SPOILERS** Thomas' FR campaign players beware.
Just wanted to get a few opinions on what direction I should go with the main part of and adventure.
PC's investigated a lighthouse that stopped functioning (causing problems for the town). Went to investigate, got attacked by howlers outside, found previous town investigators dead in the tool shed outside. Broke into lighthouse, found books on magic, crates of spell components, and Imp familiar, wizards lab. No sign of the keeper. Went to basement, got jumped by 2 more howlers. Party retreated back to town, leaving the 2 howlers locked in the cellar (along with the bodies of 2 dead PC's).
In town, they find out clues that lead them to believe that the missing keeper killed to previous keeper, but that even though he was into spellcraft books, had no talent for magic. He also spent coins at the inn that were very old in origin.
PC's had to go rescue some NPC's right away, but now they are sure to go back to investigate the lighthouse more.
my two options:
1) My original intent: go back to lighthouse, finish off the howlers, find the trap door that leads down to some sea caves. There are two Portals (Forgotten Realms type) which they already found a journal page where the keeper is looking for something in the east one, "the north one is too dangerous". Have to defeat or bypass a tough monster down there (also hinted at in the journal), go thru a gate, participate in a dungeon crawl thru some ruins, trying to track down the missing lighthouse keeper... who got in over his head or has been killed or trapped (thats a little far ahead for specifics).
2) Pcs get back to town (on the way back to the the lighthouse) and finds that the keeper has returned with some BS story about some mishap that kept him from his duties. The town buys it, but the PC's wont (cuz they know otherwise). The keeper explains away some things, and denies others, trying to make the PC's out as liars. "Imp? no, but someone broke in and killed my pet bat" "Howlers? what are they? the only thing in my basement is supplies." Basically, he's tried to cover his tracks as best as possible, and the PC's have been away for over 6 days. The PC's would have to try to get proof, or sneak into the lighthouse to get another look. Also, the missing PC's and dead farmers in the tool shed would be gone and unaccounted for, the blame possibly shifted on the PC's.
Option 1 was what I have intended, and partially worked out. But it seems option 2 could be more interesting. only problem with option two is I don't know how the PC's will be able to resolve things or get more info. They might just attack the keeper, or give up, or aimlessly try to figure something out. There's no clearcut path to progress.
any other options would be cool, or suggestions on any of it.
[Optional info, I was trying to keep my question short]
The keeper will probably end up being a wizard of sorts. He is looking for magic items and ancient magic info in old ruins. The ancient magic empire is loosly based on Netheril from FR. I would like what he is looking for to be really dangerous, and be able to lead to more adventures one way or another. Maybe he's part of a church or cult looking for several powerful objects that will somehow bring great danger and evil to the world, spurring the PC's to head to the nearest ruins to try to get the object before other cult members who are looking for it. I was also thinking about having some kind of cuthulu type alien universe being contacted thru this ancient magic, and that being part of the danger of the keepers research.
Just wanted to get a few opinions on what direction I should go with the main part of and adventure.
PC's investigated a lighthouse that stopped functioning (causing problems for the town). Went to investigate, got attacked by howlers outside, found previous town investigators dead in the tool shed outside. Broke into lighthouse, found books on magic, crates of spell components, and Imp familiar, wizards lab. No sign of the keeper. Went to basement, got jumped by 2 more howlers. Party retreated back to town, leaving the 2 howlers locked in the cellar (along with the bodies of 2 dead PC's).
In town, they find out clues that lead them to believe that the missing keeper killed to previous keeper, but that even though he was into spellcraft books, had no talent for magic. He also spent coins at the inn that were very old in origin.
PC's had to go rescue some NPC's right away, but now they are sure to go back to investigate the lighthouse more.
my two options:
1) My original intent: go back to lighthouse, finish off the howlers, find the trap door that leads down to some sea caves. There are two Portals (Forgotten Realms type) which they already found a journal page where the keeper is looking for something in the east one, "the north one is too dangerous". Have to defeat or bypass a tough monster down there (also hinted at in the journal), go thru a gate, participate in a dungeon crawl thru some ruins, trying to track down the missing lighthouse keeper... who got in over his head or has been killed or trapped (thats a little far ahead for specifics).
2) Pcs get back to town (on the way back to the the lighthouse) and finds that the keeper has returned with some BS story about some mishap that kept him from his duties. The town buys it, but the PC's wont (cuz they know otherwise). The keeper explains away some things, and denies others, trying to make the PC's out as liars. "Imp? no, but someone broke in and killed my pet bat" "Howlers? what are they? the only thing in my basement is supplies." Basically, he's tried to cover his tracks as best as possible, and the PC's have been away for over 6 days. The PC's would have to try to get proof, or sneak into the lighthouse to get another look. Also, the missing PC's and dead farmers in the tool shed would be gone and unaccounted for, the blame possibly shifted on the PC's.
Option 1 was what I have intended, and partially worked out. But it seems option 2 could be more interesting. only problem with option two is I don't know how the PC's will be able to resolve things or get more info. They might just attack the keeper, or give up, or aimlessly try to figure something out. There's no clearcut path to progress.
any other options would be cool, or suggestions on any of it.
[Optional info, I was trying to keep my question short]
The keeper will probably end up being a wizard of sorts. He is looking for magic items and ancient magic info in old ruins. The ancient magic empire is loosly based on Netheril from FR. I would like what he is looking for to be really dangerous, and be able to lead to more adventures one way or another. Maybe he's part of a church or cult looking for several powerful objects that will somehow bring great danger and evil to the world, spurring the PC's to head to the nearest ruins to try to get the object before other cult members who are looking for it. I was also thinking about having some kind of cuthulu type alien universe being contacted thru this ancient magic, and that being part of the danger of the keepers research.
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