Need plot help for new Dawnforge campaign

[Acid_crash]

I am finally going to be running a game using the new Dawnforge setting, but I am now finding myself in need of a good few initial plot hooks to get it started. I am trying something different and I have decided not to have any major over-arching story that I want to accomplish, but because of this I am also finding myself trying to come up with a few hooks for the players to choose between for their initial adventures. In other words, I want to respond to their decisions.

The characters I have so far include: a Saltblood Rogue estranged from his family who think he is dead, a Niomus Gem Master traveling to the continent of Anderland for the first time, a Lizardfolk Shaman who has traveled to Anderland to find his missing mate, a Doppleganger Hexblade who has connections with a thieve's guild, and a one-handed Orc Pit Fighter who has worked with said thieve's guild. The Saltblood, Lizardfolk, and Niomus are in one group heading towards the city of Riversend, the Doppleganger is being run out of a town because of his unlucky curse, and the Orc has background ties with both the Saltblood and the Doppleganger, so I have everything set as far as them eventually becoming a group.

Now, however, once they are together, and they are nearing Riversend, I am hoping to get some help from you wonderful gamers so I don't end up starting them in a tavern.

 

[Derulbaskul]

What's a "Niomus Gem Master"?

Riversend is a good choice as it is very "adventurer-driven". The most important hook mentioned in the character backgrounds is the lizardfolk's desire to find his mate.

Is the lizardfolk from Tamerland? If so, perhaps his mate was a guardian of a clutch of dragon eggs. She was kidnapped by tiefling mercenaries when they stole the eggs for a fire giant king in the Stormfells (if you read the section on Tamerland it suggests that the tielfings of the Valhedar Dominion do this so they can breed dragons loyal to them... perhaps this is a payoff to the fire giant king in exchange for his aid in an upcoming battle?).

Anyway, she was kidnapped, rather than slain, because she knows how to rear and hatch dragons (see the Draconomicon for rules). After all, dead hatchlings won't do the fire giant king much good... and may render the tieflings' contract null and void.

The lizardfolk shaman needs information on his mate's whereabouts. This eventually places him in contact with the thieves guild. Perhaps he was carrying a large gem with him (the last of the many that brought him this far) and with this he bribed the thieves guild to provide him with both information and an introduction to the other PCs?

Going from there, information is gathered on the tieflings with the aid of the thieves guild and it is discovered that there is a tielfing "embassy" to the fire giants based in some ancient ruins (of a serpentine race; see DF01). Getting to the ruins also requires travelling through an area of haunted barrow mounds.

Also, I've probably skipped a few levels so far so let's return to Riversend. Anderlar is known for its festivals and I reckon having the party arrive on the day of the festival allows them to partake in some of the local colour (there are some good suggestions in the book on this).

Of course, this is the time when thieves are most active so perhaps this is how the party starts to link up. Maybe the orc and doppelganger are enforcers tasked with protecting the pickpockets as they work the crowd?

Anyway, apologies for any lack of coherence with respect to these ideas. There are definitely some gaps. Personally, I would start them in Landsgate in Tamerland and use the Dragon Hunters hook to tie it all together.

Cheers
D

PS: There is a Dawnforge fansite at www.pathsoflegend.org. The DM'S Corner forum is at http://www.pathsoflegend.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewforum&f=6 and you might get some extra suggestions there.

 

[Patguy]

Slightly OT: Dawnforge contests

Acid_crash, it's great that you're starting a Dawnforge campaign! You might be able to get some campaign ideas from our fan-written Dawnforge stories:
http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/dawnforge.html

Right now only Chapter One is up, but there will be more soon.

We also have an Immortal Creation Contest going on until Feb. 25 (information about that can be found at the above link as well).

Best of luck on the campaign!

Pat Harrigan
Communications and Marketing
Fantasy Flight Games

 

[Acid_crash]

The Niomus is a race I have adapted from Mythic Races to exist in the world and I have them originating in one of the southern parts of the Mountains north of the huge jungle in Tamerland (I can't remember the name of those mountains right now), and the Gem Master is the Gem Master class from the Demon Wars campaign setting and I feel that the use of the Ring Stones and their magic would be a good fit into the lengendary world that Dawnforge is presenting itself as.

As background, I have the Niomus and the Lizardfolk both traveling by boat at the same time to Avennar. Both have been friends for a few years, and there they meet up with the Saltblood who is running from his family. I will definately use your idea for the Tieflings taking his mate and some dragon eggs, but all he knows is that his mate was taken in this direction and from there I plan to leave clues often enough so that in time the Tieflings will become a major factor in his future. The Orc and the Doppleganger have ties with a thieve's guild that has cells in both Riversend and Seaward (if I have the name wrong please let me know...I don't have the book with me at this moment), and the Orc is also an aquaintance of the Saltblood Rogue.

Coming up with some cultural encounters will be a good idea to get them into the world...and perhaps some rumors of goings on from people around them will also help out.

 

[Derulbaskul]

Acid_crash,

What sort of creature is the Niomus as I don't have Mythic Races?

Whats' the Gem Master class like? I see it's published by FFE so am wondering whether or not it is broken?

Cheers
D