Campaign Idea: Fill-in-the-Blank

[Chester]

So I had an idea for the start of a campaign, but not sure where I want to go with it.

Group is level 5. Currently, they are in a city bordering jungle terrain.

I'm thinking this: Red smoke is seen rising from the distance in the jungle; even at this distance (a few days' journey), the wind carries an acidic smell with the smoke.

The group is ordered to investigate. When they arrive (after some jungle monster conflicts), they find that areas of the jungle have been completely incinerated / turned to desert. The acidic smell is overpowering, and the red smoke burns the eyes.

At the site of the disintegrating jungle, the group encounters s band of Sharakim (they have never met Sharakim before, may mistake them for common orcs).

.....And that's what I got. I don't want he Sharakim to be behind the defilement of the jungle, but I'm not exactly sure where I do want to go with it.

Any ideas?

[(Un)Inspired]

The Sharakim tell the party that there's a real monster in the jungle. Not a beholder or a dragon or something like that. Really a monster. A former Druid has gone blighter and is not only ravaging the jungle, but hunting down and torturing druids of his former order.

[Honest Tiefling]

1) What's living in that jungle area? Races, refugees, druids, etc. Going to assume it isn't an accident, but it could be warfare between several groups. Druid circles fighting, or one race declaring war on the Sharakim and deciding to flush them out. Using driudic enemies might work well with the Sharakim, if you use the story on the website.

2) Who is in the city, who might have reasons to clear out that jungle? Maybe they want those Sharakim out of the way to get to a mine. Or, make a diversion for political gain. It could also be a horrible magical accident gone awry, since no one but exiles was using that jungle anyway.

3) Who is living on the other side? Could be a magical way to weaken the city, as it might pollute the water and make the land barren. It just hasn't gotten all the way over, or somebody missed. Could also be an intimidation tactic so you don't conquer a dead worthless city.

4) Is planar stuff on the table? Hey, it works and if its appeared before it can be a fun motif. The sin of the Sharakim might also attract attention.

5) Are your players built to combat anything in particular, or better in certain situations? If you have no ideas, might as well!

[Brookshw]

Is there a theme or concept you're building the campaign towards?

Random ideas: site used to house a powerful ward of x that protected y, is someone after y?
Someone is testing new spells.
A minor planar breach occurred. How, naturally, or deliberately?

More info please!

[Chester]

OK, the city on the border is mostly Elves/Gnomes (north)

Another city that borders jungle/mountains is predominantly gnomes (west).

Southern jungle contains a human city with a smaller town / outpost closer to the interior.

East: jungle meets ocean with an outpost of an antagonist faction. Group has been in conflict with this group before; it is an "anti-magic" group, regulating all magical items, sorcery, etc.; headquarters is much further north. Has placed bounties on the groups' heads. (Was kind of shying away from this group, so as not to get repetitive, but if it happens, it happens.)

Sharakim are located in eastern islands off the coast, often mistaken for orcs so cannot often venture onto mainland.

The world is our own; what lies south of the jungle is not yet determined.

Group is in flux. We may or may not have a barbarian and a cleric. Right now, Bard / Rogue, Dread Necro, Spellblade.

[WbtE]

The short description you've provided sounds like the aftermath of an industrial disaster. Perhaps the area has been used as the dumping ground for an extra-planar factory?

[Eaglejarl]

(I'm not familiar with Sharakim, so these may not fit.)

First off, if you present it in an appropriate way, you could easily get the players to mistake the Sharakim as the bad guys. This may or may not be something you want to do; presumably they would eventually sort it out, but it would color relations between Sharakim and party for a long time. Personally, I would see that as a good opportunity, but it might end up being just an annoying diversion for the story you want to tell.


As to the explosion...what if it was a wizard who just reached Epic status and was casting a spell with massive backlash, not understanding what it was going to do? Perhaps he got bumped to Epic through some odd process and didn't have the knowledge to handle it....maybe he's a mid-level mage and a dying Epic mage tried to Magic Jar him but it didn't quite work, so the guy now has MPD and Epic powers.

