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View Full Version : DM Help Can someone help me flesh out a story?



LastCenturion
2016-02-23, 08:21 AM
I started a campaign a few weeks ago, and despite establishing a very short-term and very long-term story arc, I can't think of much to do as the filler. So far I've taken the group of two (A Bard and a Monk, if that makes a difference. 4e, because they wouldn't let me do anything else) through the first fight, against a pair of birdlike creatures modeled on the Deathjump Spider from MM1, but leveled down quite a bit. As far as story goes, here's what they know:


They got on a boat, apparently not knowing each other. They were both wealthy-ish students, bound for offshore colleges for various subjects. I don't think this is relevant to the story, but it might be.
The boat, a little over halfway through the voyage, was attacked by a creature that just so happens to look and act exactly like the Lagiacrus from Monster Hunter III Ultimate (I steal shamelessly. Don't sue me please.)
Everyone on the boat but them was killed by the thing. They got to control sailors as they tried to avoid it, but it killed them anyways because story.
The PC's swam to a nearby island because the monster wanted something in the boat and ignored them.
The PC's tracked the aforementioned bird things ("Feral Dodos" according to the players) to a cave, where they killed one and knocked out the second
The PC's explored the island, and managed to catch a ride with some boaters that were leaving, and on the island because story.
Once they made it back to town, the PC's went shopping and met a few different shopkeepers, along with a mysterious lady in the street who they know but appear to not care too much about. the street lady figures into my long term plans, I'll cover those later.
They eventually went to a tavern, and a weird lady approached them (Client or antagonist, depending on what the players want to do) and asked them for help, quite rudely. The whole reason she might not be a client is because she's designed to piss off the PC's so much that they want nothing to do with her.



I know I want the tavern lady, who I call "A," to start building up dissent with the players, because I want them to have an actual choice. The sea thing they "fought" earlier (They had no means of beating it) is their other option. I'm planning to also include a graveyard scene, because I found a thread on this forum last night that I thought was too funny not to use a source. This campaign is more humorous than anything else, by the way. I have no other real short term plans.

Over the 30 levels I think this campaign might go for, I've divided it into five groups, each about 6 levels long. The main idea of the story is material stability--that is, the idea that atoms, etc. might lose their ability to stay together in things. I guess. It's hard to explain. Overall I have only a few concrete things, all of which are explained in more detail in the following five spoilers.

Here's the story arc I've planned so far:

The first part of the story is just a "getting the feel for the world" idea, where the main characters (most of them) are introduced, the major conflict of the story is introduced, basically where everything gets introduced. This is one of the only sections that I actually have some of fleshed out in detail.

Basically, I plan to have the characters figure out the relationship between the two prospective antagonists: the sea creature from act 0, and A. The idea is that, in the world I've designed, (Not unlike the Giant's world in "The New World") the dominant forces are air and water. The world is basically a continent composed mostly of mountains, lakes, and mountain lakes. And surrounded by a few archipelagos. The idea is that the two potential antagonists are conceptualizations (Can't think of a better word) for the two. The Sea Creature (I'm just going to call him {It's a him, by the way} V, because I accidentally gave the players a name, and it starts with V) is the leader of water, kind of like Aquaman, while A is the commander (?) of air. The PC's learn this from a few choice characters tasked with giving exposition and pretty much useless besides that.

The second chapter is resolving the huge tension between V and A, because it's screwing over the world. Hurricanes and stuff. Basically, some of the recurring characters come back, and along with V and A themselves, force the PC's into the conflict. Most of the tension here is because I fully expect the players to disagree, and their characters might even split. The way that the final battle of this chapter goes will determine pretty much the tone of the rest of the campaign.

The third part comes right after the second (Duh). After the final battle of chapter two, depending on who won, one of the forms of matter (Liquid if A won, Gas if V won, Solids if PC's somehow forced a tie) becomes unstable, attempting to condense, freeze, melt, sublimate, evaporate, etc. The PC's spend most of this chapter trying to stop it, and I have no idea how I'm going to end this chapter. This is one of the sketchiest points for me by any means, so if you have any advice whatsoever, I need it. The only thing I have for this section is I'd like to reintroduce street lady, from long long ago at this point, as a key figure.

