Need help with new campaign in working on please!
Hey people looking for a little help.
Starting a new campaign with my group and have my general theme and plot but having a tough time connecting some of the detail.
I recently purchased the Doomed Sword Coast from dmsguild and want to incorporate it into this campaign (my players know I have this module so I'm trying to find ways to still surprise them).
Here's what I'm thinking for my premise: The players embark on seemingly low stake quests in a sandox style campaign, where they are choosing the quests mostly for gold and getting comfortable with their characters (this is to lower their guard). After a few easier quests/dungeon crawl, they meet a "wizard" who turns out to be Vecna in disguise. This wizard will set the party on a series of quests that will, unknowing to the party, alter the reality of the Sword Coast and turn it to the apocalyptic landscape of the Doomed Sword Coast. This will shift gears (at this point the players will be around level 12 and we transition to high level play), and the players must undo Vecna's plans and return the Sword Coast to its normal state.
Here's my problem: If your familiar with the Doomed Sword Coast, it's an alternate time-line where the major DnD 5e campaigns failed and the world is in chaos (Tiamat roams the sky, Zariel successfully pulled BD to Avernus, Demonlords from the abyss wreak havoc). I would like to find some quests that disguised Vecna send the party on, that touch on some key components from each of the major 5e campaigns. Something like they have to acquire key artifacts from those campaigns or something involving the campaigns. I pretty much want my players to unknowingly be pawns manipulated by Vecna himself.
I hope this makes sense and would appreciate any help smoothing out this campaign. Thanks!
My advice: don't script out how your players will react. What if they say "no" to the quest wizard? And why would a demigod need a band of low-level nobodies to do anything for them, other than to giggle in glee when they figure out he's secretly the bad guy? He has an entire religious cult of folks willing to die for him throughout the multiverse. And why aren't the high-level folks in Waterdeep doing anything?
I haven't played that product, but what's wrong with its original premise? Prior adventuring groups failed, all the bad stuff from the D&D adventures like Rise of Tiamat happened. This group comes along, and against all odds they aim to undo it. That sounds awesome, especially if you're familiar with the original products.
My advice: don't script out how your players will react. What if they say "no" to the quest wizard? And why would a demigod need a band of low-level nobodies to do anything for them, other than to giggle in glee when they figure out he's secretly the bad guy? He has an entire religious cult of folks willing to die for him throughout the multiverse. And why aren't the high-level folks in Waterdeep doing anything?
I haven't played that product, but what's wrong with its original premise? Prior adventuring groups failed, all the bad stuff from the D&D adventures like Rise of Tiamat happened. This group comes along, and against all odds they aim to undo it. That sounds awesome, especially if you're familiar with the original products.
My advice: don't script out how your players will react. What if they say "no" to the quest wizard? And why would a demigod need a band of low-level nobodies to do anything for them, other than to giggle in glee when they figure out he's secretly the bad guy? He has an entire religious cult of folks willing to die for him throughout the multiverse. And why aren't the high-level folks in Waterdeep doing anything?
I haven't played that product, but what's wrong with its original premise? Prior adventuring groups failed, all the bad stuff from the D&D adventures like Rise of Tiamat happened. This group comes along, and against all odds they aim to undo it. That sounds awesome, especially if you're familiar with the original products.
Good points about the high level heroes in Waterdeep and Vecna’s cult. Maybe I should scrap the big reveal of the fake wizard.
As far as the high level heroes goes, Tomb of Annihilation is involved so the Death Curse I thought could solve that problem.
The reason I don’t want to have all the bad outcomes of the campaign happen is that I don’t want to have to explain with a huge lore dump how these all failed. I was mostly wanting to have Easter Eggs from the campaigns and focus on some key points.
This obviously needs lots of work but appreciate the tips.
For what it’s worth my original idea was to start them as a high level party that already completed the campaigns and they wake up in the Doomed Sword Coast seeing all their work undone. Ideally this would be best if my players actually played the campaigns and got there naturally. I just don’t want to wait years to try this new module. Thanks again!
You know I think you may be right about the lack of focus. This Doomed Sword Coast gazetteer has I believe 5-7 campaigns involved and comes with a crazy map, that although cool was a bit of a chaotic mess.
I was trying to organize all this chaos but I think ultimately you might be onto something by cutting it down to around 3. Bonus is I don’t have to crunch 7 modules worth of lore lol.
