Wraith Form
Explorer
I think I'm in love.lobsterGun said:
I just can't think of a plot worthy of this intro....
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What's the most amazing start to a new campaign you've ever done?
- Thread starter BlueBlackRed
- Start date
I just can't think of a plot worthy of this intro....
One I did for a play by post game on here (and am about to run in a face-to-face game shortly) involved the fact that every character had some reason they all were running and had run to this big city (Sharn in Eberron, but any big city would do). In order for them all to meet up, they all are walking around one day and think they see someone following them. They run for a hiding place and then literallly BANG! Run right into each other. After a little meet and greet, they encounter goblins kidnapping a noble, and have a chance to cement new friendship in the heat of battle and show each other they have a good heart in the bargain.
The Green Adam
First Post
I opened one game by playing out the NPC captain and crew of a Starfleet vessel exploring an anomaly when they are attacked by an unknown source. In addition to describing the anomaly (an energy field making travel and exploration in that sector of the galaxy extremely difficult and hazardous) I let you get to know little things about each member of the bridge crew. I made sure one or two members were of the same alien species as the PCs and in one case a character was actually listed as a friend of one of the PCs from their academy days. Then I killed them all. The entire NPC vessel was obliterated.
I handed a piece of paper to the PC Captain and had him read it. "Space...The Final Frontier...". Following this opening, the players were informed that their first mission was to find out what happened to the missing vessel.
Our Star Trek games always rocked.
AD
I handed a piece of paper to the PC Captain and had him read it. "Space...The Final Frontier...". Following this opening, the players were informed that their first mission was to find out what happened to the missing vessel.
Our Star Trek games always rocked.
AD
ethandrul
First Post
The small town of Elohnna's Rest was known for sitting in the shadow of an old tower- old beyond memory. and on nights Where the moon is full it hums eeriely. I set up a few other adventure hooks- introduced "Anders" a legless bard who who was set up to serve as a mentor. A few of the party members were chosen to hunt boar in preperation for the harvest moon celebration- the party was on edge thinking about the humming that would come tonight and the horrors it would surely bring. The hunting party came back with a boar- though it smalled odd- and looked foul.
The priest came and pronounced the boar to be undead-
The 2 of the party decided to set out into the woods to find the source of the grisly beast. after they spent a few hours looking around they headed back for the party. as they walked they felt a shudder under the ground- a mini earthquake. they spent 10 minutes worried about it and looking around. they made it back to the festival and watched the pc druid " harvest queen" bless the crops. then- as she finished someone spotted smoke at the other end of the field. the earth shook a little again and a massive zombie purple worm burst from the ground vomiting forth zombies- from the burning fields came ghouls- the town was in a panic- the party was in a panic- they didn't have time to grab gear ( except the ones who had went hunting) the village was overrun by the walking dead.
The story was about flight- not fight. the best part was that I had managed to make them all feel secure- they thought that the village was going to be a base- they were teary eyed when they saw the bard on a rooftop playing a funeral match for his fallen friends- and the friar who had baptised them all was slain while trying to minister to the fallen.
In all the party managed to herd about 100 people across a bridge that they watched burn from atop a hill. They had to grow up fast.
Winter came hard and early. the match to the next town was disappointing as undead could see wandering the streets- though there seemed to be alot of cooperation between them- they were devouring the livestock- not the fallen townsfolk.
here is where it got good- game had fled the smell of death and the burning fields,
the people had marched 2 days to get to this town- the nearest city was a 3 weeks march through the woods- the road was patrolled by the dead- the group started to get sick, and some even died- they were hungry, cold and lost. the party druid spent all of her spells casting goodberry- and then diluting the crushed berries. The lack of game made a band of hobgoblins desperate- the 5 of them attacked the party and a few other townsfolk while they were hunting- after the frey one of the partymembers said...well- at least we have food now.they all swore to never tell the townsfolk they were eating hobgoblin meat.
