Structuring a campaign

[Spore]

So I am slowly trying to fill the ranks in my NPC galery because my group wants some fantasy Pathfinder action and I am the only one with a running Pathfinder game.

First of all, a small breakdown on how I want to structure the story. Androx if you read this turn away now.



Act 1: Learning about the conflict
The PCs have already met and defended a royal powder mill against a terroristic attack from rebels. The attacker was not with the royal navy but carried an old worn out emblem of said navy. Pirates regularly attack sea faring merchants and even a big navy presence cannot do anything.

I want to send them out with a ship on their own to bait a pirate ship to check what is going on. They learn about some rogue navy admirals secretly organizing a rebellion against the king who enforces harsh rules. Each side should have redeeming qualities, neither one should be good or evil.

Act 2: Up the Ante
After learning about the rebellion they should learn about some strange activities behind the facade of the rebellion. Weird aberrations could pop up, something ALIEN and otherworldly has to take place. A cult of Old Gods manipulates this rebellion in a way to weaken the country's military and political presence in a way to enable them to drown the country beneath the sea, ultimatively increasing the power of their chosen god whose portfolio is the raging sea. Maybe I'll put a portal to a strange dimension underneath the ground which becomes easier accessible if it is drowned rather than subterranean.

Act 3: Resolution of the civil war and finale
Depending on the group's choices either the rebels or the royalty wins. If they are really clever and can convince people to put down their arms in favor of fighting the alien horrors beyond the portal the civil war will be put aside. On how this will be achieved I have no idea. The PCs will likely have the support of the Inquisition, could possibly convince an order of powerful Wizards to help them (only if they stay neutral in the conflict tho), have the royal assassins and some special forces from navy and army at their disposal.


Some questions on the rules and story telling side:
1) Do you think my finale is okay the way it is written? Any twists and turns I can add?
2) Any rough ideas how I should write the following NPCs? Charismatic navy admiral (pref. Halfling), calm cult leader (wasting Oracle of the Dark Tapestry?), high ranking agent of the royal assassins (assassin class possible, most likely LN tho), important inquisitors (Clerics also possible) and neutralish High Wizard (not too high due to the insane options high level arcane spells offer).
3) I want a good story that is not taking too long while offering some diversity? I already have a side quest of them getting killed and revived as immortal undead (Dark Souls style). This way I can also pull the phantom card when a player does not show up: "Xy becomes pale and has no will to fight = becomes hollow only that he or she becomes incorporeal and inactive, watching the fights unfold". This way I can also kill them and only reduce their ressources by the stored "humanity" or other tokens that grant an "extra life".

My main story feels very thin but I am fearing that if I blow it up even further the campaign takes too long to be solved.

[Krazzman]

1) Do you think my finale is okay the way it is written? Any twists and turns I can add?

Seems fine. Maybe spies/traitors in both factions? Don't know really.


2) Any rough ideas how I should write the following NPCs? Charismatic navy admiral (pref. Halfling), calm cult leader (wasting Oracle of the Dark Tapestry?), high ranking agent of the royal assassins (assassin class possible, most likely LN tho), important inquisitors (Clerics also possible) and neutralish High Wizard (not too high due to the insane options high level arcane spells offer).

How about a Seafaring Halfling Cavalier for the Navy Admiral? Swashbuckler might be good too (haven't looked them up much except for one NPC in Hell's Vengeance).
The Cult Leader would probably more or less be a Cleric or similar. Maybe ask someone with access to Carrion Crown to give you the stats of the cultist in book 3 or some of the later ones.
Agent of the Royal Assassins, without being evil a Slayer would be a far better fit. Maybe stat them as Slayer/Shadowdancer if they are high enough in level.
Inquisitors could be Inquisitor (the class) or Clerics or Warpriests. Maybe even make 3 man squads of Cleric (support), Warpriest (Muscle) and Inquisitors ("skills").
No idea about the wizard though....


3) I want a good story that is not taking too long while offering some diversity? I already have a side quest of them getting killed and revived as immortal undead (Dark Souls style). This way I can also pull the phantom card when a player does not show up: "Xy becomes pale and has no will to fight = becomes hollow only that he or she becomes incorporeal and inactive, watching the fights unfold". This way I can also kill them and only reduce their ressources by the stored "humanity" or other tokens that grant an "extra life".

My main story feels very thin but I am fearing that if I blow it up even further the campaign takes too long to be solved.

I hope it will bring yourself and your players loads of fun. (My campaign will probably run until the end of this year and I would rather stop it, but 90% is planned and I don't want my work to go to waste.)

[Spore]

Thanks for your insight so far.


Seems fine. Maybe spies/traitors in both factions? Don't know really.

Good idea. It is unrealistic that such large organizations remain untouched by spies.


How about a Seafaring Halfling Cavalier for the Navy Admiral? Swashbuckler might be good too (haven't looked them up much except for one NPC in Hell's Vengeance).

Point is: I want that Halfling to pay hommage to my own Halfling Cavalier PC. I feel it would be too blunt to make him Cavalier too. Swashbuckler seems fine, even Rogue/Fighter does. Don't fear the DMPC. He might influence them once if I really build him as Battle Herald with many Bard levels (so the group will get inspire courage).


The Cult Leader would probably more or less be a Cleric or similar. Maybe ask someone with access to Carrion Crown to give you the stats of the cultist in book 3 or some of the later ones.

I am quite married to the thought of an Oracle to be honest. If you can list advantages for the cleric type I could sway but what I basically aim for is someone who has been pushed into the position of being the beacon of the Old Gods, via rituals and whatnot. His body is slowly getting eaten away (consumed or wasting curse) by the void, loosing his mind to the dark cosmos (confusion revelation as well as black tentacles as divine spell).

