Novawurmson
2012-08-22, 01:17 PM
Hello, all
I’m currently DMing a game taking place in Golarion, and it whetted my appetite for published campaign worlds. A friend of mine gave me his Eberron Campaign Setting guide, and after acquiring and reading Secrets of Sarlona, Five Nations, the player’s guide, and…one other book that I can’t remember right now, I think I want to put my next campaign in Eberron (with some elements of Golarion thrown in for good measure). I’ve talked with my players about it, and they seem on board as well.
Something else that came up during the discussion is that they’d like to play a horror-themed campaign, though I’m trying to figure out what exactly that means to them (i.e. cosmic horror, survival-horror, cerebral horror, etc.; there’s a big difference between a slasher flick and Let the Right One In). In the meantime, I want to field and find some ideas for an Eberron-setting, horror-themed campaign.
1. All of my players said they liked mysteries in their horror. One idea for a mysterious, more espionage-themed campaign:
This would be set in Zilargo or a major gnome community. Several important members of the Trust are compromised by (an) Evil Group(s) (like some extreme cultists of the Blood of Vol), who are using the Trust’s own methods of blackmail and intimidation against them. The uncompromised members of the Trust outwardly appreciate the party’s efforts to look into the deaths of several important members of the community (though they are assured that it is quite unnecessary), while secretly covering up leads that could expose the real threat of the Evil Group, but also potentially disturb the peaceful way of life that the gnomes have sacrificed so much to keep for so long. The horror comes in from a constant “hunted” feeling and helplessness as major NPCs are killed off (brutally) by both the Trust and the Evil Guys (possibly enhanced by agents of the Trust claiming that these deaths are all due to illness or monster attack). Overall, I like this campaign idea, but I feel like it should just be a part of a bigger story.
2. What setting do you think would be most appropriate for a horror story? I feel like Q’barra, the Shadow Marches, and the Eldeen Reaches (or anywhere not so populated) would be great for cultivating a sense of abandonment and danger. Karrnath feels like it would be good for undead themes (whether undead being controlled or nor). The Mournland seems like it would be great as a place for the climax of a campaign, but not so much as a place to live the entire time. The three D’s (Darguun, Droaam, and Demon Wastes) seem like they have BAD GUYZ LIEV HEER !!1!!1 written all over them, which I feel goes against the premise of horror that “bad things might happen to you in the same situation!”
3. Random idea while writing this:
Maybe for a one-shot: The players are in the Mournland when they get hit with a massive blast of energy, knocking them into the past, several hours before the event(s) that caused the fall of Cyre. They need to find a way to get Back to the Future ™ before they are annihilated themselves
More to come. What do you think?
I’m currently DMing a game taking place in Golarion, and it whetted my appetite for published campaign worlds. A friend of mine gave me his Eberron Campaign Setting guide, and after acquiring and reading Secrets of Sarlona, Five Nations, the player’s guide, and…one other book that I can’t remember right now, I think I want to put my next campaign in Eberron (with some elements of Golarion thrown in for good measure). I’ve talked with my players about it, and they seem on board as well.
Something else that came up during the discussion is that they’d like to play a horror-themed campaign, though I’m trying to figure out what exactly that means to them (i.e. cosmic horror, survival-horror, cerebral horror, etc.; there’s a big difference between a slasher flick and Let the Right One In). In the meantime, I want to field and find some ideas for an Eberron-setting, horror-themed campaign.
1. All of my players said they liked mysteries in their horror. One idea for a mysterious, more espionage-themed campaign:
This would be set in Zilargo or a major gnome community. Several important members of the Trust are compromised by (an) Evil Group(s) (like some extreme cultists of the Blood of Vol), who are using the Trust’s own methods of blackmail and intimidation against them. The uncompromised members of the Trust outwardly appreciate the party’s efforts to look into the deaths of several important members of the community (though they are assured that it is quite unnecessary), while secretly covering up leads that could expose the real threat of the Evil Group, but also potentially disturb the peaceful way of life that the gnomes have sacrificed so much to keep for so long. The horror comes in from a constant “hunted” feeling and helplessness as major NPCs are killed off (brutally) by both the Trust and the Evil Guys (possibly enhanced by agents of the Trust claiming that these deaths are all due to illness or monster attack). Overall, I like this campaign idea, but I feel like it should just be a part of a bigger story.
2. What setting do you think would be most appropriate for a horror story? I feel like Q’barra, the Shadow Marches, and the Eldeen Reaches (or anywhere not so populated) would be great for cultivating a sense of abandonment and danger. Karrnath feels like it would be good for undead themes (whether undead being controlled or nor). The Mournland seems like it would be great as a place for the climax of a campaign, but not so much as a place to live the entire time. The three D’s (Darguun, Droaam, and Demon Wastes) seem like they have BAD GUYZ LIEV HEER !!1!!1 written all over them, which I feel goes against the premise of horror that “bad things might happen to you in the same situation!”
3. Random idea while writing this:
Maybe for a one-shot: The players are in the Mournland when they get hit with a massive blast of energy, knocking them into the past, several hours before the event(s) that caused the fall of Cyre. They need to find a way to get Back to the Future ™ before they are annihilated themselves
More to come. What do you think?