I'm writing a planes campaign (using the standard planes from MotP):
The first levels are still on the material plane (but they will meet an increasing number of outsiders/elementals), then they'll go abroad.
PCs will start at 7th level. A powerful (13th level) good old wizard gives them a quest (in exchange he can offer wealth, magical items and new spells) to find the pieces of a magical sceptre.
the quest item: Sceptre of the Planes
Actually he first tests them against an illusion (of a eight headed hydra) just to see how good they are.
The sceptre was forged by a very powerful
half-dragon sorcerer who lived in the Astral Plane, and had planeswalking-related powers. The wizard stronghold was attacked by a large group of slaad that killed him and took the scepter. Being chaotic they divided it in three parts (there where three very powerful slaad) and each one went back on its own.
One part (the middle one) was then stolen by a human rogue (in unknown circumstances), who disappeared 60 years before the campaign start.
The second part (a beautiful large diamond) was conquered by a righteous paladin and later became part of the royal jewelry in a small principality in the south.
The third (the long, adamantite-bounded golden staff) is still in the hands of a Death Slaadi that lives in the first layer of Pandemonium
Starting plot
Shalros (the old wizard) wants back all the parts to refore it. The only information he has are: the last city where the thief operated and the order the paladin belonged to. He first sends them to seek for the thief.
At the same time, a very powerful effreeti (with sorcerer levels, or something similar) both wants the sceptre parts, and is starting to send his minions to collect them
Main things to happen later on
When they'll have all the parts Shalros will build the sceptre, the effreeti will kill him (making all the upper floor of his tower explode) and go away with the scepter.
The PCs will find out from the town major that he has left them his tower with all his possessions (including a monthly income that he has for feudal rights so that they can pay the servants and the guards of the tower and keep it goind); he is old, and thinks that the PCs should now continue their job by their own (using the tower as a base of operations): they must find the sceptre (it has a gate power that would allow the effreeti to bring lots of evil down in the material plane, also; he didn't knew about this power before reforging it, while the effreeti did)
(Later on they'll find other things to do on the planes)
Part I: The Thief
The characters travel north for some time (begin attacked by at least one hungry humber-hulk on the road, attracted by the noise of the horses).
They reach the thieve's city, and must infiltrate the local thieves' guild to find information on the rogue; they learn that the only one who knows about him is Michael One-eye; while doing this a thief (7th level) tries to rub them. Later they meet Michael One-eye (who has both eyes, the name is only to be less easily identified) and learn that when the thieve was seen for the last time he was going to pillage some underground chambers of a castle in the north on the city of [some-name].
The characters reach the city, and find out that there is only one castle nearby, in the snowy wasteland. On their way to the city they meet a dragon (a neutral one, and big: he is only curious, and the PCs must talk their way out).
The snowy waste is full of wolves and dangerous critters (ettin & co), but with a careful planned travel they should avoid much combat.
In the castle there are two winter wolves (EL 7). There is a painting on a wall showing some amies fighting and in the backgorund in one corner there is a small castle on an icy peak (this is a clue for what is following)
Then going down they find a burrowing Rhemoraz (CR 7), a difficult passage requiring climbing and where there are some ice mephits (who are an EL 5 or 6). Again lower they meet two gargoyles with the creature-element: cold template (EL 7, I think). At the end, in the undergound chamber, there is a big room, with a fireplace, fine tapestry and furniture and large red dragon ...
... actually the dragon is a Phasm, who tells them to stop (eventually he pursues them in some other shape): he is actually a scholar (has some diviner and loremaster levels) expert in history, but a bit mad and so actually lives there (he doesn't like too many intruders) at that time. He is called "The Historian" (and characters with many ranks in Knowledge:History might also have read something about him or written by him)
The PCs should not attack him (he's a CR 12). When they explain why they are there, he tells that actually they went in the wrong castle; the one the thief went as in the mountains some miles northern, and was razed by the frost giants 58 years ago (but it should probably be unhabited by now).
