Ideas for a shipwrecked campaign

[snoosnaa]

Hello,

I am going to be running a new campaign soon and have decided on a shipwrecked type theme for the start. It is loosely based on the start of Storms of Zehir expansion from Neverwinter Nights 2.

At the start, I will have them do some search checks for their own or improvised gear. A short time later, 2 opposing factions will come down on the beach of the shipwreck. They will argue over who gets to take the players captive, and will actually be resolved peacefully with one of the sides backing off. At this point the players would probably/possibly fight off their captors. This battle will not be overly difficult, even with minimal gear, as it is for the intro.

There are three factions fairly close by: a halfling bandit/thief type village, kobolds at the base of a mountain, and a goblin society. There will be one fairly standard village of more "civilized" races close by with others to be discovered of course.

What I am looking for are some ideas to use for early adventures, quests involving the different factions, and possible job ideas using skills at the normal village. Things that tie in interaction between the factions as well.

Our group has not been very successful at including skill based quests or city based skill quests in the past, mostly due to lack of experience and a generally battle focused group. The players will be made aware of the heightened necessity for skills before character creation but will have the option to just go adventuring like normal. Some have expressed interest in expanding our different quest types.

So, any cool suggestions or ideas would be awesome. This will be a quest to establish some lore and overall structure in my created world, so there isn't a main theme or quest as of right now. I plan on letting the players explore around for a while to establish their identity/purpose.

Thanks in advance yet again. I have only recently started posting, but have used these forums for research many many times.

[Lazers etcetera]

It looks like you have a lot of things worked out anyway, you plan for them to side with a faction (the halflings I guess) and that already gives you plenty of raiding/defending excitement.

A seaside cave is always good - they have a time limit before the tide comes in and you can make them fight giant crabs.

[Skysaber]

What I am looking for are some ideas to use for early adventures, quests involving the different factions, and possible job ideas using skills at the normal village. Things that tie in interaction between the factions as well.

Robinson Crusoe is a very famous book on a shipwrecked theme. One of the protagonists main challenges early on was recovering essential supplies and equipment from the wreck of the ship hung up on rocks. You might want to read it, as for 'skill based challenges' getting self-made raft into a rocky area pounded by waves, climbing aboard a wrecked ship to haul a barrel down and to your raft, then row to shore again, is a fairly long series of skill checks that can be harrowing if you do it right.

And yet everything they recover means they are that much better equipped to face the future.

[snoosnaa]

Nice idea, thanks! The halfling village is a bunch of thieves and is intended as a possible antagonist, as well as the kobolds and goblins. The players could certainly join up with one of them, though. I guess the normal village would technically be a fourth faction, though it is more of a city than a village, and will have multiple work and adventure ideas, as well as multiple factions within its walls.

Some ideas for city quests/jobs or links to sources/advice for such would be awesome.

Also, I would like them to possibly play some sides against each other, but I do not know how I would pull this off.

[koboldish]

Do you want some players on one faction and other players on a different faction? I would't suggest that, as splitting the party generally causes problems. If you mean all players on one faction, just let them choose to be either protagonists or antagonists. I would suggest a small adventure to let them lead a faction, allowing for more roleplaying decisions.

[kiryoku]

Eberron has alot of areas where that would be challenging for all levels and a few events in the past of it that made areas famous. So look into the setting if you can if not then just ignore me. XD PM for info.