Thanks for the advice!
In a campaign setting where the big bad guys won...I don't think you need to introduce yet another big bad guy like Vecna. Just let the PCs loose on the bad guys you've already got. The last thing a premise like this needs is further complication or yet another flavor of evil.
That’s fair and might make the story simpler. Any suggestions on how these events came out worst case scenario? I’m thinking of only incorporating a few campaigns: Descent into Avernus, Rise of Tiamat, Tomb of Annihilation, (maybe Out of the Abyss)
You know I think you may be right about the lack of focus. This Doomed Sword Coast gazetteer has I believe 5-7 campaigns involved and comes with a crazy map, that although cool was a bit of a chaotic mess.
I was trying to organize all this chaos but I think ultimately you might be onto something by cutting it down to around 3. Bonus is I don’t have to crunch 7 modules worth of lore lol.
Thanks for the advice!
My group has played in like 5 of those campaigns (not Giants nor Tyranny of Dragons); and it might be super fun to run this for a group like that - full of all sorts of easter eggs.
But if your group isn't familiar, then I'm not sure how interesting it would be for them? Or rather, all that stuff will be background for whatever THEY are going to focus on.
That said, I think your idea could have some legs tbh.
Here's a twist that might work... And also can give the players some easter eggs themselves.
Vecna approaches the players IN THE PAST. So they are actually from a century (or more!) before all the terrible things happening now in the Doomed Sword Coast. Vecna has them do things like steal or hide or somehow remove objects or people who could have been instrumental in preventing the evils. Then when they get to roughly 10th level, somehow they get trapped in some sort of time vortex - maybe even continuing to adventure - perhaps you could insert them into Wild Beyond the Witchlight or something. They could even make new characters. But then "it was all a dream..." and they come back to themselves, but can retain some of the essence of their characters in Wild Beyond the Witchlight. (that last part maybe too whacky, I don't know)
Anyway, they are now in the future, and some of those easter eggs are the places they went to at earlier levels - but turned Doomed Sword Coast too.
Tyranny of Dragons
The players kill Onthar Frume; or they find the Green Dragon Mask and unwittingly provide it to someone who then sells it early on to the Dragon Cult
Princes of the Apocalypse
Never played nor read, so can't speak to this
Out of the Abyss
They do soemthing that means that Blingendstone (the deep gnome enclave, and a place where the PCs can finally get a bit of rest and succor in the Underdark) never revivies. Whether it's somehow causing the Diggermattocks to never be born; or perhaps never meet (as a married couple their partnership is greater than each individually); or perhaps killing the basilisks that have been protecting Entemoch's Boon; or final idea along these lines - causing Ogremoch's Bane to be released?
Tomb of Annihilation
So, there's a bunch of stuff in here, but one key throughline are the Red Wizards. And Zagmira the Red Wizard in charge of the expedition in Omu, is actually a much older person who has inhabited the body of their own grandchild (blech). Zagmira helps the party either by giving them a connection in Ras Nasi's camp; or discovering collecting some of the cubes of the nine gods, thereby clearing out the traps. Either way, if Zagmira isn't there in Omu it could be argued that Acererak was never stopped. So perhaps in the past, the party killed the red wizard Zagmira.
Storm King’s Thunder
I think it would be cool if somehow the players found a piece of the Voidinod - maybe even the Heart of the Voidinod - and the don't even know it, selling it as a simple magic item back to a "magic item peddler" (haha, Vecna in disguise?)
Descent into Avernus
Never played, but one whacky idea is they find/rescue Lulu, the hollyphant, who then becomes their travelling companion (because of course the players will love a sweet miniature mammoth), who is then put into statis with them. Because no Lulu, the heroes who were supposed to stop Zariel never had a chance.
Rime of the Frostmaiden
Perhaps the party rescues Nass Lantomir, who had stolen the Professor Orb from one of her fellow Arcane Brotherood members. This orb proves to be very helpful in getting the Netherese city to work to banish Auril. So without the Professor Orb (and Valleyne's help) , it could be that Auril is never defeated. So while they rescue Nass, and save a life, their small act of kindness leads to untold suffering in the North. Oh wait, that happens recently. Hmmm still could be a fun thing. What if instead...
