What to do? (Campaign Ideas needed)

[iwatt]

If you're reading this Branok, stay out
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Okay, now that that unpleasantness is over, I'm here fishing for ideas. I'm currently running 7 PCs (average Level 7) through the Silver Marches. The party consists mostly of Barbarians, except for a bard from the South (Waterdeep). To the Uthgardt everybody else is from the South .

Cast:
1) Branok, Barbarian 5/ Totem Berzerker 2.
2) Magdum, Cleric 6/Spirit Shaman 1 (currently a spirit due to close encounters of the werebear kind)
3) Shonal, Sorc 5 Half dragon 1 (using leveled templates)
4) Illilian, Ranger 6 (Branok's sister, and a devil with the bow)
5) Unter, Ranger 6 possibly Werebear 1 (using levelled templates). Half-elf
6) Corean, Sorc 6, Incantatrix 1.
7) Progos The Authentic Bard 4/Rogue 3 human.

Currently the plot is: Centuries ago, 4 Uthgardt heroes were sent out to some unknown quest. These four stalwart fellows spread out individually (the idiots never heard "don't split the party" I guess ) to the four cardinal points. Unfortunately, the four never returned, and their bodies were never properly honored. Also, they never completed their quest. As Magdum can currently atest, the Hosts of Uthgardt are incomplete, since these mighty heroes had gained a lofty position in the ranks of their God due to many heroic actions. Threfore, a spirit Quest was imposed on the Wolfang Siblings(Branok and Illilian) to complete the unknown quests and therefore free the spirits to rise and join the armies of Uthgardt. Meanwhile, our heroes just survived some evil plotting by ther tribal shaman who wants to get rid of the dead chieftain's progeny. Unfortunately a Spirit quest is quite an honor, and although Branok is currently clanless (through evil shaman manipulation TM ), this quest may gain him enough reputation to take over the Sky Pony Tribe. Also, The orc horde is building up for war, so they probably gotta hurry up. Another plot involves Corean as the last descendant of a long line of Netherese Archwizards who have manipulated events for their Scion to do Something (have no idea what yet ).

So after this rather long and rambling introduction, I need help in creating the locales and plots to further advance my story. What I need help with is the following:

1) Appropriate Doohickey they must quest for. I'm not sure if it should have 4 parts, if the clues to finding it are in 4 different places, or whatever. I was thinking the Item could be something similar to the Horn Of Valheru (WOT), that can summon The High Heroes to fight in the defnese of the Uthgardt.

2) 4 appropriate locales were they can find the remains of the heroes. The patry is set up in the Moon wood, North=Spine of the World, South= Evermoors or High Forest, East= Nether Mountains or even Anauroch, West=Fell pass or even Mirabar. What I need your help here is places for Dungeon Crawls, and adequate reasons why the doohickey or clue lies here.

3) Somehow Include the following itno the plot somehow: A lost Netherese floating city that fell inrto the Ice North of the Spine of the world. A reason for the Scion of the Netherese (Corean ) to be involved in this whole mess (to tie together the different plot threads).

4) General Ideas for cool Encounters and stuff.

5) patience and Understanding because I've lost all creative ability. I now only come up with new ideas fairly irregularly. That's why I must pleade for your help :\


Thanks



They just beat the crap out of a large apck of Lycanthropes (Claw Hollow was captured).

 

[Sir Elton]

Lets see . . .

The following adventures are on RPGnow that are appropriate for your Silver Marches campaign.

* D&D X2 - Quest for the Heartstone (Nether Mountains or Spine of the World)
* D&D X4 - Master of the Desert Nomads (Anauroch)
* D&D Xpt Adv. -- Temple of the Frog (for Evermoors)
* AD&D -- Dragon Mountain
* Monkey God's Tsar Rising
* Dungeon Classics: Mysteries of the Drow

The D&D classic Modules are all five dollars or less.

However, if you are looking for original ideas. I say all you need to do is download Quest for the Heartstone and Master of the Desert Nomads. Use the Heartstone as the MacGuffin (the doohickey they need to quest for). Change the heartstone's abilities as a Summoning device to summon the Uthgardt heroes.

As for the Netheril Scion, make an NPC ghost who is trying to lead him to the ruined city in the Spine of the World. Make another MacGuffin for him to quest for. Like a Netherese Artifact that is connected to the Pheonix or some such. The Netherese wizards are trying to find a way to turn all the Shades back into regular humans "against their will" and the Netheril Scion is caught in the middle.

