yeah, I'm not sure a dragon is the best idea as a big bad, but I might work one in along the way. I'm definitely thinking an order of necromancers might be fun.

Several villages or tribes control different sections. Like lizard folk and some goblins.

I may work in more fey stuff and make it a faerie swamp. I've had Dolmenwood ideas banging around in my brain for months now.

There’s a hag coven who know the root of the problem or a way to stop it but what do the party need to sacrifice to get the information?

Oooo, definitely have to have a hag coven that my Warlock (witch) doesn't like.

The warlock should have a tie in. What is the warlock’s sponsor?

Baba Yaga. Probably.

Our formal Session Zero is next week, but the group has been kicking around ideas, and she's settling somewhere in that realm. And the Warlock player is the excited newbie who quickly landed on wanting to play "a really old swamp witch." Everyone else just kinda ran with it.


(Side Note: Totally love your handle! Lloyd Alexander rocks!)

 

[Sorinth]

I love the concept of a swamp-based campaign!

I think undead works well in a swamp and can work for a pollution/corruption theme. Maybe a tomb was flooded long ago and things are now able to climb out. Maybe it’s a section of the swamp people avoided but now it’s able to spread.

I like the idea of a quiet human village that lives mostly in harmony with the swamp denizens but some kind of industrialist is draining the swamp to expand farm land. There should be a distillery that makes some nice peaty whisky! Maybe that’s one of the main industries of the village.

I think a black dragon works well but I think the dragon shouldn’t be the ‘big bad’. Instead, it’s one of the factions. Maybe the undead is pushing the dragon’s denizens further into other territory. The dragon might be younger and, therefore, can’t deal with the undead problem. They can just keep their territory clear. Maybe an adult or adolescent dragon. Because undead are pushing the dragon’s denizens out(kobolds obviously), they are pushing into the human lands and raiding more which is causing adventures to push into the swamp to ‘solve the kobold problem’

Several villages or tribes control different sections. Like lizard folk and some goblins.

There’s a hag coven who know the root of the problem or a way to stop it but what do the party need to sacrifice to get the information?

The warlock should have a tie in. What is the warlock’s sponsor?

One thing to note about a dragon, is if the OP wants the standard D&D of a Black Dragon being evil, there's the risk that with a couple completely new players + the shrek vibes that their first instinct is that the dragon is basically good and a potential ally.

For undead, if there are a number of ruins that are holding them, then it could be the humans accidently releasing them as they search for treasure. In this case the first tomb found should have little to no undead but sizeable treasure causing a kind of gold rush.

 

[el-remmen]

There is an old Dungeon Mag adventure called “The Wayward Wood” about a forest that is literally marching out of its usual spot. Part of the way I incorporated it into the campaign at the time was that the place the forest was headed was a swamp. The PCs had a circle of the land Druid among them and he was interested in stopping the ecological disaster about to happen and investigating the complex reasons for the forest being on the move (which involved a firbolg/troll war and treants not happy about the use of fire).

I ran a 5e conversion when the PCs were 6th/7th level but I can imagine spreading it out.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

One thing to note about a dragon, is if the OP wants the standard D&D of a Black Dragon being evil, there's the risk that with a couple completely new players + the shrek vibes that their first instinct is that the dragon is basically good and a potential ally.

For undead, if there are a number of ruins that are holding them, then it could be the humans accidently releasing them as they search for treasure. In this case the first tomb found should have little to no undead but sizeable treasure causing a kind of gold rush.

I was thinking the dragon would be more of a mafioso than a chaotic evil standard dragon. Villages paying tribute to him (protection racket) etc…

If he’s smaller than people think, he wouldn’t be too keen to attack people or anything and he’d be protective of his secrets and his territory. He’d also be willing to cooperate with the PCs because they’d have a mutual enemy and the dragon could get them to be troubleshooters without risking themselves.

 

[MarkB]

Thanks for the plot tips! Those are super-helpful!

As for the Harpy, I started planning to just use a Fairy and change the spells, then I glanced at a few home-brew Harpies, and then I was like: "Well, the Aarakocra already has flight, and talons, so it's soooo close, but Gust of Wind (a 2nd-level spell) doesn't feel quite right." And yes, in this world, Harpies are fey.

I'm bouncing back and forth between Detect Thoughts and some kind of enchantment/charm spell.

Maybe Command, but not language-dependent (works on anything that can hear you sing) and can only use the "Approach" command word, proficiency-bonus uses per long rest. Then unlock hypnotic pattern 1/day at 5th level.

 

[Jensaarai]

You've already got the foundation for a Ferngully-esque campaign, I'd honestly just run with it.

 

[Guest 7037866]

It's not actually a bad group mix, class-wise, but story-wise, the parade of non-humans doesn't readily mesh with how I usually motivate characters. I'm kinda leaning "Save the Swamp" for the initial adventure, but I'm sorta stuck at "from what?"

Anyone able to help a brother out? Suggestions welcome.

A human lord wants to dam the river which feeds the swamp.

 

[Tonguez]

I had this very scenario where the wealthy Baron of the neighbouring town decided to drain the local swamp in the name of Industry, causing the waters to recede. This caused some creatures to attack farms (lthe first sign was stirges attacking cattle). The Baron has also hired mercenaries to exterminate/harrass the swamp inhabitants and drive them out. The swamp folk are thus in an uproar, they have been small disparate mobs not a unified community and thus generally lack the means to fight back.

Unfortunately, the receding waters has also exposed the ruined temple of the Drowned god, unleashing its blighted curse into the surrounding bog (causing the swamps dead to rise and transforming swamp creatures into fell aberrations). Local villagers and the Barons men have also been dragged down into the bog too which the Baron sees as proof that the Swamp is dangerous.

My game involved Druids trying to save the swamp, but Swamp folk coming together makes sense too. The blight is now spreading, Mother SIlt, the local genial Swamp Hag has identified the PCs and calls on them to put aside former animosities and unite to save the swamp - cue the PCs, do they go and confront the Baron, or seek an alliance so they can go on and stop the blighted curse of the drowned god?

 

[aco175]

You do not need to have everything together before you start. In your session 0 you should get some ideas from listening to the players and what they might wat to see and do. You only need a few ideas to explore and search with a few clues to other places to look into in order to start. Add a small town or a halfway inn that is more accepting to serve all types and you are good.

 

[Zardnaar]

Defend swamp from ancient evil or encroachment via civilization seems obvious.