Campaign Plot Idea

[Khaalis]

Well, I am getting back into DMing after being out for a few years due to burn out. I at one time ran D&D games once or twice a week every week for a good 3 or 4 years straight. In the years since I have played as a player but only run the sporadic one shot style game. We also do not get to play on a regular basis, maybe once a month sometimes twice, due to everyone's varying work schedules.

However, it has been brought up that it would be nice for me to run a game again - they miss it. But, now when I sit down and try to think of a basic overall plot to base a game on I find that everything seems cliche, overused, or just draw a blank.

The game would be set in the FR, likely in the Silver Marches region of the North due to the "driving force" player's PC choice and starting at roughly 3rd level.

The basics of the game will revolve around 3-4 players (plus an NPC I run if they need a gap filled).
PC 1 (Driving Player & old gamer of mine): Barbarian/Ranger
PC 2 (New to D&D): Druid or [Witch] type class
PC 3 (Old time gamer of mine): Unknown PC
PC 4 (If he plays): Some type of Warrior class

The question is... plot.

- None of them are into the LotR Epic plot style, though they love to become a force of power or importance in a campaign.
- One player severely dislikes dungeon crawling.
- I dont want something cliche.

The only thing I have come up with so far is to make them something similar to Outriders, wandering "lawmen" or sheriffs, eventually bringing the Zhents, the Orcs, and maybe even some Thayan influence into the region and seeing where it goes. Beyond that I am lost for ideas right now.

Does anyone have any ideas?? Please??

-The Burned out DM

 

[Grishnak]

Well if you like the idea of wandering lawmen how about a slight alteration in that pc's are with a witch hunter npc and are the hunters body guards. It might produce a hard time for the pc witch but good roleplay and the possibility that he/she will be leading the pc's to the area to find a sect of witches (Nice hags will do) who have been causing merry trouble in and around the marches, now these might be controlled by some bigger meany further up the levels. Also the witch hunter might turn upon the pc causing a moral dilema

Good luck for the ideas

 

[Derulbaskul]

I'm about to do the same and here are my general ideas:

1. Start in Deadsnows with a "Keep on the Borderlands"-style mini-campaign and use this to introduce the important factions:
- orcs;
- Red Wizards (they have an enclave, IMC, just outside of Deadsnows);
- Church of Cyric; and
- a resurgent Zhentarim.

2. The orcs are being manipulated by the Church of Shar. More specifically, Black Lorog is actually an annis hag cleric of Shar. Shar is seeking to destroy hope in the Silver Marches so that bitterness and disappointment can dominate providing fertile ground for her faith.

3. The Red Wizards are divided into factions. There is the LN faction there only to trade; there is the Cyricist faction, loyal to the high priest of Cyric in Bezantur; and there is the Sharran/Shadow Weave faction searching for ancient relics of Netherese and pre-Netherese times (conveniently located in the "Keep on the Borderlands" adventure) which is another explanation for siting the enclave near Deadsnows in the Nether Mountains.

4. The Church of Cyric is seeking to foment strife for the sake of it, but are actually being manipulated by the Church of Shar.

Actually, the overall plot is more complicated than this but this gives you an idea of some of the factions at work IMC. Success for the party will be more or less measured by their ability to discover that it is Shar's dark hand behind all of the sundry plots and plans and then of course taking action.

My vision for the campaign sees it beginning in the Silver Marches and then ending in the Unapproachable East. It seems that Black Lorog is one of a handful of rather nasty hags doing Shar's dark work on Faerun....

Cheers
D