Campaign Ending Ideas wanted

[DariusOfCT]

I'm drawing a blank here.

I am running a campaign where the minions of the evil Goddess of Tyranny and Slavery have discovered an artifact that will allow the bad guys to control the world for a thousand years once activated, and everybody would live in slavery except for the clerics of this evil Goddess.

Fortunately, to activate it, they need the blood of a newborn child that was produced by the unholy and unlikely union of a Priestess of the good God of Freedom and the High Priest of this evil Goddess. Unfortunately, this Priestess has already been captured by the followers of said evil Goddess and impregnated by the High Priest.

The players basically have nine months now until the child is born and the dark times are upon the world.

My thought was to have the players try to find an item - or pieces of one item (Rod of Seven Parts sort of deal, only maybe 3 or 4 parts?) - in order to counteract the effect of this evil artifact, either by suppressing its power, destroying it, or something else? Possibly several items (one for each PC?) What sort of item(s) is/are a decent idea? Is this a decent idea even? Possibly having the players have a mini-adventure/mini quest to obtain each item? Trekking to remote areas of the world to get the Three Seals of Freedom (in honor of the god of freedom?)

I would rather the players NOT try to invade the nigh impregnable fortress of the evil High Priest because that is suicide at all but epic levels, and I would need a way to get them up to that level – I have already described to them fortress and its massive walls guarded by hundreds of fanatics and thousands of foot soldiers, not to mention many ranks of evil clerics of all levels. Basically, like invading Mordor.

Plus, I am not sure I want to chance a showdown with this High Priest where the fate of the world could rest on one or two good rolls of the dice. But, it will eventually come down to dice rolling, as I am sure each piece will require a special quest to obtain and a monster or two to overcome.

Is that an okay idea? Any other ideas?

Constructive Criticism is encouraged.

Thanks!!

 

[Piratecat]

I would rather the players NOT try to invade the nigh impregnable fortress of the evil High Priest because that is suicide at all but epic levels, and I would need a way to get them up to that level – I have already described to them fortress and its massive walls guarded by hundreds of fanatics and thousands of foot soldiers, not to mention many ranks of evil clerics of all levels. Basically, like invading Mordor.

I don't care for the artifact/relic solution; it seems hollow and unrelated to me.

I had an idea, though. You have the opportunity for a freakin' amazing adventure, where the PCs infiltrate the fortress and either kill the high priestess or spirit her away. Fortresses are hard for an army to take, but are really vulnerable to infiltration by a small number of people, especially when they have disguise magic.

And it's easier than it sounds, too. The fortress needs vast quantities of supplies ferried into it daily; it has a vast number of servants, cooks, carpenters, stone masons and maids. The evil clerics are lawful, so there are schedules and protocols. Imagine if the high priestess's temple gave the PCs a bunch of information based on spying and divination, and you run a "secret agent infiltrate the base" adventure. Give the PCs an emergency escape hatch that can teleport them all out, but it takes 10 rounds to work once its activated. Then (using philtres of glibness supplied by the good guys) the PCs BS their way in, and get the priestess out.

Heck, the PCs could all get a minor magic item granting 10 ranks in knowledge: local for the evil fortress... enough to carry them over some rough spots.

It might make a fun way to end the game!

 

[DariusOfCT]

I don't care for the artifact/relic solution; it seems hollow and unrelated to me.

I had an idea, though. You have the opportunity for a freakin' amazing adventure, where the PCs infiltrate the fortress and either kill the high priestess or spirit her away.

And it's easier than it sounds, too. The fortress needs vast quantities of supplies ferried into it daily. The evil clerics are lawful, so there are schedules and protocols. Imagine if the high priestess's temple gave the PCs a bunch of information based on spying and divination, and you run a "secret agent infiltrate the base" adventure. Give the PCs an emergency escape hatch that can teleport them all out, but it takes 10 rounds to work once its activated. Then (using philtres of glibness supplied by the good guys) the PCs BS their way in, and get the priestess out.

Heck, the PCs could all get a minor magic item granting 10 ranks in knowledge: local for the evil fortress... enough to carry them over some rough spots.

It might make a fun way to end the game!

Well, I don't want it to be too easy. And, I'm still in the early stages of the campaign (PCs at 4th/5th level) and the extent of the bad guys' plans has only recently been revealed. I would still hope the campaign goes on until they get at least another 7-10 levels before the climax.

