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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Slapzilla" data-source="post: 3942656" data-attributes="member: 52781">Lots to respond to here....What exactly do you think your PCs will hope to accomplish?  Meaning, what is the big Problem for the PCs to overcome?  The Goblinoid Horde?  You've got them one step ahead of it, and its more of a Threat than a Problem.  Warning the South?  Not very involving.  Travel adventure, sure but not related to the horde.  It seems you've got every plot point laid out for them in a large scale, far reaching campaign and bravo! to any DM willing to put in the energy, but what can the PCs do to unite the South in the face of the horde despite the criminal accusations?Finding a motivation beyond PC survival from one hardship to another is the first concern of the DM.  It isn't just a 'Why do the PCs care?' thing, or a 'What's in it for me?' thing either.  What get the juices flowing?  Running chases?  Goblinoid scouts in the wild that they harass, harangue and hinder.  Diplomacy?  Goblinoid Illusionists disguised as Military Advisors setting up towns and militias for a big fall.  Espionage?  The poisoned well idea is a classic, but what about stealing cattle and crops?  The local morale will drop and the occupiers will still be fed.  Once you know what the PC motivator is, the 'adventure' will follow naturally.My big question is this... what can the PCs do to unite the South and avoid the criminal branding?  If during 'Arrival' and 'On The Run', you railroad them into a situation they have no control to avoid, this can build resentment and dis-interest.  Handled well the shadowy stranger won't be a cliche either, but consider this, in a time of preparatory invasion the advance guard can take the place of the shadowy stranger, avoiding cliche and setting mood at the same time.  You can also have an adventure or two preventing (or recovering) some of the cattle from being stolen.I will always suggest that a DM increases player involvement in the plot, up to and including taking a joint storytelling approach.  You come up with the story in secret but you let the players act the scenes out and if they come up with something that you didn't think of, go with it anyway.  Its one thing to write up a long story and force the PCs along it, but if that is what you want, you don't need players, just a word processor to write your book.Check out <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=192201" target="_blank">this</a> for a more inclusive storytelling approach and see if it is a workable idea.  If it is, see how it changes your story into a dynamic, living, flexible entity.</blockquote>

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