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Were-Sandwich
2006-07-22, 01:31 PM
I'm currently building a NWN moule at a painstaking pace. I would like help with the plot. Basic Premise:

Its oriental themed
Its basicaly a revenge story
It starts with a flashback with the character remembering how his father was killed by Teh Uber Evil Lord's troops
Then there's a flashback where he remembers his failed assassination attempt on the lord
The lord spares his life and throws him in the dungeon to rot
In the dungeon, the character finds the Necronomicon
Character reads Necronomicon and is transported to some wierd place with Yog-Sothoth in it.
Makes bargain with Yog-Sothoth. In exchange for his soul, Yog-Sothoth will free him from prison. Yog-Sothoth splits his soul into parts, and whenever he dies will claim a part, then send him back. (I.E Ten lives.)


After that I have no idea where to go. It has to end with him dueling with TehUberBadLord in the Void.

TehUberBadLOrd is a Hastur worshiping guy, and is really arrogant.


I need ideas! Please?

ghost_warlock
2006-07-22, 03:12 PM
So, when he gets back from Yog-realm, is he still in the dungeon? I see him fighting his way out, to start with!

This is actually kind of funny/ironic/serendipitous because I'm working on updating the teaching dungeon flashcards from the old D&D Black Box, entitled "Escape from Zanzer's Dungeon." It's sort of a dungeon crawl that starts the party out as weaponless prisoners and ends with them defeating the evil wizard and escaping to freedom, teaching the players how to play D&D along the way. So far, I've got the pre-gen 1st-level PCs and most of the monsters converted.

TheThan
2006-07-22, 03:13 PM
Make Teh Uber Evil Lord personally kill the pc’s parents and have him take his little sister as a concubine or something… that way there is a stronger connection to the pc’s past.

Also you should have the pc meet a krazy old man in the dungeon. After that you have some options you could have the old man tell him about a magical item that will grant him the power to beat Teh Uber Evil Lord. Or you could have him train the PC to fight and give him the power to seek his own revenge and live to celebrate it, like in “The Count of Monte Christo” – hope I spelled that right.

Then you have let him escape somehow. I like the “fall down the drain and follow your nose” explanation they used in the movie Lady Hawk.

No he can set out on his quest to find Teh uber magical item. Then he gets to go and fight his way through Teh Uber Evil Lord’s army of minion and finally confront him.

illathid
2006-07-22, 03:43 PM
I like the whole "sell your soul" aspect of it alot. You should build on that theme and make every act come with harmful consequences. Don't let the PC have black & white choices, make them always a shade of gray. For example, the PC could capture a soldier in service to TehUberBadLord. If the PC kills him, bad things will happen, and if he lets him go, different bad things will happen.

hmmm...

Actually, you could go the whole "Hero" (the movie that is) route and have TehUberBadLord actually be serveing a greater good. Like he had gained information that Yog-Sothoth would be invading the plane soon, and the nations of the world were too busy squableing to be able to mount a defense. So TehUberBadLord set about unifying the nations so as be able to defend the world against Yog-Sothoth.

At least, thats my take on the whole plot. ;)

edit: for clarification

larnman2
2006-07-22, 04:03 PM
Wouldn't that be closer to leasing you soul?

ghost_warlock
2006-07-22, 04:11 PM
"Rent-to-Buy" for Yog?

Herbert_West
2006-07-22, 07:08 PM
I like the sound of this alot, but there is just one thing i have to know.
Why is the Necronomicon in the dungeon?

maybe the meeting with Yog-Sothoth was preplanned, and the Necronomicon planted by an agent. Yog is going to use the power leached from main character to break through to the realm.

Abd al-Azrad
2006-07-22, 10:13 PM
Obviously, use minions! The PC has no idea where our Teh UberBadGuy is, or lives, and must work his way up to TUBG through a batman-style chain of minor criminals and others who use Hastur's power to fulfill their own ends.

Ideas: a minion who has made an Unspeakable Oath with Hastur for some control of a thief guild/power base in a city. You must take apart his little criminal empire, steal his wealth, etc., and at the end of this subplot, realise Hastur has changed him into some gruesome oozelike warrior to attempt to destroy you. Upon killing him, you can seach his inner sanctum for links to TUBG.

You get captured by the city guard for the mass-murders you're commiting (you are an evil assassin type, or at the very least can be taken as such through your actions), and must either kill or sneak or diplome your way out of jail. This sort of subplot can get you an audience with the Captain of the Guard, which may give you a powerful ally in the fight against Hastur's influence, if you either (a) are very diplomatic or (b) manage to gather some evidence to implicate Hastur's minions in all the crazy evil acts in the city.

Were-Sandwich
2006-07-23, 06:25 AM
This is actually kind of funny/ironic/serendipitous because I'm working on updating the teaching dungeon flashcards from the old D&D Black Box, entitled "Escape from Zanzer's Dungeon." It's sort of a dungeon crawl that starts the party out as weaponless prisoners and ends with them defeating the evil wizard and escaping to freedom, teaching the players how to play D&D along the way. So far, I've got the pre-gen 1st-level PCs and most of the monsters converted.

