Lusksinger
Villager
I'm coming up on being a DM for the first time. Thankfully it's a small group - three people, one of which will be my current DM (and my significant other). However, I'm painfully shy and hope I can live up to the standards he has already set in place. I'm great for written word, but not so much the spoken variety.
I've written out an outline for my first section of the campaign, which is loosely based on Disney's animated Beauty & the Beast setting. I've left out other things that I already have in my head, such as Gaston still being alive rather than having tumbled to his death off the side of the castle during his fight with the Beast. Instead he suffered brain damage from the fall and wanders the streets of the village clutching the broken magical hand mirror and begging people to look within and see the Beast.
I was hoping someone could look over it and see if the information I have is enough to get started or if I need to add in more things? Is there enough wiggle room in order to allow my players to have freedom without total derailment? Thank you in advance! <3
NOTE: Pretty much all of my monsters stats come from Kobold Press. I do have that information all plotted out, but it is in my binder written by hand.
---- Cogsworth Campaign Overview:
Adam and Belle have lived together happily as king and queen for twelve years. Five years into their rule, Cogsworth dies due to heart problems (overweight, unhealthy diet). During their seventh year, Belle and Maurice (her father) discover a way to create clockwork beings that can follow simple commands. They craft three clockwork servants to help around the castle and Belle is pleased to see that it brings a smile to Adam's face after the loss of his friend Cogsworth.
The servants lack faces, instead looking up at masters with the hands of a clock to indicate their joy to please, their sorrow at their limitations and, at worst, the clock hands spinning wildly in confusion at misunderstood requests. They are affectionately called Hour, Minute, and Second by Belle, yet Adam seems to distance himself from becoming too personal with inanimate objects that were not ever human to begin with. With her father's help, they begin the process of creating a larger clockwork being. Using Belle's own body as a reference, they gather measurements to make him human-sized and dubb him Cogsworth upon his completion in year ten. Maurice accompanies Belle to Adam's Meeting Hall within the castle to introduce Cogsworth to the king. While impressed at the craftsmanship, Adam seems less than enthused with their choice of name. He visibly grimaces at their references to Cogsworth the clockwork creature, but engages them with conversation about creating something greater than a mere human-sized servant. Though watching and listening, Cogsworth stands silently by and takes menial orders as given. They begin developing the idea of these same tools to craft something for transport (an airship).
They agree travel by roads would be unwise in the case of bandits who might wish to steal something so impressively crafted and opt for the skies instead, hoping that those blessed with the skill of archery won't care enough to bother with shooting it down. Maurice begins at once on a prototype with limited help from Belle. She stays often at the castle instead, helping Adam plan the building of a new inn within the village for future visitors from far and wide. If things go well, they expect the kingdom to grow exponentially and wish to plan ahead of time. Aside from the construction of the inn, Belle is tasked with planning a grand party with ocassional input from Mrs. Potts on catering and decoration.
Two years later, the blueprints for the prototype are complete and the airship construction begins. Belle starts off helping her father the first year, but by the the time another six months pass, she takes her position back within the castle walls as the builders for the inn arrive and she must begin planning the party to invite others to see their new creations.
During the busy time, maintence on the clockwork beings falls to the wayside. Somewhat in disrepair, but still functioing, Belle shrugs it off as something she can get to when things become less hectic before the party is actually underway. Adam summons for four engineers in various parts of the world who have dabbled in clockwork to join them at the castle to construct the eventual full-sized airship with a handsome payment to be given upon completion. All materials will be provided for them.
As time winds down, Cogsworth begins malfunctioing. In time he gains sentience and begins harboring a seething rage towards these humans using him and his lessers for profit. While he can understand Common, he cannot speak it and instead listens intently and gathers information from Belle having visits with her father, from Adam talking in private with guards, and all manner of guests within the castle as they come and go. He learns of secret passages, every nook and cranny of the castle, and at the end of the six months finally has the setup he needs.