He also shows them a tapestry that depicts that castle on the mountains (the same of the painting).
[Now the characters should be 8th level]
The second castle is now the lair of a white dragon (EL 9?). The passages that go in the dungeons are collapsed and difficult to find, and this might require some days to the characters, but there is a cave nearby where they can stay (the cave has hot springs and so it's not that cold there and there is plenty of water: otherwise nobody would have built a castle there. In the cave there is a steam elemental (CR 7) and some steam mephits (EL 6), but the character can also avoid combat with some talking as the elementals are neutral).
Finally they should find a way to go down (summoning and earth elemental do find the way and dig a tunnel is the best way, probably, but there are many others. PCs should be creative) in the dungeon. There is a large room with massive (magical) door that has four keyholes (they have found a platinum key in the dragon's hoard): one is good, the other trigger traps; there is a riddle carved on the door that gives some suggestions, but the last two lines have been destroyed and so the PCs can't determine the right hole (but they can exlude two out of four); they should try.
In the dungeon there are shadows (grouped to make up an EL 8 and an EL 7), a spectre or two (EL 7 ~ 9) and finally the body of the rogue (killed by a poison needle trap in front of a metal door). There is also his ghost (that can be fought but he is ok and won't attack if the characters promise to bring out his body and bury it with a normal holy ritual) (he has redeemed, after the pain of begin closed there in the dark for years).
Behind the meal door there is a huge treasure, and the trap has already been set off and so they only need to open the door.
When they're back in the north town they find a small squad of jann (four, EL 8) (minions of the effreeti, but they're not acting evily because they are not looking for fights). They are searcing information about the thief, and if the characters haven't been reserved on the fact they where going in the castles and about the thief, the jann will attack them.
--------------------------------------------
Any comments / suggestions ?
Tomorrow if I've got time I'll post the second part (a little shorter) going for the gem.
If you want other information simply ask and I will (try to) answer.
I'm also interested in how to tweak this so for a lone PC (probably starting at level 8th, and with the help of some NPCs that change during the story, a few levels lower than him to avoid outshining him)
The first levels are still on the material plane (but they will meet an increasing number of outsiders/elementals), then they'll go abroad.
PCs will start at 7th level. A powerful (13th level) good old wizard gives them a quest (in exchange he can offer wealth, magical items and new spells) to find the pieces of a magical sceptre.
the quest item: Sceptre of the Planes
Actually he first tests them against an illusion (of a eight headed hydra) just to see how good they are.
The sceptre was forged by a very powerful
half-dragon sorcerer who lived in the Astral Plane, and had planeswalking-related powers. The wizard stronghold was attacked by a large group of slaad that killed him and took the scepter. Being chaotic they divided it in three parts (there where three very powerful slaad) and each one went back on its own.
One part (the middle one) was then stolen by a human rogue (in unknown circumstances), who disappeared 60 years before the campaign start.
The second part (a beautiful large diamond) was conquered by a righteous paladin and later became part of the royal jewelry in a small principality in the south.
The third (the long, adamantite-bounded golden staff) is still in the hands of a Death Slaadi that lives in the first layer of Pandemonium
Starting plot
Shalros (the old wizard) wants back all the parts to refore it. The only information he has are: the last city where the thief operated and the order the paladin belonged to. He first sends them to seek for the thief.
At the same time, a very powerful effreeti (with sorcerer levels, or something similar) both wants the sceptre parts, and is starting to send his minions to collect them
Main things to happen later on
When they'll have all the parts Shalros will build the sceptre, the effreeti will kill him (making all the upper floor of his tower explode) and go away with the scepter.
The PCs will find out from the town major that he has left them his tower with all his possessions (including a monthly income that he has for feudal rights so that they can pay the servants and the guards of the tower and keep it goind); he is old, and thinks that the PCs should now continue their job by their own (using the tower as a base of operations): they must find the sceptre (it has a gate power that would allow the effreeti to bring lots of evil down in the material plane, also; he didn't knew about this power before reforging it, while the effreeti did)
(Later on they'll find other things to do on the planes)
Part I: The Thief
The characters travel north for some time (begin attacked by at least one hungry humber-hulk on the road, attracted by the noise of the horses).
