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Bling Cat
2013-06-28, 01:25 AM
So I've been running a fairly successful game for a few weeks, primarily running off of a module that I rewrote large parts of to fit the PCs I have. This week we move onto the first session that I wrote myself in totality, and there are a few things I can't seem to get straight in my brain.

The adventure I've written revolves around a town on the edge of a large forest, with strictly enforced laws on how much logging can be done, and how damaging it can be to the woods. (The town has strong links a a nearby druid circle, to give you an idea of the kinds of laws). The PCs get called in for various reasons that are not terribly important to investigate why several sections of forest have been not just logged but totally uprooted. They will eventually trace it back to a logging company working in the town, and eventually gather enough information to know that the company is looking for something underneath a tree, which is why they're logging so many. They will then be informed that a newly clear cut area has been discovered, with a large hole in the center. They go there (Hopefully), and descend into the hole, at which point they will go through a dungeon I've constructed, leading them to an underground temple.

It is past this point that I need your help. I know vaguely what they'll find in the temple, and I know that they end up chasing an antagonist who has been masterminding the efforts to find the artifact that is in it. What I don't know is what the artifact will end up doing. I don't want to make it too powerful, because I don't want to put myself in a corner where I can't let the PCs get a hold of it, but it has to be powerful enough for this antagonist to want it. Specifics about it are mostly blurry right now, although I know the temple is going to have a black and white duality theme, so a grey color scheme, and powers to do with opposites or mixtures would make sense.

There are a few other things I could do with help on as well. Some of my PCs characters are very well represented while others are not very involved at all. My PCs are a Druid from the local Circle, who has an interest in stopping the deforestation, as well as back story that relates to the temple they eventually find, a Fighter from a family of fallen nobility, whose family was laid low by the schemes of the antagonist who is looking for the artifact, an Elf Rogue who is in debt to a criminal organisation based out of the town, and who is tasked by them with finding out why the protection payments from the logging company have stopped coming in, a Drow Cleric of a war goddess who I have no ideas for, and a Dwarf Paladin of a sun god who is joining next session and who has been asked by the town's leadership to help with the investigation.

2 out of five of my PCs have decent involvements in the plotline, but I'd like it to be more. I don't really have any ideas for how to carry on the Rogue's sub plot, and the Cleric and the Paladin are only involved by being in the party.

So yeah, I ask the playground to help me with ideas for my campaign, because at this point there are a few things I just can't get.

Tl;Dr, I can't work out what on earth my plot important artifact does, and I want to involve some of my PCs more, Help please.

Kol Korran
2013-06-28, 01:40 AM
It would help us if you tell us a bit about this antagonist- their history, abilities, motives, goal and plan. Then we might be able to find out why s/he needs the artifact, and from that extrapolate what the artifact IS.

As to the characters. First of all, you don't have to tie them to the plot by their background. for some players it's fine to follow the others. However:
1- If you want them ot be more related to the story, ask THE PLAYERS to find a better way to relate to the story- what are their drives, motives, goals? Sometime you just go to help your friends, find work or the like. a class- race combo does not a character make.

2- Once the rogue informs his higher ups that the logging company is looking for something, they might desire to get that something, and so tell him to stick with the party, find out what it is, and... get it to them. This is if you're ok with some inter party conflict and interesting decisions. Some players (and DMs) like this, some less.

3- The paladin might have an inkling that "all of this will lead to a greater evil" or something like that from his search. He will probably be interested in keeping good relations with the druid cabal, no? Later on you can have him more integrated by the history of the temple (Light and dark themes, right?) or by the consequences of the stolen artifact.

Bling Cat
2013-06-28, 02:04 AM
It would help us if you tell us a bit about this antagonist- their history, abilities, motives, goal and plan. Then we might be able to find out why s/he needs the artifact, and from that extrapolate what the artifact IS.
The antagonist is a high ranking general of a large empire to the south that wants to control the town. He wants to usurp the empire from the current ruling family and put himself on the throne.