In this chapter, I'd like to have a problem that whatever the solution the PC's find in the third bit, doesn't last. The PC's can keep spending resources, possibly nonrenewable, on maintaining the stability of matter, but eventually everything is going to collapse. This is (hopefully) the most tense and time-sensitive chapter. In this part, I plan to introduce the behind-the-scenes villain, or villainous organization, that has been playing all the sides thus far. Some sort of over-achieving nihilist, potentially depressed. Again, for the humor aspect. Again, I don't have any real plans for this section, but hopefully someone else does?

In the final chapter, the PC's will have to face down whoever has been messing with universal constants, who will probably use a metric gigacrapload (real term :smallwink:) to explain his evil plan. Eventually the PC's will probably have to sacrifice themselves to become new standards of reality? Something like that, where they have to choose between themselves and other people, most of whom have been complete jerks to them so far. ("It's your fault my blood doesn't want to be liquid!" "What did you do? I can barely breathe this air!" etc.) And should probably include some other forms of heavy decisions.

Two brownie points to everyone who leaves a constructive suggestion. Or criticism. Or just responds in a way that isn't "Your idea is stupid! Go away!" (I don't THINK that will be a problem, having read this forum for a while.) so please, comment away. Thanks for reading this. I hope it wasn't, like, way too long. It took way too long to type.

And hey; thanks.

TheYell
2016-02-23, 12:28 PM
FOURTH (duh) chapter they should meet a Judge figure who thanks them for restoring balance to the forces of nature. This Judge or Speaker for Judges can explain that what they have overcome is merely the Active Focus of Air and Water and that Air and Water will reform their energies into new combatants with the same result, unless the real problem is addressed.

This could set up the ending act where the characters are asked to become the Active Focus of the Judges in restoring cosmic balance.

Foreshadowing in the First Act where the party is rescued by boaters who came to the Island for a Festival of Judges celebrating those who maintain the balance.

Lvl 2 Expert
2016-02-23, 01:19 PM
You might need to work out how the elements/phases get destabilized. Water and air are the most prominent forces in this world, but obviously they aren't the forces to end all forces, if someone is still playing them. The how and why of "the player" (which is how I'm going to call your final villain, because being needlessly confusing is fun) are hard to figure out, at least to me, because there is not enough of an overview of how thse things work. So start making something up.

Say you have something like this:

The elements consist of small particles (or waves, or strings, or memes, or cats) called elementors. A water elementor consists of 3 fluidions, an air elementor of 3 gasions, an earth elementor of 3 solidions. Freezing water works by replacing 1 fluidion by a solidion. One of its three particles is now "earth", while the other two still clearly identify the elementor as water, thus you get a solid form of water. (Edit: This would mean there is at least a theoretical way to turn ice or solid water into magma or fluid ground, that could come in handy in the late game. You might also need to invent a solid form of air at some point.) "The player" found a way to shift the balance of forces keeping elementors together, kickstarting this reaction with the amount of magical power you can only gather in one place by having an enormous battle. The strong elementarian force, which keeps elementors that contain many of the same thing together, gets weakened, while the weak elementarian force, which keeps different types of particles together, gets strengthened. The first sign of this is that the natural states of the elements become unstable (water/air is merely the first to show the signs because of the amount of air/water magic still rippling through the air strengthening that element), but the ultimate eventual effect will be that the only possible stable particle left is the thus far theoretical balance elementor, containing a fluidion, a gasion and a solidion. The ultimate equality for all! Also, it's completely impossible to have complicated life made out of only a single type of particle. Oops.

Monsters that are partly made of or fueled by the "balance" material could start showing up in the late game, and have impossible game breaking powers that ignore all the usual strengths and weaknesses of the other 3 elements.

That may be completely the wrong flavor for what you're going for, but this little thought experiment did give me a goal for the ultimate villain, and a start of a way he can achieve it. You could go by a much more magical and less scientific explanation (or something like it) and still get those things out of it. The people at your table (which I can not name players because I like confusing terminology) possibly don't even need to ever hear the explanation, but having one can help you in figuring out how this world works.

