daemonaetea
2012-09-07, 08:52 PM
I'm hoping to start a new game soon for a group of friends. This will be the first time I've DM'ed for this group, and it will also be the first game (since I've joined them, anyway) where things outside of core are explicitly allowed, rather than something that has to be pleaded for on a case by case basis. As such, I have a double incentive to start the campaign off with a bang. One, to show them I can do this - I generally play comic relief characters in the games the others run (half by choice, half by type-cast at this point). Second, to really lay out some of the fun stuff that can be found outside core. To accomplish this, you seemed like the crew to turn to to help fine-tune my current plans.
First, a bit of background:
We'll be playing in a world I have created. This is partly because I enjoy world building, and partly because I want to stay strickly away from established worlds and their fluff. This is a group where many of them have been gaming longer than I've been alive. I think I'll have a much easier time of it if I stay away from stuff they know way better than I do, and it may allow me to actually surprise a group that normally has seen it all before.
For those interested, my house rules can be found here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246711
(Thanks again to those who helped refine them.)
The background of the campaign is thus: five weeks prior to the start of the campaign, magic began to fade away. The effect was minor at first, but escalated, until finally magic was gone entirely for an hour and a half two weeks prior to the start of the game. After that magic not only returned, it Surged, it's pent up might unleashed in moments. In the aftermath of the Surge the entire world has changed. First, nearly all high level characters are dead. Anyone with 2nd level spells or higher, or anyone that had in their possession +2 weapons or better, simply didn't survive the Surge. Even some weaker spells and items spelled death. The campaign will have multiple apparent paths open for advancement, but even those are only there as obvious attention pulls to make sure the party always has something to do. I'd really like for my players to engage with the world, make their own decisions, and decide for themselves what they want to do now - investigate, try to rebuild civilization, protect it, or something else entirely.
The players will be starting at level 3 (well, 5500 XP), with the caveat that they cannot have access to 2nd level spells. If any of them asks I will tell them they may create characters with access to 2nd level psionic powers, shadow magic, and the like. This will become a plot point, and a minor clue towards the nature of the Surge that they can investigate if they wish. They'll also be asked to be of Good alignment, mostly to help form the initial group bond which would be harder otherwise (with the planned grouping method).
So, on to the actual planned session. The session will open with each of their character's arriving to investigate rumors of a surviving caster in the town of Sand's Edge. They arrive on the rumored street just as dusk has settled over the town, as the torches are still in the process of being lit. They'll have just a few minutes of searching and interacting before a whistle from the town's guard will mark the sudden and unexpected attack from a force of kobolds, orcs, and goblins taking advantage of the recent devastation to invade. The plan is to have several low level standard goblins attack them at this point in the street, with what seems to obviously be a higher level "citizen" suddenly step in and help them mop up the goblins.
Design note:
One of the things I enjoy doing is playing with the expectations of the players. For instance, that last sentence probably made you think "oh boy, super powerful DMPC". I actually want them to think that. I want to teach them, early on, that even when it seems I'm playing within the bound of one trope/story/framework that they shouldn't automatically assume they know what I'm doing.
For the actual fight, I want to immediately draw them into the situation. The goblins won't just be attacking them, they'll also be slaughtering the civilians in the streets. I want to immediately show them something of the tone of the campaign as a whole, and ease them into the level of tactics I hope to use. These goblins will be fully using the terrain to their advantage, and when faced with bad odds will actually retreat rather than face certain death. And, as they retreat, they'll whistle for backup, again showing that these aren't your standard stupid low level fodder.
From there reinforcements for the goblins will arrive in the form of an enemy general, an orc unarmed swordsage, along with another two dozen goblins. It will be made quickly apparent that this is not an enemy they can currently face. The "civilian" will order/ask them to escort the rest of the non-combatants to a safe area while he holds off the general.
I will not force them to flee. If they stay they can, of course, fight. The general will be setup as an obvious returning enemy, which I hope will signal to these staid veterans that this is not a fight they're supposed to enter. If, somehow, they fought and actually won I would accept that, and it could very well alter the course of the rest of the campaign. But, again, not something I expect.