Some way cool advice:
read Mystery Man's campaign Blog.

 

[Talon5]

The original questers split up for a reason or where they just stupid?

Answer- the seperation was not willing, they each needed to do something at their individual locations- flip a switch, pee on the divine flower of some god, or whatever, but it had to be done as one (within a "moment" or two- meaning you would need two (at least) teleporters to make it happen or everyone needed to split up). So our failed heros agreed to do X at dawn on a certain day. They failed.

The certain thing- extract a sword from a lich corpse, de activate the master switch for all the traps to teh lost ruins of Kulatra (whatever you get the idea), place a drop of royal blood on the stone at the bottom of some bay, and lastly one must willfully give up his soul at the Mountain of X.

Hope that is actually an idea you were looking for, it was just off the top of my head. Good luck.

 

[driver8]

Personally I like to use the Blades of Faerun over at Sean K Reynolds site. An appropriate weapon would be Tempus, since the quest involves the Uthgardt:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/blades/html/tempusgloriousvictory.html

You can obviously change the background or even the properties of the weapon, the important thing is that it is used in the ceremony to call Tempus's favor in battle to summon the Host. Perhaps the blade has to be returned to the tribes tribal mound to for the ceremony to work.

However, unknown to the heroes, the essence and intellignece of a Netherese mage from the time of Netherils glory has been trapped in the blade, perhaps by an Uthgardt hero of old ( or perhaps the Uthgardt's ancestors in old Athalantar).

As the heroes search for the blade, they gain insight to the fact the blade is intelligent and sought by a Netherese scion who wants to free the spirit to gain its lst and ancient knowledge.

Could make it a chase, after a false lead or two, they find the blade amongst the trolls of the Evermoors then have to race back north, pursued by the Netheres scion and whatever baddies he or she has assembled.

 

[iwatt]

Thanx for the good ideas. I'll check the modules for stuuf. About the Macguffin, I wouldn't go with a sword (Branok has an ancestral weapon which keeps growing in power).

Ona side note, I was thinking of having the Orc Horde as been used by someone else. My trouble is I'm not sure who could it be. Not the drow (cliche). Could be the Shades maybe, or even the Feyri. The Pcs have tangentially touched most of these groups. Theyb found the corpse of a Feyri that was questing for something (I got pretty creative with what supposedly was a random encounter). They almost met the daughters of Elistraee. They've run into Orogs and know that they've joined forces with Obould. They've even run into the Duergar who were supposedly meeting with Oboulds orcs as well. The bard PC things he met a Harper, but he really ran into an agent of Luskan. They have a good contact in The Knights of Silver as well. So basically I've set things up so that anybody can be the bad guy. Hence my problem. I can't decide. So maybe you guys can give me some good ideas about who the really evil guy is. My players haven't really read all that much about Faerun, so I can get quite creative.

 

[Sinjucala]

1) Appropriate Doohicky -- Make it seem like what they are seeking for was tangible but then allude slowly that it is truly something solely of the spirit and intangible. This could build into a theme that they must become what they are seeking in the journey to find it. For example, perhaps what they seek out to find is "The right hand of Ejla". Build up (initially) that it is tangaible and then lead them down the path towards revealing that perhaps it is not. A few rumors and wisps of history to tantilize them towards a location (your choice) and a good build up to find out Ejla is not "a thing" but a person. Then, further build up to bring them to a point where they become the right hand of Ejla, becoming in the process, the very thing (with its powers--your choice there) that they sought. You could also have them return with someone who fits the bill.

2) See above for some detail. Use rumors, tales, legends, the plots of your NPCs, politics and economics to guide them down the paths you want them to take. Need to get them to the Mossy Maw of Doom (dodgy name on purpose)? Talk up its loot and precious goods while removing the same from your party (I know, cheap and old trick) while laying it on thick. Let them take any direction they want, but make the way tough (military patrols, disesase stalking the way they want to go, political dissention that blocks the path, religous festival / frenzy, etc.) or bend it (they find their own reasons to go there. Perhaps the damsel in distress routine, a favor, reward, whatever carrot you need to dangle).

