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Level 1 4e campaign idea -- help me vet it
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<blockquote data-quote="Halivar" data-source="post: 4118844" data-attributes="member: 9327"><p>I'm starting a level 1 4e campaign to pass the time until release, and I wanted to get some help fleshing out holes n' things in my campaign idea. This campaign needs to last about 8-10 weeks, but what I have down here looks like it will only take four. What can I add to stretch it out?</p><p></p><p>Four players inherit an old, abandoned keep near a remote, autonomous village in a deep forest (how do four characters, all without prior knowledge of each other, and all different races, co-inherit a keep that hasn't been inhabited for decades?).</p><p></p><p>Job #1: Clear out the keep. I'll have to make up some level 1 undead, with possibly a crypt-boss in the basement (Who is he? The previous owner? The previous owner's murdered lover?).</p><p></p><p>After the players set up shop in the keep and explore the town, they find out that the villagers annually sacrifice a virgin to a local dragon as "protection." The tribute is enforced by a selfish magistrate and ruthless county sheriff. Kobolds in service to the dragon have recently shown up in town as "dignitaries" in preparation for the "lottery festival."</p><p></p><p>Job #2: Either stop the lottery by taking out the sheriff and the town guard, or stop the kobolds from carrying the virgin back to the dragon. If option #2 is taken, the players will still have to deal with the sheriff when they return to town.</p><p></p><p>The dragon is displeased that the centuries-old agreement with the town has been broken, and orders his kobolds to raze the village.</p><p></p><p>Job #3: Defend the villagers, either by building defenses for the village, or moving the villagers into the keep and prepare for a siege. Most of the battle should take place off-panel, as the players face the kobold captain in the <em>real</em> action.</p><p></p><p>The dragon does not choose to come into play until his kobold forces have been decimated. He comes out and begin regularly strafing the village with his acid breath.</p><p></p><p>Job #4: The players must hunt down the dragon to his layer and kill him. For this, they will need to enlist the help of other NPC characters.</p><p></p><p>Some other ideas:</p><p>1) The deed to the keep also includes an old trading post in town. Since this is a PoL setting, the trading post is deserted, and little-to-no interaction takes place with nearby communities. The players may have to travel, themselves, to get the trading post back up and running. Of course, in a community this small, everything works on barter.</p><p>2) By inheriting the keep, the players have also inherited an ancient curse that doomed the previous owner (what is it?).</p><p>3) The keep is cared for by an old man who once acted as the previous lord's servant, and is now indentured by ancient tradition to the players. He also has not entered the keep in years. He has insights into the strange town and its happenings (he's a good guy, but with a dark secret. What is it?).</p><p>4) The "protection" the dragon offers is not just from himself. There <em>really is</em> something out there he's keeping out. When the dragon is dead, they're going to come calling (who are they?).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Halivar, post: 4118844, member: 9327"] I'm starting a level 1 4e campaign to pass the time until release, and I wanted to get some help fleshing out holes n' things in my campaign idea. This campaign needs to last about 8-10 weeks, but what I have down here looks like it will only take four. What can I add to stretch it out? Four players inherit an old, abandoned keep near a remote, autonomous village in a deep forest (how do four characters, all without prior knowledge of each other, and all different races, co-inherit a keep that hasn't been inhabited for decades?). Job #1: Clear out the keep. I'll have to make up some level 1 undead, with possibly a crypt-boss in the basement (Who is he? The previous owner? The previous owner's murdered lover?). After the players set up shop in the keep and explore the town, they find out that the villagers annually sacrifice a virgin to a local dragon as "protection." The tribute is enforced by a selfish magistrate and ruthless county sheriff. Kobolds in service to the dragon have recently shown up in town as "dignitaries" in preparation for the "lottery festival." Job #2: Either stop the lottery by taking out the sheriff and the town guard, or stop the kobolds from carrying the virgin back to the dragon. If option #2 is taken, the players will still have to deal with the sheriff when they return to town. The dragon is displeased that the centuries-old agreement with the town has been broken, and orders his kobolds to raze the village. Job #3: Defend the villagers, either by building defenses for the village, or moving the villagers into the keep and prepare for a siege. Most of the battle should take place off-panel, as the players face the kobold captain in the [i]real[/i] action. The dragon does not choose to come into play until his kobold forces have been decimated. He comes out and begin regularly strafing the village with his acid breath. Job #4: The players must hunt down the dragon to his layer and kill him. For this, they will need to enlist the help of other NPC characters. Some other ideas: 1) The deed to the keep also includes an old trading post in town. Since this is a PoL setting, the trading post is deserted, and little-to-no interaction takes place with nearby communities. The players may have to travel, themselves, to get the trading post back up and running. Of course, in a community this small, everything works on barter. 2) By inheriting the keep, the players have also inherited an ancient curse that doomed the previous owner (what is it?). 3) The keep is cared for by an old man who once acted as the previous lord's servant, and is now indentured by ancient tradition to the players. He also has not entered the keep in years. He has insights into the strange town and its happenings (he's a good guy, but with a dark secret. What is it?). 4) The "protection" the dragon offers is not just from himself. There [i]really is[/i] something out there he's keeping out. When the dragon is dead, they're going to come calling (who are they?). [/QUOTE]
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