Brennan
2010-01-18, 04:32 AM
Well, I've been planning this D&D campaign out for my friends to delve through in a five-man group for quite awhile, but I can't quite formulate a way for them to get started with the main story of the campaign without making it feel forced and gamy.
The story is thus: The town of X has been having strange disappearances under the cover of night. People seem to be getting up out of their beds of their own accord and heading out into the Dark Woods to the east of town, never to be seen again. It turns out that a necromantic cult has an insurgent placed in the town to bewitch the villagers into unconsciously walking right into the necromancers' hands once the clock strikes midnight. Somehow, (I need help deciding how the players all meet up and decide to help the town) five skilled individuals (the PC's) decide to go into the forest and save the townsfolk from the necromancers' experiments. At first this seems simple, though the delve into the necromancers' lair housed in ancient ruins is fraught with peril in the form of traps, undead, and magical enchantment, but once they dispatch the final minor necromancer, they head into a room with the leader who proves to be only a slight challenge. (He is actually allowing himself to be killed, knowing that his phylactery is safe and he will be resurrected as a lich.)
Having (seemingly) killed all of the necromancers, the players must handle a black grimoire held by the leader of the necromantic sect. Whether they choose to keep it, trade it, get it appraised by a scholar, or whatever they choose, it eventually falls back into the hands of the cult. The players then, later, realize that the grimoire is the key to summoning an ancient god's remains hidden under the earth. A force strong enough to decimate any resistance and take over the world in the course of a week. Now, charged with the duty of finding the grimoire and stopping the necromantic cult from exacting their god unto the world, the players embark on a quest- blah blah blah.
I'm having problems figuring out how to get them together and how to get them started on their quest. Should I have a few dungeon delves before the campaign starts? The players are going to include:
-A heroic female paladin
-An honorable female fighter who believes in justice ruling over all. (Good, but not straight enough in her methods to be a paladin.)
-A bard along for the ride, wanting to write music of their deeds.
-A renegade from a race of elves known for evil magic. He seeks redemption and joins the PC's in the quest to find and destroy the grimoire. (Perhaps his people created it? I haven't decided yet.)
-Aaaanddd.... One character that the player of hasn't decided what she will be.
So, Giant in the Playground... How do you suggest I set this campaign off? How should I motivate the players to help the village? How should I get all the players into the village at one time without making it seem forced? Please help me, as I've been thinking this through thoroughly for weeks and am at a loss as of how to start.
Thanks in advance!
-Brennan
The story is thus: The town of X has been having strange disappearances under the cover of night. People seem to be getting up out of their beds of their own accord and heading out into the Dark Woods to the east of town, never to be seen again. It turns out that a necromantic cult has an insurgent placed in the town to bewitch the villagers into unconsciously walking right into the necromancers' hands once the clock strikes midnight. Somehow, (I need help deciding how the players all meet up and decide to help the town) five skilled individuals (the PC's) decide to go into the forest and save the townsfolk from the necromancers' experiments. At first this seems simple, though the delve into the necromancers' lair housed in ancient ruins is fraught with peril in the form of traps, undead, and magical enchantment, but once they dispatch the final minor necromancer, they head into a room with the leader who proves to be only a slight challenge. (He is actually allowing himself to be killed, knowing that his phylactery is safe and he will be resurrected as a lich.)
Having (seemingly) killed all of the necromancers, the players must handle a black grimoire held by the leader of the necromantic sect. Whether they choose to keep it, trade it, get it appraised by a scholar, or whatever they choose, it eventually falls back into the hands of the cult. The players then, later, realize that the grimoire is the key to summoning an ancient god's remains hidden under the earth. A force strong enough to decimate any resistance and take over the world in the course of a week. Now, charged with the duty of finding the grimoire and stopping the necromantic cult from exacting their god unto the world, the players embark on a quest- blah blah blah.
I'm having problems figuring out how to get them together and how to get them started on their quest. Should I have a few dungeon delves before the campaign starts? The players are going to include:
-A heroic female paladin
-An honorable female fighter who believes in justice ruling over all. (Good, but not straight enough in her methods to be a paladin.)
-A bard along for the ride, wanting to write music of their deeds.
-A renegade from a race of elves known for evil magic. He seeks redemption and joins the PC's in the quest to find and destroy the grimoire. (Perhaps his people created it? I haven't decided yet.)
-Aaaanddd.... One character that the player of hasn't decided what she will be.
So, Giant in the Playground... How do you suggest I set this campaign off? How should I motivate the players to help the village? How should I get all the players into the village at one time without making it seem forced? Please help me, as I've been thinking this through thoroughly for weeks and am at a loss as of how to start.
Thanks in advance!
-Brennan