Any pointers on this plot line?

[Amazing Triangle]

Alright this is what I am thinking of.

Big Event: Ogre army led by "new threat" is marching towards major town and PC's town is in the way.

Small Events:
1) Goblins and Kobolds are leaving the surrounding areas and trying to find a new home and new food supplies.
2) In the Sewers of the City experiments and drug manufacturing to weaken city.
3) Gangs are being manipulated to fight each other and battle for control of the city.
4) Bandits on the road ways breaking shipments up and stealing cargo

Details:
1) Sorcerers and Clerics of Evil deity always summon demons and demonic variant.
2) Thugs are blood thirsty killing constantly

I really just need ideas on how you would do any of these things. I would love any feedback on this. Thank you in advance.

 

[mfrench]

Here's how I would combine these elements.

First, I'd play up the demonic background for sorcerers that you mentioned, and actually make that the focus of the campaign.

The 'main plot': A demon-summoning sorcerer is gathering an army to himself in the wilderness. He has had a deal with a small clan of ogres, who serve as his muscle. Using their might, he has cowed barbaric human tribes into submission. Making their way to pillage the main city, they have displaced goblin and kobold tribes; some have joined the army, but most have fled.

Closer to civilization, bandits are disrupting travel on the roads. One way to take this is that there is no central authority; the campaign area is a series of city-states. The various merchant houses see it as a matter of smart business to hire people to attack their rivals' shipments. None of them admit to it, of course, but all of them do it. The merchant houses don't fall strictly city lines, so there is a secondary political system built in involving their intrigues.

For the city gangs, I would use a gang leader trying to get the upperhand in the underworld. If you want to keep the standard D&D distinction between demons and devils, I would have him supported by a devil, but a demon or whatever is fine. He is manipulating things behind the scenes to bring the gangs to war, and is taking out their leaders. He is hoping to fill the vacuum once they're gone. Once the demon-sorcerer comes to the city, there will certainly be conflict here between two sets of bad guys.

I would envision the campaign unfolding something like this: at low levels, they fight bandits or prevent the collateral damage from gang wars. Once in the wilds, they encounter roaming goblins and kobolds. If they manage to stop and interrogate any of them, they'd get a valuable indication of what was headed for the towns. If they just slaughter them, the reasons for their flight will be a mystery.

In the sewers, I'd use clerics of a demonic destruction cult, trying to unmake the city entirely. They would probably not be willing to side with anybody.

I hope that helps.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

Here's how I would combine these elements.

First, I'd play up the demonic background for sorcerers that you mentioned, and actually make that the focus of the campaign.

The 'main plot': A demon-summoning sorcerer is gathering an army to himself in the wilderness. He has had a deal with a small clan of ogres, who serve as his muscle. Using their might, he has cowed barbaric human tribes into submission. Making their way to pillage the main city, they have displaced goblin and kobold tribes; some have joined the army, but most have fled.

I actually planned this part of the adventure. I could make a Sorcerer the leader he would have offered power to the "lead" ogre. I set up random encounters with Gnolls and Kobolds and Goblins.

Closer to civilization, bandits are disrupting travel on the roads. One way to take this is that there is no central authority; the campaign area is a series of city-states. The various merchant houses see it as a matter of smart business to hire people to attack their rivals' shipments. None of them admit to it, of course, but all of them do it. The merchant houses don't fall strictly city lines, so there is a secondary political system built in involving their intrigues.

This fits in perfectly to the plot line I will have to flesh out the Merchant Guilds a little more than I had hoped.

For the city gangs, I would use a gang leader trying to get the upper hand in the underworld. If you want to keep the standard D&D distinction between demons and devils, I would have him supported by a devil, but a demon or whatever is fine. He is manipulating things behind the scenes to bring the gangs to war, and is taking out their leaders. He is hoping to fill the vacuum once they're gone. Once the demon-sorcerer comes to the city, there will certainly be conflict here between two sets of bad guys.

Those two (demon and devil) are very fluid in this campaign. So who ever the demon is backing in the city does this affect the sorcerer? Is the gang leader kind of like the gang leader in Batman Begins where he wants in on the deal but doesn't know what he is dealing with when he deals with the sorcerer?

I would envision the campaign unfolding something like this: at low levels, they fight bandits or prevent the collateral damage from gang wars. Once in the wilds, they encounter roaming goblins and kobolds. If they manage to stop and interrogate any of them, they'd get a valuable indication of what was headed for the towns. If they just slaughter them, the reasons for their flight will be a mystery.

In the sewers, I'd use clerics of a demonic destruction cult, trying to unmake the city entirely. They would probably not be willing to side with anybody.

So low is cleaning up the bandits forking to:
1) Merchant Gangs
2) Kobolds and Goblins
3) Finding cause of Bandits
4) Finding the drugs the bandits are hopped up

All of those forks can lead to the others and also to:
1) Demon leadings
2) Ogre Army

This seems to be a real general idea of the way the story could go.

Thank you! I love the input, it is nice to have someone to bounce ideas around with. This is really one of my first experiences thinking up a big campaign which is why I asked for help.

If anyone has any other ideas please post them.

 

[mfrench]

Those two (demon and devil) are very fluid in this campaign. So who ever the demon is backing in the city does this affect the sorcerer? Is the gang leader kind of like the gang leader in Batman Begins where he wants in on the deal but doesn't know what he is dealing with when he deals with the sorcerer?

I would include three major fiendish elements in the campaign:
1) The sorcerer building an army. I would give him a brutish, powerful demon that craves wanton destruction. The sorcerer summoned him to make a deal with him, and has some motive for laying waste to one of the cities.
2) The sewer/drug demon. This would be a cult based on Chaos, destrabilizing the city and affecting the gang wars. I would be tempted to make the cultists clerics, as it gives a different flavor to them.
3) The Underworld gang demon. I would use a succubus, or something like that; someone charming and calculating, at any rate. She is helping a sorcerer turn the gangs against each other so that he can move in a pick up the pieces.

This gives the three very distinct kinds of powers and feel, but they are all demon-based. There are interesting possibilities for their interaction, depending on the PCs' actions. If the players start trying to foil them all, the first and third groups might cut a deal to work together to take the city for themselves. The PCs ought to get a chance to work them against each other.

Thank you! I love the input, it is nice to have someone to bounce ideas around with. This is really one of my first experiences thinking up a big campaign which is why I asked for help.

Sure thing, I've stolen more interesting ideas from these boards than I know what to do with. It sounds like you've got a great start, I hope it all goes well. Let us know how it continues to develop.