give me your over-arching plots NOW!!! please :)

[GQuail]

I Cut on the off chance those damn fool players wander in...

Spoiler

There is an evil, Chaotic level band of villains who are trying to cause havoc to further their long term goal of removing all gods from the world. The leader of this group was a cleric who lost his powers because his deity considered something he did "stealing" when he felt it wasn't: his bitterness sent him on a quest into the Shadow Plane where he became a practicioner of Shadow Magic and acquired a sentient item, armour made of shadowstuff which has made him even more warped by it's desires. He believes that the bigger a tradgedy he inflicts on the world, the more hope and faith in the Gods he can erode away: and without faith, the gods are nothing.

The players do not know it yet, but several of their long-running problems have been down to this group. An attempt to bring a Demon Princess into the MAterial Plane so that she could be elevated to Godhood was equipped wtih the right knowledge by these guys; and the current war between a Human and Elf empire is being stirred on both sides by Doppleganer spies. They've even steered a dragon cult from idly worshipping dragons to seeking to create Dracoliches.

The players were a constant problem, but they could not kill them as they suspected their allies would try to raise them: instead, they attempted to banish them out of sight using an ancient magical relic which possessed the power to move things forward in time. The players unqittingly activated this with the steering of th aofrementioned Doppleganger and they're no 23 years in the future: and the evil team have "won", their dream anarchy state in full swing. This has included using mighty Noctomancy to blot out the sun with a permenant Shadow Plane portal, drowning the world in night and terror.

This later part of the plot will now involve the PC's hunting for magic that can send them home, and from there trying to prevent the tradgedies they know await them. A big question will be "can we change the future?", a question I fully intend to leave the party in the dark about for as long as possible. They will have to struggle uphill to stop what is destined to happen from coming true, especially as plans will change once they interrupt them by returning.

On top of al this, following a post I read here many moons ago, I have another thing going on in my game world: though I'm wary of how far I can push this idea. Again, spoiler space...

Spoiler

The party fought a wizard with similarity to Venger, the D&D cartoon villain. He was trying to operate a magical portal and was instead banished into it when it malfunctioned.... and ended up leaving the game world for something.... bigger. That is, he ended up outside of the game, and deduced that the world he'd lived in was somehow "less real".

He's called himself The King Outside, and has slowly been messing with the game world. He's made fights force for the PCs by moving monsters to catch them, he's messed with time so foes have had years to grow stronger, and he even made a PC completely vanish from the memories of the whole world. He'staking a while to deduce how far his powers go, but it's getting more powerful each time: and the party havenoticed the undead he summons leave behind "soul papers", sheets with numbers that quantify them, and have made the jump to "character sheets" and worked out this is /big/.

The idea, stolen way back when, is that Venger's biggest asset in the D&D cartoon was tha tonly he knows the kids are, well, kids. So Venger knows the party are not bold heroes but nerdy D&D players, and seeks to undermine them. This also runs parallel to the main plot in that just as the evil villain gang seek to undermine deities for how they treat their creations, Venger is an interfering force beyond the world who they must stop. In effect, they've got to do soemthing akin to the villains to win.

I'm a big comics fan, as are some of my party. So, taking a leaf from Johnny Nexus and his superhero game stuff in Signs And Portents (the Mongoose PDF gaming mag) one of the final steps in this plan is going to be the party's very game world and system being splintered by the monster. They'll come to a session and I'll act confused that they don't realise we're playing a BD&D dungeon crawl, then wonder why they think it's odd we're playign Street Fighter the Storytelling game. The players will see hitns to Venger throughout the other worlds and have to puzzle out a way back to the "right" one.