whan they reached the safety of the city only 20 townies were alive, they had sacrificed the elderly a few days before the the young could avoid a patrol of ghouls. The campaign was basically a zombie movie without guns-
The priest came and pronounced the boar to be undead-
The 2 of the party decided to set out into the woods to find the source of the grisly beast. after they spent a few hours looking around they headed back for the party. as they walked they felt a shudder under the ground- a mini earthquake. they spent 10 minutes worried about it and looking around. they made it back to the festival and watched the pc druid " harvest queen" bless the crops. then- as she finished someone spotted smoke at the other end of the field. the earth shook a little again and a massive zombie purple worm burst from the ground vomiting forth zombies- from the burning fields came ghouls- the town was in a panic- the party was in a panic- they didn't have time to grab gear ( except the ones who had went hunting) the village was overrun by the walking dead.
The story was about flight- not fight. the best part was that I had managed to make them all feel secure- they thought that the village was going to be a base- they were teary eyed when they saw the bard on a rooftop playing a funeral match for his fallen friends- and the friar who had baptised them all was slain while trying to minister to the fallen.
In all the party managed to herd about 100 people across a bridge that they watched burn from atop a hill. They had to grow up fast.
Winter came hard and early. the match to the next town was disappointing as undead could see wandering the streets- though there seemed to be alot of cooperation between them- they were devouring the livestock- not the fallen townsfolk.
here is where it got good- game had fled the smell of death and the burning fields,
the people had marched 2 days to get to this town- the nearest city was a 3 weeks march through the woods- the road was patrolled by the dead- the group started to get sick, and some even died- they were hungry, cold and lost. the party druid spent all of her spells casting goodberry- and then diluting the crushed berries. The lack of game made a band of hobgoblins desperate- the 5 of them attacked the party and a few other townsfolk while they were hunting- after the frey one of the partymembers said...well- at least we have food now.they all swore to never tell the townsfolk they were eating hobgoblin meat.
whan they reached the safety of the city only 20 townies were alive, they had sacrificed the elderly a few days before the the young could avoid a patrol of ghouls. The campaign was basically a zombie movie without guns-
X
xnosipjpqmhd
Guest
Olaf the Stout said:
Perhaps the quickest TPK ever?
Engilbrand
First Post
I had an idea for a "dream" campaign, though the dreams are "true":
1. The players make some high level characters. They don't need to stat out everything, but they should have an idea of what truly sets their high level character apart from everything. It might be a special sword and a wound for the Fighter. Maybe they witness the Sorceror change into a dragon. Whatever. Basically, there's a major scene. A horde of demons is charging on their position. Unfortunately, they don't have anyone with them as back-up. The key is that the high level PCs are great friends. Also, give them a date or astrological event.
2. Suddenly, they're awake. They're low-level. All that they know is that the dream was true. It will happen. But who were those other people? All that they have are some names or clues. It's time to find the other heroes. They then start to go on quests to try to do something to change the future. They might actively seek out demon cults. Maybe they're doing quests for Kingdoms so that they have future allies for that fight.
3. Along the way, they pick up some of the things they saw on their future selves. The Fighter gets a scar wrestling a bear. The Sorceror realizes that he has draconic heritage. Whatever it might be. The more they put into their future selves, the more you can shape the normal game.
4. After they accomplish a major point, they dream again. This time, a few things are different. Demons may have become Zombies and Skeletons. Maybe there's an army on the PC's side. To really mess with them, maybe one of the characters is dead and has been replaced with a different character. When they wake up, one PC doesn't have a memory of the dream. If they explain what happened, he might become paranoid. Maybe he views it as destiny. If the PCs do something really bad, though, they might be facing a legion of good characters with demons on the PC side. The date or astrological event is always the same. They have a time frame. They need to find out when the most important moment of their lives is going to happen.
5. Other than just the time, it might be good to have the players write down a few major events. Don't tell them what it's for. "King George was assassinated." "A volcano erupted and destroyed a city." "Magic goes wonky for a day." When they're in the future, they drop references to these events. As the normal game progresses, they hear about these things happening. It will make it all a bit more realistic and really drive the point home for the characters.