3) skipping this one for the moment

4) how about making an ecology for the region you want them to go to for starters? It will tell you exactly what lives there. Then, break it in places to add in some surprises and random element. Next, build up some basic politics, some intrigue and a little economics to toss in some other good reaons to have odds and ends appear and occur. For instance, a demonstration of (you pick) could get their attention, get them involved or be ignored (with appropriate lines of plot falling from these or other actions [inactions]). Or a nice (fairly large scale or lengthy battle spread out over some territory) that your players come upon. What they do or don't do has ramifications to the folks fighting, those waiting to participate and those watching and seeing who does what. Let such things go to their natural conclusions. Maybe they help one side and get intangled in their politics or bitterly hated for lending help when none was asked / required. Maybe a mixture of both, who knows.

 

[Stormrunner]

Well, the lost flying city is an obvious "appropriate location" - one of the four missing heroes, the one who went north, was looking for the ruins of the city.
The "four must be done as one" is a cool idea, but it means the current set of PCs may also have to split up.

"Clues in four different locations" is good too. I'm thinking the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the disk has to be set atop a staff of the right length, in the right tomb, on the right day of the year.

Alternatively, time pressure may have been what forced the ancient heroes to split up. If getting to each location and back again would take four months each, and they only had six months before Something Bad Happens, they would have to split. If the PCs aren't as pressed for time, they may be able to take the locations in sequence.

Lost floating city ... scion of an elder house ... I'd recommend you watch Castle in the Sky, aka Laputa. Lots of fun ideas there, though the setting is more steampunk than Faerun (but it would work great for Eberron!). I particularly like the idea that the BBEG is also a scion of the ancient race - but descended from a noble house that were bitter rivals of the PC scion's ancestors.

 

[iwatt]

Well, the lost flying city is an obvious "appropriate location" - one of the four missing heroes, the one who went north, was looking for the ruins of the city.
The "four must be done as one" is a cool idea, but it means the current set of PCs may also have to split up.

For my own sanity, i tend to avoid having PCs split up too much. I'm thinking the lost city is going to be the resting place of the Mcguffin/Doohickey.

"Clues in four different locations" is good too. I'm thinking the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where the disk has to be set atop a staff of the right length, in the right tomb, on the right day of the year.

Yup, this seems like the way too go as well. I'll probably set one clue in each place pointing towards the Mcguffin. Their quests initially is just to return the remains of the fallen heroes so that their spirits may join the Army's of Utgardt.

"Lost floating city ... scion of an elder house ... I'd recommend you watch Castle in the Sky, aka Laputa. Lots of fun ideas there, though the setting is more steampunk than Faerun (but it would work great for Eberron!). I particularly like the idea that the BBEG is also a scion of the ancient race - but descended from a noble house that were bitter rivals of the PC scion's ancestors.

Hey this is a good idea. Probably make him a Lich with a well hidden phylactery (just in acse them heroes get efffective). He's currently impersonating a Feyri Lord and has them questing for the same Macguffin. Somehow the lost city's survived the failing of the Mythalar long enough to be preserved in ice. It's probably full of Netherese treasure. It's Scry Proof, Teleport Proof and has become a Wild Magic area. And it's one month North of the Spine of the world. White dragons, rhemoraz and other's will make for an interesting journey.

For the Locations of the Heroes:

During the Kingdom of three crowns (elf, human, dwarf alliance formed after fall of netheril). The ancestors of Corean hid clues of were to find the lost city in four different locations. Actually they're pieces of a compass that when correctly put togetehr and in the hands of a true noble of Netheril, will lead to the lost city and it's treasure trove.

Locations:

1) Tal'veresta. Old elven Catacombs deep in the center of the Evermoors. I just gotta have a long chase scene with Rabid trolls.

2) Hall of Morgadin. An ancient dwarf fortess high up in the Spine of the World, in the land controlled by the Frost Giants.

3) The caves of the Blue Dragons. In The Nether Mountains. It is Dungeons and DRAGONS after all. Just use the stats of the Silver Marches for the Blue dragon brothers.

4) Something to the east..... Not sure yet.

 

[Imagicka]

I might be too late...but...

Greetings...

Well, what do the players know about these four ancestral adventurers? What were they looking for? Why were they looking for it? I think these are important questions, and should be revealed to the players as the story develops.
Perhaps first let them think that they are looking for a mighty weapon, that the task seemed simple enough that to maximize their search, the 4 heroes went to four different possible locations.

Later, the players realize that this mighty weapon was wielded by a great and legendary warrior.