I also don't expect most of the players to realize the general is an unarmed swordsage. Mostly core players, I intend to describe everything he does only in terms of fluff, and leave them to assume he's a monk. However, the variety of the moves he uses should give them pause and force them to wonder exactly what they're facing. Again, introducing what I hope to be something genuinely surprising to this group.
The results of this encounter are also intended to encourage them to become a group for the first time. As they flee with the civilians to the safe point it'll force them all together, and cause the beginning of a cohesive whole. Since I'm encouraging them all to have diverse backgrounds this allows me to (hopefully) cause the group to form organically. If necessary, and I'd really rather not, roaming bands of kobolds will force them to stay together during the withdrawal.
Once within the safezone (an extensively stocked warehouse, whose owner will give to them a few specialist items) they will be given a short amount of time to plan before they hear screams. They'll recognize the sound as the helpful "civilian" from before, apparently being tortured. If they seem hesitant about rescuing the man, one of the people they've rescued will mention he saw something, for a brief moment, within the man's cloak earlier - the seal of the Royal Family.
Again, this is meant to help with the forming of a group bond for the characters - a common mission, undertaken together. And, again, it's a common story being played out, with what the players expect to be the common outcome - the heroes save the day.
As they make their way through the dark streets Perception checks will allow them to notice odd things - something moving through the air, weird skittering noises along the high walls, and the sounds of lots of tiny legs scraping through the dust.
The prisoner will be held within the burnt-out remains of a minor noble's house left vacant and devastated by the Surge. Guarding him will be a couple of low level warlocks with the spider climb-esq ability, a low level dragonfire adept, and a number of kobold warriors acting as more mundane lookouts.
Again, the focus is on a couple of different points. First, introducing more things from outside of core with interesting but not overtly powerful abilities (such as might frighten them off of non-core things). Second, setting up some more tactically interesting fights and situations. ("Yes, of course you see the kobolds marching around the building in a fixed pattern, but do you notice the warlock on high, staring at you from the shadows? And if you do, do you distract him in some way, or try to find another path? Or do you feel confident in your ability to handle the situation and charge right in?") Third, it again shows that while standard magic may have been effected, there seems to have been a number of powers that weren't. And doesn't it seem suspicious that the enemy seems to have so many of them?
This last point again goes towards expectations - no I'm not just favoring the enemies by letting their magical stuff work, I'm giving out plot points. And, in the process, encouraging powers and classes from outside core. Yes, everything the enemy has you can have as well (mostly).
The area this takes place in will have a wide variety of terrain, allowing many tactical options to play out. Walls of various sizes, which can act as both cover and weapon - most of them are severely weakened, and it won't take much to cause them to give way. (That hiding warlock? How will he like it when the tower he's on gives way?) There are also a few small items of magic left over, but dangerously unstable - messing with these could cause explosions, either to damage the enemy or distract him.
Once the players have made their way inside they'll find the "civilian" has already undergone significant amounts of pain. Both his eyes are gone, and half the fingers from one hand.
And the payoff - that super powered DMPC? Yeah, not so much. He'll act as an adviser if wanted, but he's definitely not going to be showing anyone out, and he won't be following the party. He won't even be giving orders. He'll be *asking* for their help, not demanding it.
As they get him out they'll hear renewed screams from behind them. They'll see all three of the enemy's generals advancing, slaughtering the town guards that are attempting to take them in an ambush. The man they've rescued, revealed (to no one's surprise) to be a royal agent, will ask them to focus on getting the town's people to safety. They'll be organizing the withdrawal from the warehouse when the ground opens up from underneath the north side of the building, revealing a number of kobolds mining their way into the town, and revealing how the attack started so swiftly. The kobolds will immediately withdrawal while whistling, which by now the party should recognize as a bad sign. They'll make their way to the docks with no more than a token resistance, taking the passengers onto a ship where they'll have the final encounter of the day.