The big problem with this plan, apart from the fact it might prove a bit distracting from the other one, is how to end it. Taking a cue from the Animal Man comic (which was a big inspiration in this idea), this may well come to an end with the players coming into the "real world" and seeking the creator of their world to assist them with weapons that can cut through the game: that is, they actually meet their DM and he gives them the tools to fight their foe on ane vening footing. This is probably too much Deus Ex Machina and too "out there" to run with, so I'm trying to think of a better way

In my opinion, you should be careful about trying to force an over-arching plot too soon. I designed this campaign in modules: the first four sessions were designed to theoretically end there, then the next eight, then the next four months..... you should leave hints in each block to the next one or two, and there's nothing wrong with having a big plan, but there's no point in planning a 20 level epic if you're going to stop at level 3 to play Vampire instead. Do iot in chunks that the party can stop if they want and still get a complete story: and any threads left dangling give you sequel material! :>

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Here are several campaigns I started (none of them ever finish, just end to be discarded)

1. Players are not "real". They are characters in a dream a 10 year old boy is having. The boy is in the dream as a tag along, getting to experience DnD vicariously through the PCs. Eventually the druids of the land send the PCs to investigate why time "slips" 16 of the 24 hours of the day. The slips represent the kid sleeping. Eventually the PCs enter a new world (the subconscious) and the kid has to stay behind. They learn that to end the "slips" they have to destroy the soul gem. If they do, they kill the kid in real life. If they don't they doom themselves to continued slippage and eventual death when the kid no longer dreams of them.

2. Somewhat japanese themed. There are 12 clans, each representing fire/air/earth/water and Evil/Neutral/Good combinations. Each clan has an iconic DnD monster as its totem. Frex, the Phoenix clan would be the Good/Fire clan. Each clan hates those clans most opposite of them. Insert adventures depending on what clan the PCs want to be part of.

3. The Demon vs. Devil war has spilled out into the PCs plane. "Humanity" exists in a perpetual wasteland of the results. A neutral or good god is killed and the PCs are tasked with escorting a replacement innocent child to a coronation to godhood. Behind the scenes the Devils have killed the god, blamed it on someone else, and have arranged for one of thiers to be escorted by unwitting good PCs to fill the spot.

4. PCs are Indiana Jones style treasure hunters working for a high level wizard.

5. (Forgotten Realms) Yuan-Ti have begun a civil war. Those who follow Meershaulk and those who have begun to follow Set. PCs get stuck in the middle.

DS

 

[Rothe]

Spoilers, in case players wander in text is in black, rather long but combines a few homemade and commercial adventures. Fairly edition neutral but based on low magic world, relatively speaking. Not checked for spelling.

(1) The Caverns of Thracia My favorite module of all time. Good introduction to value of parley and tactics in my campaign. Also characters can come out of this at level 4+ (if you don't require training )

(2) Interlude Travel across the kingdom to get to know the setting a bit better. A softball adventure, for the now “4th level” PCs, can showcase there new power level and revel in their wealth and power compared to the average yeoman. In addition, PCs may train and have things made for them with their new found wealth.

(3) The Dwarven Road and The Black Towers More setting campaign history, which knowing a little of can help in strategy. Dwarven road to the north through the dangerous giant spider and gargoyle infested Northern Forest is THE trade route for Dwarven goods, exotic furs, and ivory (mammoths). The "winter caravan" of Marook (Gnoll-like creature) ivory and fur traders never arrived. Investigation by the kingdom points to giant spider attacks, it happens. The "spring caravan" arrives safely, but the "summer caravan" does not.

Typically, carrying "lower" value Dwarven goods the summer caravan unbeknownst to the PCs contained a secret shipment of magic weapons. Initial investigation by the Kingdom points to another giant spider attack, but an intrepid ranger discovers something that points to humanoids...a large blood stained rock. Divination reveals it was thrown by something big. Further magical investigation is difficult at the site because several weeks have passed, the magical interference generated by the dark ancient forest, and most likely the use of concealing magic.

Something more organized is suspected. Especially since the Hill Giants have been building forts. Very uncharcteristic of them showing a degree of planning and tool use thought beyond them.

The best leads point to the west. The King's primary forces will pursue that trail. However, the Northern Forest contains many ruined Black Towers, left over from the previous occupation of this part of the world by Evil Demi-God #2 (roughly 3,500 years ago). Several lie to the rear (to the East) the PCs are asked to confirm these are empt.

