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View Full Version : The Rival Party!!! [4e]



DragonBaneDM
2011-01-04, 03:50 AM
One of mine and my players' favorite aspect of my campaigns is the rival party.

Just started giving thought to my upcoming Undead campaign, and who I wanted the Rivals to be this time around.

First things first, my party!


Defender- Ardent Paladin/Grey Guard of Hextor(missed old six-arms too much to let him rot), maybe he'll go Raven Queen after awhile.
Striker- Half Orc Ranger/Barbarian. He's a damphyr.
Leader- Minotaur Insightful Warlord.
Controller- Human Control Wizard- Wants to be a time traveller.
On again off again ally- We're gonna take turns DMing at points, and when they take their turns, I'll be playing an Artificer/Swordmage, who most of the time is just a trusty NPC they can turn to.


Now, here's what I have planned for the rival party, but it's still very much in the works:

Defender- Some uptight perfect Cha-based Paladin who despises the Greyguard. Planning to have the party get him deposed of his post as Captain of the Guard in Heroic Tier somewhere. A lot like the officer from Pirates of the Caribbean...Oh gods WHAT was his name???
Striker- Duegar Infernal Warlock. I want to at some point throw Duegar at the party until the Damphyr bites one of them. That guy gets away, comes back as a Damphyr... If it can work that way. I figure siring him would be one of the best ways to bring him and the Rangarian into a rivalry.
Leader- This one I'm the least sure on... I love Warhammer 40K-esque orks, and plan to have a tribe of them. Maybe a Shaman from among their midst? Or perhaps an Ardent, to simulate the WAAAAGH!!!
Controller- Er... This one isn't a controller. Rather, how's a Gnome Gatecrasher Rogue sound to counter the wizard? Wizard makes portals, he breaks them.
I don't really see a need for a fifth rival, unless an idea sooo awesome comes up that I can't ignore it. My character does have a grudge against Otacon the Bell-Ringer from Sigil though...


These are only thoughts. Won't be building them as PCs, rather as Elites that the party fights against throughout the game, and maybe I'll turn them all into standards for a big party on party fight, or just have them run when hope seems lost, I dunno.

Also, the biggest problem I've had for Rival Parties in the past is when the players ask me, "Wait...How the heck do these guys even get along?" Paladin + 40K Ork seems most problematic...

What I do know is that this place gives me great ideas for villains. So! What ideas have ye, Playground!?!

Anonomuss
2011-01-04, 05:39 AM
Well, since they're essentially an adventuring party, you can use some of the shtick that the PCs use.
"There is some vast evil growing and we must stop it"
Except in this case its the player party, where the rival party go to any means necessary, even bedding with the enemy, to deal with the evil. The only problem in this case is the Cha-based paladin, although it does allow later for the Greyguard to confront him and ask how they're so different. The Cha based paladin should be oblivious of this prior to the grayguard pointing it out for max realisation and redemption points. Otherwise, he could remain blinded to it by his hatred of the greyguard.

DragonBaneDM
2011-01-05, 01:44 AM
Oo... I like dat. I like dat lots.

Another idea I had was a shifter. Vampire bloodline vs werewolf bloodline. Classic, am I right?

Curse you Meyer...