Blade Conduit
2013-06-09, 12:14 PM
So really I'm just looking for feedback regarding the story I am attempting to put together for some friends of mine.
Relevant Information: I'm a first time DM and I've only been using the PF system for about 7 months. The three players I have now (possibly adding a 4th more on that later) are all well versed 3.5 players but I introduced them all to PF so I actually have more experience with the system. The party so far is a cleric who is kind of tanking, a bard who is very good at bard stuff, a ninja who I allowed to swap out poison use for trapfinding. The fourth is thinking Samurai/Cavalier and while I'm not sure the class is all that worthwhile he would have fun with it and the party isn't really the optimizing sort. I'm taking some ideas from the Galorian world (map, some names, some city stuff, gods) but I'm putting my own spin on most of it.
The Story so Far: I ran them through the haunted forest module just so I could get the hang of being a DM and because we weren't sure I was going to be taking over so I didn't want to go through the work of creating a campaign if it only ended up as a one or two shot type game. From their I've had the professor ask them for caravan guard service to Westcrown. A Giant fair is being held there in connection to Loyalty Day. They are currently passing through the mountains on the way there.
The Future: So my overall Idea is that the Magestrix Abrogail II is attempting to firm up her power over the area and eventually the world by enacting an ancient summoning spell that would give her control over an ancient power.
Under her are two factions, her powerful court summoner and a thief who was appointed head of the thieves guild in Egorian and owes it all to her. The summoner is actually attempting to wrest power of the summon for his own use at the end and he will end up, along with the summoned being be the BBEG.
Ok so the characters kinda let me work their backgrounds (they came up with basics and I filled in details to really tie the story together.)
The Bard: Her father disappeared (unknown to him) attempting to assassinate the Magestrix ten years ago. The attempt was made during an audience that his brother Ramblin' Jack (a bard of some renown, who the bard doesn't know is her uncle) won during the Harper's Pin competition, which only occurs every ten years and happens to be occurring during this years fair. Actually watching Ramblin' Jack win was what inspired the bard to pursue said career choice. The father was actually taken, broken, destroyed mentally and physically and transformed into a Lich who now acts as a body guard for the Magestrix (Always wearing a mask and never speaking).
The Cleric: Comes from a tribe of nomads that all answer to one great leader who oversees all the various tribes. Magic is actually quite shunned in these tribes except for the few who become shamans for the tribes. His mother is the leader of his particular tribe and answers only to the great leader. Once he found out he had an aptitude for magic he knew he would either be destroyed by the tests or made to become a shaman. He wasn't looking forward to either of these possibilities when his life was changed by a chance encounter with a contingent of the church of Sarenrae. After several long talks with a particular paladin the cleric decided to devote himself and his magic to Sarenrae and that night received a dream of a boat crossing a large sea. He left the next day and has been a wandering cleric ever since.
The Ninja: Was trained in a massive complex housing a clan of Ninjas. His father was second in command to the Shogun and his twin brother and himself were being groomed to some day take his place. His father was sent on a particular assassination attempt and word soon came back he had been caught and killed. Knowing his father's skill was great enough to not let that happen and with rumors of his father being sold out, he goes off to search for clues. The Shogun expressly tells him not to do this and while he's away he discovers it was his own brother who informed on his father. Returning to complex with only circumstantial evidence the he is surprised to learn that while he was gone his brother brought evidence point to his being the betrayer and that coupled with the act of leaving the complex against the Shogun's wishes got the Ninja banned from the complex and under penalty of death was told to never use what skills he had learned there. He knows that using his abilities will eventually lead them to come after him so he's attempting to keep a low profile and stay on the move.
In the Background: The head of the thieves guild, Jarvis, is working hand in hand with the Ninja's brother to help him take over the clan and bring their skills solely to the benefit of the Magestrix. The summoner is attempting a similar coup of the barbarian tribes by setting up his own puppet to take control of the entire group. (The current leader is getting too old to lead so an ancient ceremony involving prowess, skill at leading, and the shaman's foretelling will lead to a new leader and the clerics mother is a definite forerunner) Also the Magestrix is currently looking for Ramblin' Jack, as he managed to get away, and hopes that the Harper's Pin competition will draw him out.
Now if I can manage to help guide story I think I have several fronts and definitely three acts worth of story to make it through. I think I can manage to get them to follow the flow without railroading them but what does the playground think? A good story? Am I trying too much? Any ideas to add or take away? Thank you all in advance for the help.