Setting information: The Black Towers were all built to the same plan (at least with respect to the major structure, interior partitions may differ). After all, when using orc and slave labor it's best to keep things consistent. Adventurers are greatly needed in the Kingdom of Kemet. Kemet can't afford a huge standing army and certainly cannot divert a company of troops to check out these towers. Anything less may not come back. Better to send a smaller quieter contingent of bad-assess.

Towers are occupied by gargoyles, spiders and Marook outlaws (another chance to describe setting) led by a Marook or half-orc shaman (nature/animal control magic) lodged in the dungeon below with an orc contingent with an Ettin and a couple of Orge's. Underground river being used to ferry prisoners and loot to the West. Recent earthquake (fairly common in the area on the small scale) has blocked the way. Prisoners or some investigation can discover goods moving West to the Hill Giants. Also King's agents will find this out if the PCs don't.

(4) G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chieftan A large fortress on the Western edge of the forest is the prime suspect for a staging area. The King's main agents go there, yet there are several other such fortresses. The PCs are asked to infiltrate one to the Southwest and the closest to the Kingdom's border. As the Hill Giants have historically been peaceful, it is best not to stir them up if they are innocent. If they are guilty, the threat must be stopped.

The Frost Giants are teaching the Hill Giants how to build and providing them with metal axes and teaching them how to use them (the Hill Giants typically used clubs and throw rocks). Outlaw Marook and disfavored clans are aiding/trading with the Hill Giants. A Frost Giant Jarl is the travelling diplomat/trainer.

(THE FROST GIANT PLAN: To the north lies three "kingdoms" and the mountain of the dwarves. In the West in the icey hills is Yritheim, Kingdom of the Frost Giants. Immediately East is the great Marook Kingdom of "Clan #1" and across the great N/S river is the rival/related Marook Kingdom of "Clan #2." The great river ends in a great lake at the northern edge of the Northern Forest. At the eastern end of the lake is a small set of peaks which contain the halls and mines of the dwarves.

An ousted Frost Giant prince wants the throne of Yritheim and wishes to conquer the lands of "Clan #1" for access to the great mammoth herds for food and ivory. In exchange for the aid of the Marook "Outlaw Clans" they will be given the land of "Clan 2."

Clan #2 are allies, or at least very close trading partners, with the dwarves. The Marook provide meat and furs, the dwarves provide metal work and weapons. The Dwarves are strongly allied to the Kingdom of Kemet to the south (on the other side of the Northern Forest). The dwarves are likely to aid Clan #2, and Kemet the Dwarves. Being a low magic world ( i.e., 1 in 1000 or so humans is a spell caster) magical/adventurer aid by Kemet to the dwarves and Clan #2 could keep the Outlaw Clan from victory.

The Hill Giants are meant to present a threat on Kemet's Northwest border (near the capitals strategic supply of iron and coal). The Frost Giant's having given the Hill Giants a taste for plunder, slaves, and above all whiskey, which can turn an amiable Hill Giant rather nasty, can now threaten to unleash this force if Kemet intervenes in affairs to the north, which are none of there business.

In addition, the forest raids are meant to control the vital dwarven road and persuade the dwarves to keep out of Marook politics. The raids have been made possible by an Outlaw Marook shaman who has developed methods to command and control the giant spiders of the forest. Methods he obtained from the Drow, but that the Frost Giants don't know (but the Fire Giants do...but that is part of the Fire Giants plan. ). END FROST GIANT PLAN


(5) Where the Fallen Jarl Sleeps (free WotC adventure) The base of operation of the Frost Giant Jarl organizing the Hill Giants. Don't need to go here but could provide more info (especially on the Frost Giant plan) and treasure. A quick 6 room "dungeon"

(6) The Rebel Frost Giant’s Base (G2, reworked)
This is where the Frost Giant Prince has headquartered his most loyal followers in his bid for the throne of Yritheim, Kingdom of the Frost Giants. He is acquiring many fell beasts to aid him and his allies (hence the dragon, yeti, etc.

