Optimator
2011-05-12, 11:38 PM
My players: Keep out. TL;DR version at bottom.
SO I have a campaign about 70% done, but I am having trouble linking all the key elements I want to play out. The end part of the campaign is pretty much prepped, but I am having trouble making the beginning both interesting, somewhat challenging, and likely to play out in a way that would lead to the encounters I have planned. The campaign is mostly combat based and not super-long (4-5 sessions perhaps, tops) but only once the mystery is solved and the enemies identified. A little rail-roady but I don't think it's too egregious. The investigation will be mostly sandbox style, but I want to prepare a standard path of investigation and prepare for what the PCs might do.
I just want the investigation to take some time. Just to make the PCs get to the bottom of things, but not with a single spell. Six spells, maybe. :smallamused:
I fully expect the players to solve any problems swiftly, considering they are mostly full casters and all have well-above-average WBL. THe trick is finding things that they have to do to that are doable but not instantly, effortlessly solved, but also not to make the tasks contrived or artificial-feeling in their difficulty (should a real, appropriate challenge be part of the plan).
Party:
Level 17 Druid. Invincible.
Level 16 Ruby Knight Vindicator, level 7 spells. Invincible.
Level 16 Daring Outlaw with a Swordsage dip. Killing machine.
Level 16 Wizard-based gish, level 7 spells. Also Invincible.
Level 16 Erudite with a huge power list. Has Hypercognition
Level 16 Sublime Chord, my normal character, DMPC for this campaign. Limited plot involvement.
Basic Plot:
MacGuffins/Girlfirends/Mothers (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin) stolen/kidnapped. Scrying doesn't work. Hobgoblin spymaster approaches party, party meets Hobgoblin Emperor's adviser/assistant/. Adviser thinks King is under mental control. The Emperor is being controlled by three other advisers, all recent additions to the cabinet lineup. One, the leader, is an Old Blue Spellstiched Dracolich Sorc 7 who fancies himself a Mummy. Another is an Old Tarterian Dragon Warblade 5, and the third is an Old Topaz Dragon Psion 5. Using a combination of the Telepath's abilities and a pair of custom magic items, the trio control an astral projection of the Emperor and siphon off large sums of money from the nation's treasury and wield the nations standing army and the Emperor's private army to do whatever they damn well please.
The Capitol sits at the base of a mountain range with large deposits of a rock that has antimagic properties and dimensional locking properties. The endgame is to get to the nations vault inside the core of the mountain, where the Emperor's real body, the treasury, and the Phylactery are. The key to the cave system will be guarded in the main keep of the Capitol fortress by the Emperor (astrally projecting) and elite supersoldiers, warbeasts, etc. The Fortress and catacombs leading under the mountain are the primary Dungeon of the quest.
The Dragons usually spend their time in the catacombs so scrying spells and teleporting don't usually work. There are Weirdstones inside the Castle itself.
My ideal path for the campaign is thus: party goes to Hobgoblin capital city. Party learns, through whatever means, that the three advisers are controlling the Emperor, the key to the catacombs is in the keep's upper levels, and that what they desire is in the catacombs. Party retrieves key from keep through violence or subterfuge. Most likely violence because the three advisers are vigilant enough that they may catch wind of the PC's meddling. PCs then delve the catacombs, fight the evil dragons and emerge victorious after many hard-fought battles.
So my question, and the TL;DR version, is how do I construct the early part of the campaign to give my high-level PCs the runaround for a session without railroading them with arbitrary restrictions but without taking away too much freedom? How can I set up the setting to I want them to be able to use their powers, but I want them to have to put in at least a bit of effort.
Brainstorm. The ideas I've had so far:
*The key is a ring on the Emperor's finger, so they'll have to fight him.
*Another adviser/council member/whatever knows the truth but is too scared to talk.
*Catacomb location is hidden.
*Magic is illegal in the land, and if the PCs are seen--or detected?--using magic they're arrested (or rather, forced to kill a bunch of hobgoblin guards, and getting on the Emperor's ****-list faster)
*Every time the Erudite uses Hypercognition, the fights get harder :smallamused:. Probably wont go that route.
*I would be very satisfied if the party made a bunch of high Gather Information checks to learn secrets, but the PCs might not even try mundane methods. I don't think any of them have high enough checks to find such guarded info while keeping a low profile.
