[PF] Help with writing a small campaign.

[Fenryr]

Hello! I'm going to write a small campaign to replace our DM for a while to let him rest. From level 3, 4 to 5 (not sure right now). I have the idea but I need help with some details. It's Pathfinder in Forgotten Realms, 15 point buy.

The party consist of a Paladin, Alchemist, Wizard, Summoner and someone else. Any idea or suggestion to improve my campaign is welcome.

My idea is to make the party deliver two big, wooden case (as a job, like mercenaries *cough, too much Firefly*) to another town, far away (days). Both of them are sent by the villain. They have a wagon or could rent one (depends on what happens while 'm still not the DM). To avoid the party opening the cases, what can I do? Explosive runes? Arcane lock? Add false bottom? And how can the receiver open without problems? Suggestions are appreciated.

When they deliver the first case to some random guy, the receiver doesn't open it right away. He drives them out saying he's too busy. When they deliver the second one to the police, the sheriff opens it right away in front of them. It explodes like a Fireball spell and sweeps the entire police force.

'm hoping the party is going to run to the receiver of the first box and tell him what happened with the second one, because it's highly probable it could happen again (if not, only the Paladin in the group would do so). They open it with precautions (or whatever) and found a local hero dead, with the body desecrated and signs of a demonic ritual.

And a demonic invasion of low level occurs and with the police annihilated, they should fight. They kick some butts and understand that's only a small warning. Something biggers is going to happen.

The group goes back to search in the previous town. After some urban tracking they found the same villain in the middle of a ritual. He was supposed to summon something big, very big (CR 8, 10) but due to the interrupt, the ritual is canceled and the summon is something smaller than it should be (the big demon but with half stats or skills or something like that, a new CR of 4 or 5, even 6). They learn his motives and engage in battle.

They defeat the demon and kick the small BBEG right in the groin.

Ideas, comments, improvements? This is my first written campaign, so be gentle.

[Gabe the Bard]

I think you could use some encounters earlier on. Maybe the party could be waylaid on the road by members of an opposing demon cult, who give cryptic warnings about the contents of the wooden cases. When the cases are opened, they could release a horde of low-level demons that slaughter the police and give the PCs something to fight or run away from, rather than explode into fireballs that could kill the PCs if they're standing too close.

You'll also want to have a back-up plan for if/when the PCs open the cases by themselves before delivering them, unless you have a very good incentive for them to keep their noses out (other than a deadly trap). The option of opening the cases should always be on the table, or the PCs might feel like they're being railroaded.

[Sillycomic]

The cases themselves could be empty, or filled with randomness that isn't really important. The important thing would be opening the lock. The lock itself is the mechanism that opens the gates of hell or explosions or whatever. It's an ancient and very good lock that just can't be opened with, magical masterwork with several traps on it, no rogue would want to try.

The locks can only be opened by special keys which were already mailed to the correct owners (police station and random guy respectively)

However, just making the lock super awesome doesn't railroad the adventurers into being unable to open the crates. They can just take off the hingers or break some of the wood sides.

And if they do so, they can see there's nothing inside... or random dead bodies inside. Whatever you want really.

Both locks need to be opened for the ritual to work. One lock opens a small portal so the town can be filled with various low level things for the party to deal with, and then they need to keep the second lock safe because if it's opened as well, this super CR 9 demon will be summoned and kill everything in its path.

This is actually a pretty cool idea for an adventure. Don't mind if I borrow it for a future session of mine someday.

[Bhaakon]

The simplest thing I can think of is to have the villain open the cases up and show the PCs that they're full of mundane merchandise of no great monetary value (maybe he can say it's "evidence" from a recent murder to be sent to the law men and the victim's possessions to be sent to the other NPC, which would at least explain why it's important enough to hire some guards). The fireball trap isn't armed until the case is closed and latched, and the body is hidden by an illusion of sufficient DC that the PCs can't see through it (which expires before the PCs open it up and find the corpse).

[Fenryr]

Thanks for the suggestions. Small improvements:

The villain (neutral, of course) will show the content of the boxes. Maybe food or even flowers. Then he will close both cases in front of the PCs to make them feel safe. And will warn them of local bandits or savages that attack travelers. The party will be attacked by the discrete, different demonic cult and the PCs should win with no problems and learning not much.

To avoid the PCs destroying or manipulating the boxes, the villain pays half the money in his town, and a hired inspector (who knows nothing) will pay the other half when the packages arrive and are delivered unharmed.

The idea of the special keys and the dangerous locks is really nice. Gonna work on it.

Gonna consider the illusion because maybe a natural 20 could happen.


This is actually a pretty cool idea for an adventure. Don't mind if I borrow it for a future session of mine someday.

If you use it, tell me how it went :smallsmile:.

[BlueInc]

Consider having the boxes clearly labeled.

For example, a box full of imps might be labeled "CHICKENS," making it less suspicious when they hear things moving around inside of it. For bonus points, have the BBEG cast some kind of extended/permanent ghost sound on the box to make it sound like chickens clucking around in it.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ghostSound.htm

Alternatively, have the imps/monsters polymorphed temporarily into chickens. That way the BBEG can even open up the crates and SHOW the PCs that it's just payment/a gift for the local law enforcement.

BTW, I'm just using chickens as an example because they're inherently funny. Feel free to switch them with whatever you feel the PCs would be least likely to harm/investigate.