Ahh, but the wheels of politics are complicated. As the Fire Giants are supplying him with half-orc shaman, in exchange for human slaves, preferably male. Once the Frost Giant Prince takes the throne of Yritheim, lands in the mountains southwest of Yritheim that contain fairly inactive volcanoes, which Fire Giants love, are to be given to the Fire Giants. To appease his Frost Giant subjects, the Fire Giants proposed taking the lands of Marook Clan #1, besides those lands hold many riches.

There is no love lost between Frost and Fire Giants, and the Frost Giants will give up the Fire Giants. There cooperation is more a matter of the enemy of my enemy is my friend; until that enemy is gone. In addition, a Fire Giant aid is in residence with the Frost Giant Prince.

Which leads us to THE FIRE GIANTS PLAN: The Frost Giants think they discovered the Outlaw Marook Shaman on their own, but in reality the Fire Giant's put the shaman in contact with the Drow. The Shaman cooperates because his people get what they want, the lands of Clan #2, and revenge on both Clans #1 and #2.

The Fire Giants could care less about the Frost Giants or Marook. They really want those extinct volcanoes because they have a plan to activate them and take much larger portions of Yritheim.
It happens the Drow approached the Fire Giants about a deal. They want to weaken the surface dwellers and will provide increased supplies of food mushrooms to the Fire Giants. In particular the Drow wish to cause chaos in Kemet, for what ends they will not say.

The Fire Giants are in desperate need of food. They eat alot and live in the mountains with bases near volcanoes. There is not a lot to eat, herding or farming doesn't yield enough, if anything, and extorting food from the orcs and humans can only go so far. The Fire Giants have consistently lost land over the decades to the Frost Giants, who now greatly outnumber them. In addition, some decades ago the grandfather of the current King of Kemet with an adventure party (PCs from a campaign back in 1989-1992) delved into the Fire Giant halls slaying many of their warriors and nobility and stealing their treasures. The Fire Giants never quite recovered and they would savor some revenge. So they agree to help the Drow. More on the Drow's Plan later.

Did I say politics were complicated? Well the Fire Giants are not bumpkins that work in a vacuum. The haughty Drow think they know all and never seem to think someone could be outwitting them. But what they don't know (or so the Fire Giant's think) is that the Fire Giant's are in contact with a very powerful Salamander clan from the plane of fire. For reasons they cannot reveal they wish to increase dramatically the volcanic activity in the very region the Fire Giants wish to settle. This unfortunately, will result in magma flooding and destroying a new Drow colony in the underworld (a colony under the Kingdom of Kemet). There are certain cosmic rules governing extra-planar interference in the material plane; but needless to say the patron deity/demon of this new colony Loth, can prevent such unnatural magma upwelling.

The Salamanders want the Fire Giants to help the Drow. In fact, they want the surface dwelling humans to believe the Drow are a major threat, and that they intend to invade, raid, and enslave them. Which the Drow probably will do. Eventually, and the Salamanders can wait, the humans, etc. will send some adventurers to deal with the Drow threat, including Loth, once and for all. The Salamanders are working on ways of weakening Loth (66 HP), so when the day arrives the humans have a shot at slaying her. With Loth out of the way, the Drow colony has no protection, the magma can rise, volcanoes will be created and the Fire Giants will rise again. What's not to like.

The Fire Giants of course lead the Drow to think they came up with the plan to aid the Frost Giants, but in reality the Salamanders coached the Fire Giants to lead the Drow to this plan.
END THE FIRE GIANTS PLAN

(7) The Fire Giant’s Stronghold (G3, reworked)
The Fire Giants are busy consolidating political power amongst their kind for the day they invade Yritheim.

The Fire Giant's suspect that the humans will come someday. They plan to kill most of them but leave at least one to take back the story of the danger of the Drow. They allow the Drow to "hide" with them but do such a poor job of it the humans should find out.