LokiRagnarok
2016-02-23, 05:35 PM
conceptualizations

I believe the term you are looking for is personifications, or maybe avatars. You may want to take a look at http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PhysicalGod

What I don't yet understand: what does A, or V for that matter, want from the PCs? Why don't they talk to the giys at the next table? Did the PCs just happen to be at the right time in the right place? Are they the Chosen Ones? Are they maybe a middle ground, that is, they just happen to match some arbitrary criteria, which are shared by a lot of people? For example, it may be that A requires two people from land X for her plot, and the two just happen to be the only people from X around. Or they are both born in the month of Jebruvember, or both during a storm. She would take someone else, but alas...

Also, I wouldn't just drop "A is the avatar of air" on them by Mr. or Mrs. Exposition (not sure if you meant to do that). I would start to give them hints, so it will feel like an "aha!" moment when they finally learn the secret.

For example, A may be specifically attuned to air; her cloak alway billows behind her even if there is no wind; the air around her is always fresh no matter the circumstances; when she gets angry, air pressure seems to be going up; when it's windy, she may have an area of stillness around her, like in the eye of a storm; and maybe she has the power to cast a Zone of Silence-like effect.

She may also be particularly averse to the element of V, water. She is quite unwilling to cross a running stream; she only drinks her water carbonated; she hates when her clothes get wet, complaining about the water pulling her down, even if the amount is negligible; amd she detests fog, complaining about how it spoils the perfectly good air.

goto124
2016-02-24, 12:00 AM
she only drinks her water carbonated;

She has the power to make carbonated drinks?

How much gold for one mug?

Lvl 2 Expert
2016-02-24, 09:42 AM
She has the power to make carbonated drinks?

How much gold for one mug?

She's a powerful air witch. In hindsight the carbonated water will look like brilliant foreshadowing.

goto124
2016-02-24, 10:25 AM
But how much gold do I have to pay for one mug of soft drink? Here's a glass of normal grape juice to carbonate!

TheYell
2016-02-24, 11:41 AM
You buy the Siphon of Elemental Combination and carbonate your drinks at home for coppers a day!

A Bard and a Monk, are they chaotic and lawful? Because they can end up as avatars or champions of such and be empowered as they choose to advance. Eg Axiomatic strikes, Circle of Protection: Lawful

LastCenturion
2016-02-24, 07:30 PM
FOURTH (duh) chapter they should meet a Judge figure who thanks them for restoring balance to the forces of nature. This Judge or Speaker for Judges can explain that what they have overcome is merely the Active Focus of Air and Water and that Air and Water will reform their energies into new combatants with the same result, unless the real problem is addressed.

This could set up the ending act where the characters are asked to become the Active Focus of the Judges in restoring cosmic balance.

Foreshadowing in the First Act where the party is rescued by boaters who came to the Island for a Festival of Judges celebrating those who maintain the balance.

That's an interesting idea. It seems a little bit complex, but it could totally work. I like the inclusion of the boaters from before, and I can already see how different characters I've put in could come back into the story. "Judges" is probably the wrong term, but I see the idea you were trying to illustrate.


You might need to work out how the elements/phases get destabilized. Water and air are the most prominent forces in this world, but obviously they aren't the forces to end all forces, if someone is still playing them. The how and why of "the player" (which is how I'm going to call your final villain, because being needlessly confusing is fun) are hard to figure out, at least to me, because there is not enough of an overview of how these things work. So start making something up.

Say you have something like this:

The elements consist of small particles (or waves, or strings, or memes, or cats) called elementors. A water elementor consists of 3 fluidions, an air elementor of 3 gasions, an earth elementor of 3 solidions. Freezing water works by replacing 1 fluidion by a solidion. One of its three particles is now "earth", while the other two still clearly identify the elementor as water, thus you get a solid form of water. (Edit: This would mean there is at least a theoretical way to turn ice or solid water into magma or fluid ground, that could come in handy in the late game. You might also need to invent a solid form of air at some point.) "The player" found a way to shift the balance of forces keeping elementors together, kickstarting this reaction with the amount of magical power you can only gather in one place by having an enormous battle. The strong elementarian force, which keeps elementors that contain many of the same thing together, gets weakened, while the weak elementarian force, which keeps different types of particles together, gets strengthened. The first sign of this is that the natural states of the elements become unstable (water/air is merely the first to show the signs because of the amount of air/water magic still rippling through the air strengthening that element), but the ultimate eventual effect will be that the only possible stable particle left is the thus far theoretical balance elementor, containing a fluidion, a gasion and a solidion. The ultimate equality for all! Also, it's completely impossible to have complicated life made out of only a single type of particle. Oops.