The initial session, though, would have to be full of major actions. The battlefield should shake with the sheer amount of power being unleashed by the heroes and their enemies. The Paladin snapping the Balor's neck while Rogue plunges his sword through a dragon's eye should give them an idea of just how powerful they really are. When it ends with, "You awake and your heart is racing. You're in your room with a smell of stew coming through the door. You're a bit confused, but one thing is certain: You have seen future. You know what must be done. But... who were those other people?" I can guarantee that I'd be looking forward to that next session.
It just jumped into my mind at some point and seemed like it would be really cool. It gives them a reason to travel together. It also gives them a time frame. They have a lot of power to gain and a certain time frame in which to do it. It almost writes its own RP. "What do you mean you won't join us? Demons are going to overrun a battlefield some day. What? No, I don't know exacly when and where. Yet. You'll think about it if we do something for you!? Damn. Ok." Some people will think they're crazy. Cults might try to stop them if they talk about it. I think I'll try something like this for my first 4E game.
1. The players make some high level characters. They don't need to stat out everything, but they should have an idea of what truly sets their high level character apart from everything. It might be a special sword and a wound for the Fighter. Maybe they witness the Sorceror change into a dragon. Whatever. Basically, there's a major scene. A horde of demons is charging on their position. Unfortunately, they don't have anyone with them as back-up. The key is that the high level PCs are great friends. Also, give them a date or astrological event.
2. Suddenly, they're awake. They're low-level. All that they know is that the dream was true. It will happen. But who were those other people? All that they have are some names or clues. It's time to find the other heroes. They then start to go on quests to try to do something to change the future. They might actively seek out demon cults. Maybe they're doing quests for Kingdoms so that they have future allies for that fight.
3. Along the way, they pick up some of the things they saw on their future selves. The Fighter gets a scar wrestling a bear. The Sorceror realizes that he has draconic heritage. Whatever it might be. The more they put into their future selves, the more you can shape the normal game.
4. After they accomplish a major point, they dream again. This time, a few things are different. Demons may have become Zombies and Skeletons. Maybe there's an army on the PC's side. To really mess with them, maybe one of the characters is dead and has been replaced with a different character. When they wake up, one PC doesn't have a memory of the dream. If they explain what happened, he might become paranoid. Maybe he views it as destiny. If the PCs do something really bad, though, they might be facing a legion of good characters with demons on the PC side. The date or astrological event is always the same. They have a time frame. They need to find out when the most important moment of their lives is going to happen.
5. Other than just the time, it might be good to have the players write down a few major events. Don't tell them what it's for. "King George was assassinated." "A volcano erupted and destroyed a city." "Magic goes wonky for a day." When they're in the future, they drop references to these events. As the normal game progresses, they hear about these things happening. It will make it all a bit more realistic and really drive the point home for the characters.
The initial session, though, would have to be full of major actions. The battlefield should shake with the sheer amount of power being unleashed by the heroes and their enemies. The Paladin snapping the Balor's neck while Rogue plunges his sword through a dragon's eye should give them an idea of just how powerful they really are. When it ends with, "You awake and your heart is racing. You're in your room with a smell of stew coming through the door. You're a bit confused, but one thing is certain: You have seen future. You know what must be done. But... who were those other people?" I can guarantee that I'd be looking forward to that next session.
It just jumped into my mind at some point and seemed like it would be really cool. It gives them a reason to travel together. It also gives them a time frame. They have a lot of power to gain and a certain time frame in which to do it. It almost writes its own RP. "What do you mean you won't join us? Demons are going to overrun a battlefield some day. What? No, I don't know exacly when and where. Yet. You'll think about it if we do something for you!? Damn. Ok." Some people will think they're crazy. Cults might try to stop them if they talk about it. I think I'll try something like this for my first 4E game.
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Bagpuss
Legend
I think one of the best starts was for a Feng Shui campaign where half the group started in the in the middle of a battle in at a Demon's Temple in Ancient China setting and the other half in the middle of a car chase in Modern Day Hong Kong.
The group in Ancient China were part of an school of mystic and martial artists who were intent on destroying the demonic cult, but ended up being overcome as the cultist summoned their lord.
