Airships and Apocalypse

[Yakk]

I'm going to be testing out my setting in about a week, and I'm looking for some ideas.

The PCs are residents of Sanctuary, a 100 mile by 100 mile "bomb shelter" that hid from a war between the Gods and the Primordials a century or more ago. They are being sent out to explore the world, because a decade or so ago their water source (a Water Elemental) got sick, and they are afraid of a serious ecological collapse unless they try something.

When they leave the hatch, what should they encounter? My first idea is to throw them into a backwards dungeon -- they have to fight their way from the bottom to the top, where they learn that nearby villagers where being bothered by the monsters they had defeated.

But I'm looking for ideas.

When they exit the "fallout shelter", what should they encounter?

I have a plan for the overall world that is outside: The world was torn asunder by the victorious promordials, and most of it used for construction elsewhere. The remnants are floating islands or continents in an ocean of air, with orbiting domains of fire providing light and heat, and migrating storm systems dominated by the element of water. Mortal races that survived the end of the world are building new civilizations -- the Dwarves are building one on the "bottom" of the continents, competing with dragons for space, for example.

But I'm looking for a good hook for their first exploration outside of the shelter. Thoughts?

[Morph Bark]

Rather makes me think of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann...

The first things they could encounter could be a bunch of aberrations that tried to hide in the depths of the world, but still relatively close to the surface in this case as more of an exception due to being servants of one of the leaders in that God-Primordial War. Could make the dungeon rather sewer-like, but appear more like a cave filled with alien things. Of course, the whole world should be rather alien to those who've lived underground all their lives...

[Kiren]

Heh, sounds like Fallout 1's story line (Fallout 1 right?) where the vault's water chip breaks and the "Vault Dweller" is sent out to find a new one. I'm not well versed in the game though, never played.

But they should definetly face off against a couple of lost low ranking squadreons of Primordial's/Primordialesses and The Goddesses's/God's armies

Each god/primordial should use different kind's of soldiers. If the war was over, then these are the abandoned remnants.

[Xallace]

I like this "reverse dungeon." That's cool.

I imagine, in order to make it dungeon-esque, some main pathways will have to be blocked. Some things have caved in, other things have grown over. They'll have to travel through some tight maintenance shafts, probably filled with loose wires (or "uncoupled magical conduits") and tiny subterranian menaces: rat swarms or little undead or something.

I think actually making it outside of the shelter's perimeter, up to the gate to the actual outside world, would be an excellent climax to a first session. As such, I'm thinking a little cliche: an elder security system malfunctions and tries to take out the PCs. Give the security system a body*, perhaps a construct or two that embody the artificial intelligence.

In a "Load-Bearing Boss" sort of way, defeat of the security system unlocks the gate to the outside world.


*Its name is DOVE, and you are from Layered.

[Meirnon]

I actually like this campaign. It'd go great if it didn't have to be tied to preconceived notions one has from the same-ol' monsters and the same-ol' classes. Try homebrewing monsters and creating PRC's that fit niches in the society. Don't tell your players monster names, instead giving them vivid descriptions or even label-less pictures if you can draw. I think the story-building part of this setting could be pretty epic. So much so that I think it could be worthy to have novels written about it if it's developed right as a relatively alien fantasy world.

[The Tygre]

Keep the reverse dungeon. That's righteous. :smallcool:

Above that, you need to think about what kind of post-apocalypse you're looking at. Is it barren wasteland, like Road Warrior? Is the world a hellish dystopia of mind control? Are cities few and far between mega-tropolises like Blade Runner (except with magic instead of tech)? Either way, I'd put some magical mutants out on the surface.

[BelGareth]

LOVE this idea, I am/was a huge fan of fallout and that is what I was thinking when I read it, but it's unique enough to stand alone. Great comments so far.
Btw I am probably going to steal this....

A motley group of half mutants would be awesome to encounter, cannilbalistic half orcs, half giants, half ogres would be great. With the big bad guy a half troll due to his regen. You could even give them really nice armor, made out of hardened gold and stuff to give the idea they used to be elite warriors and have degenerated into cannibals and live in the cave they were ordered to guard. They could even be original guards of the complex, set by a care giving god to guard the vault. Lots of hook possibilities.

[Chambers]

Heh, sounds like Fallout 1's story line (Fallout 1 right?) where the vault's water chip breaks and the "Vault Dweller" is sent out to find a new one. I'm not well versed in the game though, never played.

Have them rescue a young woman named Tandy? :smallsmile:

Actual Suggestion: Have them get captured by slavers. All this new construction needs workers, and one of the nearby settlements regularly sends out teams to round up anyone they find and conscript them into the workforce.

[Yakk]

So... as this is a "reverse dungeon", the first room they run into is ... the treasure room!

The next room is the boss room -- but because I don't want to ruin pacing, the boss will be absent (and probably be guarding the exit they eventually find?)

Giant ants is classic (from the source material) as are rats -- but I'm thinking 1 foot long giant ants in swarms? Maybe. Hmm, I could make the creatures in the dungeon be skaven-esque (sort of a Kobold replacement). Skaven that ride giant ants into battle?

The alien-sewer also seems interesting.

The residents of the reverse dungeon might be slavers. And the slaves could be held captive near the bottom of the dungeon, about where the PCs enter...

Hmm. Another idea: I could have the entire reverse dungeon be one encounter. As they break into the bosses room, the guards there go "wtf", and some go scurrying off to get help.

As they are in this inside of the dungeon, if they overrun defenders, the traps are pointing the "wrong way". So they can use them on the counter-attacking raiding party that arrives...

Rat-things riding domesticated ants into battle.

I might steal the 4e forgotton realms "spellscarred" to generate the mutation effect I'm looking for. People develop spellscars, which give them unusual abilities or otherwise twist them.

...

So the standard dungeon path is:
motivate -> enter -> explore -> skirmish -> boss -> treasure -> leave -> reward

I want to keep the tough fight near the end.

enter (at bottom) -> treasure -> boss (room) -> skirmish -> motivate -> explore -> boss (or tough fight) -> leave -> reward

Graph based map:


Sanctuary
|
Treasure Vault
|
Chiefs Room --- Slave Room
|
Complex
|
Air Docks (Exit)


The Air Docks are the entrance/exit is, and lets me do the "big reveal" of what the world looks like.

The Slave Room gives the PCs a connection to the outside room.

...

I also sort of like the idea of saying "screw the boss" -- when they open up the door from the treasure room, something falls and lands on the big scary boss of the rat-men, killing it. :)

[Morph Bark]

If the boss is at the end, guarding the entrance, you could have them hear it mumbling to itself "always waiting at the end is a bad idea, it's best to go all-out from the start! The next group that comes in will meet their doom instantly!"