As to the characters. First of all, you don't have to tie them to the plot by their background. for some players it's fine to follow the others. However:
1- If you want them ot be more related to the story, ask THE PLAYERS to find a better way to relate to the story- what are their drives, motives, goals? Sometime you just go to help your friends, find work or the like. a class- race combo does not a character make.

2- Once the rogue informs his higher ups that the logging company is looking for something, they might desire to get that something, and so tell him to stick with the party, find out what it is, and... get it to them. This is if you're ok with some inter party conflict and interesting decisions. Some players (and DMs) like this, some less.

3- The paladin might have an inkling that "all of this will lead to a greater evil" or something like that from his search. He will probably be interested in keeping good relations with the druid cabal, no? Later on you can have him more integrated by the history of the temple (Light and dark themes, right?) or by the consequences of the stolen artifact.

I know I don't have to tie them to the plot, I guess I just want to try and show the players that I listened to them when they gave me character backgrounds, and I want to involve their characters in the setting, so that it's as much their game as it is mine. However, you just gave me lots of good ideas. I'm okay with a bit of inter party conflict, so long as it doesn't get out of hand, which I don't have to worry about with the Rogue player, as he generally doesn't take things too far. The temple currently revolves around two major goddesses in the setting (Which I cribbed from Forgotten realms), who are light and dark. The temple belonged to followers of a sect of the religion (Which the druid belongs to) who believe that they are in fact different expressions of the same basic idea, and that you cannot have one without the other. I want to use lots of Light and Dark and Black and White splits to illustrate this.

Thanks for those ideas, the PCs are a bit more complex than I described them, I just was aware that there was already a lot of information in the opening post. The Drow Cleric is part of a noble family from the underdark, who's now adventuring on the surface to get life experience/wealth. My main issue is that I can't think of any way to include her beyond 'and you probably want to help the party because wealth' until a bit later in the campaign when the party may well visit the underdark. I just don't want to totally ignore the character for too long, especially as the player is one of the more avid roleplayers in the group.

ikosaeder
2013-06-28, 03:02 AM
I ran an adventure very similar to this with my group.
They found a forgotten wizard academy in the ground and a magical tome that could tell them everything that was known in the world at the time the tome was created (200 years before). The tome was guarded by wizard ghosts and they needed 3 magical keys to open the chamber were the tome was. The tome could not be removed from the chamber, so after asking a few questions, the got themselves a new adventure hook and left. Because they mistrusted each other, no one would get all of the keys. Each member of my party got 1 key. This was good, because it lead to a lot of roleplaying and interaction between the players. Two PC's were killed during the next adventures and the keys were lost.

So this artifact is very powerful, but not too powerful:
- It can only give facts, since it has no intelligence.
- Its knowledge is outdated
- It is not portable

It can be used to find out some monsters weakness, or some new spells.
It knows about hidden treasures. This you can use to create adventure hooks, and give the players the feeling to have a choice (provide 3 treasure locations and let the players decide where to go).
In my case, the learned about a sunken ship in Baldurs Gate. They went there and found the wrack, got the treasure and a new nemesis (A Genie that was trapped in a box in the ship).

The adventure is available here (only in German)
http://www.dnd-gate.de/gate3/page/uploads/media/Die_Kammer_des_Wissens.pdf

If you want, I can translate parts of it, but I cannot translate the whole adventure.

Kol Korran
2013-06-28, 03:28 AM
The antagonist is a high ranking general of a large empire to the south that wants to control the town. He wants to usurp the empire from the current ruling family and put himself on the throne.
Why does the Empire want to usurp only this particular town? What is so special about it? Does the general himself want to usurp the town, or just become The Emperor of said Empire?

