Need ideas for new campaign 2 parties against each other

[MuL]

I'm in 2 seperate D&D groups a Sat night game and a Sunday game that plays every other week. Both groups have 6 players myself and another guy are the only 2 that play in both games.

After reading the Head of Vecna I was thinking I would try to run a game that would pit my two D&D groups against each other.

http://www.blindpanic.com/humor/vecna.htm

So I'm looking for suggestions and ideas. Heres my basic thoughts : One party would be good aligned and would play on Saturday the evils on Sunday. The other player who plays in both games would be a clone or a spy or a ???? and would help me control the players so they would not cross paths to soon.

I'm thinking this be a short lived campaign say levels 3-7 maybe 10-15 sessions and at the climax both groups would play the same day and battle it out against each other. Not sure if I would even tell either group what was going on till they meet.

This seems like a fun idea but may prove troublesome to excute so I'm looking for someone to inspire me with a few thoughts.

Thanks

 

[saethone]

i would go levels 10-20 or something so you can use exalted versus vile
BOY would that be fun haha

 

[Eremite]

I think the best way for this to work is to have the climax of the two campaigns a grand battle between the two parties, perhaps on another plane.

Maybe the two groups are unknowingly battling over a dead god. The good group is trying to keep it that way, the evil group are trying to wake it up. A final confrontation on a dead god's corpse in the astral plane sounds like a great way to end two campaigns!

 

[MuL]

I can picture something like step pyramid on top the main villain some high level cleric trying to release Thaziadun God of entropy when from one side the good party enters the cavern and then see the other party across the cavern.

Mix in dozens of zealot worshipers and some lava pits its starting to look like a scene from the Temple of Doom. Question is do I help hinder either side to prolong the battle via the Npcs or let it play out fairly. I can see the one party being stronger then the other. Even using a = point-buy for stats and trying to hand out equal shares of loot.

Vile / exalted is an idea I sure have not got my monies worth out of those books yet and setting it on another plane could keep anyone from trying to flee. I think atlest one of my players would try to run if the tide turns against him.

Now just want to figure out how I can pit the players against each other so they are setting traps and trying to foil one another. Having some interaction so that it just does not turn into 2 normal campaigns with one big battle between the parties at the end.

 

[Eremite]

I like the Tharizdun idea and also the whole concept of a step pyramid and lava pits.

You're right about trying to balance the two parties; it would be very difficult to do. However, perhaps you could hold reinforcements for both parties in reserve depending on how they are faring?

As for one or more of the party potentially running away, I suppose the best answer is to ensure that they have sufficient emotion invested in the final outcome to keep them there irrespective of what happens.

 

[azmodean]

I think an important question is wether both parties will be "traditional" DnD parties, or if you are going to push one or both to do some somewhat non-traditional things.

For instance will you want the evil party to build a lair or some such and fill it with traps, or will both groups be your typical wandering groups of adventurers with no real "home"?

The key I think will be getting the parties as close to each other as possible at times, without actually having them meet. Since you aren't actually directing the parties, it could be quite difficult to do. Also difficult will be managing the bloodlust of the two groups, who will want to off their opposite group as soon as they hear of them.

Very interesting idea all around, both from the playing and planning sides.

 

[Thanee]

What could be fun would be not a direct confrontation (maybe as campaign climax), but rather that they get sent on "missions", which influences what happens to the other party or even sets new goals for them and vice versa, when they find out what happened.

For each party, the other party is just a mysterious player in the background, that they never even get close to, but the results of their deeds are not.

For example, one party has to go to an old wizard for counsel and to ask for an artifact, which is in his possession, but before they get there, the other party already raided his tower and killed him, and of course stole the item and brought it to their employer from whom the first party then has to retrieve it, and so on...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Ferox4]

What could be fun would be not a direct confrontation (maybe as campaign climax), but rather that they get sent on "missions", which influences what happens to the other party or even sets new goals for them and vice versa, when they find out what happened.

For each party, the other party is just a mysterious player in the background, that they never even get close to, but the results of their deeds are not.

For example, one party has to go to an old wizard for counsel and to ask for an artifact, which is in his possession, but before they get there, the other party already raided his tower and killed him, and of course stole the item and brought it to their employer from whom the first party then has to retrieve it, and so on...

Bye
Thanee

We ran something very similar to this a few years back and it was great. It only went for about 5-6 sessions and there were overlapping players in both parties, but they played in character very well and didn't tip the cards too much. There's fun to be had with this. Enjoy.

Cheers