Monsters that are partly made of or fueled by the "balance" material could start showing up in the late game, and have impossible game breaking powers that ignore all the usual strengths and weaknesses of the other 3 elements.

That may be completely the wrong flavor for what you're going for, but this little thought experiment did give me a goal for the ultimate villain, and a start of a way he can achieve it. You could go by a much more magical and less scientific explanation (or something like it) and still get those things out of it. The people at your table (which I can not name players because I like confusing terminology) possibly don't even need to ever hear the explanation, but having one can help you in figuring out how this world works.

That's a really interesting idea about how the world might work. I'm not sure how much I can use elementals before the players... err... people with characters (ok you're right that's confusing as Hel) start questioning why every time they walk into a dungeon the ceiling comes alive and tries to kill them, but I don't have anything else planned for the combat encounters, or the exact nature of instability, so I can definitely work that in. Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I quite like the idea of transmutation, and I'm now actually imagining that the BBEG has special elementals as his guards, but changes their element whenever the PC's manage to get a specific counter.


I believe the term you are looking for is personifications, or maybe avatars. You may want to take a look at [I can't post links yet :smallfrown:]

What I don't yet understand: what does A, or V for that matter, want from the PCs? Why don't they talk to the giys at the next table? Did the PCs just happen to be at the right time in the right place? Are they the Chosen Ones? Are they maybe a middle ground, that is, they just happen to match some arbitrary criteria, which are shared by a lot of people? For example, it may be that A requires two people from land X for her plot, and the two just happen to be the only people from X around. Or they are both born in the month of Jebruvember, or both during a storm. She would take someone else, but alas...

Also, I wouldn't just drop "A is the avatar of air" on them by Mr. or Mrs. Exposition (not sure if you meant to do that). I would start to give them hints, so it will feel like an "aha!" moment when they finally learn the secret.

For example, A may be specifically attuned to air; her cloak always billows behind her even if there is no wind; the air around her is always fresh no matter the circumstances; when she gets angry, air pressure seems to be going up; when it's windy, she may have an area of stillness around her, like in the eye of a storm; and maybe she has the power to cast a Zone of Silence-like effect.

She may also be particularly averse to the element of V, water. She is quite unwilling to cross a running stream; she only drinks her water carbonated; she hates when her clothes get wet, complaining about the water pulling her down, even if the amount is negligible; and she detests fog, complaining about how it spoils the perfectly good air.

Thank you. Avatar was exactly the word I was looking for. The reason V first engaged the players was because of something on the boat (I don't know what yet, so I can easily take suggestions there) and A approached the players because of their encounter with V. So far, the players are a part of the story because they got on the wrong (or maybe right :smalltongue:) boat. The idea about air manipulation is a good one; I'll surely integrate some of your ideas. The way I've thought about it, A is pretending to be a normal human (or humaniod, at least) to recruit the PC's, but I could have those effects come up when she gets distracted. I like the idea about hating fog. I can already imagine how to show it off the the players.


She's a powerful air witch. In hindsight the carbonated water will look like brilliant foreshadowing.

Definitely :smallbiggrin:


You buy the Siphon of Elemental Combination and carbonate your drinks at home for coppers a day!

A Bard and a Monk, are they chaotic and lawful? Because they can end up as avatars or champions of such and be empowered as they choose to advance. Eg Axiomatic strikes, Circle of Protection: Lawful

I don't remember their alignments off the top of my head, but I believe that they both claim to be Chaotic Neutral. Their tendencies so far have been Chaotic/Neutral good, so I can probably work that in somewhere. Maybe the BBEG expected them both to be Lawful (upholding organization, order, etc.) and as such is unprepared for the Chaotic bit?
And can you elaborate on "coppers a day?" I want homemade carbonated beverages!


Thank you all for the suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

TheYell
2016-02-24, 11:01 PM
Glad you found something interesting


You buy the Siphon of Elemental Combination and carbonate your drinks at home for coppers a day!

Just ripping off those ads for home carbonation units. Get some magic Siphon that carbonates whatevers within it.