Anyway, I have a few Ideas:
- It doesn't need to be an artifact really. The area once belonged to the southern empire, and records of family and lineage were kept at the temple (Temples often offer clerkship duties). The general assumes that somewhere in these tomes exists the proof that he comes from noble blood, from the royal family blood in fact! That way the party might get the book but not really know what to do with it, not necessarily recognizing it's importance. (potentially making it easier for the General to get it by some ruse). Sometimes the word is mightier than a +5 sword? :smalltongue:

- The presence of the druidic circle here suggests that this artifact might have something to do with natural powers. Perhaps... perhaps the artifact has a none-adventuring significance? Buried underground it can make the area around it either flourish, or blight in a certain radius. (Working as a sort of connection to either the positive or negative energy plane?) I'm thinking it is held in the temple in some sort of a containing chamber, limiting it's power, since it can go quite awry. Once removed, the limited effect may linger, but dwindle after some period, letting the artifact's power grow, and grow, uncontrolled. (even if positive this may be not good- just check the positive energy plane features). The Item can be controlled, but it requires <Insert some long term plot hook here>.

The general wants to get this to create blight in some area, and then reverse it, becoming a "hero" of the people, someone rumored to have great magical power. And potentially use it to lay waste to entire areas. He may or may not know about the limited effect, and how to control it further, I leave that to you.

Or... you can have both tome AND artifact, perhaps the general's ancestors knew of the item, and passed the info along, and the general comes here for both. Both as his birthright? (Hmmm... You could even have the artifact respond differently to his bloodline and to the PCs, making it more powerful in his hand, less in theirs)


I know I don't have to tie them to the plot, I guess I just want to try and show the players that I listened to them when they gave me character backgrounds, and I want to involve their characters in the setting, so that it's as much their game as it is mine. That is good, and a commendable effort.


The Drow Cleric is part of a noble family from the underdark, who's now adventuring on the surface to get life experience/wealth. My main issue is that I can't think of any way to include her beyond 'and you probably want to help the party because wealth' until a bit later in the campaign when the party may well visit the underdark. Hmmm.. How about the following- whilein the temple, who obviously belonged to surface dwellers, the party finds some clues to drow involvement- Possibly books, maybe some items, maybe even a room built in drow fashion or the like? (depending on how the following fits in your campaign). When the party learn of the above artifact (Either by getting it or seeing warnings, scripture and the like), The Drow Cleric gets some clues that it is partially drow made! give soem clues, and let them investigate further, but my idea is that the artifact was long ago a drow weapon ins some war, using positive and negative energies someway. The artifact was later captured, but could not be destroyed. it's powers were somewhat subverted, decreased, and sent to be hidden on the surface. (If drow were involved in this venture it might explain hints for them in the temple) your drow cleric might be see it as a piece of his heritage, perhaps even of his god. How will it be used now? :smallconfused:

Bling Cat
2013-06-28, 07:51 AM
The adventure is available here (only in German)
http://www.dnd-gate.de/gate3/page/uploads/media/Die_Kammer_des_Wissens.pdf

If you want, I can translate parts of it, but I cannot translate the whole adventure.
Thanks for the the offer, but what you've told me of your game has given me a few ideas to use in mine, so I don't think I need the adventure.


Why does the Empire want to usurp only this particular town? What is so special about it? Does the general himself want to usurp the town, or just become The Emperor of said Empire?

The Empire wants the town because it's the largest source of lumber in the known world, and due to the nature of the forest it is very difficult to acquire lumber without going through this town. The General wants to usurp the Empire from the current ruler, but also knows that it's in the Empire's interests to control the town as well.



Anyway, I have a few Ideas:
- It doesn't need to be an artifact really. The area once belonged to the southern empire, and records of family and lineage were kept at the temple (Temples often offer clerkship duties). The general assumes that somewhere in these tomes exists the proof that he comes from noble blood, from the royal family blood in fact! That way the party might get the book but not really know what to do with it, not necessarily recognizing it's importance. (potentially making it easier for the General to get it by some ruse). Sometimes the word is mightier than a +5 sword? :smalltongue:

- The presence of the druidic circle here suggests that this artifact might have something to do with natural powers. Perhaps... perhaps the artifact has a none-adventuring significance? Buried underground it can make the area around it either flourish, or blight in a certain radius. (Working as a sort of connection to either the positive or negative energy plane?) I'm thinking it is held in the temple in some sort of a containing chamber, limiting it's power, since it can go quite awry. Once removed, the limited effect may linger, but dwindle after some period, letting the artifact's power grow, and grow, uncontrolled. (even if positive this may be not good- just check the positive energy plane features). The Item can be controlled, but it requires <Insert some long term plot hook here>.