They reach the thieve's city, and must infiltrate the local thieves' guild to find information on the rogue; they learn that the only one who knows about him is Michael One-eye; while doing this a thief (7th level) tries to rub them. Later they meet Michael One-eye (who has both eyes, the name is only to be less easily identified) and learn that when the thieve was seen for the last time he was going to pillage some underground chambers of a castle in the north on the city of [some-name].
The characters reach the city, and find out that there is only one castle nearby, in the snowy wasteland. On their way to the city they meet a dragon (a neutral one, and big: he is only curious, and the PCs must talk their way out).
The snowy waste is full of wolves and dangerous critters (ettin & co), but with a careful planned travel they should avoid much combat.
In the castle there are two winter wolves (EL 7). There is a painting on a wall showing some amies fighting and in the backgorund in one corner there is a small castle on an icy peak (this is a clue for what is following)
Then going down they find a burrowing Rhemoraz (CR 7), a difficult passage requiring climbing and where there are some ice mephits (who are an EL 5 or 6). Again lower they meet two gargoyles with the creature-element: cold template (EL 7, I think). At the end, in the undergound chamber, there is a big room, with a fireplace, fine tapestry and furniture and large red dragon ...
... actually the dragon is a Phasm, who tells them to stop (eventually he pursues them in some other shape): he is actually a scholar (has some diviner and loremaster levels) expert in history, but a bit mad and so actually lives there (he doesn't like too many intruders) at that time. He is called "The Historian" (and characters with many ranks in Knowledge:History might also have read something about him or written by him)
The PCs should not attack him (he's a CR 12). When they explain why they are there, he tells that actually they went in the wrong castle; the one the thief went as in the mountains some miles northern, and was razed by the frost giants 58 years ago (but it should probably be unhabited by now).
He also shows them a tapestry that depicts that castle on the mountains (the same of the painting).
[Now the characters should be 8th level]
The second castle is now the lair of a white dragon (EL 9?). The passages that go in the dungeons are collapsed and difficult to find, and this might require some days to the characters, but there is a cave nearby where they can stay (the cave has hot springs and so it's not that cold there and there is plenty of water: otherwise nobody would have built a castle there. In the cave there is a steam elemental (CR 7) and some steam mephits (EL 6), but the character can also avoid combat with some talking as the elementals are neutral).
Finally they should find a way to go down (summoning and earth elemental do find the way and dig a tunnel is the best way, probably, but there are many others. PCs should be creative) in the dungeon. There is a large room with massive (magical) door that has four keyholes (they have found a platinum key in the dragon's hoard): one is good, the other trigger traps; there is a riddle carved on the door that gives some suggestions, but the last two lines have been destroyed and so the PCs can't determine the right hole (but they can exlude two out of four); they should try.
In the dungeon there are shadows (grouped to make up an EL 8 and an EL 7), a spectre or two (EL 7 ~ 9) and finally the body of the rogue (killed by a poison needle trap in front of a metal door). There is also his ghost (that can be fought but he is ok and won't attack if the characters promise to bring out his body and bury it with a normal holy ritual) (he has redeemed, after the pain of begin closed there in the dark for years).
Behind the meal door there is a huge treasure, and the trap has already been set off and so they only need to open the door.
When they're back in the north town they find a small squad of jann (four, EL 8) (minions of the effreeti, but they're not acting evily because they are not looking for fights). They are searcing information about the thief, and if the characters haven't been reserved on the fact they where going in the castles and about the thief, the jann will attack them.
--------------------------------------------
Any comments / suggestions ?
Tomorrow if I've got time I'll post the second part (a little shorter) going for the gem.
If you want other information simply ask and I will (try to) answer.
I'm also interested in how to tweak this so for a lone PC (probably starting at level 8th, and with the help of some NPCs that change during the story, a few levels lower than him to avoid outshining him)
