1st level adventures in a city of epic evil

[fnork de sporg]

So my upcoming minicampaign is going to a 1st level part of good guys infiltrating an evil planar metropolis with intent of saving what few non-evil slaves or sacrificial victims they can manage.

This campaign will be different from anything else I've run, with the need for secrecy, the near constant threat of for most purposes undefeatable enemies, the sparcity of allies, and what I assume will be a relatively high chance of permanent character death.

So I'd like some advice not only on how to run such a game, but any neat plot or character details you might think up.

 

[Nightfall]

Might want to take a look at Midnight by Fantasy Flight Games. Even though it's low magic world, there are plenty of ideas you can mine from it. (Especially with the clerical hierarchy in Midnight.)

 

[xmanii]

Watch a movie. Meaning, movies give good ways on how to deal with a campaign like this (V for Vendatta is a good example), or any movie that deals with overwhelming odds (Matrix comes to mind).

HTH

 

[Stormborn]

Emphasize intelligence gathering at early levels and give XP based on objectives achieved. One way to do this is to have the PCs infiltrate a low level gang operating in the city. With little in the way of innocents they should have no moral problems with fighting the gang's enemies for territory or control. With the right group and the right PCs this could be a fun game, as the PCs slowly work their way high enough into the hierachy to know whats going on in the city and to protect themselves, all the while risking the possibility of not only discovery, but corruption.

The other option is to find a resistance movement, earn their trust by breaking a special prisoner out, and living a gurellia existance in the underbelly of the city until they are in the position to act on their goals. Less risk of corruption, more tisk of death.

I recommend PCs that can act w/o drawing attention to themselves. Sorcerers w/ eschew material and no familiar, monks that carry workers tools as weapons, rogues and bards who can disguise themselves, perhaps clerics of subtle gods.