Now, as for separate pieces of an item put together. Well, I tend only to do this when dealing with 'epic' adventures. Because the outcome of the four separt adventures to get all the parts (or three parts and the adventure to get to the fourth location) rests solely on one final act/task. One big major climax. Now I only like to do things like this in 'world threatening situations', evil lich is about to blow up the world kinda stuff. Here, I would make the adventures more about 3-4 separate and related items. Thus, here are my ideas:

The mighty weapon wielded by a legendary hero was/is cursed. Whenever stories talk about the weapon, or the hero it always talks about the weapon he wielded, and the curse on the weapon. That others couldn't touch the weapon, that they would go insane, or that they would loose their souls, or that the weapon would slay the holder.

Make the bard of the party think that it is paramount that they find the information about the 4 heroes, and what they were looking for, and why they were doing it. That if they don't learn this information, that their ignorance could kill them, and/or make them fail. The stories and legends about the heroes and legendary hero could be gained from villages along the way to the various locals where you want the players to go. "Once, a hero came through our village and slayed an ogre who had killed three children. He was on a journey to Evermoors, we think. Then he went north the next day." -- Next village named 'Segunda Aldea', the players find out that the hero who slayed the ogre in that village to the south said to a child in the town he was on his way to the High Forest NEAR Evermoors, to look for a magical item that would help him and his friends control powerful magicks. -- Why do the people in Segunda Aldea remember about this hero so well? Well, because that child grew up to become a famous local bard, and wrote it all in a diary, which we have saved in the pub/town hall.

Little things like this can happen all along the way, highlighting the adventure routes of the four heroes. Along each trail they can learn about what each hero was doing, and why they were doing it.

The items that are looking for, first is the cursed weapon. The only person who can wield is the legendary hero. So...the only person who can wield it is dead. Second item, is a scabbord for the weapon. Without the scabbord, the weapon will attempt to call/summon any nearby monster. Anyone who wields the weapon, it will try to possess them. So, getting a scabbord/weapon sheath becomes important for carrying this weapon around unless you want to fight monsters almost every single day.
Third item is some sort of compass/key to help find the floating city. The fourth item is your horn which will summon a hero from the dead. But this horn must be blown where the hero fell or was buried. This location happens to be in the lost floating city, hence, they need the compass key.

I've never liked pre-made campaigns myself much, unless I totally rewrote them to fit what I needed in my campaign. Which usually meant throwing out a lot of stuff, putting in new stuff, and ultimately thinking *why did I do this in the first place when I could have just made something from scratch*.

Having the players split-up to do different tasks at the same time can be tricky, not to mention, your attention will have to be divided amongst the players. Matthew's adventure/story...then Mark's adventure/story. It can become very tricky to juggle, and bore the other players while they are waiting for their storyline to continue. On the other hand, having separte storylines/adventures at the height of the story/climax can be an excellent form of tension.

Now, if you want to have an Orc Horde being used by someone else, who are throwing road-blocks and obsticles in the way of the party. Obviously trying to stop them from getting their items. Well, you could make it seem like all of the possible bad-guys are to blame. First time that the orcs are defeated they find a couple of gold coins on them that are clearly drow-made. Next time, when the orcs attack, they have duergar weapons. Make them keep guessing who could be behind this. Ultimately, it could be your evil shaman who has been working with the drow and the duergar and others to put these road-blocks in the player's way.

I love the whole tangible-item idea. However this is only good for one item. I'd save it for another adventure.

 

[iwatt]

Imagicka:

You're not to late.

I won't use the weapon, because they alrady have a legendary weapon that is growing in power as they advance. And i want to avoid the "parts of an item" because in our group we've already used it a couple of times in past campaigns.

About The bard: I hope he becomes the driving force for research. The problem is that he really sucks at Bardic knoeldege checks. The otehr PCs call him "The man who knwe too little" . On the upside, he's the deadliest characetr with a blade in the whole party (he keeps taking the killing blows after the Barbaraian and rangers do the major damage).

For clues, I'm actually going to be relying heavily on the Cleric/spirit shaman, wh'll be picking up clues from the spirits of the ancestors. Also, he just spen some time in Heaven, were he elarnt that the four heroes are soerly missed, since their mighty deeds earned them a spot among the 20 exalted. So I'll ahve them learn of the mighty deeds, just in a creepier way

About the splitting up....I'll maybe save it for the climatci battle (i.e Obi wan v's Datrh Vader while teh others free the princess). But I'll tend to avoid it before beacuse the party is rather large, not all of them have a very firm grasp on the mechanics of the game, and therefore some combats take very long. also we play on Tuesday nights and sometimes we're kinda slow after a long workday .

I also like the Tangible item thing, but I'll probably save it for another campaign.