daysoftheking
First Post
I am posting this outline up to gather constructive criticism and commentary from the Best Damn Game Site Ever.
This is the outline for the early levels of one of the two campaigns I am running while deployed here to Iraq. And before anyone starts shouting "railroad", I've been DMing for seventeen years and I know this group of players well. Sandbox play is NOT suited to them-- they want the story to build like an episodic TV show. The solid plot elements are done intentionally and deliberately to feed their need for storyline.
Campaign Website is Obsidian Portal » Campaigns » Legacy of Kazavon. Setting and deity information can be found there, as well as character bios (some... WIP site)
My email is leonine [dot] soldier [at] gmail if you wanna shoot a message offline.
Legacy of Kazavon
Season One
PCs
• Morgan Donnelly—Faetouched Historian (m/c Wizard)
• Sir Andrew “The Bastard”—Human Paladin of Rhaine
• Bruenor Blackhammer—Dwarven Ranger (2-Weapon)
• Caine Nowhere—Faetouched Star Pact Warlock (m/c rogue)
• Rhogar Jir-kharash—Dragonborn Paladin of Aenryia
• Balasar Jir-Keterys—Dragonborn Warlord
Start: PCs are in Fallcrest, seeking their fortunes, and running out of money. They hear of a community to the north, Falcon’s Hollow, on the northern borders of Lake Nen. Falcon’s Hollow needs help dealing with a mysterious disease that has infected the population. The PCs hear rumors of great rewards and set forth.
Overview: The PCs begin their adventuring career in the north of Nentir Vale, where they save a town from disease, rescue a bunch of children from kobolds and are manipulated into freeing an ancient vampire from his prison. Gulthias the vampire was imprisioned with a piece of Rendwrought, the artifact-weapon made from the bones of Kazavon. The PCs conquer the guardians of the Gulthias Tree, and Jareska the shadar-kai witch steals the pommel from them when they are weak after the battle.
A1: Hollows Last Hope
• Goals: Get players used to the rules and their characters, build party cohesion, and lay plotlines for the eventual return to Darkmoon Vale.
• Important PCs: Laurel (herbalist), Sherriff Deldrin Baleson (lawman, quest-giver), Payden “Payday” Teedum (Overboss of Lumber Consortium, antagonist), Kitani Eavewalker (seamstress, mother of Kimi Eavewalker), Ralla Hebbradan (whore, sister of Hollin), Sharvaros (necromancer, father of Savram), Colbrin Jabbs (butcher, father of Mikra), Kabran Bloodeye (goliath, owner of The Rouge Lady)
• Notes: important to introduce at least two of the CotKK NPCs to each PC. Should take PCs through to 3rd level. PCs (esp. Andrew and Caine) have dreams of the Gulthias Tree
A2: Crown of the Kobold King/Sunless Citadel/Forge of Fury Mish-mash
• PCs succeed in HLH, earn (some of) town’s gratitude, invited to stay through the Harvest Festival in a few days. NPC meetings, possibly a barfight or alleyway ambush or two, etc. (Skill challenge?)
• Run opening Encounter from Pathfinder #1 (with kobolds) during evening portion of festival. Attack occurs after dark, when most of the children are already in bed asleep. In aftermath of attack, the children are realized missing, and that Kimi led an expedition out to the burnt Halfway House. (Skill challenge) Tracking and the like occur. Kobold patrol attack if SC fails. Werewolf encounter/attack as written. Roseblood Sprites (foreshadowing Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale… “The Rose King rises… etc) encounter.
• Encounter with Jareska (Shadar-Kai Witch in service to Khlorphaxtius, a forest dragon who is a disciple of Kazavon). Jareska portrays herself as a runaway from the kobolds, where she saw the children brought in and snuck out in the confusion when they split up around the top level. In truth, Jareska’s goal is to get the PCs to do her dirty work for her and destroy the Gulthias Tree, freeing the slumbering vampire who has the pommel of Rendwrought trapped with him. Jareska tells lie about the Witch of the Wood returning years ago with a sapling and nurturing it in the depths of the caves under the monastery (FALSE)
• PCs go through first level of CotKK as written, rescue children, take them back to town, kobolds chasing them the entire way. (Skill challenge for chase?) Restock, brief rest, then people of FH beg them to end the threat of the kobolds.
• Upon return to Falcon, PCs realize kobolds have to be stopped and they must return to the kobold warren, both to ensure the kobolds stop preying on FH, and to “stop the menace of the Gulthias Tree”
• Proceed with Foundry Level (use kobold warren encounters from CotKK) from Forge of Fury. End level with confrontation with Merlokrep.
• Area 38 E in Foundry leads down to Areas 42-52 of Sunless Citadel (Grove Level, populate with twisted creations of the Gulthias Tree)
• From Area 53 of Sunless Citadel, area opens up to large “forested” area with lake in middle (combination of final areas of both Forge and Sunless). Bridge reaches over water and to where Gulthias Tree waits. PCs approach, attacked by Tree creatures, then hydra comes up from lake to engage. If PCs win, they can cut down tree and “end” threat of Gulthias Tree. PCs should end battle bloody and beaten up.
• PCs collect treasure and just as they get ready to leave, Jareska and a band of badass shadar-kai show up to take the pommel of Rendwrought. Social skill challenge. Jareska doesn’t want them dead, just out of the way so she can get what she wants. Besides, they might just prove useful again in the future. If fight breaks out, shadar-kai fight to subdue, not kill. Make sure the shadar-kai mention their Master, foreshadowing the conflict with Khlorphaxtius. When Jareska has the pommel, she teleports away with her prize, leaving the PCs to their treasure.