On board they'll find a regiment of goblins looking over the cargo and generally just trying to avoid the fights. One of them will actually be able to speak common, and he'll try to negotiate with the party for their lives. The exchange? Allow them simply to leave the ship, and they won't call for backup.
I also like moral choices. Do they kill the goblins? They seem pretty evil - part of an attacking force and all - but these are not actively threatening them. Do they trust them to keep their word? If they do fight, how do they prevent the signal going out? (If they fight they will get away, but the boat will be mostly ruined and they'll have to journey overland. If, however, they leave in peace the boat will be fight, allowing at the very least the civilians to travel in a quicker, easier, safer way.)
The players, now well out of Sand's Edge, will be thanked by the Fist of the Crown (a first level Rogue/fourth level Crusader named Jurin) for their assistance. Since he has been terribly injured by his interogaters (in addition to the blindness and hand injury he's also suffered a great deal of STR/CON/DEX injury) he will no longer be able to carry out his assignment, which was, basically, checking the status of the region and offering assistance where needed. He asks that the players take up the task in his stead. He will entrust in their decisions, giving them the freedom to make their own choices, and to prove their assignment he offers each of them a piece of the shattered Royal Seal he carried, broken by the torturers. Most conveniently there's exactly one shard a piece, and by travelling together (and showing the completed seal) they can prove their Royal appointment.
Again, helping to bind the group into one whole, offering them in-character reason to stay together, and conferring upon them special status within the world, as befits what (will be by the end of the session) one of the very, very few 4th level parties left in existence.
And that's the planned end of the session. It's opening up with a lot of combat, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for this group, but it still has lots of opportunities for role play. It also establishes some of the ideas and themes of the planned campaign - expectations versus reality, forgiveness vs justice, the types of magic and what each means, and the aspects of combat beyond the merely defined.
I think it mostly accomplishes what I want (short, simple introduction to some things beyond core, while not overwhelming them with nothing but the unfamiliar at first; new combat; roleplay opportunities with no clear defined answers, left wide open to see what they can come up with - or simply ignore, if that's what they really want). Still, I'd value you're opinion.
And for those hearty fellows (and gals) that actually made it to the bottom of this enormous post: Thanks, from me and (hopefully) my players.
If you'd like any other information, either on the players, the campaign as a whole, the background, the rules, or, well, anything, don't hesitate to ask.
First, a bit of background:
We'll be playing in a world I have created. This is partly because I enjoy world building, and partly because I want to stay strickly away from established worlds and their fluff. This is a group where many of them have been gaming longer than I've been alive. I think I'll have a much easier time of it if I stay away from stuff they know way better than I do, and it may allow me to actually surprise a group that normally has seen it all before.
For those interested, my house rules can be found here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246711
(Thanks again to those who helped refine them.)
The background of the campaign is thus: five weeks prior to the start of the campaign, magic began to fade away. The effect was minor at first, but escalated, until finally magic was gone entirely for an hour and a half two weeks prior to the start of the game. After that magic not only returned, it Surged, it's pent up might unleashed in moments. In the aftermath of the Surge the entire world has changed. First, nearly all high level characters are dead. Anyone with 2nd level spells or higher, or anyone that had in their possession +2 weapons or better, simply didn't survive the Surge. Even some weaker spells and items spelled death. The campaign will have multiple apparent paths open for advancement, but even those are only there as obvious attention pulls to make sure the party always has something to do. I'd really like for my players to engage with the world, make their own decisions, and decide for themselves what they want to do now - investigate, try to rebuild civilization, protect it, or something else entirely.
The players will be starting at level 3 (well, 5500 XP), with the caveat that they cannot have access to 2nd level spells. If any of them asks I will tell them they may create characters with access to 2nd level psionic powers, shadow magic, and the like. This will become a plot point, and a minor clue towards the nature of the Surge that they can investigate if they wish. They'll also be asked to be of Good alignment, mostly to help form the initial group bond which would be harder otherwise (with the planned grouping method).
