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View Full Version : Horrific sadism & videogames - my campaign idea! (3.5)



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.

Tyndmyr
2011-03-21, 01:12 PM
It's a little crazier than my usual tastes, but I am a fan of long megadungeons.

I will say that while it should be generally linear in overall structure, try to include at least three paths at any given point to move forward to the next area. Choke points to reduce options are fine, but you generally do not want to reduce them to only one, as you run the risk of players getting stuck repeating trying to figure it out, which slows the game down quite a lot.

Also, consider how shopping is going to work. It's a consistant issue in megadungeons. I'd suggest building a few unique, small civilizations fairly cut off from the surface at lower levels, as they can plausibly make the more inexpensive magic items.

At higher levels, perhaps a one-time trip to a planar metropolis or what not. Mixes things up a bit, provides a change of scenery and an excuse for new shinies.

prufock
2011-03-21, 07:56 PM
(+4 brilliant energy adamantine great maul beats 3 ft thick stone door

Relevant SRD text:
"A brilliant energy weapon ignores nonliving matter.... A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm undead, constructs, and objects."

So I believe your DM was right on this one. There's no real reason a dragon can't be intimidated by a kobold, though, provided it fails the opposed check.

As for advice-
I wouldn't necessarily start the game telling them that they've been kidnapped for X purpose. Give them an encounter or two to let them be confused as they make their way through the first test. I would then reveal the first master at the END of the first test, who will explain a little bit about it (but not the whole story, give each of the masters something to say).

This lets the suspense build gradually. I would also, under no circumstances, tell them from the beginning that they have 3 free resurrections. I wouldn't even tell them when it happened. I would have them wake up in another part of the dungeon, not too far from the rest of the party, but far enough so there are obstacles between them.

As for what happens when they die, have the bodies evaporated, fallen down deeeeeeep pits, disintegrated, eaten, sucked into exhaust vents, exploded, imploded, ultraploded, buried under rubble that would take years to move... In all cases, there should be no identifiable trace of the body remaining. Then when the rest of the party finds their teammate "just waking up," they should be delighted and/or confused. Only after this first death, and completing that section of the dungeon, would I have the Master explain why he is still alive.

Make sure to do at least these two things:
- have at least one challenge each where the particular skills and abilities of one character shines. This reinforces the idea that they are special little snowflakes destined for greatness.
- have at least one device-trap-puzzle that requires them to work together, each performing a particular task at the same time.

I wouldn't necessarily make the goal of each test obvious. Since there are six levels, presumably six tests, make each test a test of one ability score (least in theme/spirit, NOT in d20 rolls). Think Captain Marvel. Use a thesaurus: Might, Speed, Stamina, Cunning, Judgment, and Will. Have each master give a short tagline for the coming test, use quote mining from google. For example "It is to the one who endures that the final victory comes" (stolen from Buddha).

Think outside the box and make each test fit the virtue. Speed, for example, could be tested by having them race through the dungeon, with little time to think, while being pursued by some force that will destroy them if they don't make it (imagine it as "darkness" that eats the space behind them, leaving nothingness). Might could be more of a combat-heavy test, Endurance could be filled with damaging traps, Cunning might require puzzle-solving, Judgment might involve a moral choice, and Will - to through a new slant on it - could require them to accept that they are to be heroes (put them up against an apparently unwinnable situation, as a test of their desire to succeed).

As for healing, I'd have the master heal them to full after completing the test. I'd also allow them to be "awarded" some items (in keeping with appropriate wealth for the level) at this point.

I'm not sure about the "punishment" idea. Could you refluff it so that they are only potential saviours of the world? Then if they die 3 times, they are shunted back to where they came from. You can still do Part 2 outside the dungeon, just without them being branded "the chosen ones." Of course, that doesn't mean that they aren't. Have another group, that DOES make it, follow the "teleported outside" path that they would have taken had they succeeded. This group stops a large physical threat just at the edge of town, where the PCs can see it, and the townfolk hail them as heroes.

In the end, of course, you want it to be your unsuspecting PCs who save the world, not the "heroes." Give them a reason to get off their duffs.

Another idea is that the NPC team gets back to town BEFORE the physical threat (monster, whatever) and is heralded by a servant of the Masters. The townfolk greet them as saviours, then the monster attacks, they fight it, but are killed doing so (maybe taking it out with them). Now the PCs are the second string heroes. They aren't the chosen ones, but someone has to try to save the world.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but maybe you can get some decent gems in this refuse.

soir8
2011-03-22, 10:04 AM
Nice ideas :)

I like the idea that they don't get to know why they're there right away. I'm definitely using that.

As for shopping, sorry, they don't get to do any. The PCs start off in a room full of (non-magical) weapons and armour, as well as a few basic supplies (rope, lamps etc.) so they can equip there characters, and I'll be scattering better equipment throughout the dungeons. Another problem for them (which they'll have to discover is a problem) is that they aren't provided with food or water; they have to find it. For example, when testing out the first dungeon, my brother had the surprising foresight to butcher and cook the dire bat the PCs fight at the start, and fill up a couple of flasks with water from the pool full of Gelatinous Cubes. And currently I have the dungeons designed so that there's a supply room at the end of each one, with the contents gradually including more powerful weapons and items, as well as a few interesting gadgets that will be useful for the next test (e.g. dynamite in the first supply room can be essential in getting through a few tough doors.

Scrapping the Punishment Zone also seems a good idea; after the initial amusement of the PCs suffering horribly for their failure, I suspect it might get tired. Perhaps if the entire party uses up all their "lives", they're told that clearly there has been a mistake, that one of them must go and they must decide who goes? The matter could even be resolved through single combat.

Oh, and thanks for pointing out the brilliant energy problem. However, the DM was still wrong, as at that point I remember we were lvl 12 and the dwarf hadn't bought the brilliant energy enchantment yet. So it was just a huge adamantine +3 great maul, which definitely beats a 3ft thick stone door. I remember because this was the same session in which he threw the 2 of us (2!) against a Medusa with wizard lvls AND a Great Wyrm Blue Dragon, and the dwarf could barely land a hit. Heheh, the poor DM was so pissed off when we still beat the encounter without using his normal "use that unidentifiable magic item you found 3 sessions ago and you win automatically" crap.