Any questions will be answered as best as I can.
Relevant Information: I'm a first time DM and I've only been using the PF system for about 7 months. The three players I have now (possibly adding a 4th more on that later) are all well versed 3.5 players but I introduced them all to PF so I actually have more experience with the system. The party so far is a cleric who is kind of tanking, a bard who is very good at bard stuff, a ninja who I allowed to swap out poison use for trapfinding. The fourth is thinking Samurai/Cavalier and while I'm not sure the class is all that worthwhile he would have fun with it and the party isn't really the optimizing sort. I'm taking some ideas from the Galorian world (map, some names, some city stuff, gods) but I'm putting my own spin on most of it.
The Story so Far: I ran them through the haunted forest module just so I could get the hang of being a DM and because we weren't sure I was going to be taking over so I didn't want to go through the work of creating a campaign if it only ended up as a one or two shot type game. From their I've had the professor ask them for caravan guard service to Westcrown. A Giant fair is being held there in connection to Loyalty Day. They are currently passing through the mountains on the way there.
The Future: So my overall Idea is that the Magestrix Abrogail II is attempting to firm up her power over the area and eventually the world by enacting an ancient summoning spell that would give her control over an ancient power.
Under her are two factions, her powerful court summoner and a thief who was appointed head of the thieves guild in Egorian and owes it all to her. The summoner is actually attempting to wrest power of the summon for his own use at the end and he will end up, along with the summoned being be the BBEG.
Ok so the characters kinda let me work their backgrounds (they came up with basics and I filled in details to really tie the story together.)
The Bard: Her father disappeared (unknown to him) attempting to assassinate the Magestrix ten years ago. The attempt was made during an audience that his brother Ramblin' Jack (a bard of some renown, who the bard doesn't know is her uncle) won during the Harper's Pin competition, which only occurs every ten years and happens to be occurring during this years fair. Actually watching Ramblin' Jack win was what inspired the bard to pursue said career choice. The father was actually taken, broken, destroyed mentally and physically and transformed into a Lich who now acts as a body guard for the Magestrix (Always wearing a mask and never speaking).
The Cleric: Comes from a tribe of nomads that all answer to one great leader who oversees all the various tribes. Magic is actually quite shunned in these tribes except for the few who become shamans for the tribes. His mother is the leader of his particular tribe and answers only to the great leader. Once he found out he had an aptitude for magic he knew he would either be destroyed by the tests or made to become a shaman. He wasn't looking forward to either of these possibilities when his life was changed by a chance encounter with a contingent of the church of Sarenrae. After several long talks with a particular paladin the cleric decided to devote himself and his magic to Sarenrae and that night received a dream of a boat crossing a large sea. He left the next day and has been a wandering cleric ever since.
The Ninja: Was trained in a massive complex housing a clan of Ninjas. His father was second in command to the Shogun and his twin brother and himself were being groomed to some day take his place. His father was sent on a particular assassination attempt and word soon came back he had been caught and killed. Knowing his father's skill was great enough to not let that happen and with rumors of his father being sold out, he goes off to search for clues. The Shogun expressly tells him not to do this and while he's away he discovers it was his own brother who informed on his father. Returning to complex with only circumstantial evidence the he is surprised to learn that while he was gone his brother brought evidence point to his being the betrayer and that coupled with the act of leaving the complex against the Shogun's wishes got the Ninja banned from the complex and under penalty of death was told to never use what skills he had learned there. He knows that using his abilities will eventually lead them to come after him so he's attempting to keep a low profile and stay on the move.
In the Background: The head of the thieves guild, Jarvis, is working hand in hand with the Ninja's brother to help him take over the clan and bring their skills solely to the benefit of the Magestrix. The summoner is attempting a similar coup of the barbarian tribes by setting up his own puppet to take control of the entire group. (The current leader is getting too old to lead so an ancient ceremony involving prowess, skill at leading, and the shaman's foretelling will lead to a new leader and the clerics mother is a definite forerunner) Also the Magestrix is currently looking for Ramblin' Jack, as he managed to get away, and hopes that the Harper's Pin competition will draw him out.
Now if I can manage to help guide story I think I have several fronts and definitely three acts worth of story to make it through. I think I can manage to get them to follow the flow without railroading them but what does the playground think? A good story? Am I trying too much? Any ideas to add or take away? Thank you all in advance for the help.
Any questions will be answered as best as I can.