So, on to the actual planned session. The session will open with each of their character's arriving to investigate rumors of a surviving caster in the town of Sand's Edge. They arrive on the rumored street just as dusk has settled over the town, as the torches are still in the process of being lit. They'll have just a few minutes of searching and interacting before a whistle from the town's guard will mark the sudden and unexpected attack from a force of kobolds, orcs, and goblins taking advantage of the recent devastation to invade. The plan is to have several low level standard goblins attack them at this point in the street, with what seems to obviously be a higher level "citizen" suddenly step in and help them mop up the goblins.
Design note:
One of the things I enjoy doing is playing with the expectations of the players. For instance, that last sentence probably made you think "oh boy, super powerful DMPC". I actually want them to think that. I want to teach them, early on, that even when it seems I'm playing within the bound of one trope/story/framework that they shouldn't automatically assume they know what I'm doing.
For the actual fight, I want to immediately draw them into the situation. The goblins won't just be attacking them, they'll also be slaughtering the civilians in the streets. I want to immediately show them something of the tone of the campaign as a whole, and ease them into the level of tactics I hope to use. These goblins will be fully using the terrain to their advantage, and when faced with bad odds will actually retreat rather than face certain death. And, as they retreat, they'll whistle for backup, again showing that these aren't your standard stupid low level fodder.
From there reinforcements for the goblins will arrive in the form of an enemy general, an orc unarmed swordsage, along with another two dozen goblins. It will be made quickly apparent that this is not an enemy they can currently face. The "civilian" will order/ask them to escort the rest of the non-combatants to a safe area while he holds off the general.
I will not force them to flee. If they stay they can, of course, fight. The general will be setup as an obvious returning enemy, which I hope will signal to these staid veterans that this is not a fight they're supposed to enter. If, somehow, they fought and actually won I would accept that, and it could very well alter the course of the rest of the campaign. But, again, not something I expect.
I also don't expect most of the players to realize the general is an unarmed swordsage. Mostly core players, I intend to describe everything he does only in terms of fluff, and leave them to assume he's a monk. However, the variety of the moves he uses should give them pause and force them to wonder exactly what they're facing. Again, introducing what I hope to be something genuinely surprising to this group.
The results of this encounter are also intended to encourage them to become a group for the first time. As they flee with the civilians to the safe point it'll force them all together, and cause the beginning of a cohesive whole. Since I'm encouraging them all to have diverse backgrounds this allows me to (hopefully) cause the group to form organically. If necessary, and I'd really rather not, roaming bands of kobolds will force them to stay together during the withdrawal.
Once within the safezone (an extensively stocked warehouse, whose owner will give to them a few specialist items) they will be given a short amount of time to plan before they hear screams. They'll recognize the sound as the helpful "civilian" from before, apparently being tortured. If they seem hesitant about rescuing the man, one of the people they've rescued will mention he saw something, for a brief moment, within the man's cloak earlier - the seal of the Royal Family.
Again, this is meant to help with the forming of a group bond for the characters - a common mission, undertaken together. And, again, it's a common story being played out, with what the players expect to be the common outcome - the heroes save the day.
As they make their way through the dark streets Perception checks will allow them to notice odd things - something moving through the air, weird skittering noises along the high walls, and the sounds of lots of tiny legs scraping through the dust.
The prisoner will be held within the burnt-out remains of a minor noble's house left vacant and devastated by the Surge. Guarding him will be a couple of low level warlocks with the spider climb-esq ability, a low level dragonfire adept, and a number of kobold warriors acting as more mundane lookouts.
Again, the focus is on a couple of different points. First, introducing more things from outside of core with interesting but not overtly powerful abilities (such as might frighten them off of non-core things). Second, setting up some more tactically interesting fights and situations. ("Yes, of course you see the kobolds marching around the building in a fixed pattern, but do you notice the warlock on high, staring at you from the shadows? And if you do, do you distract him in some way, or try to find another path? Or do you feel confident in your ability to handle the situation and charge right in?") Third, it again shows that while standard magic may have been effected, there seems to have been a number of powers that weren't. And doesn't it seem suspicious that the enemy seems to have so many of them?
