soir8
2011-03-21, 01:06 PM
Greetings all,
So, after co-DMing a campaign (taking turns writing the next "chapter") so that I could have a go at being a player for once, I've started work on a full 1-20 campaign that I'll be DMing alone. This is partly because I think I have some interesting ideas, and partly because the other DM made me too angry (+4 brilliant energy adamantine great maul beats 3 ft thick stone door, dammit! And if I've just spent the entire combat debuffing the dragon enough that I miraculously succeed in intimidating him, I don't care if you don't think a kobold can intimidate a dragon!)
*ahem*
Sorry, I find that I am still full of bile regarding a few of the other DM's more questionable decisions.
Anyway, my new concept starts off as an excuse for a fairly nightmarish dungeon crawl. The PCs start the game finding that they have been kidnapped by an organization which calls itself "the Academy of Excellence", a group of powerful magic-users who have predicted that the PCs will some day play an important role in determining the fate of the world, and therefore must be prepared. So for the first six levels, the players work their way through a series of devious challenges (my favourite is the Philosoraptor; he sends the players into an encounter with a skeletal terrasque, followed by an encounter with Tucker's Kobolds, followed by an encounter with the Tick. A sense motive check reveals the Philosoraptor is just posing as one of the Academy's masters, and a search check reveals that the exit is right behind his throne).
Now, I know this sounds harsh, but all the dungeon "tests" so far have been designed so that they can be overcome fairly easily with a bit of abstract thinking and teamwork. Also, to counterbalance the number of things which can kill a PC if they don't know it's there, the Masters will resurrect each PC 3 times per test (yeah, I'm making it seem like a videogame, but it ruins the point of each PC being "chosen" for a special destiny if they get replaced whenever they die). If the whole party gets wiped 3 times, before attempting the test again they must go through the "punishment zone, in which they cannot die but can be horribly mutilated (based on the Cube films, only with kobolds manning the traps and the risk of running into a zombified lvl 15 PC from the last campaign).
The PCs are teleported to the next test by one of the Masters whenever a test is completed. The dungeons are all deep underground, so there's no escape, and are unconnected, so teleport is the only way to travel between dungeons.
Upon reaching lvl6, everything goes to hell. The Academy is attacked, the PCs are teleported away before they get killed, and they find themselves in the middle of nowhere, knowing nothing except that they're supposed to save the world and someone just tried to kill them.
And that's it so far. My plan is to incorporate Atropus from Elder Evils, so I get to do my Zombie Wild West idea (which I came up with before Red Dead Redemption... Damn you Rockstar and Ozzy Osbourne!)
I'm allowing any books the players have access to, and will ban specific builds, classes, PrCs etc as they become problematic. Like I said, Wild West-type setting, so guns, explosives and Mexican bandits are all welcome.
So, what are your thoughts? Any input is much appreciated.
Edit: changed the title in an effort to make this thread sound like something interesting, rather than just me stealing your thoughts.
So, after co-DMing a campaign (taking turns writing the next "chapter") so that I could have a go at being a player for once, I've started work on a full 1-20 campaign that I'll be DMing alone. This is partly because I think I have some interesting ideas, and partly because the other DM made me too angry (+4 brilliant energy adamantine great maul beats 3 ft thick stone door, dammit! And if I've just spent the entire combat debuffing the dragon enough that I miraculously succeed in intimidating him, I don't care if you don't think a kobold can intimidate a dragon!)
*ahem*
Sorry, I find that I am still full of bile regarding a few of the other DM's more questionable decisions.
Anyway, my new concept starts off as an excuse for a fairly nightmarish dungeon crawl. The PCs start the game finding that they have been kidnapped by an organization which calls itself "the Academy of Excellence", a group of powerful magic-users who have predicted that the PCs will some day play an important role in determining the fate of the world, and therefore must be prepared. So for the first six levels, the players work their way through a series of devious challenges (my favourite is the Philosoraptor; he sends the players into an encounter with a skeletal terrasque, followed by an encounter with Tucker's Kobolds, followed by an encounter with the Tick. A sense motive check reveals the Philosoraptor is just posing as one of the Academy's masters, and a search check reveals that the exit is right behind his throne).
Now, I know this sounds harsh, but all the dungeon "tests" so far have been designed so that they can be overcome fairly easily with a bit of abstract thinking and teamwork. Also, to counterbalance the number of things which can kill a PC if they don't know it's there, the Masters will resurrect each PC 3 times per test (yeah, I'm making it seem like a videogame, but it ruins the point of each PC being "chosen" for a special destiny if they get replaced whenever they die). If the whole party gets wiped 3 times, before attempting the test again they must go through the "punishment zone, in which they cannot die but can be horribly mutilated (based on the Cube films, only with kobolds manning the traps and the risk of running into a zombified lvl 15 PC from the last campaign).
The PCs are teleported to the next test by one of the Masters whenever a test is completed. The dungeons are all deep underground, so there's no escape, and are unconnected, so teleport is the only way to travel between dungeons.
Upon reaching lvl6, everything goes to hell. The Academy is attacked, the PCs are teleported away before they get killed, and they find themselves in the middle of nowhere, knowing nothing except that they're supposed to save the world and someone just tried to kill them.
And that's it so far. My plan is to incorporate Atropus from Elder Evils, so I get to do my Zombie Wild West idea (which I came up with before Red Dead Redemption... Damn you Rockstar and Ozzy Osbourne!)
I'm allowing any books the players have access to, and will ban specific builds, classes, PrCs etc as they become problematic. Like I said, Wild West-type setting, so guns, explosives and Mexican bandits are all welcome.
So, what are your thoughts? Any input is much appreciated.
Edit: changed the title in an effort to make this thread sound like something interesting, rather than just me stealing your thoughts.