Another idea, along the same lines, is the Harpell family never comes into posession of the Professor Orb at all, and therefore Valleyne isn't there to give the heroes aid, and thus they perish in the Netherese city, and never vanquish Auril.
Well that was a fun jaunt down memory lane.
And also, now I want to run this campaign haha.
Good luck @PrinceBronx , if you ever run it, report back to us here at ENWorld!
My group has played in like 5 of those campaigns (not Giants nor Tyranny of Dragons); and it might be super fun to run this for a group like that - full of all sorts of easter eggs.
But if your group isn't familiar, then I'm not sure how interesting it would be for them? Or rather, all that stuff will be background for whatever THEY are going to focus on.
That said, I think your idea could have some legs tbh.
Here's a twist that might work... And also can give the players some easter eggs themselves.
Vecna approaches the players IN THE PAST. So they are actually from a century (or more!) before all the terrible things happening now in the Doomed Sword Coast. Vecna has them do things like steal or hide or somehow remove objects or people who could have been instrumental in preventing the evils. Then when they get to roughly 10th level, somehow they get trapped in some sort of time vortex - maybe even continuing to adventure - perhaps you could insert them into Wild Beyond the Witchlight or something. They could even make new characters. But then "it was all a dream..." and they come back to themselves, but can retain some of the essence of their characters in Wild Beyond the Witchlight. (that last part maybe too whacky, I don't know)
Anyway, they are now in the future, and some of those easter eggs are the places they went to at earlier levels - but turned Doomed Sword Coast too.
Tyranny of Dragons
The players kill Onthar Frume; or they find the Green Dragon Mask and unwittingly provide it to someone who then sells it early on to the Dragon Cult
Princes of the Apocalypse
Never played nor read, so can't speak to this
Out of the Abyss
They do soemthing that means that Blingendstone (the deep gnome enclave, and a place where the PCs can finally get a bit of rest and succor in the Underdark) never revivies. Whether it's somehow causing the Diggermattocks to never be born; or perhaps never meet (as a married couple their partnership is greater than each individually); or perhaps killing the basilisks that have been protecting Entemoch's Boon; or final idea along these lines - causing Ogremoch's Bane to be released?
Tomb of Annihilation
So, there's a bunch of stuff in here, but one key throughline are the Red Wizards. And Zagmira the Red Wizard in charge of the expedition in Omu, is actually a much older person who has inhabited the body of their own grandchild (blech). Zagmira helps the party either by giving them a connection in Ras Nasi's camp; or discovering collecting some of the cubes of the nine gods, thereby clearing out the traps. Either way, if Zagmira isn't there in Omu it could be argued that Acererak was never stopped. So perhaps in the past, the party killed the red wizard Zagmira.
Storm King’s Thunder
I think it would be cool if somehow the players found a piece of the Voidinod - maybe even the Heart of the Voidinod - and the don't even know it, selling it as a simple magic item back to a "magic item peddler" (haha, Vecna in disguise?)
Descent into Avernus
Never played, but one whacky idea is they find/rescue Lulu, the hollyphant, who then becomes their travelling companion (because of course the players will love a sweet miniature mammoth), who is then put into statis with them. Because no Lulu, the heroes who were supposed to stop Zariel never had a chance.
Rime of the Frostmaiden
Perhaps the party rescues Nass Lantomir, who had stolen the Professor Orb from one of her fellow Arcane Brotherood members. This orb proves to be very helpful in getting the Netherese city to work to banish Auril. So without the Professor Orb (and Valleyne's help) , it could be that Auril is never defeated. So while they rescue Nass, and save a life, their small act of kindness leads to untold suffering in the North. Oh wait, that happens recently. Hmmm still could be a fun thing. What if instead...
Another idea, along the same lines, is the Harpell family never comes into posession of the Professor Orb at all, and therefore Valleyne isn't there to give the heroes aid, and thus they perish in the Netherese city, and never vanquish Auril.
Well that was a fun jaunt down memory lane.
And also, now I want to run this campaign haha.
Good luck @PrinceBronx , if you ever run it, report back to us here at ENWorld!
This rules!! Thanks for the cool ideas. I’m digging the past lives or time aspect. I’m thinking now maybe starting the campaign in the Doomed Forgotten Realms, and the party might have to “go back in time” to try and thwart these events before they happened. I dunno that just popped up. Either way I’m really appreciating these tips. I’ll let you know what I finally settle on
