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Donnadogsoth
2015-06-17, 09:51 PM
So, I'm running D&D with Phoenix Command as the system and fantasy Byzantium as a setting. Thus far, it's gone quite well. Right now the PCs are wandering the wilderness trying to get to Constantinople. The problem is, what do I do to structure the wilderness. Plots aren't my strong suit. I'm inclined to just throw monsters at them but that isn't a solution given the lethality of the system. A monster should be an event, not a commonplace occurrence. But how do I entangle them in a semi-barbarian Byzantine countryside neglected by its king (and its emperor)?

The specific situation is the Swamp of Sorrows, a place chock-a-block with monsters and horror, if its guardian, a delusional (or quixotic) old soldier is to be believed. How do I incentivise their going through the swamp?

Any input would be most welcome.

Draken
2015-06-17, 10:20 PM
So, I'm running D&D with Phoenix Command as the system and fantasy Byzantium as a setting. Thus far, it's gone quite well. Right now the PCs are wandering the wilderness trying to get to Constantinople. The problem is, what do I do to structure the wilderness. Plots aren't my strong suit. I'm inclined to just throw monsters at them but that isn't a solution given the lethality of the system. A monster should be an event, not a commonplace occurrence. But how do I entangle them in a semi-barbarian Byzantine countryside neglected by its king (and its emperor)?

The specific situation is the Swamp of Sorrows, a place chock-a-block with monsters and horror, if its guardian, a delusional (or quixotic) old soldier is to be believed. How do I incentivise their going through the swamp?

Any input would be most welcome.

Why do they need to cross the swamp?

If the swamp is a chock-a-block of monsters and horror, it is presumably not how people coming from that particular direction usually reach the city. So what happened to the sensible path? Was there a collapse? A flood? Bandits? Invading army?

Donnadogsoth
2015-06-19, 11:34 AM
Why do they need to cross the swamp?

If the swamp is a chock-a-block of monsters and horror, it is presumably not how people coming from that particular direction usually reach the city. So what happened to the sensible path? Was there a collapse? A flood? Bandits? Invading army?

They're on a mission to warn the Emperor of a Northern invasion.

Yes! There's a bad king who has made a deal to sell slaves to the Eastern invaders, and is rounding up everyone who can't pay his impossible taxes. The PCs don't want to deal with king's men, who are well-armed, mounted, skillful, and numerous. So that's a way to block off the access to the South...except the Swamp. Of course there's always the possibility the PCs will take it upon themselves to ambush the slavers and free their captives, but eventually they will run out of steam to do that and be forced back to their mission.