The group in Modern Day China were a cop and a reporter, who were in a high speed chase after some of Fast Eddie Lo's thugs. The maverick cop was meant to babysit the reporter for a quiet night patrolling, but instead asked him to hold the wheel while he reloaded and fired at the car in front.
Meanwhile in Ancient China the school of mystic and martial artist had been all but wiped out, down to just two PCs a sorcerer and a martial artists, and their Sefu mortally wounded (a master of both arts). He used powerful magic to open a portal for his remaining students to escape, and ordered them to leave. They leapt thought the portal as their Sefu succumbed to his wounds.
Back in Modern China the car chase had come to an abrupt ending with the lead car, crashing at the end of a dead end ally. The five goons inside climbed out and readied guns and clubs to face the cop and the worried reporter, just then a flashing light and static filled the air and a mystic portal opened up in the sky just above their car and these two strangely dressed figures dropped out of it.
And thus I got the party together....
The group in Ancient China were part of an school of mystic and martial artists who were intent on destroying the demonic cult, but ended up being overcome as the cultist summoned their lord.
The group in Modern Day China were a cop and a reporter, who were in a high speed chase after some of Fast Eddie Lo's thugs. The maverick cop was meant to babysit the reporter for a quiet night patrolling, but instead asked him to hold the wheel while he reloaded and fired at the car in front.
Meanwhile in Ancient China the school of mystic and martial artist had been all but wiped out, down to just two PCs a sorcerer and a martial artists, and their Sefu mortally wounded (a master of both arts). He used powerful magic to open a portal for his remaining students to escape, and ordered them to leave. They leapt thought the portal as their Sefu succumbed to his wounds.
Back in Modern China the car chase had come to an abrupt ending with the lead car, crashing at the end of a dead end ally. The five goons inside climbed out and readied guns and clubs to face the cop and the worried reporter, just then a flashing light and static filled the air and a mystic portal opened up in the sky just above their car and these two strangely dressed figures dropped out of it.
And thus I got the party together....
BlueBlackRed said:
I once put one of the PCs in the role of one of the heirs of the Major Empire of the game world. He arrives late to his father's 13th wedding, only just in time to witness the slaughter of the Imperial family by an army of demons and uber-necromancers. The other PCs being his sidekicks.
The party has then to escape the slaughter and flee the capitol.
Mmm ... my current players have it too easy. Worth doing again.
+5 Keyboard!
First Post
First level party... took a job escorting a caravan through a dangerous mountain pass during the winter...
It was a pretty large caravan, thus the players were only a small group of the many caravan guards that had been hired. It was a pretty open-ended campaign. There were a few options on where it could go, but if things went right, they would enter a nearby dungeon with a little "coaxing".
Enter the Dragon. No, I'm not talking about a Bruce Lee movie
.
An adult red dragon (you heard me right) is suddenly spotted descending upon the caravan from a great height. Instant pandemonium and a few disbelieving stares from the players, muttering, "Steve wouldn't really throw a dragon at 1st level characters. Must be some kind of trick or an illusion."
We roll initiative, and people start taking cover. The dragon would go last in the Iniatiatve order intentionally to give people a chance to react and because he was a good distance away when he was spotted.
When it was each players turn I would ask them to make Spot checks. 10-15, I pointed out to the player a good place to run and hide or take cover. 16-20, I pointed out even better places. 20 or higher, I pointed to a small cave opening that would serve as the best shelter of all.
The first couple of rounds the dragon makes strafing runs, lighting up wagons, sizzling horses and drivers, etc. Basically, building the terror factor. And let me tell you, there wasn't much need of roleplaying. The players were genuinely scared. After one of the players stood there telling me he disbelieves it and wants a Will save, makes the roll, then feels the waves of heat roll over him as the wagon in front of him goes up like a matchstick, the real fear settled in. "Steve really is throwing a dragon at us at 1st level!"
