mini-adventure path - help needed..

[Phlebas]

Hi all

while some of my regular group are away (Honeymoon), I had an idea to let people play something different and run a brief campaign from 1-20

the idea is that I'd run an adventure in a night (thats why it'd have to be a mini-adventure - <6 combats and a bit of RP/exploration). I'd then let them go up 3 or so levels, and then we'd have another one. The idea would be to hit 20th level before the honeymooners return and we go back to the normal campaigns.

But what I really need now is some ideas to hang it all together. I don't want it to feel as if i'm rolling random encounters but equally i don't want to spend ages on the plot since it will have to be over so quickly. there'd have to be a natural gap between each adventure so the levelling doesn't seem forced.
I also want to have a variety of monsters / encounters rather than be restricted to one type but some continuity would be nice from adventure to adventure


stuff i'm considering

ruined temple near vilage - periodically infested with evil, villagers keep calling back the same party to deal with it

an evil cleric as a nemesis NPC and have him coming back - either by escaping, ressurecting or becoming undead. Since i'll be playing Pathfinder rules the evil cleric channeling negative energy would make a truly scary BBEG for the final climax.

quest - possibly labours of hercules style tasks to overcome at prescribed points in time.

war - track down and kill various BBEG on the other side

Crypt / tomb - investigate a level every year

I don't need detailed encounters as much as the framework to make creating the detail easy - so give me your best ideas!

 

[Gilladian]

I like the temple idea - There could be hidden levels that they're just not capable of finding early on. It could even combine with the crypt/tomb concept since the temple would be resting over the crypt.

Perhaps the area was in centuries past part of an evil empire that was overthrown, and this was one of the sacked temples of said empire. Rumor has it that an arch-baddie dwelt there, but fled when war came. Of course, he really just retreated deep below and started a ritual to become undead.

Maybe he got stuck partway through the transformation, and is just now able to use an ability to summon aid, or his infernal/unhallowed nature simply creates an attractive atmosphere for evil.

It might be really interesting if what draws them back once or twice is an evil adventuring group (perhaps always led by the same leader, who escapes) that tries to get down to the ultimate baddie's lair in the depths of the temple. Recurring rivalries are always a good motive for the PCs.

You could even somehow work it so that the first adventure involves building some trust/liking between the groups, leading to a betrayal when the bad guy group slips away to plunge deeper into the temple, thinking they're about to reach their goal.

 

[Phlebas]

I like the temple idea - There could be hidden levels that they're just not capable of finding early on. It could even combine with the crypt/tomb concept since the temple would be resting over the crypt.

Perhaps the area was in centuries past part of an evil empire that was overthrown, and this was one of the sacked temples of said empire. Rumor has it that an arch-baddie dwelt there, but fled when war came. Of course, he really just retreated deep below and started a ritual to become undead.

Maybe he got stuck partway through the transformation, and is just now able to use an ability to summon aid, or his infernal/unhallowed nature simply creates an attractive atmosphere for evil.

Thats quite a nice way of building up to the final battle - and its also something you can do on a slow reveal -
ie on the first level, the party only know its a ruined temple to x
x is a hero of the evil empire
x is buried in the temple
x is more than human
x now has lots of tentacles and wants to eat your souls
("How do we know that?" "He just woke up and is blocking the exit..")

It might be really interesting if what draws them back once or twice is an evil adventuring group (perhaps always led by the same leader, who escapes) that tries to get down to the ultimate baddie's lair in the depths of the temple. Recurring rivalries are always a good motive for the PCs.

Hmm, if there are various rituals to open the sacred seals on the temple that could explain the intermittent nature of the adventure. Its a nice touch for recurring villains (ooh, evil order of xxx - give them a common outfit and then it wouldn't matter if there were no / limited survivors as you can always find more cultists...) to appear and open stuff up - which would cause a lot of problems in the area and the villagers would call in the cavalry.
I quite like the idea of the party walking through recognisable levels with new guards and then reaching something new ("You can't just blame me for not searching well enough, I swear that big doorway just wasn't here last year")

You could even somehow work it so that the first adventure involves building some trust/liking between the groups, leading to a betrayal when the bad guy group slips away to plunge deeper into the temple, thinking they're about to reach their goal.

