I've begun working on a campaign idea and would like some input on it. Thanks, in advance, for whatever input you can give.
The basic idea: (FR setting)
The characters live in a small, backwater area that is pretty far from the known trade routes of the country. This area involves a small grouping of 4 or 5 villages, from which the PC's come from. The area has had a relatively peaceful existance, except for a time 500 years ago, when there was a large battle here involving a lot of undead (mostly wights and wraiths).
The enemy was crushed by a group of paladins, clerics and druids who banned together to destroy this affront to goodness and nature. (The enemy was destroying natural resources in a manner similar, but not exactly like Saruman in LOTR.) However, the enemy escaped, never to be seen again....
Until....
Recently, rumors of undead attacking people have been popping up. So far it has been merely all conjecture, but a couple of people have turned up missing and others narrowly escaped from a group of zombies led by a wight.
The PC's are friends who grew up in the area. They, like most of the people from the area haven't really even heard rumors of the war from 500 years in the past. At the beginning, there is nothing that links this even with that. However, as the game progresses, more and more clues will lead to the ancient enemies return.
The scope of the campaign will remain mostly in this area, and will span through several levels. As things go on, the characters will realize that they have been chosen (supernaturally speaking) to discover and stop this evil that is spreading through the area.
Also, as things progess, the ruler of the country will become involved and eventually the area will be a massive war-zone. The PC's won't be involved in the war itself, but will be affected by it. By the end of the war, the army of good and the army of evil will clash in a huge battle that will sunder both sides, ending with no clear winner. From then on, the wilderness will be like hell on earth, with undead, demons and evil humanoids wandering around chaotically. The former "army of good" will be sheltered in the villages and in encampments trying to find a way to pull together.
Meanwhile, the pc's will find out more and more, and will try to present this information to the leaders, but it'll be a hard sell. Eventually, it will be up to the PC's to stop the ancient evil, and bring order back to their formerly peacful little pocket of the world.
So, I would like anyones opinion on this. I'm a moderately experienced DM, but have spent more time playing. Any suggestions on what/who the ancient evil is? How to stop it? Why the PC's are chosen? etc.
I also have this neat idea about the PC's being heavilly outnumbered in one or two battles, but mysteriously recieve help in the way of healing, and bonuses that they can't explain. (The paladins, clerics and druids from the previous war help them. The idea is to make the situation look hopless, and then when things are at their worst, the pc's get a little deus ex machina. Of course, I wouldn't use this to great length, but it will lead them to wonder why they were helped and who was doing it. Perhaps they could find a group of oddly preserved bones, and use it to find out information magically.)
That's all I have at this point...thanks again for any responses.
Jeremy
The basic idea: (FR setting)
The characters live in a small, backwater area that is pretty far from the known trade routes of the country. This area involves a small grouping of 4 or 5 villages, from which the PC's come from. The area has had a relatively peaceful existance, except for a time 500 years ago, when there was a large battle here involving a lot of undead (mostly wights and wraiths).
The enemy was crushed by a group of paladins, clerics and druids who banned together to destroy this affront to goodness and nature. (The enemy was destroying natural resources in a manner similar, but not exactly like Saruman in LOTR.) However, the enemy escaped, never to be seen again....
Until....
Recently, rumors of undead attacking people have been popping up. So far it has been merely all conjecture, but a couple of people have turned up missing and others narrowly escaped from a group of zombies led by a wight.
The PC's are friends who grew up in the area. They, like most of the people from the area haven't really even heard rumors of the war from 500 years in the past. At the beginning, there is nothing that links this even with that. However, as the game progresses, more and more clues will lead to the ancient enemies return.
The scope of the campaign will remain mostly in this area, and will span through several levels. As things go on, the characters will realize that they have been chosen (supernaturally speaking) to discover and stop this evil that is spreading through the area.
Also, as things progess, the ruler of the country will become involved and eventually the area will be a massive war-zone. The PC's won't be involved in the war itself, but will be affected by it. By the end of the war, the army of good and the army of evil will clash in a huge battle that will sunder both sides, ending with no clear winner. From then on, the wilderness will be like hell on earth, with undead, demons and evil humanoids wandering around chaotically. The former "army of good" will be sheltered in the villages and in encampments trying to find a way to pull together.
Meanwhile, the pc's will find out more and more, and will try to present this information to the leaders, but it'll be a hard sell. Eventually, it will be up to the PC's to stop the ancient evil, and bring order back to their formerly peacful little pocket of the world.
So, I would like anyones opinion on this. I'm a moderately experienced DM, but have spent more time playing. Any suggestions on what/who the ancient evil is? How to stop it? Why the PC's are chosen? etc.
I also have this neat idea about the PC's being heavilly outnumbered in one or two battles, but mysteriously recieve help in the way of healing, and bonuses that they can't explain. (The paladins, clerics and druids from the previous war help them. The idea is to make the situation look hopless, and then when things are at their worst, the pc's get a little deus ex machina. Of course, I wouldn't use this to great length, but it will lead them to wonder why they were helped and who was doing it. Perhaps they could find a group of oddly preserved bones, and use it to find out information magically.)
That's all I have at this point...thanks again for any responses.
Jeremy