I remember that module!

As for why the Necronomicon is in his cell.... A wizard did it?? :(

I wasn't planning on having so much Hastur influence in it, more as a little detail, but I like that idea..

ExHunterEmerald
2006-07-23, 06:41 AM
So, when he gets back from Yog-realm, is he still in the dungeon? I see him fighting his way out, to start with!

This is actually kind of funny/ironic/serendipitous because I'm working on updating the teaching dungeon flashcards from the old D&D Black Box, entitled "Escape from Zanzer's Dungeon." It's sort of a dungeon crawl that starts the party out as weaponless prisoners and ends with them defeating the evil wizard and escaping to freedom, teaching the players how to play D&D along the way. So far, I've got the pre-gen 1st-level PCs and most of the monsters converted.

OMFG ZANZER!
DUDE. I found that pack for $2.00 in a consignment shop. First exposure to D&D ever!
...oh, and Axel was a jerk, until he ran into my 15 STR. Suckaaaaa!

Re: Module:

Interesting idea. The book could have been placed there by Yog-Sogoth, in order to find its way to someone wronged by the uber-lord. As in, Yog has been wronged by Hastur and wants to address him with a slap in the face, carried out through you killing one of his servants. You'd need to personalize the insult for that to work. Maybe the UBG is -very- high up on the scale with big H.

The Glyphstone
2006-07-23, 06:48 AM
Then Hastur itself could materialize and devour what's left of the PC - thus cheating Yog-Soggoth too.... :-/

ExHunterEmerald
2006-07-23, 07:55 AM
Unless Yoggy intervenes again. Or you make a counter-deal at that point and recover your soul with Hastur's help, opening up sequel possibilities--
Oh god! I've become Lucas!
*hurls himeslf off a bridge*

ghost_warlock
2006-07-23, 11:26 AM
OMFG ZANZER!
DUDE. I found that pack for $2.00 in a consignment shop. First exposure to D&D ever!
...oh, and Axel was a jerk, until he ran into my 15 STR. Suckaaaaa!
:D

Axel the Bully CR 1
Male Human Fighter 1
CN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common
Spd 30 ft. (6 squares)
Hp 6 (1d10+1)
Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +1
AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
Melee Unarmed strike +3 (1d3+2 nonlethal)
Base Atk +1; Grp +3
Str 14, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
SQ Human traits
Feats Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus (intimidate)
Skills Climb +6, Intimidate +6, Jump +6
Possessions Funny-shaped dice
Hook “Stay away from my bread!” >:(

Hey, maybe Axel here is the one that planted the Necronomicon... He's got all those "funny-shaped dice;" they must have come from The Far Realm! Then, he just up and vanished partway through the module (just before you meet Adelle Kahoki). And he's the weird sort of guy you could just see working for Yog... He starts out all mean and surly, stealing your bread and gruel then, all of the sudden, he's feeding you healing potions and sharing loot. He must have realized that you have a connection with his master Yog-Sothoth; probably deeper than his own! He seems the type to brown nose...

Were-Sandwich
2006-07-23, 12:14 PM
I've decided to drop the Necronomicon, and just have Yog summon the character, because I'm having trouble scripting it.


OK, I have the bare bones of a plot, now I need ideas for sidequests. Any ideas?

ExHunterEmerald
2006-07-23, 01:16 PM
A few "extra chance" opportunities might be nice.
If you do other objectives for Soggy, he'll return a piece of your soul.

Hmmm...specific stuff...

You're hired by a band of demihumans to assassinate a politician pushing a discriminating law/agenda.

You witness a murderer kill someone with a fantastic weapon and learn local customs award citizens who capture criminals alive and turn them in are allowed to keep the property of the criminal. That'd cover a "sweet weapon" quest.

A guild war starts in a town and the constablery either can't handle it, or is itself involved, and thus not neutral in the issue. The locals hire you to negotiate or "negotiate" with the guild that began the war by hiking prices.

A thief enlists your help to steal an artifact, and DOESN'T try to swindle you after you do the job. (Come on, aren't you tired of getting that all the time?)

A man who lost his wife wants you to secretly kill the man who killed her and went free.

Having never played NWN, I'm just thinking of general things.

aramil_nubin
2007-03-19, 02:55 PM
....I'm working on updating the teaching dungeon flashcards from the old D&D Black Box, entitled "Escape from Zanzer's Dungeon." It's sort of a dungeon crawl that starts the party out as weaponless prisoners and ends with them defeating the evil wizard and escaping to freedom, teaching the players how to play D&D along the way. So far, I've got the pre-gen 1st-level PCs and most of the monsters converted.

Do you think you could send me your material, when you are finished? I'd love to run that one again. I had it at one time, but I don't know what happened to it.