Aeric
Explorer
Hello, fellow EN Worlders.
I need some advice on a mid-level campaign I'm going to be running in the near future.
For the past year now, I've been playing in a campaign which has primarily consisted of Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil which, for those unfamiliar with it, is, for the most part, one gigantic dungeon. The campaign is coming to a close within the next month or so, after which the DM has declared he will be taking a break. It's been decided that I will take over as the DM for the group at that point, and they have all expressed an interest in continuing with the current characters. I've never run a game with characters above 10th level before, and by the end of this campaign they will all be 12th-15th level.
Only one of the original PCs (a ranger) is still with the group--he's their leader, in fact--while most of the others are relatively recent additions. The ranger has spent most of his career in the Temple itself, and therefore has garnered relatively little fame or renown for an adventurer of his level (13). The party has had dealings with the temples of Pelor and Heironeous in the nearest big city, as well as that city's magic guild. They are also known to the second-most powerful person in a neighboring kingdom, having rescued her betrothed (a prince) from the Temple. They also have the gratitude of the prince, who is a paladin on par with the PCs themselves as well as the heir to the throne of the dominant kingdom in the region.
I had originally planned to take the party to the Planes to find and slay the Princes of Elemental Evil, thus ending the threat of the Temple once and for all, but the players have expressed an interest in a new story which has nothing to do with the Temple. I have also vowed that they would never see the inside of a dungeon again unless they were arrested
, so another massive site-based campaign is not an option.
A couple of the players are new to roleplaying in general, and the Temple has instilled in them a definite hack-n-slash mentality which I'm hoping to break them of. The rest of the group are veteran roleplayers who are looking forward to a story which involves decisions ranging beyond "which room should we explore next?" I've asked them all what kinds of things they would like to see in the next campaign, and the only one who gave me a definite answer was the player of the ranger, who wanted to take the Leadership feat and lead an army in a war story. Everyone else seemed content to leave it up to me, but I have a feeling that a political campaign (as a result of titles and land grants from the prince and/or his betrothed) would bore them.
If I do wind up running a war story, I definitely know what the background will be.... The countries of the prince and his betrothed are preparing to launch a joint invasion of a neighboring empire controlled by evil humanoids. The two countries will be united as a single, powerful kingdom after the marriage, spelling doom for the evil realm, which has been on the decline for the past 10-15 years. I'm sure that the PCs could find a role to play in this invasion, if they chose to do so.
With all this in mind...what kind of stories do you think would challenge characters of this power level? If a war story, what would the PCs' role be in it? Commanders? Special agents? Elite shock troops? I don't want to turn the campaign into a series of wargames, although there may be nights when that is exactly how things play out. And if not a war story, then what?
Thanks in advance.
I need some advice on a mid-level campaign I'm going to be running in the near future.
For the past year now, I've been playing in a campaign which has primarily consisted of Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil which, for those unfamiliar with it, is, for the most part, one gigantic dungeon. The campaign is coming to a close within the next month or so, after which the DM has declared he will be taking a break. It's been decided that I will take over as the DM for the group at that point, and they have all expressed an interest in continuing with the current characters. I've never run a game with characters above 10th level before, and by the end of this campaign they will all be 12th-15th level.
Only one of the original PCs (a ranger) is still with the group--he's their leader, in fact--while most of the others are relatively recent additions. The ranger has spent most of his career in the Temple itself, and therefore has garnered relatively little fame or renown for an adventurer of his level (13). The party has had dealings with the temples of Pelor and Heironeous in the nearest big city, as well as that city's magic guild. They are also known to the second-most powerful person in a neighboring kingdom, having rescued her betrothed (a prince) from the Temple. They also have the gratitude of the prince, who is a paladin on par with the PCs themselves as well as the heir to the throne of the dominant kingdom in the region.
I had originally planned to take the party to the Planes to find and slay the Princes of Elemental Evil, thus ending the threat of the Temple once and for all, but the players have expressed an interest in a new story which has nothing to do with the Temple. I have also vowed that they would never see the inside of a dungeon again unless they were arrested
, so another massive site-based campaign is not an option.A couple of the players are new to roleplaying in general, and the Temple has instilled in them a definite hack-n-slash mentality which I'm hoping to break them of. The rest of the group are veteran roleplayers who are looking forward to a story which involves decisions ranging beyond "which room should we explore next?" I've asked them all what kinds of things they would like to see in the next campaign, and the only one who gave me a definite answer was the player of the ranger, who wanted to take the Leadership feat and lead an army in a war story. Everyone else seemed content to leave it up to me, but I have a feeling that a political campaign (as a result of titles and land grants from the prince and/or his betrothed) would bore them.
If I do wind up running a war story, I definitely know what the background will be.... The countries of the prince and his betrothed are preparing to launch a joint invasion of a neighboring empire controlled by evil humanoids. The two countries will be united as a single, powerful kingdom after the marriage, spelling doom for the evil realm, which has been on the decline for the past 10-15 years. I'm sure that the PCs could find a role to play in this invasion, if they chose to do so.
With all this in mind...what kind of stories do you think would challenge characters of this power level? If a war story, what would the PCs' role be in it? Commanders? Special agents? Elite shock troops? I don't want to turn the campaign into a series of wargames, although there may be nights when that is exactly how things play out. And if not a war story, then what?
Thanks in advance.
