Lighthearted Campaign Ideas

[Dragon Mage]

The campaign I am running is approaching it's end. And after almost 2 years of Doom and Destruction (RTtToEE) I want to run something much more lighthearted and without such dire consequences for failure. I need your help!

Can anyone give me some ideas for some modules or dungeon magazine adventures that will portray an easygoing atmosphere. I still want to stick with the basic (D&D 3E) fantasy, but any setting or themes are OK. I am thinking of starting at about 4th or 5th level to allow monster races, and going into Epic levels. So adventures of any level can help as I can peice them together to build a campaign. They can be any edition, I don't mind converting, and am willing to make any changes to exisiting modules to achieve this. I have access to most every TSR, WoC, D20 module, I just have not had time to read them all.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Balgus]

Have them return to their hometown, and find it in disarray. They townsfolk are in dispute over a sacred Cow that the neighboring town stole. Both towns want it, as when it comes of age, it will be sacrificed to the Holy Bovine God, where the town will be blessed with a bountiful harvest for the next 10 years.

Have them RP a couple days that has nothing to do with fighting.
On the day that it does become of age, the sacred cow starts to talk and leads a revolt. It gathers up the farm animals to overthrow the farmers and move to the other side of the mountain, where the grass is greener, and no fences to imprison them.

The only problem is, that if it is not sacrificed on that day, the Gods will be displeased and the towns will suffer 10 years of drought and famine.

 

[Voadam]

Four legs good. Two legs Baaaad.

 

[Voadam]

Have a campaign without big plots, lots of little short adventures such as from Penumbra's en route or the old book of lairs adventures.

Build off of what the players do, and have lots of background plots always going on that the characters can safely ignore (no end of the world events or trapped in the dungeon ones, just hooks they can pursue or not depending upon interest).

Doing some Necro games dungeons where time is not of the essence and they can retreat and heal or even leave completely can be a great change from the MUST PUSH ON AT ALL COSTS OR THE WORLD IS DOOMED type of dark adventuring.

 

[Dragon Mage]

Yes Voadam, that is exactly what I had planed to do.

I think most of the campaign will be character driven. However, I need some ideas for short adventures that don't use a terrible outcome if the players do not succeed (or choose to ignore it all together). I want the players to have alot of freedom and not be forced into accepting seemly impossible task. To do this I fear I will have to have lots of different ideas to fall back on, and I will need to have different published adventures that achieve this sprit.

So if anyone knows of any lighthearted published adventures it would make this alot easier for me.

Thanks again!

 

[Kyramus]

Survivor...

Woke up in somewhere they don't know. They have to try to figure it out.

Toss anything and everything at them without rhyme or reason. Have people with guns have scimitar wielding amazons, have space aliens.

Then when they get hurt, use the star wars system.

Have fun witht he force.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I disagree.


Have all the previous urgency. Have all the previous drama. Just make it about something trivial.

Example:


A commoner comes to you for help. Everything rests on the shoulders of the mighty heroes who defeated the evil elemental lords. Only they are strong enough, smart enough, and powerful enough to conquer this new evil ....


... kobalds have stolen the latest hop shipment and now the local tavern can't make beer.

They have but two weeks to rectify this scourage before the end is neigh .... .., well "the end" for a month or two until the new shipment comes in.

Have fun with it.

 

[Dragon Mage]

I am talking about starting a new campaign with new characters. I plan to start about 4th level and work a campaign around a swashbuckling type setting. I need published modules with a lighthearted atmosphere. Any ideas?

Please Help

 

[Trepelano]

Candyland D20

 

[Voadam]

I'd still recommend collections of short adventures, Pumbra is known for interesting and odd adventures check out the Hell Cow sample adventure for En Route on their website www.atlas-games.com

I haven't checked them out but the free WotC adventures look pretty short as well.

Book of Challenges (by WotC) has a bunch of short encounter/adventure ideas for a large array of ELs, many of which can be plugged into any ongoing campaign/dungeon fairly easily.

Kenzer has a bunch of modules that are basically four older modules updated for 3e and very loosely connected. Check out my review of Harvest of Darkness for an example.