The Fire Giant's have captured a Titan (Helios) having an aspect with the sun and fire, the Salamanders say in the future he will come in handy for their plan. Although, the "treaty" between the gods and Titans stipulates that the titans can not take on "divine aspect," whatever that means. Anyway the Fire Giants hate the Titans (their more powerful cousins, this hate going back to the very Fire/Frost Giant split). So keeping one captive amuses them and garners the Fire Giant King great respect amongst his people.


(8) The Drow Colony (modify D1-D3)
The major city of the Drow, to the far north of Kemet under the great sheet of ice that forms the ice cap, is overcrowded. Factional violence is weakening the city leaving it open to attack by the Drow's enemies. (Mindflayers, Troglodytes and Hymnotopea (TFT, intelligent insects).

THE DROW PLAN A colony must be formed. A prime spot has been found beneath the lands of Kemet. An accursed region, the home to many a brave adventurer. This land must be weakened and in the process the Drow may get some slaves and treasure.

Of course the Drow must act indirectly. Several layers of proxies are required and some arrangement with other humans. The Drow have found a plan to set Kemet against the giants and maybe even strain their relationship with the dwarves. The goal is chaos and the fall of the capital of Kemet. With chaos, the kingdoms across the great lake to the East of Kemet must act. The land of Kemet bestrides the vital east west trade route to the city of Sefmar (pop. 1 million plus) and the civilized lands to the east. The only reason the more powerful forces across the lake have not taken Kemet is it is very expensive to defend, what with orcs and giant spiders and all. Better to have Kemet do this as long as the custom duties are not too high.

Many in the kingdoms across the lake would like to see Kemet fall on hard times. The freedoms enjoyed by the people of Kemet place limits on what the lords can do to their serfs. And serfs sometimes even flee across the lake to Kemet. In addition, Kemet forbids the transfer of slaves and imposes many other objectionable trade restrictions on caravans.

If chaos reigned in Kemet, then they people of Kemet may even pay the kingdoms across the lake to aid them, and thus the kingdoms across the lake could easily annex Kemet. Thus, some evil types in the kingdoms across the lake are happy to deal with the Drow and aid them in their ventures.

(9) Q1 The Demonweb Pits
If the players take the bait, or just decide to take her out, run this one.

(10) The Halls of Beol Dur (old Dragon dungeon, reworked)
An adventure where a clan of Salamanders took over an old dwarven hall in an abandoned volcano.

THE SLAMANDERS PLAN: The Salamanders are actually agents of the Prince of The City of Brass, the Efreeti capitol located at the juncture between the planes of fire, air, and earth on the Plain of Discord. (my own cosmology their).

Immortality is boring and the Prince is tired of quasi-demi-godhood and always being disrespected by the demi-god that controls the plane of fire. Enough is enough, and it's time to ascend.

The Prince has searched many millennia for a lost Piece of the Sun. That magical alloy that the mortals used to slay Evil Demi-God #2 and banish Evil Demi-God #1 to the void. If such can unmake a god surely such can make one as well.

The Prince has determined to a high degree of certainty that a Piece of the Sun lies under the Kingdom of Kemet. Unfortunately, the Drow have built a colony their. According to the byzantine rules of extra-planar action, he just can’t send minions in to get it. Besides, there is water there, tens of thousands of Drow, and there damnable spider god of theirs could interfere. Also the Djinn are watching him too closely. Better an indirect route.

Stage one has gone well. Not confident in the power of the Piece of the Sun alone, the Efreeti Prince has also captured through his proxies Helios, the Titan,. With the immortal life force of Helios and the Piece of the Sun, he is sure to ascend to god hood. His millennia of wooing the Salamander clans will come to fruition and with his Efreeti army he shall be unassailable.

And just to convince the fire plane masses that he is the shazizzle, as a side benefit a series of volcanic eruptions under the great ice cap of that world will melt the polar ice (over a couple hundred years), dealing a blow to the forces of water and cold for which he will garner much acclaim. Yes god-hood is just around the corner. END THE SALAMANDERS PLANS

(11) The City of Brass...
Ok maybe you got to stop this bad boy or meet out some justice. Maybe in her death throws (if the PCs slay her) Loth sends them to the City of Brass with info on the frame-up job.

