Need help with campaign

[OfRiceAndHen]

I'll just wait a bit for SidusLupus, Derian Cypher, and Thoughtlich to move on....








*whistles a little tune*










There we go.

I'm starting a new campaign within the next couple of months. The problem is, the PCs all want to play dragons (Thank you, dragonomicon). I was figuring starting them fairly high-level (having an LA of 18) but I want to keep the magic and power of the game fairly middle of the road. Any suggestions for what to do with them? How do they go dungeoneering while being really big?

A couple of factors to consider: They are on a relatively new continent, still mostly unexplored. I made an alignment restriction of any non-evil PCs (made dragons being able to be within one step of their "always" alignment listed in the MM). I don't currently have dragonomicon, but one of the PCs is planning on buying it soon.

Also, I do have one main bad guy whom is in control of most things (24 human wizard/vampire/lich). I figure their main quest will be to stop him from becoming a demilich. What i need is some stuff on how to build up to that while them being dragons. Any help, comments, or constructive criticisms will be very helpful.

PS. sorry if the post seems a little incoherent, writing is not my strong suit

 

[Black_Swan]

Cool idea.

I'm starting a new campaign within the next couple of months. The problem is, the PCs all want to play dragons (Thank you, dragonomicon). I was figuring starting them fairly high-level (having an LA of 18) but I want to keep the magic and power of the game fairly middle of the road. Any suggestions for what to do with them? How do they go dungeoneering while being really big?

Since your bad guy is a Lich maybe you could have this continent plagued by Draco Liches...Your Lich friend has been hunting/killing and re-animating dragons for his own nefarious deeds.

Your PC's are finding dragon lairs but no dragons..they've been inhabited by other creatures. This goes on for a couple of lairs until they find one where the inhabitants are all dead...under control of the dracolich. This is where you can clue them in on what's going on with dragons in the world.

 

[OfRiceAndHen]

Oooooo, I like dracoliches. Any more ideas, people?

 

[Nightfall]

make them have to guard stuff for a while. Instead kind of a Dungeon Keeper deal where they have to defend their lairs from adventurers.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I think I would have them as young adults and as such have the need to start to build their horde and to locate a lair making adventures around that.

 

[Nightfall]

I think I would have them as young adults and as such have the need to start to build their horde and to locate a lair making adventures around that.

That was my thinking as well. I mean if they want to play dragons, make them have to hire out people to help them build lairs, and defend it from pesky adventurers.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Do you have the 2E product, Council of Wyrms? Here are a couple of ideas:

1. The dragons are freshly hatched and are greeted by ogres come to steal dragon eggs.
2. Frost giant raiders are attacking the dragon lands and the group trail them to their lair... but the giants are also allied with dragon slayers.

I'd go with ogres, trolls and giants as foes until they build up in level. Some sort of fanatical human champions of Tiamat could also be cool opponents, as well as cultists of Ashardalon.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

The Dracolich idea is good. In fact, I would turn the BBEG into a dracolich.

You should consider barring either chromatic or metallic dragons (in this case, red and green and blue are no good) because the two hate each other like nothing else. It's like feywardens and arachnes in one party....
There are several other sorts of dragon to choose from even then (gem dragons and planar dragons, for example.)

And middle power for dragon characters just doesn't match.

As for dungeoneering: they could visit dragon lairs, dungeons which are no real dungeons (outdoors fun), or you could take the Draconomicons suggestion to heart and create a Drakan-like game: Every player has a normal character (human, elf, and so on) and a dragon character. The two of them are bonded somehow and the humanoids are dragonriders. This way, you have a character for every occasion (the lich BBEG will have his dracolich mount, of course)

 

[OfRiceAndHen]

Sorry, all I own are 3e and 3.5e books.

By the way, forgive my moment of mental midgetry, but what book has the dracolich in it?

 

[maddman75]

Sorry, all I own are 3e and 3.5e books.

By the way, forgive my moment of mental midgetry, but what book has the dracolich in it?

Get thyself to ebay and try to hunt down a copy of the COuncil of Wyrms 2e setting. You'll have to ignore the crunchy parts, but the fluffy is worth it. It details an entire continent ruled by dragons, which the PCs play. Has reasons for different color dragons to be adventuring together. Adventure ideas. Enemies in the form of enslaving giants and dragonslayers. Well worth tracking down for this purpose.