Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="khyron1144" data-source="post: 3533582" data-attributes="member: 8004">1) Alright, that is a good point.2)  It's not usually the way I operate, but there probably is more sense in this approach.You might dig this:[sblock]Castle Granite[This is the introductory text I've written to an adventure that I've started writing but haven't tried to run yet.  The bracketed bits are my comments directly to you, the  audience.  How things start is often murky with events getting disordered and justifications being made up after the fact.  Such is the genesis of this project.  As far as I can figure the following events came together some time last year: my acquisition of the orignal AD&D hardbacks Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures and Fiend Folio making my collection of first edition rulebooks reasonably complete with the 1e PHB, DMG, MM, and MM2 that I already had; my starting to write the recent history of Tera, knowing that I wanted the current Emperor to be a scholar descended from a recently started dynasty and that the founder is a bit of a Conan-type figure, leading me to create Gladius Steel; and a back to school sale at Office Max where I picked up a bunch of one subject notebooks; somewhere along the line, I thought:  it's a shame Gladius is part of the past relative to my current game; he'd be fun to run as an NPC buddy for the party; why don't I devote one of these notebooks to a classic dungeon-crawl style adventure set in Tera's past for 1e rules?]They say all roads lead to Tera Prima, capital of the Human Empire on Tera.  Probably because only humans are ambitious and arrogant enough to assemble the crew necessary to put in a road where a perfectly good forest was.They also say it's a city rich in oppurtunities for those looking to earn fame and wealth by adventuring.That's why you're there.Everywhere there are posters saying:  Emperor Manus Iron wants you for his legions.  You've heard tell that the legions are still understaffed for The New Goblinoid War, even though the Emperor has begun recalling troops from the Beastlands mission that has the official name of Manus's Southern Expedition.  Your slightly subversive grandpa calls it Manus's Folly.[I am making a bit of a leap saying that the PCs all have slightly subversive grandpas, but I feel it is merited.]For those that go willingly:  The nearest recruitment office is surprisingly small and shabby.  The man at the desk has an eyepatch and is missing two fingers on his left hand.He says, "Thanks for considering the Legions.  We just have a brief Physical.  Let's see you can stand and walk under your own power.  That's a definite plus.  Now can you see the chart on the back wall?  Okay how about the back wall then?  Well, you're in.  You'll be reporting to the Swords Street Barracks for further instruction."For those with a weakness for women:  You find your way to the seemier side of the city.  One of the women of negotiable affection calls out from an alleyway.  If they step into the alley:  Just as you begin to engage her services, the world fades to black.  When you wake up, you're on a cot in a room with a bunch of other cots.  Judging by the uniforms of the other men in the room, you're in the Legions now.If they pass up the alleyway: You find Miss Rose's Girls' Finishing School, and, knowing what Finishing School is a euphemism for in Tera Prima, you slip the bouncer a few coins to get in.  You pay the headmistress for a girl and a room for the night.  You have a reasonably good time and then fall asleep for the night.  When you wake up, you're on a cot in a room with a bunch of other cots.  Judging by the uniforms of the other men in the room, you're in the Legions now.For those who prefer the fermented beverages:  You make your way to the Ace of Swords, King of Wands, King of Coins, or Page of Cups.  Whichever one:  you buy drinks and after the third one everything goes black.  When you wake up, you're on a cot in a room with a bunch of other cots.  Judging by the uniforms of the other men in the room, you're in the Legions now.For those who like a good brawl:  You make your way to The Ace of Swords, famed far and wide as the best brawling tavern in all the Empire.  There's about twenty in tonight's melee.  (treat all combatants as Fighter 1s with AC 8 (leather armor), +2 to hit (Strength bonus), and doing 1d4+3 damage (tankards and chairs).  Five immediately gang up on brawling PC.  When PC is knocked unconscious: When you wake up, you're on a cot in a room with a bunch of other cots.  Judging by the uniforms of the other men in the room, you're in the Legions now.[Yes it's railroading, but it's railroading with style and it offers a decent illusion of choice.  PCs can jump the tracks later by going AWOL or similar.]In the barracks:  A large man in a Legion uniform walks into the room and starts bellowing:  "All right men, rise and shine.  A new day is before us and so are a thousand ways to die valiantly.  I'm your Sergeant, Gladius Steel.  If you can get dressed and down to the mess in under a minute, you've got a cahnce to eat before you die.  Seeing as to how it's grain mush, I wouldn't hurry though."After finishing his inspirational speach, he walks out of the room and the more prepared Legionnaires file out of the room behind him.  One of them mutters: "He says that every morning, but we've been drilling for a whole week now.  I think he's eager to recieve combat orders.""Must be his barbarian blood showing through," says another.The mess is a large room with lots of tables.  Along one side of the room, a line of Legionnaires are recieving a bowl of grain mush from a big, ugly, scary cook.  One of your comrades-in-arms explains: "That's Smashfist; he's a half-ogre; they chose him for his way of discouraging folks asking for seconds."The Sergeant strides back into the mess and says: " Well men, we've got orders.  We're being sent to retake Castle Granite from the goblinoids.  We don't know what we'll find there.  That castle has been in Goblinoid hands for over a hundred years.  That's a long time, but the Emperor syas we're not going to let any Tartru-spawned golbins use one of our own fortresses to launch attacks against us.  Now, since a mere is not distinguished enough to lead this mission, they've assigned a nob with an academy commision to lead us.  Let me present to you the Lieutenant Silvus Emerald."When he ends his speach, a clean-shaven, young man in shiny polished armor and a family crest painted on his shield strides confidently into the room:  "Once, you've finished your mush, report to  quartemaster um..." he consults his notes.  "Oh yes, Forthingay Fingers.  What an odd name.  Report to the quartermaster to receive your armaments.  Once everyone's done that, we march." [/sblock]It seems to put adventure first and setting development second in a way, but it also exists as a way to develop the setting that I thought might be interesting by using it in an adventure.</blockquote>

Verification