Yora
2016-10-24, 07:58 AM
I am currently working on an LotFP (B/X) campaign and got a good number of ideas for adventures, but I am struggling with stuff to do at 1st and 2nd level.
I've already decided to use 2d6+6 for abilities, maximum hp at first level, permanently losing 1 Constitution instead of dying at 0 hp, and make any nameless background NPCs level 0 characters. This already makes first level characters reasonably tough and a first level fighter might be able to take on three or four guards or bandits all by himself.
But that's still not very tough and considerably weaker than almost any monsters and so I want to go with something more about exploration and mystery.
What I want to do is a small town on the frontier where the party soon notices that something strange is going on. Then they are left free to poke around were they want in the nearby caves and ruins and ask the locals whatever they want to know. Basically a very small sandbox with only one or two settlements and four or so exploration sites. When the players think their work is done and there's probably nothing left for them to do, they'll move on to the next town somewhere else in the campaign world.
As the big main attraction I want to use the old adventure module Against the Cult of the Reptile God. Basically it's about a creature in a cave that mind controls people to kidnap other villagers and bring them to the lair to be mind controlled as well. The biggest flaw of the module is that the creature itself is very tough and deadly and since I want to avoid making the players feel like they are playing green noobs but rather veteran badasses, I think I'll replace it with an ancient idol that can't directly attack or pursue the party.
But that's only the big primary thing that's going on. I want to expand on that by adding other locations to the surroundings to explore, having the cultists conspiring to do something in the village, and adding some other groups than the cult who are also planning things that might help or cause additional problems for the players. I don't want to do a plot, just a starting situation and people working towards a goal. If the party rides off into the night with the village in flames and everyone dead I'd still consider that a successful conclusion.
Any ideas for stuff that could be going on in the village and nearby places worth exploring by the party?
I've already decided to use 2d6+6 for abilities, maximum hp at first level, permanently losing 1 Constitution instead of dying at 0 hp, and make any nameless background NPCs level 0 characters. This already makes first level characters reasonably tough and a first level fighter might be able to take on three or four guards or bandits all by himself.
But that's still not very tough and considerably weaker than almost any monsters and so I want to go with something more about exploration and mystery.
What I want to do is a small town on the frontier where the party soon notices that something strange is going on. Then they are left free to poke around were they want in the nearby caves and ruins and ask the locals whatever they want to know. Basically a very small sandbox with only one or two settlements and four or so exploration sites. When the players think their work is done and there's probably nothing left for them to do, they'll move on to the next town somewhere else in the campaign world.
As the big main attraction I want to use the old adventure module Against the Cult of the Reptile God. Basically it's about a creature in a cave that mind controls people to kidnap other villagers and bring them to the lair to be mind controlled as well. The biggest flaw of the module is that the creature itself is very tough and deadly and since I want to avoid making the players feel like they are playing green noobs but rather veteran badasses, I think I'll replace it with an ancient idol that can't directly attack or pursue the party.
But that's only the big primary thing that's going on. I want to expand on that by adding other locations to the surroundings to explore, having the cultists conspiring to do something in the village, and adding some other groups than the cult who are also planning things that might help or cause additional problems for the players. I don't want to do a plot, just a starting situation and people working towards a goal. If the party rides off into the night with the village in flames and everyone dead I'd still consider that a successful conclusion.
Any ideas for stuff that could be going on in the village and nearby places worth exploring by the party?