Thats a nice touch - i could always introducesome 'random' npc(s) to 'make up the numbers' for the party and then have him/her dissapear/die on the level 1 adventure.
OR
the mayor / baron / noble who hires that party to clear the temple out originally has a secret agenda that only becomes apparent as the adventure progresses.... Need to make sure that the party work out that its OK to kill the barons servants or they could go all Lawful on me..

 

[Gilladian]

The only problem I see with having the Baron be the evil one is that at some point the PCs will decide they're strong enough to take out the Baron. And then you have to do all that work writing him up. Unless you've conveniently already got a nice Baron and his keep sitting around ready to go!

But it could shift the plot away from the temple to the local political structure if you're not careful.

Having random cultists infiltrate the temple periodically keeps the focus ON the temple. But that's your choice...

 

[Phlebas]

Fair points - got to keep remembering the mini bit of this adventure.

so going to go for a NPC on the first adventure who will either bite the dust, or somehow get corrupted and then be the nemesis / behind the scenes puppeteer for the next few adventures before the 'thing' underneath the temple arises. The NPC will be a worshipper of the empire gods, trying to rejuvenate old temples. he'll be LN to start (to avoid pinging a paladins radar)

like the idea of the temple being the remnant of an old, evil empire (I joked once about Gnomish empires based on charm spells - maybe silly enough and be interesting to give the gnome some respect in his current situation....).

Maybe the locals have no idea what gods were worshipped there, just that they are old and 'foreign'. The NPC can start being naive, following the LN aspect of the pantheon, but then succumb to the 'dark side'

have to think about how the PC Cleric fits into this system - probably a different pantheon would be simplest

think thats a reasonable outline - basically return (again & again) to the temple on the hill. one map, just add levels (& some rebuilding) every session. One outdoor encounter on way to temple and then inhabitants / guards / traps / BBEG in the ruins

 

[Gilladian]

Sounds like a plan!

Maybe you could throw in a little local color, like bandits who try to rob them when they emerge from the temple. It could be a fun "reality check" because the first time it happens, they will probably really have trouble with them, but as time goes on, even wounded and weary, they should be able to handle a local bandit gang easily.

 

[Phlebas]

Hmm, suddenly got the image from crouching tiger, hidden dragon of the bandits attempting to mug the sword master.

Could end up as a nice recurring comic relief.....

 

[Phlebas]

First session last thursday, another thread in the general for discussion here as i don't really want my players in this one.

funnily enough the background i'd roughed out (the beguiled empire, run by gnomes using charmed humanoid armies) really fit in with the players character choices (one gnome and a half-orc + 2 humans) and the bandits i'd put in for comic relief ended up mugging them on the way out. the paladin took offence and has said she wants to spend the next adventure hunting them down so i've already got my next hook to bring them back.

I'm resisting the urge to do much more background, but i might have a straw poll at the end to ask what setting the players like best for when my current campaign winds up and i move to PF for the next one.

 

[Gilladian]

Your game sounds great! Near TPK's are always nerve-wracking, but it sounds like you managed a good recovery.

Of course, now you have to tie the bandits in to the temple, somehow. Maybe their lair is a back door to a lower level? Maybe their boss is a cultist? And who is helping them dispose of their loot?

 

[Phlebas]

the temple is at the head of a valley, the site of a large battle in the distant history which is why its not farmed or frequented by the locals. since its relatively deserted the bandits were taking advantage of this to catch their breath.

I'm not sure how much i want to tie the bandits into the temple to be honest, if i want to use them as comic relief i don't want them too dark and evil. though if they end up as unwitting stooges - eg selling stuff to a cultist... I had envisioned the bandits as a source of information to the party in the long term

since i had the bandits as a recurring theme & a cleric in the party i didn't use the NPC cleric i'd prepped. I think the next adventure will involve the npc cleric being sent to the temple to renovate it, and then being captured by the bandits and held for ransom. the party will have to explore the temple to find out what happened to the priest, probably opening some sealed doors...

the follwing adventure will involve discovering the corruption of the temple and what happened to the priest !

Your game sounds great! Near TPK's are always nerve-wracking, but it sounds like you managed a good recovery.

thanks - luckily the monk discovered how to roll double figures at the end, so no fudging required!