PDA

View Full Version : DM Help Review my campaign: "Family Sword"



Slay33
2018-06-18, 03:47 PM
This is a campaign I've recently finished putting together, went for a mix of light-hearted fun and some dramatic storytelling, with plenty of adventuring along the way. "Family Sword" is set in a universe heavily inspired by Adventure Time, and makes frequent reference to the show. I chose to do this because I want to go for a sort of relaxed and refreshing feel with the story, and the campaign is designed to be sort of a throwback to the simple "slay the dragon, save the princess" sort of stories and fun, its also run on a homebrew system since the group i'll be running this with usually plays with said system. Now, onto the campaign.

I have the campaign broken into six "chapters", or major parts.

Chapter I: The Heroes//Welcome To Honey Central

The two heroes start out at a place of their own choice within the starting kingdom and "hub" for the campaign, "Honey Central". There I will introduce a questing system as to help guide the campaign. The questing system will always have their main objective available while also keeping track of side quests and other things they can choose to do, for extra loot and XP. The first quest they are tasked with is to "help out" (Complete side quests) for 5 townspeople. I have a total of 15 random quests they can end up doing for the townspeople, ranging from helping manage the farm, to chasing off bandits, to searching for lost items, and much more. This will introduce them to the world and let them play around a little, and do some exploring, shopping, etc.

After finishing the five side quests (They can do more if they want), they will begin to hear word around the city that there is a serious bandit problem along the outskirts of the city, which puts local travelers and farmers outside the walls at risk. There are multiple routes the heroes can take at this point to find out information regarding the problem.

If a guard speaks to the heroes about the bandit problem, they will encourage the heroes to take the matter up with the local guard captain. The captain will ask for the players to find clues to the bandit's hideout, but to bring them to the captain and to not directly interfere with the bandits.

If a farmer speaks to the heroes about the bandit problem, they will encourage the heroes to find the bandits as soon as possible, and will offer them a clue to the bandit's hideout. The farmers will side with the heroes in attacking the hideout directly.

If a townsfolk speaks to the heroes about the bandit problem, they will encourage the heroes to take the matter up with the town council. The town council discourages attacking the bandits directly, but suggests that the heroes speak with higher officials to work out a diplomatic option.

The decision the players make here will decide who they gain favor with, and once the bandit problem is dealt with, the next chapter begins.

Note: This is a sandbox style campaign but it does come with a main quest. There are lots of side quests and mini adventures the players can embark on while in between major main quest events.

Chapter II: The Encounter//Gravewalkers

Once the bandits have been eliminated (Farmers), reasoned with (Town council) or handled by the guards (Guard captain), they players will receive a reward and their next quest will involve them returning to their home, outside of Honey Central. Once back at their home they can play around with preparing food, searching the house for loot and a few crafting systems for supplies. There will be a huge crash heard near their house once night falls.

If they choose to investigate, they will see that the crash created a large glow off in the distance, and will receive an optional quest to investigate the glow.

If they don't investigate, their house will be attacked by zombies(?). The attacks won't stop until the players investigate the glow (Large amounts of zombies preventing them from reaching Honey Central or other nearby locations. (Too much railroading?).

Once the heroes reach the red glow, they will see a group of wizards casting spells towards a large, glowing, red crater in the ground while zombies crawl forth from it. The wizards, upon noticing the players, will attack. Zombies will continue wandering off into the distance unless directly attacked. Once the wizards have been slain, one of them will drop a crystal. The crystal, upon investigation, is revealed as the cause of the zombies rising. Attempting to destroy the crystal is useless, but upon inspection it has the signature of Honey Central's court wizard engraved upon it. Surely he knows something about this..?

The players will then fight their way back to Honey Central to continue the main quest, though they can continue to do side quests and explore the local area. While exploring though, lots of zombies will appear and will be attacking the players wherever they may be, and NPCs are also at risk of falling victim to the zombies. Over time more dangerous undead will also start to appear (Vampires, Pit Zombies, etc.) if the players don't make their way back to Honey Central. Upon reaching Honey Central, they will find the city's outer gate broken, and the surrounding guardsmen dead. Once the heroes fight their way into the city, they will discover a blockade which is preventing the zombies from pushing deeper into the city. The players can complete a few side quests here by fighting the undead and rescuing citizens by helping them make it through the barricade, or they can simply go through the blockade and make their way to the city's keep, where they will find the court wizard.

Upon reaching the court wizard, the players will be tasked with going back outside the blockade to recover a spellbook the wizard left in a private tavern room, and upon returning the book to the wizard, they may begin the next chapter.

Chapter III: From Bad To Worse//Hold The Line!

The court wizard states that the crystal was formed from the skin of a very powerful demon, and the only way to shatter it and stop the invasion of zombies is to smash the crystal with a sword forged from that same demon's or a demon of equal or greater power's blood. The wizard states that the demon can be found inside the "Necrosphere", and a portal to said dimension can be found inside the crater the wizards opened. The following information can be obtained from talking to the court wizard:

-The invasion cannot be stopped until the crystal is shattered, but the wizard and his apprentices can work together in shifts to keep a constant "suppression" spell on the crystal, slowing the invasion. However, they require a certain magical dust which they have very limited supply of, and can only be found from certain twisted plants in the Necrosphere.

