Help me progress my current plot (My player's stay out!)

[ThorneMD]

I am currently doing a campaign that includes the extermination of all gnomes, sort of like the Holocaust and includes Orcs as the Nazis. The Orcs are lead by a type of Orge Mage that I made and he is very advanced. The Orcs also have captured three human cities, a dwarven city, and a halfling shire.

The players recently took a year off and mostly stayed near the capital city where the Orcs are slowly headed towards. Many gnomes were killed, and the Orc army is not slowing done. I have given the Orcs early grenades and early muskets that were stolen from the gnomes.

My question is what to do next. My goal is to eliminate the gnomes, but then go on to another target if the players do nothing. I also want to do something to the players because they stayed in a hot spot for a year and basically hung out during a war.

Also the army goes as follows if it helps:
Ogre Mage/Sorcerer - All Mighty
Human Anti-Paladin - 2nd in command
Super Sayain Sorcerer - 2nd in command
Orc and Ogre Generals
Troll Commanders
Orc and Half-Ogre grunts

Please do not flame me for the idea I am not condoning the Holocaust or any of that. It is just a story related way to get rid of gnomes in my world that can explain why there are none.

 

[Caspian Moon Prince]

I am supposing the ogremage has convinced the orcs that they(and other green skins races like goblins and ogres) are suppose to be the only race and are superior. The gnomes, who are rarely much for fights anyways, were an easy target to start off with. Add in the fact they have advanced weaponry(these grenades and rifles) made them great first targets. Wipe them out, learn how to make their weaponry, and move on.

The ogremage would then start the orcs on an other race. I doubt they would try humans next since humans are usually the largest group to fight, but this city may have some resources the ogremage would need for future conquest and send his army against it.

 

[conanb]

Well, this is war. I think the best way to strike at the players who may "thinK" they're safe for hanging out in the capital while the army marches is espionage/sabatoge. Just because this army of orcs and what not are marching doesn't mean they don't have agents elsewhere. Perhaps an evil group of thieves feels that no force can stop this Ogremage, and contact him saying they'll provide their services in exchange for mercy when he sacks the city. They then begin a campaign of assination against any would be heroes in the area. Have the players begin to hear about mysterious "adventurer" deaths in the city. Then have one of them who wanders off by himself get jumped by some such group. They'll soon find that they're not safe. "No one's untouchable," as the movie line goes. The army continues to move, but strategic targets and well known heroes begin getting attacked. That could lead to a thieve's war in the cities still under control, between those that have sold out to the approaching army and the one's still loyal to whatever race.
Meanwhile, the army may begin killing halflings next. Probably first using them as slave labor or what not. Since they have one shire captured, I could see them turning them to slaves. This could have unforeseen effects on their race in the future, similar to how the Illithiad warped dwarves into Duerger. Anyway, just my 2 coppers on that.

 

[Torm]

U.S. enters WWII

I would need to know more about how the party is constituted - if they're a bunch of rogues and the like, you may not be able to get them involved unless it directly threatens THEM or they stand to benefit financially. But it may be possible to take the decision out of their hands.

Just as the U.S. entered WWII once Britain was attacked, this capital city of yours may decide to become more proactive if a particular ally or location that's important to them. And when the city decides this, this will give you some options - if the party is loyal to the city in some way, they could be sent on a mission to "the front" (with or without some promise of greasing their palms, depending on what you think you can get away with). If they don't seem like they'd be so inclined, then perhaps the city could arrest them (justly or not, depending on what they've been up to) and agree to commute their sentence if they'll do the mission. Maybe some combination of the two, if the party is of mixed morals.

I ran a similar campaign world not too long ago, only mine involved an Axis of Gold Elves and Vampires, set in a cross between Eurasia (and Africa) and Faerun. I found it helpful whenever I would get blocked for ideas to refer back to actual WWI and II history for ideas.

 

[jerichothebard]

A wealthy gnome approaches and offers to hire them as bodyguards as he flees with his family away from the coming army. then they get attacked, and from that point on, the PCs are known "gnomish sympathizers"... and will be hunted down.

jtb

 

[ThorneMD]

Caspian Moon Prince, Yes the Ogre Mage has convinced the green skins as being the superior race of beings in the world.

conanb, I like the espionage/sabatoge idea.

Torm, the current party is as follows:

Halfling Barbarian/Cleric mounted on a war dog
Dwarven Psychic Warrior (3.0)
Elf Rogue
Elf Enchanter
Half-Orc Druid (can pose as a Orc General)
They are all 7th level.

Any more ideas are helpful. The party can espect espioage in the capital very shortly, though.

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Hmm, okay, the orc army is on the march and moving to capture more cities.

They've spent the last year fortifying their captured cities and enslaving the population to feed their war machine. They've set their sites on another city, this one is a politcal and enconomic rival of the characters city.

The city is going to be a hard nut even for the orcs to crack, so they make ovetures to the characters city. Promising to leave them in peace, cut them in for part of the money, and generally make this a sweet offer. The orcish ambassadors will be the targets of, and instigators of, a number of espionage missions.

But the truely frustrating thing for the characters is that they can see the population and the government being swayed by the orc's aguments. Make the ambassador an articulate and well spoke orc. Somebody the humans won't dismiss out of hand. But also make him complete scum. He's the kind of opponent that will threaten you, your family, and your friends while making small talk over afternoon tea.

They'll need to think quickly, and come up with some non-violent answers to beat this guy. If they attack the ambassador directly, and get away, he may frame them as agents of the cities rivals attempting to stop the negotiations.

They'll need to come up with some convincing couter arguments and proof of a possible double cross by the orcs to keep the council from joining the orcs to sack this city.

Is that enough of a RBDM? It would make me think twice before letting the orcs march for a year and not doing anything. I may be able to do better if I give it some more thought, and you give me a little more background on the campaign world.

-Ashrum

 

[ThorneMD]

Since Ashrum the Black asked.

The campaign world is a homebrew. I have made my humans a little less intelligent and they lack a little common sense, compared to typical D&D humans.Elves and Dwarves have a decent relationship, but as usual their drastically different beliefs stop many friendships. Gnomes are being exterminated, while halflings stay in their corner of the world and try to not get into the mix. Right now, humans are low magic and are losing may resourses.

 

[random user]

Similar to the above idea, the human city could be in negotiations with the orcs to stay away. In exchange the tribute, the orcs will (temporarily at least) look to other places to conquer (I like the halflings for slaves idea above).

To pay for this tribute the human government will start levying more taxes, and otherwise make life more oppressive / annoying. Anti-orc demonstrations and other forms of free speech may be put down. The government may force conscription (just in case the orcs are backstabbing them, which is probable, but at least the tribute buys them more time), of which the party may be "asked" to join. Or perhaps there will be a draft. Supplies don't come regularly anymore. Perhaps the humans fear that elves or dwarves may be next, and the government will kick all elves and dwarves out of their city in an attempt to make the city less of a target.

Alternately, maybe the human government either willingly or is "persuaded" (via magic or clever diplomacy) to help the orcs. In this case there may be some conscription as well, and the orcs may be welcome into town (creating a lot of tension), and plans made up to "get rid of the halfings which aren't even good for half of anything."

Just my 2cp

 

[Turanil]

Have some gnome refugees pursued by orcs come across the PCs. Have some exhausted female gnome and her two babies beg for help or the orc will eat their children. Then let the orc arrive tell the PCs that they will let them alive if they don't interfere with eating the gnome babies...

Mmmmh... well, that's horrible isn't it? But isn't war horrible?