(12) The City of Silver (hey the Djinn need their city too)
Ok your taking on the Efreeti so your natural allies are the Djinn. You may also have to flee here if you kill too many of the Efreeti.

 

[Tonguez]

Here are several campaigns I started (none of them ever finish, just end to be discarded)

1. Players are not "real". They are characters in a dream a 10 year old boy is having. Eventually the PCs enter a new world (the subconscious) and the kid has to stay behind. They learn that to end the "slips" they have to destroy the soul gem. If they do, they kill the kid in real life. If they don't they doom themselves to continued slippage and eventual death when the kid no longer dreams of them.

Nice premise but one question:

If the Kid stops dreaming of them they are doomed to die - okay
BUT if they Kill the Kid, the Kid stops dreaming of them right?

4. PCs are Indiana Jones style treasure hunters working for a high level wizard.

I once did something like this except the PCs were working for The Church. The Curator of the Church Archives and Museum was an eccentric friar named Brother Lukatus who commissioned the PCs to recover lost artifacts and other Holy Relics.

 

[Wraith Form]

Nice premise but one question:

If the Kid stops dreaming of them they are doomed to die - okay
BUT if they Kill the Kid, the Kid stops dreaming of them right?

Really, I think the ONLY response to this is one word:


D'OH!

 

[Imruphel]

Centuries ago, one of Lolth’s own daughters rebelled against her and sought to usurp her dominion over the drow. The rebellion was short and sharp: Lolth’s daughter simply lacked the power to take her mother’s place and there she had no sponsor or ally to lend her aid. Her army of fiends, half-fiends and disaffected drow (principally males) were quickly routed and Lolth’s daughter was punished, transformed into a drider (perhaps the first?) and with all knowledge of her real name expunged from the memory of drow, fiend and power alike.

Exiled then to one of the countless reaches of the Abyss, Lolth’s daughter took a new name for herself, Vicymma, the Drider of the Abyss. Also known as the Darkweaver and the Bitterweaver, she then proceeded to carve out a small realm for herself known as the Bitterweave Pits, a mockery of the name of her mother’s realm. Here in the Bitterweave Pits she brooded and sulked, both consumed and sustained by an all pervasive bitterness until the day that Shar, the Lady of Loss, sent one of her emissaries to her.

This emissary, the night hag Grimalkin, approached Vicymma in Shar’s name and offered Shar’s sponsorship and guidance in the matter of enacting a suitable revenge against Lolth. Swayed by the dark honey of Grimalkin’s words, Vicymma became a devotee of Shar and learnt to harness the power of the Shadow Weave.

After many years rebuilding her powers, Vicymma was guided by Grimalkin to the next part of the strategy: the recovery of the ancient Tablets of Sseth which recorded a malefic and powerful magic, The Great Harrowing. The last user of this magic was the Abyssal prince, Sseth (also known as Sch’theraqpasstt), who used this ritual to merge himself with the layer of the Abyss that he ruled. However, Sseth’s use of the ritual has been viewed as a failure for it has meant that he is now barely conscious of his own existence except once every few decades when his identity reasserts itself for only a few hours or days at best.

Grimalkin, however, has probed the best and most evil minds of the planes and found a two-fold solution. Firstly, Vicymma will be using the Shadow Weave to empower the ritual and this will allow a greater degree of intervention by Shar to ensure that the ritual neither fails nor has other consequences as happened with Sseth. Secondly, and more importantly, Grimalkin has provided Vicymma with the knowledge of another ritual that will allow Vicymma to store most of her identity and power in several phylacteries and ensure that her conciousness is preserved.

The goal of the ritual is still the merger of Vicymma with a layer of the Abyss. Grimalkin, and her dark mistress, believe that this will drain Lolth’s power from her and invest most, if not all, within Vicymma.

As an added failsafe, Grimalkin is seeking to reawaken Moander, presently partially merged with Lolth, both to distract and to weaken Lolth at the time that The Great Harrowing ritual takes place.