When the four engineers arrive, it is to meet with Belle and Adam in the Meeting Hall where Cogsworth stands idly by. They chat jovially at the long table as the clockwork soldiers Cogsworth has crafted in secret slip into the room. Adam and Belle both exclaim in surprise, but assume that Maurice must have crafted them within his free time and join the engineers in marveling at them moments before the attack begins. in the struggle, one engineer falls injured but manages to run to hide for a time. Belle and Adam are slain and the remaining three engineers are captured and tossed into the dungeon for later.
The remaining engineer has stowed away within a tower, writing out a warning to whoever may find his corpse, that the clockwork creatures have gone rogue. He tries to explain ways to ascertain weakness in their natural armor, assuming that anyone who may stumble in after him will not know how such machinery works, before getting gutted in the back by Cogsworth's rapier.
Cogsworth spends the next few weeks assissted by servants Hour, Minute, and Second building up multiple soldiers, guards, dancers, and more to protect his castle. As time progresses and the strain of repetative motion unbecoming of small clockwork beings gets to them, the tiny servants develop a sentience of their own. They come to fear Cogsworth and, while they don't wish to work for him, are too afraid to stand against him. Cogsworth leaves them to continue creating guards for his new kingdom and works alone in the dungeons. Without the need for food, drink, or rest they make great progress in amassing an army of grinding gears and steam-powered artillery. Cogsworth designs three circlets to bind to the engineers allowing them to control a massive Clockwork Dragon within the bowels of the castle. The circlets cannot be removed while the dragon is in operation or the wearer will perish and, while inactive, the circlets dig into the skull of the captor with tiny jagged bits of metal similar to barbed wire.
Cogsworth's overarching goal is to have his army overtake the village and surrounding areas by force. Wipe out the flesh creatures and begin a life of their own in the place of their decaying corpses.
----
Timeline:
I've written out an outline for my first section of the campaign, which is loosely based on Disney's animated Beauty & the Beast setting. I've left out other things that I already have in my head, such as Gaston still being alive rather than having tumbled to his death off the side of the castle during his fight with the Beast. Instead he suffered brain damage from the fall and wanders the streets of the village clutching the broken magical hand mirror and begging people to look within and see the Beast.
I was hoping someone could look over it and see if the information I have is enough to get started or if I need to add in more things? Is there enough wiggle room in order to allow my players to have freedom without total derailment? Thank you in advance! <3
NOTE: Pretty much all of my monsters stats come from Kobold Press. I do have that information all plotted out, but it is in my binder written by hand.
---- Cogsworth Campaign Overview:
Adam and Belle have lived together happily as king and queen for twelve years. Five years into their rule, Cogsworth dies due to heart problems (overweight, unhealthy diet). During their seventh year, Belle and Maurice (her father) discover a way to create clockwork beings that can follow simple commands. They craft three clockwork servants to help around the castle and Belle is pleased to see that it brings a smile to Adam's face after the loss of his friend Cogsworth.
The servants lack faces, instead looking up at masters with the hands of a clock to indicate their joy to please, their sorrow at their limitations and, at worst, the clock hands spinning wildly in confusion at misunderstood requests. They are affectionately called Hour, Minute, and Second by Belle, yet Adam seems to distance himself from becoming too personal with inanimate objects that were not ever human to begin with. With her father's help, they begin the process of creating a larger clockwork being. Using Belle's own body as a reference, they gather measurements to make him human-sized and dubb him Cogsworth upon his completion in year ten. Maurice accompanies Belle to Adam's Meeting Hall within the castle to introduce Cogsworth to the king. While impressed at the craftsmanship, Adam seems less than enthused with their choice of name. He visibly grimaces at their references to Cogsworth the clockwork creature, but engages them with conversation about creating something greater than a mere human-sized servant. Though watching and listening, Cogsworth stands silently by and takes menial orders as given. They begin developing the idea of these same tools to craft something for transport (an airship).