Your thoughts? THanks for reading this far, if you did.
SO I have a campaign about 70% done, but I am having trouble linking all the key elements I want to play out. The end part of the campaign is pretty much prepped, but I am having trouble making the beginning both interesting, somewhat challenging, and likely to play out in a way that would lead to the encounters I have planned. The campaign is mostly combat based and not super-long (4-5 sessions perhaps, tops) but only once the mystery is solved and the enemies identified. A little rail-roady but I don't think it's too egregious. The investigation will be mostly sandbox style, but I want to prepare a standard path of investigation and prepare for what the PCs might do.
I just want the investigation to take some time. Just to make the PCs get to the bottom of things, but not with a single spell. Six spells, maybe. :smallamused:
I fully expect the players to solve any problems swiftly, considering they are mostly full casters and all have well-above-average WBL. THe trick is finding things that they have to do to that are doable but not instantly, effortlessly solved, but also not to make the tasks contrived or artificial-feeling in their difficulty (should a real, appropriate challenge be part of the plan).
Party:
Level 17 Druid. Invincible.
Level 16 Ruby Knight Vindicator, level 7 spells. Invincible.
Level 16 Daring Outlaw with a Swordsage dip. Killing machine.
Level 16 Wizard-based gish, level 7 spells. Also Invincible.
Level 16 Erudite with a huge power list. Has Hypercognition
Level 16 Sublime Chord, my normal character, DMPC for this campaign. Limited plot involvement.
Basic Plot:
MacGuffins/Girlfirends/Mothers (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin) stolen/kidnapped. Scrying doesn't work. Hobgoblin spymaster approaches party, party meets Hobgoblin Emperor's adviser/assistant/. Adviser thinks King is under mental control. The Emperor is being controlled by three other advisers, all recent additions to the cabinet lineup. One, the leader, is an Old Blue Spellstiched Dracolich Sorc 7 who fancies himself a Mummy. Another is an Old Tarterian Dragon Warblade 5, and the third is an Old Topaz Dragon Psion 5. Using a combination of the Telepath's abilities and a pair of custom magic items, the trio control an astral projection of the Emperor and siphon off large sums of money from the nation's treasury and wield the nations standing army and the Emperor's private army to do whatever they damn well please.
The Capitol sits at the base of a mountain range with large deposits of a rock that has antimagic properties and dimensional locking properties. The endgame is to get to the nations vault inside the core of the mountain, where the Emperor's real body, the treasury, and the Phylactery are. The key to the cave system will be guarded in the main keep of the Capitol fortress by the Emperor (astrally projecting) and elite supersoldiers, warbeasts, etc. The Fortress and catacombs leading under the mountain are the primary Dungeon of the quest.
The Dragons usually spend their time in the catacombs so scrying spells and teleporting don't usually work. There are Weirdstones inside the Castle itself.
My ideal path for the campaign is thus: party goes to Hobgoblin capital city. Party learns, through whatever means, that the three advisers are controlling the Emperor, the key to the catacombs is in the keep's upper levels, and that what they desire is in the catacombs. Party retrieves key from keep through violence or subterfuge. Most likely violence because the three advisers are vigilant enough that they may catch wind of the PC's meddling. PCs then delve the catacombs, fight the evil dragons and emerge victorious after many hard-fought battles.
So my question, and the TL;DR version, is how do I construct the early part of the campaign to give my high-level PCs the runaround for a session without railroading them with arbitrary restrictions but without taking away too much freedom? How can I set up the setting to I want them to be able to use their powers, but I want them to have to put in at least a bit of effort.
Brainstorm. The ideas I've had so far:
*The key is a ring on the Emperor's finger, so they'll have to fight him.
*Another adviser/council member/whatever knows the truth but is too scared to talk.
*Catacomb location is hidden.
*Magic is illegal in the land, and if the PCs are seen--or detected?--using magic they're arrested (or rather, forced to kill a bunch of hobgoblin guards, and getting on the Emperor's ****-list faster)
*Every time the Erudite uses Hypercognition, the fights get harder :smallamused:. Probably wont go that route.
*I would be very satisfied if the party made a bunch of high Gather Information checks to learn secrets, but the PCs might not even try mundane methods. I don't think any of them have high enough checks to find such guarded info while keeping a low profile.
Your thoughts? THanks for reading this far, if you did.