Shar’s interest in Vicymma usurping of Lolth’s power is, of course, not a selfless act. She believes that the overthrow of Lolth and the installation of an easily manipulated pawn in Vicymma, joined to her by the Shadow Weave, will give her the opportunity to develop a much larger and wider following amongst the drow.

Even the unfolding of this plan will allow her to garner followers amongst the disaffected drow, particularly those male wizards of some power who are denied an appropriate station in their societies because of their gender. Emissaries have been sent forth amongst the drow wizards to lure the bitter and the disaffected to the Lady of Loss’s embrace and the temptation and power of the Shadow Weave.

The first stage of the plan has already been completed. Vicymma has transferred much of her power and identity to four phylacteries disguised as four different objects and secreted within well-guarded areas of the Bitterweave Pits. She dares not leave the ‘Pits at this time, knowing that this separation ritual has greatly weakened her.

The second stage is to reawaken Moander by freeing his essence trapped within elven High Magic binding spells in the place known as Darkwatch in Cormanthor. The method of freeing Moander has been uncovered by members of the Eldreth Veluuthara and the task delegated by the leadership of the Eldreth Veluuthara to two moon elves of House Starym. The Eldreth Veluuthara believe that an unleashed and resurgent Moander can be their tool to drive the humans from Cormanthor and to restore Cormanthor as an elven homeland and the capital of a new elven empire.

The Eldreth Veluuthara are also allied with some of the Cormanthor drow and the Starym elves have been promised drow support for this mission.

The third stage of the strategy is taking place concurrently with the second stage. This is the recovery and study of the Tablets of Sseth upon which The Great Harrowing ritual has been recorded. The Tablets are located beneath several Ssethsar temples, in the Serpent Hills, Black Jungles and Hlondeth. Unbeknownst to the Ssethsar (or to Shar’s minions), the Tablets in the possession of the Cult of Sseth are not complete. The final tablet was stolen some time ago by minions of the Mulhorandi power, Set, and is presently hidden within the confines of a demiplane ruled by one of Set’s most favoured servants, Maekheruset, the Mouth of Set.

The Tablets are presently being studied (and copied) by several minions of Shar who are posing as devotees of Sseth. As Sseth is a slumbering power, the ruse is proving easy to pull off. These minions of Shar are Shadow Adepts led by the alhoon, Grsk, also known as the Umbralhoon. They have convinced the leaders of the Ssethsar yuan-ti that their studies will allow them to perfect Sseth’s ritual so that his consciousness can be freed from the confines of his Abyssal plane. However, their studies are interrupted by raids by the Set-worshipping faction of the yuan-ti, led by Zstulkk Ssarmn of Skullport (and ultimately commanded by the Mouth of Set in Mulhorand).

Grsk and his minions are providing copies of all their notes and research to the shade prince, Malabayn, in Khazefryn, a monastery of the Order of the Dark Moon located in the northern Underdark. It is Malabayn’s task to “build” the ritual based on the Tablets of Sseth and also from his own studies of the planes and the Shadow Weave.

Further complicating matters is the treachery of Set’s son, Krotep. Shar’s manipulations have extended to Baator and, thanks to her manipulations, Krotep believes that the Tablets of Sseth provide the key to Sseth’s reawakening and thus the weakening of some of his father’s power as the yuan-ti return to worshipping Sseth. Krotep has, most unwisely, enlisted the aid of Gargauth in ensuring that the Tablets of Sseth are uncovered and their secrets decoded so that the Ssethsar yuan-ti can reawaken Sseth from the Great Slumber. However, Gargauth’s marilith consort was a member of Sseth’s Abyssal court and she has no desire to see her former master reawakened. Thus, the Knights of Shield are adding their weight to ensuring that Sseth is not reawakened and have conspired to steal one of the Tablets.

The fourth and final stage of the plan is for Vicymma to enact the ritual in Lolth’s own realm. For this to take place, Moander must have been reawakened, the Tablets of Sseth copied and their secrets decoded and, as a final distraction, the male drow of Menzoberranzan must rise up in revolt against Lolth. The latter is simply to distract Lolth as she sends a powerful avatar to ensure that her strongest base of support on Faerun is not turned against her.

