Need help with a FR campaign (new DM)

[White Wizard]

Ideas for a 3.5 FR campaign (new DM)
Hey. Ive just recently decided to take up DM a campaign since our main DM is burnt out. Ive only run a couple pregenerated modules and have little experience creating a campaign from scratch. The group of player I play with prefer to play in the Forgotten Realms so ive decided to try and create a campaign there and need some help fleshing out a full plot. Here is what I have so far:

A member/cleric of the Brotherhood of the Glorius Sun (a sect of the church of Lathander) believes it is time for Amaunator to return as Sun lord. He has researched and thinks that Amaunator is floating in the Astral Plane and is looking for a way to return Amaunator to glory in time for the erection of the Church of Amaunator in 1374 DR.

I also would like to work the diety Mask into the picture under the assumption that he fears the return of Amaunator more than lathander as Lathander is just the morning lord, where Amaunator had the Sun portfolio. I had some plot ideas about Mask somehow tricking a paladin of Lathander into slaying the cleric of the Brotherhood.

What I need assistance in is
1. This is a new campaign where the characters will be starting at level 1. Any recomendations on how to start the campaign off would be helpful
2. Does anyone know any specifics on what it would take to pull a dead diety from the Astral Plane? Is this possible? Any help in this area would be nice. I thought maybe he could do a ritual using some long lost item of Amaunator, and would somehow convince the church of Lathander to quest for it involving the PC's.
3.How can I work Mask into the picture. Does he have any specific group of followers I could use?

Any suggestions would be appreciated, as Im new to DMing and also have limited Knowledge of the Forgotten Realms. I know enough about the setting from playing, but not for DMing unfortunately.

 

[hamishspence]

Finder's Bane novel

An artifact (contains some of the deity's divine power), a cleric (living), a special prayer of some sort was how it was done in this novel. Finder had siphoned off his power, making him effectively mortal.

Same can work for deceased deities.

Power of Faerun had character trying to raise belief in Amaunator by performing big miracle: causing Sun to apparently not set. epic spell.

Amaunator might not actually be dead, but changed, using the Risen Sun heresy. Effectively you aren't resurrecting the deity, but changing the existing one, Lathlander, back into his previous form.

Tymora's Luck had premise of Lathlander attempting to fuse Beshaba and Tymora back together into orginal deity: Tyche. Another case of bringing deity back by transforming the existing ones.

 

[White Wizard]

Thanks for the suggestions. Do you know of any Artifacts of Amaunator that could be used?

Also, how would the transformation from Lathander to Amaunator go about? I was thinking that the corpse of Amaunator was floating the Astral Plane (I picked that up from somewhere but dont remember where). Is it possible that if someone was to revive him then he would Join with Lathander under the rules set by AO?

Do you have any advice on using Mask. He is diety I know absolutely nothing about, but I felt he fit the most as he has the shadow portfolio and I didnt want to use Shar as my past DM has used her for his last 2 campaigns.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[SweeneyTodd]

I'm not sure if this is helpful, I hope it is. I don't think heavy rigorous backstory and new DMs mix very well -- not that you should be dissuaded from what you're working on, I'm just saying, I'd focus primarily on what sounds like it'd be a fun adventure, and figure out how the metaplot and whatnot fit into it after that part's nailed down.

One way I like to approach it is to figure out what would be the adventuring setting/milleu that you think would be really fun for the party for, say, levels 1-5. Then from that you can work backwards to figure out how your big plotline will impact that area, and that'll give you a base for some starting opposition.

Just throwing that out there. Good luck!

 

[Faraer]

1. This is a new campaign where the characters will be starting at level 1. Any recomendations on how to start the campaign off would be helpful

In broad terms, I'd start it as you would most Realms campaigns: with a set of smaller plot threads and happenings going on around the PCs which they can choose to involve themselves with, and perhaps a catalyzing event that drives them in a particular starting direction. Using the 'wheels within structure', this might later be found to be caused by a higher-level conflict, and so on, until the PCs find out about your big central plot, which they'll have to be made to care about through loyalty, religious affiliation, etc. That's just one of the many problems with deciding what a campaign's going to be in advance, and my advice would be to keep it more organic, multistranded, and PC-led.

Personally, the Amaunator/Lathander thing is one of the least interesting latterday additions to the Realms, but I do recommend you look at Power of Faerûn if it interests you.

2. Does anyone know any specifics on what it would take to pull a dead diety from the Astral Plane?

Bringing back dead gods is discussed in Faiths & Avatars, the main source on the Faerûnian pantheon, available as a $4 download from Paizo.com; it's touched on in various other sources including those mentioned by hamishspence, but ultimately I'd make it work to suit your campaign. These are divine mysteries, after all.

3.How can I work Mask into the picture. Does he have any specific group of followers I could use?

The god would send divine visions to inspire followers. Mask's priesthood is independent in each major city or region, but there are also roving Maskarran adventuring bands and other affiliated groups, as well as the mysterious Circle of the Gray Ribbon. See Faiths & Avatars again.

 

[White Wizard]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will look into Faiths & Avatars since it sounds like it might have alot of what im looking for.