The general wants to get this to create blight in some area, and then reverse it, becoming a "hero" of the people, someone rumored to have great magical power. And potentially use it to lay waste to entire areas. He may or may not know about the limited effect, and how to control it further, I leave that to you.

Or... you can have both tome AND artifact, perhaps the general's ancestors knew of the item, and passed the info along, and the general comes here for both. Both as his birthright? (Hmmm... You could even have the artifact respond differently to his bloodline and to the PCs, making it more powerful in his hand, less in theirs)

I actually really like these ideas, because they play into existing artifacts the PCs have already interacted with. I think I know where this is going to end up going now, with the General being in the temple looking for the book, and finding the Blight/Life artifact and realizing what he could do with it.


Hmmm.. How about the following- whilein the temple, who obviously belonged to surface dwellers, the party finds some clues to drow involvement- Possibly books, maybe some items, maybe even a room built in drow fashion or the like? (depending on how the following fits in your campaign). When the party learn of the above artifact (Either by getting it or seeing warnings, scripture and the like), The Drow Cleric gets some clues that it is partially drow made! give soem clues, and let them investigate further, but my idea is that the artifact was long ago a drow weapon ins some war, using positive and negative energies someway. The artifact was later captured, but could not be destroyed. it's powers were somewhat subverted, decreased, and sent to be hidden on the surface. (If drow were involved in this venture it might explain hints for them in the temple) your drow cleric might be see it as a piece of his heritage, perhaps even of his god. How will it be used now? :smallconfused:
That's also a great idea, which ties some other things in my setting up and gives me a link to my Drow player for future adventures. Thanks for all these ideas, they've definitely helped me get over this block I had in my head about this.

Kol Korran
2013-06-28, 02:44 PM
That's also a great idea, which ties some other things in my setting up and gives me a link to my Drow player for future adventures. Thanks for all these ideas, they've definitely helped me get over this block I had in my head about this.
No problem. I come to the playground lots of time when I'm in a pickle/ writing block. Gotta love the creative minds here! :smallsmile: Good luck with your game.

Lothmar
2013-06-28, 03:25 PM
Perhaps the artifact could be a regulating force in the area that maintains a neutrality between something like a pair of natural magical ley lines or dimensional intersections between law/chaos and/or good/evil?

The badguy could want it because the capital has a similar site that he intends to take advantage of but would need the artifact to tap into such raw magical power and manipulate it for his own ends?

this provides several possibilities. 1) if left there it maintains the balance and things are fine as long as it is protected giving the grove and town new purpose.

2) if removed the natural forces begin to polarize overtime and certain magic's that might have lay dormant begin to emerge or it attracts various creatures linked to this magic or alignment causing an increase in monster attacks and threats to the town/forest etc.

2 a ) If removed and taken/used actively by the players, they can use the artifact on other ley line/sites to tap into its power for any number of things that you could decide (ex: Providing xp or a material substitute for crafting, provide an extra spell slot of a level appropriate to the power/flow of the area, be able to cast or activate certain attributed nature/plant spells, however if the artifact is removed from the site or a different location will suffer an appropriate strength repercussion for sucking up power and designating it to a particular area instead of allowing it to flow naturally - ex: You might make the land fertile in a location but in so doing cause mild infertility all the rest of the way down the ley line reducing crop yields by a certain percentage down the flow but improving it by an equivalent factor in the local area or perhaps just moving the infertile land to another area of the same size further down. Effectively make the players experiment to find out how this works exactly or add a bit of random chance with percentiles like teleport mishaps to see where these side effects occur.

2 b) If removed and simply relocated to a new location this could have drastic effects on the presence of local flaura/fauna and perhaps even drive away certain monstrous creatures/aberrations etc who are specifically aligned and mildly influencing the personalities/alignments of the people living in the area. ie - a relatively good kingdom might become a neutral kingdom and thus more pliable for the bad guys manipulation?