New game, new party

[SMac8988]

With my main storyline becoming more and more lagged up, meeting once a month and having several schedule issues, I have started another game with some new players.

I was requested to make something challenging and give them a chance to show off their different play styles.

My thought is to start them in a like mid point prison heading deeper into the underdark. They will already have been captured to go into the slave trade in a much larger city. I have informed them all their gear will have been stripped and they are starting in single cells with only cloth clothing.

Now I want to make the escape the first session and story arc. From breaking from the cells, then getting their gear back to escaping the underdark.

I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for ways I can make sure each party member shines and gets a chance to show their awesomeness.

We are starting level 3, and like I said no gear.

We have:
Swashbuckler human rogue
Wildmage gnome sorc
Moon circle dwarf druid
Open hand wood elf monk
And
War domain half orc cleric

So giants what do you got?

Also magic item suggestions would be cool too!!!

[Axorfett12]

One of the ways I've found of making sure everyone has fun is to offer a challenge. When players are faced with overwhelming enemies or puzzling situations, they tend to work together.

Don't forget that there are more than drow in the underdark. There are duregar, svirneblin, myconid, flumphs, bulletes, purple wurms, cloakers, chuul, aboleths, gricks, grells, oozes, fungi, beholders and perhaps even a shadow dragon.

For magic items, since they will most likely be interacting with drow, here are some common items to be found amongst the dark elves:

Snake headed whips: The drow use these to compel slaves to work harder.

Magic weapons and armor: The drow are reduced often found in the possession of +1 weapons and armor. Because of the nature of the enchantment, the bonus vanishes permanently if exposed to sunlight.

Poisons: Drow love poison. Sleep poison, damage poison, you name it, drow have it.

Web-ball: While not canon, drow in my games utilize small balls of spidersilk that when thrown explode into a Web spell. (DC 15)

[SMac8988]

I like the Web ball! Will work well for the slavers to attempt to recapture them when they escape.

My concern is if they try and abandon one another

[Axorfett12]

Are you familiar with the concept of a chain gang? Perhaps the slavers chain the pcs together, and they are forced to stay together until they can remove the chains.

[SMac8988]

Are you familiar with the concept of a chain gang? Perhaps the slavers chain the pcs together, and they are forced to stay together until they can remove the chains.

Oh that could work well. Make it like a magic chain that will require some type of dispelled magic

[Specter]

This is all oriented to out-of-combat:
Swashbuckler - lockpicking, obviously, and the rest will depend on their expertised skills.
Wild Sorcerer - Their archetype involves being lucky in general, so if anything is prone to go bad, they can try it with advantage, or give someone else a d4. That, and the sorcerer's utility spells, of course.
Moon Druid - Being a beast has many uses in scouting and being where you shouldn't be.
Open Hand Monk - Monks are the fastest characters, and excel in physical tasks involving jumping, falling, dodging and tumbling.
War Cleric - Servicing the party in terms of healing, disease removal and reviving is this guy's tasks. Also religious lore in general.

I'm sure the more martial characters won't mind having their exclusive spotlight as much as the others, though, as long as they're killing dudes well.

If your campaign involves distancing or separation of the main characters (as I imagine it does), some magic item that provides communication, such as Sending Stones, is a good one.

[Axorfett12]

Oh that could work well. Make it like a magic chain that will require some type of dispelled magic

Best to make it magic. A normal chain is vulnerable to all kinds of things pcs have access to. The druid could sinply cast Heat Metal.

The most famous example of something like this is in the movie "Oh brother, where art thou?". Three members of a chain gang escape, but are shackled together. They work together to get the chains off, and then decide to stick together afterwards.

[SMac8988]

Best to make it magic. A normal chain is vulnerable to all kinds of things pcs have access to. The druid could sinply cast Heat Metal.

The most famous example of something like this is in the movie "Oh brother, where art thou?". Three members of a chain gang escape, but are shackled together. They work together to get the chains off, and then decide to stick together afterwards.

My only other concern is shackeling 5 people together , maybe do groups of 2 and give one an npc? Or 3 and an npc?

[Demonslayer666]

Are you familiar with the concept of a chain gang? Perhaps the slavers chain the pcs together, and they are forced to stay together until they can remove the chains.

I need to do this on my current party. They always split the party! :smallfurious:

[SMac8988]

I need to do this on my current party. They always split the party! :smallfurious:

My big thing is making them give a **** about one another. Like enough to not split up soon as they escape.

[Axorfett12]

Yeah 5 people chained up is a little much. Especially in combat. I like the idea of 3 groups of 2, one of which has an npc.

[SMac8988]

Yeah 5 people chained up is a little much. Especially in combat. I like the idea of 3 groups of 2, one of which has an npc.

Need to decide how they will get it removed.