They agree travel by roads would be unwise in the case of bandits who might wish to steal something so impressively crafted and opt for the skies instead, hoping that those blessed with the skill of archery won't care enough to bother with shooting it down. Maurice begins at once on a prototype with limited help from Belle. She stays often at the castle instead, helping Adam plan the building of a new inn within the village for future visitors from far and wide. If things go well, they expect the kingdom to grow exponentially and wish to plan ahead of time. Aside from the construction of the inn, Belle is tasked with planning a grand party with ocassional input from Mrs. Potts on catering and decoration.
Two years later, the blueprints for the prototype are complete and the airship construction begins. Belle starts off helping her father the first year, but by the the time another six months pass, she takes her position back within the castle walls as the builders for the inn arrive and she must begin planning the party to invite others to see their new creations.
During the busy time, maintence on the clockwork beings falls to the wayside. Somewhat in disrepair, but still functioing, Belle shrugs it off as something she can get to when things become less hectic before the party is actually underway. Adam summons for four engineers in various parts of the world who have dabbled in clockwork to join them at the castle to construct the eventual full-sized airship with a handsome payment to be given upon completion. All materials will be provided for them.
As time winds down, Cogsworth begins malfunctioing. In time he gains sentience and begins harboring a seething rage towards these humans using him and his lessers for profit. While he can understand Common, he cannot speak it and instead listens intently and gathers information from Belle having visits with her father, from Adam talking in private with guards, and all manner of guests within the castle as they come and go. He learns of secret passages, every nook and cranny of the castle, and at the end of the six months finally has the setup he needs.
When the four engineers arrive, it is to meet with Belle and Adam in the Meeting Hall where Cogsworth stands idly by. They chat jovially at the long table as the clockwork soldiers Cogsworth has crafted in secret slip into the room. Adam and Belle both exclaim in surprise, but assume that Maurice must have crafted them within his free time and join the engineers in marveling at them moments before the attack begins. in the struggle, one engineer falls injured but manages to run to hide for a time. Belle and Adam are slain and the remaining three engineers are captured and tossed into the dungeon for later.
The remaining engineer has stowed away within a tower, writing out a warning to whoever may find his corpse, that the clockwork creatures have gone rogue. He tries to explain ways to ascertain weakness in their natural armor, assuming that anyone who may stumble in after him will not know how such machinery works, before getting gutted in the back by Cogsworth's rapier.
Cogsworth spends the next few weeks assissted by servants Hour, Minute, and Second building up multiple soldiers, guards, dancers, and more to protect his castle. As time progresses and the strain of repetative motion unbecoming of small clockwork beings gets to them, the tiny servants develop a sentience of their own. They come to fear Cogsworth and, while they don't wish to work for him, are too afraid to stand against him. Cogsworth leaves them to continue creating guards for his new kingdom and works alone in the dungeons. Without the need for food, drink, or rest they make great progress in amassing an army of grinding gears and steam-powered artillery. Cogsworth designs three circlets to bind to the engineers allowing them to control a massive Clockwork Dragon within the bowels of the castle. The circlets cannot be removed while the dragon is in operation or the wearer will perish and, while inactive, the circlets dig into the skull of the captor with tiny jagged bits of metal similar to barbed wire.
Cogsworth's overarching goal is to have his army overtake the village and surrounding areas by force. Wipe out the flesh creatures and begin a life of their own in the place of their decaying corpses.
----
Timeline:
- Belle & Adam wed
- 5 years later, Cogsworth dies
- 2 years later, Belle & Maurice craft the 3 servants
- 3 years later, Belle & Maurice create clockwork Cogsworth
- 2 years later, airship blueprints complete & building of the prototype begins
* 1 1/2 years into process, the inn construction begins - The 13th year begins with Cogsworth enslaving the engineers and rapid-building an army to fight off defenseless villagers with