• PCs return to FH rich, level up, and head back south to Fallcrest.
This is the outline for the early levels of one of the two campaigns I am running while deployed here to Iraq. And before anyone starts shouting "railroad", I've been DMing for seventeen years and I know this group of players well. Sandbox play is NOT suited to them-- they want the story to build like an episodic TV show. The solid plot elements are done intentionally and deliberately to feed their need for storyline.
Campaign Website is Obsidian Portal » Campaigns » Legacy of Kazavon. Setting and deity information can be found there, as well as character bios (some... WIP site)
My email is leonine [dot] soldier [at] gmail if you wanna shoot a message offline.
Legacy of Kazavon
Season One
PCs
• Morgan Donnelly—Faetouched Historian (m/c Wizard)
• Sir Andrew “The Bastard”—Human Paladin of Rhaine
• Bruenor Blackhammer—Dwarven Ranger (2-Weapon)
• Caine Nowhere—Faetouched Star Pact Warlock (m/c rogue)
• Rhogar Jir-kharash—Dragonborn Paladin of Aenryia
• Balasar Jir-Keterys—Dragonborn Warlord
Start: PCs are in Fallcrest, seeking their fortunes, and running out of money. They hear of a community to the north, Falcon’s Hollow, on the northern borders of Lake Nen. Falcon’s Hollow needs help dealing with a mysterious disease that has infected the population. The PCs hear rumors of great rewards and set forth.
Overview: The PCs begin their adventuring career in the north of Nentir Vale, where they save a town from disease, rescue a bunch of children from kobolds and are manipulated into freeing an ancient vampire from his prison. Gulthias the vampire was imprisioned with a piece of Rendwrought, the artifact-weapon made from the bones of Kazavon. The PCs conquer the guardians of the Gulthias Tree, and Jareska the shadar-kai witch steals the pommel from them when they are weak after the battle.
A1: Hollows Last Hope
• Goals: Get players used to the rules and their characters, build party cohesion, and lay plotlines for the eventual return to Darkmoon Vale.
• Important PCs: Laurel (herbalist), Sherriff Deldrin Baleson (lawman, quest-giver), Payden “Payday” Teedum (Overboss of Lumber Consortium, antagonist), Kitani Eavewalker (seamstress, mother of Kimi Eavewalker), Ralla Hebbradan (whore, sister of Hollin), Sharvaros (necromancer, father of Savram), Colbrin Jabbs (butcher, father of Mikra), Kabran Bloodeye (goliath, owner of The Rouge Lady)
• Notes: important to introduce at least two of the CotKK NPCs to each PC. Should take PCs through to 3rd level. PCs (esp. Andrew and Caine) have dreams of the Gulthias Tree
A2: Crown of the Kobold King/Sunless Citadel/Forge of Fury Mish-mash
• PCs succeed in HLH, earn (some of) town’s gratitude, invited to stay through the Harvest Festival in a few days. NPC meetings, possibly a barfight or alleyway ambush or two, etc. (Skill challenge?)
• Run opening Encounter from Pathfinder #1 (with kobolds) during evening portion of festival. Attack occurs after dark, when most of the children are already in bed asleep. In aftermath of attack, the children are realized missing, and that Kimi led an expedition out to the burnt Halfway House. (Skill challenge) Tracking and the like occur. Kobold patrol attack if SC fails. Werewolf encounter/attack as written. Roseblood Sprites (foreshadowing Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale… “The Rose King rises… etc) encounter.
• Encounter with Jareska (Shadar-Kai Witch in service to Khlorphaxtius, a forest dragon who is a disciple of Kazavon). Jareska portrays herself as a runaway from the kobolds, where she saw the children brought in and snuck out in the confusion when they split up around the top level. In truth, Jareska’s goal is to get the PCs to do her dirty work for her and destroy the Gulthias Tree, freeing the slumbering vampire who has the pommel of Rendwrought trapped with him. Jareska tells lie about the Witch of the Wood returning years ago with a sapling and nurturing it in the depths of the caves under the monastery (FALSE)
• PCs go through first level of CotKK as written, rescue children, take them back to town, kobolds chasing them the entire way. (Skill challenge for chase?) Restock, brief rest, then people of FH beg them to end the threat of the kobolds.
• Upon return to Falcon, PCs realize kobolds have to be stopped and they must return to the kobold warren, both to ensure the kobolds stop preying on FH, and to “stop the menace of the Gulthias Tree”
• Proceed with Foundry Level (use kobold warren encounters from CotKK) from Forge of Fury. End level with confrontation with Merlokrep.
• Area 38 E in Foundry leads down to Areas 42-52 of Sunless Citadel (Grove Level, populate with twisted creations of the Gulthias Tree)
• From Area 53 of Sunless Citadel, area opens up to large “forested” area with lake in middle (combination of final areas of both Forge and Sunless). Bridge reaches over water and to where Gulthias Tree waits. PCs approach, attacked by Tree creatures, then hydra comes up from lake to engage. If PCs win, they can cut down tree and “end” threat of Gulthias Tree. PCs should end battle bloody and beaten up.
• PCs collect treasure and just as they get ready to leave, Jareska and a band of badass shadar-kai show up to take the pommel of Rendwrought. Social skill challenge. Jareska doesn’t want them dead, just out of the way so she can get what she wants. Besides, they might just prove useful again in the future. If fight breaks out, shadar-kai fight to subdue, not kill. Make sure the shadar-kai mention their Master, foreshadowing the conflict with Khlorphaxtius. When Jareska has the pommel, she teleports away with her prize, leaving the PCs to their treasure.
• PCs return to FH rich, level up, and head back south to Fallcrest.
