4e Campaign, starting at Lv. 1

[Kinie]

This campaign was one I had originally planned for 3.5, but after 4e came out I began to re-work it to a 4e setting. As it stands now it could use some tweaking and fine-tuning, and there's still the conversion from 3.5 to 4e I need to do, but I'm wondering if the basic story I have planned out for them is good.

Any feedback/comments on it is greatly appreciated.

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The group wakes up in a home, tended to by an aging human male and his two children. After inquiring as to how they got there, they realize that - in a prequel "cutscene" to the beginning of the story - the experiment they had been conducting with a Paragon level Wizard has gone awry, sending them to some unknown village. They all attempt to leave but the older man tells them they need to stay inside for another day, as it is the "Day of Twilight." After the group inquires about this event, they find out that this town and the surrounding area all fall under some sort of 'curse' where, once a month, for the entire day, there is no direct light from the sun, even though they can clearly see the sun in the sky (basically for this one day the entire place is under low-light conditions), and unusual, yet highly aggressive creatures roam the landscape. They can still move amongst the village though, thanks to the village having built an underground network of tunnels to connect them to other homes and underground storage rooms. While in the tunnels, the group finds that the aggressive monsters can burrow their way through the earth, and they must fight one of these creatures (at the very least).

After this day passes the group leaves and heads for the closest town to try and get a boat back home. When they reach the town, however, they find that getting back home may be a lot tougher than they thought; they see elemental trains run through the city and the construction of an airship. After finding the closest inn they get directed to a Mage's Guild, where the find out that the magical accident hasn't only transported them to another place in their world, but also to another plane. They all argue as to whether they should return to their home or stay here (their incentive to go home is because the Wizard was going to give them all large amounts - ie., over 50,000 worth - of gold).

At this point in time, the story can go one of two paths based upon the group's decision.

- If they choose to go home...

They must travel across this unknown landscape to various other towns, doing errands and quests for mayors, Wizards, and other people as they acquire the same materials the Paragon Wizard used to send them here.

- If they choose to stay...

The next day, the "Day of Twilight" happens again, and this time the monsters invade all of the towns, killing and pillaging. After the group helps fight them off, they are enlisted by the King of this region - due to their "experience" with these creatures - to find out where they are coming from, why they only come out on this one day, stop them from attacking, and - if at all possible - figure out why the "Day of Twilight" happened twice in a week.

 

[nerdronomicon]

what are your plans for the cause of the day of twilight? is what's happening related to the cut scene at all or is that just a hook? do you expect the characters to try to get back to the wizard to find out what happened or do you think they'll stick it out in the village?

 

[Kinie]

The plan from when it was set in 3.5 was that the Day of Twilight was caused by a custom-made Elder Evil that got affected by a 'Change Alignment' spell that twisted a bit and made him go from Chaotic Evil to Lawful Good. The creature, realizing what it was and that, eventually, the Change Alignment spell would wear off after several millenia, created a curse for itself to do several things, including making him be asleep for approx. 28 days before being awake for one full day, dumb its level down from 26 to level 12, and severely weaken him. Because it was now LG, he couldn't commit suicide, so instead he thought that the best thing to do was to put himself on an undeveloped planet and hibernate there for as long as possible, remaining out of harm's way for other planets and other races. When he is awake he casts out a radius spell that prevents direct light from shining through - hence why the entire "Day of Twilight" is set under low-light levels.

The cut scene is meant to just be a freak accident, with the PC's able to speculate (if they reach far enough) that the creature knew that the Change Alignment spell was about to wear off and called for the next group of adventurer's in the universe that used a Mass Teleportation spell.

As for them trying to get back to the Wizard to get their money, I don't know what they will do. Personally I'm going to try and have them stick around in their "new" home, due to some of the advantages they have here instead of back where they all came from. And if they do decide to go back home, and if they like the campaign and story enough, I could have it set up in the story that they have to go back to the new plane.

Ideally, if they like the story, it would flow like this:

Campaign begins -> Party attempts to go back home -> Succeed in returning home -> find out Wizard is a jackass and never intended to pay them in the first place -> Teleportation portals send the custom monsters to their plane, they go back to try and stop them -> fight the creature, save both planes.

 

[Kinie]

Just giving it a bump, I'd appreciate any comments you can give for how I can improve the story.

 

[fba827]

Don't forget to play up the "feel" for being somewhere else other than their home plane. You start it with the solar phenomenon. Maybe certain magic works slightly differently (all fire spells come out as ice/cold damage instead, all radiant damage is reduced by 2 while necrotic is increased by 2, all cold has a variable +1d4 bonus damage, etc -- something fairly minor such as changing a damage type and visual effect to some minor adjustment on damage or saves for a certain type -- nothing too major though, or someone may feel gimped if they specialize in the type of magic that you have adjusted), or something.

But it needs to be defining enough that they FEEL like they are somewhere exotic rather than just "the other side of the local country fields"

 

[Kinie]

Don't forget to play up the "feel" for being somewhere else other than their home plane. You start it with the solar phenomenon. Maybe certain magic works slightly differently (all fire spells come out as ice/cold damage instead, all radiant damage is reduced by 2 while necrotic is increased by 2, all cold has a variable +1d4 bonus damage, etc -- something fairly minor such as changing a damage type and visual effect to some minor adjustment on damage or saves for a certain type -- nothing too major though, or someone may feel gimped if they specialize in the type of magic that you have adjusted), or something.

But it needs to be defining enough that they FEEL like they are somewhere exotic rather than just "the other side of the local country fields"

Not a bad idea. I like the idea of spells coming out as different damage types. As it stands now, the plane they live on is kinda dirty, rundown, filthy and have muted tones. In the new plane its livelier, brighter and more vibrant colors, looks fairly clean. Like when they arrive here, I want them to think that this place looks very upbeat and secluded from the current issues in their realm, to give it the feel of it being a secluded isle or something like that. It's only when they see an actual map of the area (and of the world) that they realize that, "we're not in Kansas anymore, Toto."

And the whole switching around of magic powers is easily dealt with (which I like) once they practice a bit with their skills and realize what has changed and in what way, so it makes for a bit of an amusing scene when someone uses a firebolt spell, only to have a ball of frost come out instead.

 

[Kinie]

One final bump. After that I'll only bump it with after-thoughts after the first session.

Again, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Shayuri]

Ah doon't think ah get it.

If the Thing is good now, why do monsters attack when it wakes up? And wouldn't a good creature try to redeem it's past badness?

 

[Kinie]

Ah doon't think ah get it.

If the Thing is good now, why do monsters attack when it wakes up? And wouldn't a good creature try to redeem it's past badness?

Because the thing may consciously be the equivalent of Lawful Good, its subconscious is still Chaotic Evil. Consider it to be a sort of split personality. I mean, its meant to be an Elder Evil, these things are called 'Elder Evils' for a reason.

And this thing has been doing unspeakable evil for eons, you can't expect it to try and make up for all of those evils within a few millenia.

As for the monsters going psycho when it wakes up, its an area affect that he generates that basically causes them all to go raging and bloodthirsty, even if they aren't naturally able to rage or be bloodthirsty. It also grants the monsters Damage Resistance, which is why they seem so hard to kill. The thing itself has natural Damage Resistance - much higher than what the monsters get - because he has a custom ability: Skin to Adamantium.