 

[Arkhandus]

......Find the High Priest of the God of Freedom and explain the situation to him, let him cast divinations to discern the truth, then have him cast Miracle to *gasp* free the priestess as should be well within his power since it's his own freakin' divine portfolio.

.....yeah, doesn't sound like a good adventure idea to me, what with the whole absurdity of how this could possibly not be done just by the relevant high priest (or just highest-level priest) of the god of freedom. I mean, it's not like the God of Freedom wants his devoted worshippers to be enslaved just because he decided to be a lazy-arse bum and let his total opposite in the divine pantheon totally ruin everything of his on the mortal plane. :\

 

[Arkhandus]

......That said, it probably won't be appreciated that I'm just criticizing the non sequitur of the adventure seed. So I'll at least offer some small kernel of an idea for why the heck such a thing should work.

The God of Freedom is, inexplicably, trapped. Unknown to the PCs beforehand, the Goddess of Slavery and Tyranny managed to somehow complete a plot to get that rival deity trapped for some time, and though he'll inevitably find a way to escape since Freedom is his whole spiritual essence, she expects the trap will hold him long enough for her mortal followers to finish their own plot to achieve domination for her on the mortal plane.

The PCs need to find out about the divine trap, and seek out the keys (whatever they are) to break the hold on the God of Freedom's prison, so he can escape soon enough to do something about the whole world-conquering plot that involves one of his priestesses being imprisoned. Easy enough for him to solve, once he gets out of the trap that he's stuck in for the moment.

So the PCs probably need to find and destroy some minor evil artifacts or something.

 

[Piratecat]

Well, I don't want it to be too easy. And, I'm still in the early stages of the campaign (PCs at 4th/5th level) and the extent of the bad guys' plans has only recently been revealed. I would still hope the campaign goes on until they get at least another 7-10 levels before the climax.

Oh, I didn't think it would be easy. I'm just suggesting one way for a lower lvl group to survive temporarily around a very high level place.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

... and they all lived happily ever after.

 

[Yalius]

Why not let the plan come to fruition? Let the Goddess of Tyranny win. The PCs can still have a bit of an upbeat ending by, say, gathering a group of refugees together in a ragtag fleet, sailing off into the setting sun as they found a colony, swearing that they will return to liberate their fellows. Gives a great opportunity for those who want a heroic death, or who want to live to fight another day.

 

[Sol.Dragonheart]

I really think you should give the PCs an eventual way to storm the fortress and free the Priestess. The idea of an innocent damsel in distress being held in a fortress and raped by the BBEG is not precisely motivational material for the PCs to attempt the indirect route to victory.

I know that I as a PC would be investing all my resources into discovering how to storm and or infiltrate the fortress, save the girl, and destroy the BBEG with righteous fury on my way out. Perhaps you could set up a story arc that allows the PCs to become the champions of the land and assemblers of a vast armed force of Good, set to eliminate this hideous and heretical religion, and its wicked followers once and for all.

You could have them go on quests for kingdoms or for powerful organizations dedicated to Good, uniting their forces, eliminating the threats they currently contend with, and bringing everyone in line to wipe out the evil fortress. You could culminate the campaign with the armies clashing across the fields and in the fortress, while the PCs covertly and swiftly infiltrate or storm up to the BBEGs tower at the center of the fortress, there to confront him in one final epic battle and save the world from darkness.

 

[DariusOfCT]

I really think you should give the PCs an eventual way to storm the fortress and free the Priestess. The idea of an innocent damsel in distress being held in a fortress and raped by the BBEG is not precisely motivational material for the PCs to attempt the indirect route to victory.

I know that I as a PC would be investing all my resources into discovering how to storm and or infiltrate the fortress, save the girl, and destroy the BBEG with righteous fury on my way out. Perhaps you could set up a story arc that allows the PCs to become the champions of the land and assemblers of a vast armed force of Good, set to eliminate this hideous and heretical religion, and its wicked followers once and for all.

You could have them go on quests for kingdoms or for powerful organizations dedicated to Good, uniting their forces, eliminating the threats they currently contend with, and bringing everyone in line to wipe out the evil fortress. You could culminate the campaign with the armies clashing across the fields and in the fortress, while the PCs covertly and swiftly infiltrate or storm up to the BBEGs tower at the center of the fortress, there to confront him in one final epic battle and save the world from darkness.

That sounds like a good idea. Maybe the quests are to show/prove that they are some sort of fabled heroes & heroines out of prophecy, and it will be the sign for the divided nations of good to unite and invade.