Campaign Ideas (My Thursday Night Crowd, stay out!)

[Archade]

So I have a great idea for my campaign sequel, once my current COTSQ campaign wraps up.

I want to throw the party against Graz'zt.

However, I'm having writers block about some of the details that will be the glue for this campaign, and I'm looking for input.

I know that Graz'zt (from BVD) is a fairly powerful demon prince, and he can't just pop out of the Abyss. He deals with cults who worship him, such as Lamias and select groups. He's also mentioned to be a dark figure who trades sorcerer spells for information and favors to be named.

I want to have an urban campaign, centred around Escalant. I know that I want to have two leads into dealing with Graz'zt - the first is a powerful half-fiend sorcerer that got resurrected (a mission the current PCs failed that will come back to haunt their successors), and the second is a courtesan's house that has taken up residence in an abandoned temple to Myrkul - little does the city of Escalant know that the Red Temple houses a sorcerous cult that worships the Dark Man with tantric magic and dark rites.

So, how can I make this an epic, sweeping adventure in the spirit of Dragonlance or Lord of the Rings? What could Graz'zt want, and how could he be the hub of activity for a 1st level party and affect them and their city?

Looking for ideas,
Blair / Archade

 

[NewJeffCT]

well, for Grazzt's long term goal, how about that he wants to open up a permanent portal into the Abyss and use the city as his throne from which to rule the world. For the reason it is <b>this</b> city is maybe using someting unique to the city - maybe the structure of the aforementioned Red Temple contains some sort of rare mystical stone that will allow this? - or maybe a specific courtesan is distantly related to some divine being (maybe her grandmother or great grandmother was impregnated by a solar that had fallen under the spell of a powerful evil) and if Grazzt impregnates her on a certain night at a certain time, she will give birth (in 9 months) to a dark child that will bring about the end of the world

 

[Archade]

Ooh! I like that!

I was planning (in the back of my head) to have the Red Temple, as it was formerly Myrkul's, have catacombs and passages beneath it, with all sorts of things that shouldn't be disturbed. Perhaps there's a portal below to Myrkul's realm that can be 're-tuned' to the Abyss with the right ceremonies and invocations.

Graz'zt is a pretty slick character - maybe he wants to set up a pawn to rule Escalant in his stead.

But, while it's easy to say that at 20th level, the valiant PCs are going toe-to-toe with Graz'zt in his Argent Palace in the Abyss, what's a good way to hook them into this spiralling plot now?

Blair / Archade

 

[NewJeffCT]

Hmm, not sure what is the good idea... but, maybe said courtesan is a runaway and the PCs encounter a brother or sister that is searching for their long lost wayward sister. If it is a big city, it could be a lot of work searching for her.. and, I'm sure the male PCs in your group will shudder at the thought of searching brothels.

But, for the portal to the Abyss... you can intro it to them slowly. Maybe a local sage or scholarly mage is concerned about some signs he or she has seen and hires the PCs to look in to something - he/she has heard about a few mysterious murder victims that have some sort of ritual scarring or symbols on them,[The markings are very ancient and nothing the local clerics have seen and are not too concerned about, as they do not conform to the writings of normal ritual cult killing.] but the sage has not been able to get close enough to see the bodies, as they are quickly cremated and spread with holy water according to the last rites of a local good temple.

The sage/scholar is looking for a pattern to the killings (a center number or certain type of victim) If the PCs suceed in their initial mission, the sage will be able to confirm his or her worst fears and will tell the PCs about Grazzt.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Or, better still... the aforementioned courtesan has something about her that (blood / ancestry / a special magical device that is otherwise harmless) means she will be the last sacrifice in Grazzt's rituals to open the portal to the Abyss.