Beast Lands Plane Adventure help!!!!

[SMac8988]

Hello posters and lurkers alike!

I am a DM in need of some serious help. I have a plan for an adventure for my current party, which will lead them into the beastlands.

I know a little of the plane, mainly what is in the dmg, but I want to make sure this adventure would work out.

Also any advice or cool ideas would be greatly welcome.


The idea is that the party will be invited to an event going on. It will be titled like the hunts man game or something more clever. The event will take place at an outpost build in the beastlands, which the party will have to find their way to.

My plan is that there will be a hunting games. There will be teams from many planes and adventuring groups which will journey out into the beastlands to claim the deadliest bounty. The way it will be measured, when the competitors slay a beast it's soul will be contained in an amulet, each party will be given a set number of these. When the events hunt time ends they will all return and have the beasts fight to the death in a large central pit.

Now this aline is not the actual story, but an event to draw in the party. What will actually be going on is a worshipper of Balphomet is using the strongest beasts to form some type of chimera monster from the strongest beasts for palphomet to use as a body outside of the abyss.

In my setting the gods are stuck in their respective planes and need other means to interact with the main world. This will become a big bad for a while, making more deadly monsters for the group to encounter.

So how does it sound? This seem fun or should I alter it all.

[Potato_Priest]

Well, as a player myself, I think I'd feel cheated not by having helped create a big bad, but by not getting to see which monster won. Perhaps the uber monster could be created as the various monsters devour one another's souls in the arena fights. Of course, making the players less satisfied could also serve to intensify their hatred for this big bad/the schemers, drawing them further into the plot.

Overall, I quite like the idea. The game in particular sounds like a fun part of the adventure.

[SMac8988]

Well, as a player myself, I think I'd feel cheated not by having helped create a big bad, but by not getting to see which monster won. Perhaps the uber monster could be created as the various monsters devour one another's souls in the arena fights. Of course, making the players less satisfied could also serve to intensify their hatred for this big bad/the schemers, drawing them further into the plot.

Overall, I quite like the idea. The game in particular sounds like a fun part of the adventure.

I figured they would get to do the fight. Maybe let them each enter one creature they slay with their amulet. And give them the monsters stats and let them control the beast

I have a pacifist in the party who may have some internal problems with it. But I hope it plays out right.

[Falcon X]

Know that I am speaking from D&D 2e and 3e knowledge, but not much should have changed.

First off, I would picture the Beastlands closer to a ruler-less Narnia. Lots of sentient, but feral beasts. Many non-sentient beasts. Life is peaceful there. I would have to read more to see if hunting is even a thing there.
If it's not, know that whoever is oranizing these events might have to dodge around the gods and sentient inhabitants of the realms and/or be sure to know what animals are sentient and what aren't.

If you want a place that would naturally host this type of event, try Ysgard. People who go there are often self-reliant warriors. Every day, many go out and hunt animals or even each other. Even though the land is mildly good aligned, it is not considered evil to kill other residents, because they will regenerate the next day. It is all in good, honorable sport.
Also, you might run into Thor, Loki, Selune, or other cool gods.

Regardless of which you feel is appropriate, I think this plot has some great potential. Thoughts:
- Are your characters the type that would engage in such a hunt? How is it explained to them so that they do not believe it to be evil unless they are inclined that way?
- What is your method of hunting? Survival check every hour and give better creatures for higher rolls? Have different dungeons planned that they can explore to hunt big game? Some kind of search spell.
Be warned that this can get old after about 3 monster if there is nothing in between each fight.

[SMac8988]

Know that I am speaking from D&D 2e and 3e knowledge, but not much should have changed.

First off, I would picture the Beastlands closer to a ruler-less Narnia. Lots of sentient, but feral beasts. Many non-sentient beasts. Life is peaceful there. I would have to read more to see if hunting is even a thing there.
If it's not, know that whoever is oranizing these events might have to dodge around the gods and sentient inhabitants of the realms and/or be sure to know what animals are sentient and what aren't.

If you want a place that would naturally host this type of event, try Ysgard. People who go there are often self-reliant warriors. Every day, many go out and hunt animals or even each other. Even though the land is mildly good aligned, it is not considered evil to kill other residents, because they will regenerate the next day. It is all in good, honorable sport.
Also, you might run into Thor, Loki, Selune, or other cool gods.

The idea was that it not really okay that it is going on. One of the players is a ranger with a bow that is tied to a deity like spirit known as the grand huntress. He has only gotten brief glimpse of her in dreams. She is one of the spirits that is tied to the Beastlands, and is reaching out to him to help stop this event. I was thinking the guy organizing the event will be a powerful character to a point, maybe a warlock or paladin of Balphomet with some influence over some Minotaur slaves that will be around the encampment.

I was thinking of having it have been like a bi monthly thing, and now that the players have some notoriety they will be invited to join. That way the big bad has build up a few different beasts to begin building the big bads body.


Regardless of which you feel is appropriate, I think this plot has some great potential. Thoughts:
- Are your characters the type that would engage in such a hunt? How is it explained to them so that they do not believe it to be evil unless they are inclined that way?
- What is your method of hunting? Survival check every hour and give better creatures for higher rolls? Have different dungeons planned that they can explore to hunt big game? Some kind of search spell.
Be warned that this can get old after about 3 monster if there is nothing in between each fight.

I think if at first they think it is like a hunting beast event they will go to check it out, even more so with the Ranger getting more dreams and visions. I think they may start seeing there is an issue when they see some of the other groups bringing in Unicorns and stuff like that. Which will lead them to possible fight the other groups and maybe view the organizer as a ****, but i dont think it would lead to them figuring the grandeur of the plans.

I was thinking survival checks would given them the change to get tracks of some things, they will have access to a library to research to help them hunt some things, and they can talk to npcs to learn about certain lairs of beasts.

If I were to place some of the biggest beasts in dungeons or behind certain "puzzle" aspects do you think that would help with keeping it from getting old. There are 4 constant players, 1 most of the time and 2 that come and go. So at least 4 monster hunts, at highest potentially 7....which i could see as a lot.

My other concern would be letting them play out the fights may cause some bordom between the group, since it would be like dog fights and be one on one.... any suggestions on that?