-The demon goes by the title of "Elder One"

-The players can purchase equipment such as holy water, anti-demon and anti-undead based weapons and armor, healing potions and fire resistance potions at a local crusader outpost located outside of Honey Central

Before leaving, the court wizard gives the players a small sword, near weightless and colorless. He orders them to drive the blade into the heart of the demon once he is severely weakened, and the weapon they require will be created. Once the players exit the wizard's quarters and the castle, their main goal is to reach the Necrosphere and begin the search for the demon. The wizard will begin his suppression spell upon the crystal which will slow the attacks and will allow the heroes to travel more easily, though the zombies that have amassed at the blockade have become many, and a few are beginning to slip through. Talking with the guard captain, located at a planning tent directly at the barricade's main entrance, will reveal the following info:

-Zombies seem to simply kill some beings while converting others into zombies. There is no pattern or reason to whether a victim is converted or simply slain. (Optional quest: Investigate unconverted corpses)

-There have been groups of "Witch Zombies" or "Flyers", as the guardsmen call them, that swoop down from the skies to pick up unsuspecting victims, steal supplies, or attack the blockade. They have the appearance of normal female zombies, though they also have large black wings and talons protruding from them. They travel in groups of five or six, though some groups have been seen linking up for attacks on the main blockade. (Optional quest: Slay Flyers and return stolen supplies to the blockade)

-Skeletons have been seen in the mix of zombies, wielding weapons and armor, and even a few casting spells. (Optional quest: Slay skeletons)

-Lots of citizens and farmers are unaccounted for inside the blockade, and the guardsmen are too heavily pressured in keeping the blockade standing and fending off the undead to go and rescue them. (Optional quest: Rescue farmers and civilians)

-There have been reports of holes in the blockade and zombies pushing deeper into the city. (Optional quest: Investigate the areas that could have potentially been breached)

The captain will also discuss the battle plan of the guards with the heroes, which involves pushing the blockade back out into the city, and regaining as much territory as possible. There are also groups of rangers being sent out past the walls to find as much information as they can and to eliminate specific threats. The guards however, are heavily outnumbered, and until the attacks slow down, will possibly be overrun at the blockade and be forced to retreat. The captain will ask the players to either help hold the line until sunrise (the estimated time the attacks will begin to slow down due to lack of reinforcements), or to rally help from citizens or outside forces.

If the heroes fail in this, the blockade will be overrun, and the guard captain will die in the process. If the heroes are successful in holding the line through completing optional quests and simply fighting undead, then they will receive a reward and may continue their main quest or explore the area. If they continue the main quest, they may enter the Necrosphere and begin their hunt for the demon.

Chapter IV: The Necrosphere//Crusader Plight

The players can now begin their journey towards the crater. If they are traveling during the day, there will be a few wandering groups of zombies, though the crater itself will be fairly clear of undead, a group of Flyers or skeletons may descend upon the heroes as they close in on the crater. The portal will be located in the crater, and will take the heroes into the Necropshere.

Upon arriving in the Necrosphere, they players are met with a pitch black sky, with demons and undead of all sorts seen spread out across a land torn by flames and ravines, with large mountains and cliffs randomly in the middle of treacherous terrain. There are also extremely harsh winds and knife storms (http://i.imgur.com/bLesNsU.gif) that appear with little to no warning. Here, players can use a map (Found through searching the court wizard's quarters at the castle or bought at the crusader's outpost) to find their way around. There are a few notable locations:

-Alter of Awesomeness: An alter of pure awesome power and magic.

-Warrior's Point: A crusader outpost set up in the Necrosphere in order to keep track of happenings in the dimension.

-Statue of Rog'Clog'Zogg'Be-Nob'Glog'La-Tog: A large demonic statue built in honor of a legendary and terrifying demon.

-Pit of Kings: A large pool of fire, with the seventeen kings of the same bloodline who formerly ruled over Astyxia before it's inevitable downfall, swimming inside the pool. They seem to be enjoying themselves, however.

-Needle Central: A large, open expanse of giant needles.

-Island Of Torment: A floating island, accessed through a portal, which contains the lost souls of all mortals who die within the Necrosphere.

-The Tomb Of Bel'Naloth: The resting place of a feared vampire who formerly commanded a large army of demons within the Necrosphere.

The players can begin their search anywhere, and will find various side quests and treasures at these locations, all while encountering mini-bosses and groups of undead and demons along the way. Upon reaching Warrior's Point, the heroes will find that it has been overrun and all crusaders within slain. A surviving cleric, however, will tell the players about the demon that led the attack against the outpost, identifying him as the "Old One", a massive, red-skinned flying demon of immense magical power. The players learn that there is a portal to this demon's personal tower. This portal can be found within the Island Of Torment. Once the players travel to the Island Of Torment and enter the portal, they will teleport to the entrance of the tower.