Mage duels are another standard option, of course. Two Epic wizards battling it out, not paying attention to those around them. One is now wounded and hiding, licking his wounds while the other hunts for him.

Perhaps a powerful Outsider just appeared in that spot, the backlash of its arrival toasting the area. Bonus points if the Outsider is actually just a tourist, with no particular agenda.

[Phelix-Mu]

Yay. Unexplained catastrophe, usual suspects, and the natural world. Hehehe.

Alright, so let's see.

1.) The sharakim are also in pursuit of the perpetrator of this acid-rain. One of their islands was devastated by a similar phenomenon, and they tracked this bizarre weather pattern here.

2.) Subplot: There is a villain within the sharakim. Some days ago, while tracking the strange weather pattern, a doppelganger (or similar creature of infiltration/possession) replaced one of the sharakim, and has been looking for an opportunity to wreak more havoc. It decides that the party members are the perfect patsies for additional murders, and proceeds to frame the party for the suspicious death/disappearance of one of the sharakim.

3.) Subplot: Investigating the scene, the party comes across a number of jungle-based dryads, half-dead or dying. Their plants were destroyed or heavily damaged. Can the party come up with a way to save the dryads? There are a few, but they are generally distasteful and too difficult at the established level (but the smart characters might know of them). At the very least, this is a significant moral dilemma (creatures suffering but can't be saved who will entreat the party to undertake revenge on their behalf).

4.) If things work out with the sharakim and the party pursues the investigation, they discover x, y, and z that point to a some kind of unnatural phenomena that just looks like weather. In fact, some kind of failed experimentation has resulted in a cluster of kaorti moving into a nearby area. The kaorti, acting behind the scenes, are gathering resources and otherwise manipulating events between the nations to fit their larger schemes. The acid that killed the plants is in fact a bunch of skybleeders (Fiend Folio) that are under the effects of invisibility going around and raining acid rain down on stuff as they go around doing the bidding of the kaorti.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Living spells (MM3) gone wild? With the combination rules, you could make something like a living acid fog/fire ball. That might work.

[Chester]

(I'm not familiar with Sharakim, so these may not fit.)

First off, if you present it in an appropriate way, you could easily get the players to mistake the Sharakim as the bad guys.

I was thinking that. I like the intrigue. Admittedly, I'm better with story than with combat. I like how the story would unfold if this happens.



1.) The sharakim are also in pursuit of the perpetrator of this acid-rain. One of their islands was devastated by a similar phenomenon, and they tracked this bizarre weather pattern here.

4.) If things work out with the sharakim and the party pursues the investigation, they discover x, y, and z that point to a some kind of unnatural phenomena that just looks like weather. In fact, some kind of failed experimentation has resulted in a cluster of kaorti moving into a nearby area. The kaorti, acting behind the scenes, are gathering resources and otherwise manipulating events between the nations to fit their larger schemes. The acid that killed the plants is in fact a bunch of skybleeders (Fiend Folio) that are under the effects of invisibility going around and raining acid rain down on stuff as they go around doing the bidding of the kaorti.

I was thinking the same with the Sharakim.

The Kaorti make things interesting.


Living spells (MM3) gone wild? With the combination rules, you could make something like a living acid fog/fire ball. That might work.

. . . . fueled by the Kaorti.


The Sharakim tell the party that there's a real monster in the jungle. Not a beholder or a dragon or something like that. Really a monster. A former Druid has gone blighter and is not only ravaging the jungle, but hunting down and torturing druids of his former order.

He could be a Kaorti thrall . . . .


Thanks, you've helped me form this idea: Sharakim are also in pursuit of the source of this phenomenon. Party investigation will learn that Kaorti in the area have created a living spell that destroys the environment / feeds the energy to the Far Realms. In the meantime, they are assisted by a former Sharakim druid, now a Kaorti, who assists in the deforestation of the jungle.