About the 3rd round, the dragon lands and starts grabbing people from the caravan and bitting limbs and heads off. All of the players had at that point spotted the cave or were told about it by the ones that saw it. The next series of rounds consisted of characters attempting to get to the cave without the dragon noticing them. When the last of them failed a check to climb the scree up to the cave entrance, sending rocks down the side of the slope, the dragon noticed them trying to escape into the cave. It chases... they get in the cave... the dragon can't reach them... the players are worried (with good reason) that it's going to breathe fire into the cave so they start scrambling back. As with all good stories, there were some NPCs that didn't want to give up what they thought was a good hiding spot, and others that wisely listened to the PCs advising to get futher back into the cave.
The dragon breathed, several NPCs died, and the cave mouth collapsed.
The PCs were trapped, and thus begane ONE of the adventures I had planned - the discovery of a hidden entrance hidden by an illusion at the back of the cave, and a dungeon crawl through an abandoned temple of Nerull with a few left over monstrosities appropriately challenging for their level and then negotiating their way through a kobold warren to the welcome light of day. It was a very cool and exciting beginning to a really great campaign.
(And before anyone says the "R" word, it was and it wasn't. The way things played out, the players never saw any rails at any point, but when the PCs started exploring the dungeon and seeing how elaborate and big it was, one of them asked me, "Did you plan for us to get trapped in this dungeon? You did, didn't you?!" And that is a successful adventure that if not pulled off right would end up looking like Reading Railroad.)
It was a pretty large caravan, thus the players were only a small group of the many caravan guards that had been hired. It was a pretty open-ended campaign. There were a few options on where it could go, but if things went right, they would enter a nearby dungeon with a little "coaxing".
Enter the Dragon. No, I'm not talking about a Bruce Lee movie
.An adult red dragon (you heard me right) is suddenly spotted descending upon the caravan from a great height. Instant pandemonium and a few disbelieving stares from the players, muttering, "Steve wouldn't really throw a dragon at 1st level characters. Must be some kind of trick or an illusion."
We roll initiative, and people start taking cover. The dragon would go last in the Iniatiatve order intentionally to give people a chance to react and because he was a good distance away when he was spotted.
When it was each players turn I would ask them to make Spot checks. 10-15, I pointed out to the player a good place to run and hide or take cover. 16-20, I pointed out even better places. 20 or higher, I pointed to a small cave opening that would serve as the best shelter of all.
The first couple of rounds the dragon makes strafing runs, lighting up wagons, sizzling horses and drivers, etc. Basically, building the terror factor. And let me tell you, there wasn't much need of roleplaying. The players were genuinely scared. After one of the players stood there telling me he disbelieves it and wants a Will save, makes the roll, then feels the waves of heat roll over him as the wagon in front of him goes up like a matchstick, the real fear settled in. "Steve really is throwing a dragon at us at 1st level!"
About the 3rd round, the dragon lands and starts grabbing people from the caravan and bitting limbs and heads off. All of the players had at that point spotted the cave or were told about it by the ones that saw it. The next series of rounds consisted of characters attempting to get to the cave without the dragon noticing them. When the last of them failed a check to climb the scree up to the cave entrance, sending rocks down the side of the slope, the dragon noticed them trying to escape into the cave. It chases... they get in the cave... the dragon can't reach them... the players are worried (with good reason) that it's going to breathe fire into the cave so they start scrambling back. As with all good stories, there were some NPCs that didn't want to give up what they thought was a good hiding spot, and others that wisely listened to the PCs advising to get futher back into the cave.
The dragon breathed, several NPCs died, and the cave mouth collapsed.
The PCs were trapped, and thus begane ONE of the adventures I had planned - the discovery of a hidden entrance hidden by an illusion at the back of the cave, and a dungeon crawl through an abandoned temple of Nerull with a few left over monstrosities appropriately challenging for their level and then negotiating their way through a kobold warren to the welcome light of day. It was a very cool and exciting beginning to a really great campaign.
(And before anyone says the "R" word, it was and it wasn't. The way things played out, the players never saw any rails at any point, but when the PCs started exploring the dungeon and seeing how elaborate and big it was, one of them asked me, "Did you plan for us to get trapped in this dungeon? You did, didn't you?!" And that is a successful adventure that if not pulled off right would end up looking like Reading Railroad.)
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