Chapter V: Magic Tower//Demonic Face Off

The heroes fight through ten floors of traps, monsters, puzzles and many more surprises before reaching the top of the tower, and finding the infamous "Old One" at the top of tower. This demon reveals himself as "Noloth, The Great Old One And Bearer Of The Sword Of The Seventeen Dying Kings Who Died For The Sword Of The Seventeen Dying Kings Of Seventeen Lifetimes". Upon defeat, the players can loot his personal stash and infuse the blade from earlier with his blood. After this, they may return back to Honey Central for the final chapter.

Chapter VI: Return//The Heroes pt. II

The heroes return home to Honey Central and once again help fend off a series of undead attacks. Upon reaching the court wizard, they hand him the demon blood sword to perform the "smashing ritual thingy". The court wizard reveals that he was the one controlling the zombie invasions all along, and that they foolishly brought him an extremely powerful sword with which he can use to take his place as the rightful ruler of Honey Central and all surrounding lands. Once the court wizard is defeated, the portal to the Necrosphere will close, and the remaining undead will be restored back to life. The two heroes will have statues of them built in the center of Honey Central, and will be dubbed "Honey Knights" of Honey Central.

That concludes the campaign! Just something light-hearted and fun I came up with. Any thoughts and opinions are appreciated!

War_lord
2018-06-18, 04:16 PM
Planning out a whole campaign like this is a bad idea. What are you going to do when the players abandon the prescribed path?

Slay33
2018-06-18, 04:56 PM
Planning out a whole campaign like this is a bad idea. What are you going to do when the players abandon the prescribed path?

There are lots of other side quests and events the players can do, which are basically like mini one shot campaigns, so those are also there for the players to mess with if they don't want to do the main quest right away. However, the zombie invasion will still begin regardless, this is just if the players choose to play the main quest all the way through right away. The zombie invasion won't be slowed down until the players bring the crystal to the wizard, and even then the invasion will only be slowed down for a couple of days, so if the players choose to only do side quests there will eventually be so much undead around they can't do anything but find a way to put a stop to it, hence following the main plot.

War_lord
2018-06-18, 05:19 PM
There are lots of other side quests and events the players can do, which are basically like mini one shot campaigns, so those are also there for the players to mess with if they don't want to do the main quest right away. However, the zombie invasion will still begin regardless, this is just if the players choose to play the main quest all the way through right away. The zombie invasion won't be slowed down until the players bring the crystal to the wizard, and even then the invasion will only be slowed down for a couple of days, so if the players choose to only do side quests there will eventually be so much undead around they can't do anything but find a way to put a stop to it, hence following the main plot.

I hate to tell you this, but that's a railroad. You have this all written out like it's a episode of a tv show, and I get that that's the inspiration, but it doesn't make for good gaming when everything is predetermined.

Plus I more generally meant stuff like, for example, whats the plan if something happens to the sword?

Slay33
2018-06-18, 05:47 PM
I hate to tell you this, but that's a railroad. You have this all written out like it's a episode of a tv show, and I get that that's the inspiration, but it doesn't make for good gaming when everything is predetermined.

Plus I more generally meant stuff like, for example, whats the plan if something happens to the sword?

True, true. I don't disagree with you, but that's the reason I included lots of side quests and other things the heroes can do. The main quest "starts" when the players solve the bandit problem, which they don't have to do. They can play the main quest when they feel like it, and there is an opportunity for the players to do sandbox type stuff during the breaks in the main quest (The zombies being held back for a few days). And during the main quest they have lots of options, such as how they search the Necrosphere, or how/if they choose to help hold the blockade.

And as for the sword part, it's the same deal as everything else. If they lose the sword, they'll have to get creative and find out another way to forge a demon blood sword. The Necrosphere is a huge realm, i'm sure they could get creative with creating another demonic blade. What happens if the zombies overrun the city and eat the royal court alive? Now the court wizard doesn't even need his blade, and the players have to confront him without the legendary stash of the Old One. So many "what ifs" can be played out, and that's where the fun comes from. The main quest isn't "This is going to happen no matter what" (Only instance is the captain of the guard dying if the blockade fails), it's simply a guideline for if the players succeed at every challenge they face.

Slay33
2018-06-18, 06:03 PM
I guess I should elaborate further.

I'm aware the campaign is somewhat railroaded, but isn't that necessary? The campaign is designed to be somewhat sandbox, to give the heroes a feeling of a bigger world, but the main quest is still where all the development and really interesting stuff happens. At the beginning of the campaign the players get to play around with side quests and other missions, and at the end of the campaign they can continue exploring the world and doing the remaining questlines. The main campaign is designed to be played all the way through, but it is up to the players when to start it. Should I tell them before we start playing what I expect? Something along the lines of "Once you start the main quest, be ready to play it all the way through?"