But after having played 3 oracles (and 5 planned out) and no cleric yet I cannot fathom what the cleric class can bring to the table fluffwise.


Agent of the Royal Assassins, without being evil a Slayer would be a far better fit. Maybe stat them as Slayer/Shadowdancer if they are high enough in level.

Yup, def. a good idea.


Inquisitors could be Inquisitor (the class) or Clerics or Warpriests. Maybe even make 3 man squads of Cleric (support), Warpriest (Muscle) and Inquisitors ("skills").

Maybe a few Alchemists here and there. The country is known for their prowess with advanced firearms.


No idea about the wizard though....

They will be powerful individuals but not a group. Most likely a single character or pair with many rules imposed upon them. Don't choose sides. They are mainly in it because of the portal. (The world is interconnected with magical portals left and right which a network of powerful wizards maintain. It is literally their job to fix that demon portal thingie).


I hope it will bring yourself and your players loads of fun. (My campaign will probably run until the end of this year and I would rather stop it, but 90% is planned and I don't want my work to go to waste.)

Good luck to you then? I feel your campaign has went down the drain a bit?

[Krazzman]

Good idea. It is unrealistic that such large organizations remain untouched by spies.

Yeah, but is probably not that twist-y (rather bland and cliché).


Point is: I want that Halfling to pay hommage to my own Halfling Cavalier PC. I feel it would be too blunt to make him Cavalier too. Swashbuckler seems fine, even Rogue/Fighter does. Don't fear the DMPC. He might influence them once if I really build him as Battle Herald with many Bard levels (so the group will get inspire courage).

Oh, that is quite meh, as I think the teamworkfeatsharingness (sry for that word) seemed quite awesome. Bardadin or a Bard/Cavalier/BattleHerald?


I am quite married to the thought of an Oracle to be honest. If you can list advantages for the cleric type I could sway but what I basically aim for is someone who has been pushed into the position of being the beacon of the Old Gods, via rituals and whatnot. His body is slowly getting eaten away (consumed or wasting curse) by the void, loosing his mind to the dark cosmos (confusion revelation as well as black tentacles as divine spell).

Meant clergy. Oracle or Cleric is basically both fine but again not really experienced in anything fullcasting above level 4. (And not even in that bracket really used to casting).
But I see nothing wrong with a good secretive cleric imposting as a cleric of another god (happens all the time... undetectable alignment is a 2nd level spell and all)... Oracle due to cha focus might be better at influencing though with bluff and so being cha skills...)



But after having played 3 oracles (and 5 planned out) and no cleric yet I cannot fathom what the cleric class can bring to the table fluffwise.

For what you have in mind? The oracle fits better I believe. But clerics CAN bring cool stuff to the table for certain playstyles.


Maybe a few Alchemists here and there. The country is known for their prowess with advanced firearms.


Inquisitor with Blackpowder Inquisition, same for anything that gets Domains afaik. Instead of Alchemist maybe try the Investigator? It brings quite some cool stuff to the table.


Good luck to you then? I feel your campaign has went down the drain a bit?

Nah, just a bit overwhelmed atm... and a massive yearning to play an AP that is not Carrion Crown. (Can choose between Kingmaker or Skulls and Shackles which either my wife or one of our players will DM.)

[Draco_Lord]

Pretty cool campaign. Sounds like a lot of fun. Just as a side note. There is the Cult Master Archtype for the Mesmerist. While not exactly religious, Psychic magic could make an interesting challenge, as it does not function like usual magic, and might be harder to recognize at first.

[Spore]

Yeah, but is probably not that twist-y (rather bland and cliché).

Oh, that is quite meh, as I think the teamworkfeatsharingness (sry for that word) seemed quite awesome. Bardadin or a Bard/Cavalier/BattleHerald?

Most likely not a Paladin. I banned the Paladin class from play as it would be a terrible fit with the overarching story so I won't really want to bring in an NPC Paladin. The class is overplayed anyway.


For what you have in mind? The oracle fits better I believe. But clerics CAN bring cool stuff to the table for certain playstyles.

While my story does not need an BBEG since the Old Gods themselves should be threat enough I feel like an intimidating but convincing figurehead for the Old Gods could give the players the needed motivation to actually follow through with defeating them. The group is on the very dark end of the grey scale that is the neutral alignment, the ranger is evil.

Inquisitor with Blackpowder Inquisition, same for anything that gets Domains afaik. Instead of Alchemist maybe try the Investigator? It brings quite some cool stuff to the table.

A character with high wisdom can show conviction of one's goals quite well but I feel a Wis 7 semi-mad oracle portrays the debiliating effects of the dark tapestry even better.


Nah, just a bit overwhelmed atm... and a massive yearning to play an AP that is not Carrion Crown. (Can choose between Kingmaker or Skulls and Shackles which either my wife or one of our players will DM.)

I can sympathize with you but kudos to you for pulling through with that campaign. My DM aborted his campaign before our Paladin meets her evil Antipaladin father in an epic duel and one session after I have made a completely new Bard . Needlessly to say I was more than frustrated.


Pretty cool campaign. Sounds like a lot of fun. Just as a side note. There is the Cult Master Archtype for the Mesmerist. While not exactly religious, Psychic magic could make an interesting challenge, as it does not function like usual magic, and might be harder to recognize at first.

This is a very serious contender for the cult leader. The fact that no player in the group knows the mesmerist spell lists adds to the mysterious atmosphere.