This last point again goes towards expectations - no I'm not just favoring the enemies by letting their magical stuff work, I'm giving out plot points. And, in the process, encouraging powers and classes from outside core. Yes, everything the enemy has you can have as well (mostly).
The area this takes place in will have a wide variety of terrain, allowing many tactical options to play out. Walls of various sizes, which can act as both cover and weapon - most of them are severely weakened, and it won't take much to cause them to give way. (That hiding warlock? How will he like it when the tower he's on gives way?) There are also a few small items of magic left over, but dangerously unstable - messing with these could cause explosions, either to damage the enemy or distract him.
Once the players have made their way inside they'll find the "civilian" has already undergone significant amounts of pain. Both his eyes are gone, and half the fingers from one hand.
And the payoff - that super powered DMPC? Yeah, not so much. He'll act as an adviser if wanted, but he's definitely not going to be showing anyone out, and he won't be following the party. He won't even be giving orders. He'll be *asking* for their help, not demanding it.
As they get him out they'll hear renewed screams from behind them. They'll see all three of the enemy's generals advancing, slaughtering the town guards that are attempting to take them in an ambush. The man they've rescued, revealed (to no one's surprise) to be a royal agent, will ask them to focus on getting the town's people to safety. They'll be organizing the withdrawal from the warehouse when the ground opens up from underneath the north side of the building, revealing a number of kobolds mining their way into the town, and revealing how the attack started so swiftly. The kobolds will immediately withdrawal while whistling, which by now the party should recognize as a bad sign. They'll make their way to the docks with no more than a token resistance, taking the passengers onto a ship where they'll have the final encounter of the day.
On board they'll find a regiment of goblins looking over the cargo and generally just trying to avoid the fights. One of them will actually be able to speak common, and he'll try to negotiate with the party for their lives. The exchange? Allow them simply to leave the ship, and they won't call for backup.
I also like moral choices. Do they kill the goblins? They seem pretty evil - part of an attacking force and all - but these are not actively threatening them. Do they trust them to keep their word? If they do fight, how do they prevent the signal going out? (If they fight they will get away, but the boat will be mostly ruined and they'll have to journey overland. If, however, they leave in peace the boat will be fight, allowing at the very least the civilians to travel in a quicker, easier, safer way.)
The players, now well out of Sand's Edge, will be thanked by the Fist of the Crown (a first level Rogue/fourth level Crusader named Jurin) for their assistance. Since he has been terribly injured by his interogaters (in addition to the blindness and hand injury he's also suffered a great deal of STR/CON/DEX injury) he will no longer be able to carry out his assignment, which was, basically, checking the status of the region and offering assistance where needed. He asks that the players take up the task in his stead. He will entrust in their decisions, giving them the freedom to make their own choices, and to prove their assignment he offers each of them a piece of the shattered Royal Seal he carried, broken by the torturers. Most conveniently there's exactly one shard a piece, and by travelling together (and showing the completed seal) they can prove their Royal appointment.
Again, helping to bind the group into one whole, offering them in-character reason to stay together, and conferring upon them special status within the world, as befits what (will be by the end of the session) one of the very, very few 4th level parties left in existence.
And that's the planned end of the session. It's opening up with a lot of combat, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for this group, but it still has lots of opportunities for role play. It also establishes some of the ideas and themes of the planned campaign - expectations versus reality, forgiveness vs justice, the types of magic and what each means, and the aspects of combat beyond the merely defined.
I think it mostly accomplishes what I want (short, simple introduction to some things beyond core, while not overwhelming them with nothing but the unfamiliar at first; new combat; roleplay opportunities with no clear defined answers, left wide open to see what they can come up with - or simply ignore, if that's what they really want). Still, I'd value you're opinion.
And for those hearty fellows (and gals) that actually made it to the bottom of this enormous post: Thanks, from me and (hopefully) my players.
If you'd like any other information, either on the players, the campaign as a whole, the background, the rules, or, well, anything, don't hesitate to ask.