Should The Great Harrowing ritual be successfully enacted, Lolth’s power will be drained and she will be reduced to the status of a quasi-power which Vicymma will be elevated to the status of lesser power, not intermediate power, due to Shar’s domination of her.

The consequences for the Realms will be frightful as this huge influx of power, thanks to the drow turning to Shar, will disrupt the Balance established by Ao. Who knows what the full consequences will be….

Then again, perhaps this whole strategy is the work of a party other than Shar. The Great Harrowing takes place but the ritual is flawed and, just at the moment of triumph, another takes Vicymma’s place. Perhaps she is struck down by a dark figure bearing a crystalline staff, the Sceptre of Savras, and her newfound power is stolen away by one who is hidden from the sight of mortals, outsiders and powers alike?

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Nice premise but one question:

If the Kid stops dreaming of them they are doomed to die - okay
BUT if they Kill the Kid, the Kid stops dreaming of them right?

Two possibilities....

One...they kill the kid and the dream world is gone.

Two...they don't kill the kid, the kid lives on (and assuming he continues to dream as an adult) and the dreamworld does to, but still only during sleeptime.

Either way, the world will eventually end when the kid dies, it just becomes a matter of how long it takes.

The point of the campaign (and I had planned it as a 5-6 adventure mini-campaign) was to have a Sixth Sense style of twist at the end of things.

DS

 

[Razilin]

Party goes adventuring. Party acquires a set of artifacts that let them travel back and forth through time. Party learns that they cannot return to their own time while they possess the artifacts. However, the rules of time travel dictate that they cannot relieve themselves of said artifacts (which would cause a continuity problem and a paradox). They find a loophole: while in the past, they place the artifacts in the dungeon that they "originally" found them in, thus ensuring that IN THE FUTURE, their less experienced selves will acquire the lights. The campaign is an exercise in predestination paradoxes.

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I find that the simplest way to acheive an overarching plot is to have a bunch of smaller, standard length plots and have them run all at more or less the same time. As the campaign goes onward, you will find ways to bring elements from a previous plot into the current plot.

At the moment, I have elements of the following plots in my campaign (Dragonlance / Birthright mashup).
- A goblin uprising in Kiergaard that will spill over into the Chimeareon and the Rhormarch
- A Civil War that is nearing its end in the Rhormarch
- The creation and use of Draconians by 'The Gorgon'
- A locked portal that the players have already found and used 1 of 4 keys for.
- A deal with Hiddukel that averted a TPK but put the players into the debt of the god of Lies, Greed, and Betrayal.

The Goblin Uprising is going to play out via running the Red Hand of Doom, but at some point in the adventure, Draconians are going to start showing up.

The civil war ties in to this because the side what was losing ended up looking for extra help to reclaim the kingdom he lost. He does not quite realize he is being manipulated. His interference will make it much easier for the Goblinoid armies to overrun the Rhormarch.

The sealed Portal has got something locked up within it that the Goblins want to have unlocked, but are not exactly aware of either. Happly, give the PC's a door that needs for keys, and they will go along and open it themselves without worrying too much about it being a good idea or not.

Oh, and 1 of the 4 keys that the players are seeking is being held by the armies of the Red Hand of Doom.

Hiddukel is something I will save for the time being, probably to get the PC's to follow a plot hook they may prefer to ignore.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Gwaihir]

The real theme of my current campaign is that the characters are consistently misplaced in time:

In the first session, at the climax of the war, they were stoned by a Basilisk and not revived until 400 years later.

Later they found a strange cave that transported them back 3000 years, to a point where they interacted with some folks who were worshipped as saints in their time. They left one of the group behind in the past (player moved) and brought another disillusioned elven girl forward. Most importantly they discovered a small cabal of wizards speciallizing in Chronomancy.

Through a vision, they got to see the effective creation of the new world.

Later they went forward in time to a world war II like setting where the elves were the bad guys.

But the real overarching plot is the story of an exiled house of elves out for retribution.