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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sigurd13" data-source="post: 4795747" data-attributes="member: 82662">First of all, I think your idea for epic conflict (turning the world cold) is a great idea. Nothing spells 'epic campaign' like total annihilation... and it's refreshing to see some villains who are NOT necromancers trying to raise the dead or summon demons or destroy the soul of the world, etc. So kudos to your initial creativity!  That said, from the limited information I am getting from your posts it seems you may be having a problem with story details- specifically the motives of each faction. It seems you have an idea of how you'd like to have the campaign play out... but you don't have a concrete story to give your players to inspire them to advance the story the way you want them to.  Here are some questions I have that might lead you to some interesting conclusions and mental avenues if you answer them in story terms: ELVES AND DWARVES-Why did the Elves and Dwarves just leave the humans to war? Aren't they invested in the world? Do they have access to other lands/planes/dimensions that make it easier for them to just abandon this world rather than take a stand in it? Are the elves/dwarves affected by the cold?  Considering the above questions, why would they help the humans now, when before they were so quick to isolate themselves? VILLIANS-Why are the Frost Giants making the world cold? What is their overall aim?  How did they get the knowledge/power/skill to develop such a device? Why are the orcs helping them? What is their relation to the Frost Giants? Are they willing allies or were they coerced? SOUTHERN KINGDOM-What has the 'kingdom to the south' been doing the entire time during the Generations war, the inevitable orc invasion, and during the increasingly harsh winters?  How are they involved politically, socially, metaphysically with the other factions of the world?  BAERD-How does baerd fit into this scheme? Is his disappearance just a dingus (plot device to further the story) or is he secretly working with the Orcs and Giants? If so, why?--------------------------------- Additionally, it may be helpful to consider what resources the player characters (and the kingdom of Nessra in general) possess. If you have a better idea of what alternatives the characters can pursue, then it will be easier for you to give them choices (and eventually compartmentalized adventure paths). After exhausting these resources, the characters will have to begrudgingly ask for outside assistance.  Does Nessra have powerful wizards? Does it have an extensive arcane library or "laboratories" ? Anything that might indicate the nature of the harsh cold as magical? Anything that might indicate an ancient relic (or perhaps a foreign culture in a distant land) that may possess the means to end this cold?  Does Nessra have the ability to open portals to other realms that may provide the players with distant locales, cultures and magic relics that might help stave off this artifical cold?  How technologically advanced is Nessra?  Once it is discovered that Frost Giants are behind this... what can the players do to better prepare themsevles to battle them?--------------------------------------  Also, keep in mind it is not very heroic or adventurous to task your players with going to the next kingdom over to request that their better, more powerful heroes go on a quest to save the world. You always want to be enabling the player characters to finish the quest themselves- not making them errand boys for the REAL heroes. To this end, decide why you want the players to request the aid of the elves and dwarves- and what aid they will provide, if any.  Remember, you dont' have to have this all sorted out now. These are just questions to get the gears rolling again. Additionally, here is a great website that may give you ideas for actual adventure paths. Every DM should have this page book marked: <a href="http://www.io.com/~sjohn/plots.htm" target="_blank">THE BIG LIST OF RPG PLOTS</a> Hope this helps.</blockquote>

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