Lets create an adventure

[Emperor Demonking]

Let's create an adventure.

I think the first thing we should do is vote for level.

Vote- Level 1

[UserClone]

Seconded.
I vote that the adventure starts with initiative being rolled.

[Starsinger]

I vote for level 2! It allows weapon finesse reliant people to have it if they wish, you have double the HP of a level 1 character, but aren't that much stronger. Plus, it allows for PCs to have a backstory explaining their adventures from level 0 to level 2.

[Xefas]

I vote...level 3, with a Divine Rank of 0

O_o the players are demigods! With triple the hit points of 1st level demigods!

[kpenguin]

I vote for 2nd level as well.

[Emperor Demonking]

No divine levels
Starts off rolling spot

So level
1: 2
2: 4
3: 1

Divine leves:
0: 1
None: 2

Starts off:
Rolling intiative: 3
Rolling spot: 1

[Fenix_of_Doom]

I vote for level 2! It allows weapon finesse reliant people to have it if they wish, you have double the HP of a level 1 character, but aren't that much stronger. Plus, it allows for PCs to have a backstory explaining their adventures from level 0 to level 2.

I vote for level 2, but remember that you don't actually have double hp of a level 1 character, unless your happen to roll max hp.

[kpenguin]

No divine ranks, please.

[Starsinger]

I vote for level 2, but remember that you don't actually have double hp of a level 1 character, unless your happen to roll max hp.

Oh right.. that's a combination of 9 AM and using a houserule so often I forgot it's a houserule...

[Laurellien]

I vote level two with no divine rank. I also vote for initiative to be the start of the adventure.

We now need to decide... what enemies are they rolling initiative against?

[kpenguin]

I'd say an overzealous bunch of elven druid/rangers.

[Laurellien]

Okay, now why are they there?

I vote because they think that civilisation is "evil" AND MUST BE DESTROYED!!!!!

[Xefas]

I vote level two with no divine rank. I also vote for initiative to be the start of the adventure.

We now need to decide... what enemies are they rolling initiative against?

We can't decide that until we know what level they are. We can't have them fighting minotaurs if they're level 1, after all.

Also, I vote that the adventure starts with rolled initiative...on a mountain pass!

[kpenguin]

I vote that the PCs are trespassing on their grounds.

[Laurellien]

We can't decide that until we know what level they are. We can't have them fighting minotaurs if they're level 1, after all.

Also, I vote that the adventure starts with rolled initiative...on a mountain pass!

The most popular choice seems to be rolled initiative level 2...

[Laurellien]

So, what enemies will form this overzealous band of enemies?

I vote that there should be a CR 1-2 magical beast, animal, vermin or fey, 2 elven warriors and a level 2 elf druid.

[SilverClawShift]

This thread is allready an interesting read. It's like watching a schizophrenic talking to themselves in the corner.

[Emperor Demonking]

What is the BBEG's race.
I vote hobgoblin.

[Starsinger]

What is the BBEG's race.
I vote hobgoblin.

I vote the adventure is about rescuing goblins from the hobgoblin and his ilk.

[goat]

Level 2 is good. As is rolling initiative.

They're rolling initiative to see if any of them grabs the fabled coin of Charisma (It doesn't actually do anything, but you THINK it does) before it's snatched by a Raven named Clive, sent to steal it on behalf of his great wizard master, Gunstagg the Shy.

[Laurellien]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves... I vote that the BBEG is some sort of evil fey , perhaps from somewhere like the mm5

[Emperor Demonking]

BBEG:
Hobgoblin: 2
Fey: 1
Undead: 1

Friendly npc town
Yes: 3
No: 0

Two opposing groups:
Yes: 2
No: 0

The town is almost empty:
Yes: 1
No: 2

[kpenguin]

I vote that a friendly NPC town be situated near the site of the first encounter and said town be the first stop for the PCs.

[Laurellien]

I vote that a friendly NPC town be situated near the site of the first encounter and said town be the first stop for the PCs.

Seconded

A hobgoblin makes no sense as regards encounter 1.

[DraPrime]

I vote that the BBEG be undead.

[Laurellien]

That's easy to do as a template, so it can be added onto anything else.

I second the vote for an undead hobgoblin leading a band of elven druids... *sigh*

Or perhaps they could be working against each other and the PC's and the town just get caught in the middle...

[Emperor Demonking]

I like the town get stuck in the middle idea.

[goat]

The town was abandoned, in a hurry.

If the party makes good rolls, they might find a few people still alive who are hiding.

[Laurellien]

Sounds too ravenloft... the town should still be holding out IMO, just with an overworked mayor and town watch, and a wary populace.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Should they have defences set up?
Also, how are they holding on?

[Laurellien]

It should certainly have some sort of defences. I vote a wooden wall surrounding the town with a couple of towers and two gates. Something reminiscent perhaps of Edoras in the Two Towers film.

[Emperor Demonking]

Town is protected:

a wooden wall surrounding the town with a couple of towers and two gates. Something reminiscent perhaps of Edoras in the Two Towers film: 2

[goat]

Hmm, also, who lives there? Single race town? A few races? Complete mix of everything and anything with an int score over 3?

[Laurellien]

Personally I would be in favour of keeping it as a simple, low-importance town. It should therefore be mostly human, with a few dwarves and a large number of half-elves due to the nearby group of hostile elves.

[Starsinger]

Hmm, also, who lives there? Single race town? A few races? Complete mix of everything and anything with an int score over 3?

Goblins! Maybe Orcs, they're being terrorized by hobgoblins and elven druids afterall..

[Shas aia Toriia]

I don't see why it would have towers, unless it's a big town. Before we figure out population, how big is it? 120? 1,000? 7,000? 32,000?

Oh, and I second the goblin notion. It would be interesting.

[Emperor Demonking]

Town
Goblin: 3
Human: 1

Sixe of the town:
200: 1
4,000: 1
1,000: 1

[Laurellien]

200 is barely even a village, I vote 4000.

As it is a goblin town though, does that naturally locate it in/on a mountain range?

If so, I think that the goblin village should be in the low mountains, with elves in the forests further down, and the undead hobgoblin lord in a semi-buried fortress further up.

Let's have it as an abandoned dwarf fortress.

[goat]

I don't see why it would have towers, unless it's a big town.

Maybe this is a fairly regular occurrence. You have a town of maybe 500, giving about.... say 150-300 citizens who are combat ready (depends on various things like sexual equality and war-capacity of the locals).

Given a fairly regular outside conflict that they're trying to remain neutral in, they could have felt it necessary to build walls and watchtowers. Even more so if they're the defensive position for a larger region.

[Laurellien]

It should have towers, even if they are just rubbishy ones that look like nest-boxes! The town should be combat ready, but remember, they are incapable of attacking one side otherwise the other side would loot them. It has to be that way to stop the PC's just getting a good diplomacy roll and taking an army with them.

Perhaps if we want the town to be big militarily, then it could be a staging post for the nation's armies, or a band of mercenaries, or maybe it has a considerable army itself.

[Laurellien]

Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say... what about this first encounter against the elves? Should it take place outside the town, in the woods? where?

[Emperor Demonking]

First ecounter:

Woods: 1
Elf post: 1

Hobgoblin:
Necromancer: 1

[Shas aia Toriia]

For town population, I nominate 1,000. A pretty decent stockade and some small towers as well as archer roofs (tall in the middle, low at the outside, lets archers in the center hit people outside of town, and are flat) in the way of defenses.

For first encounter, I say raid a small elf post after they kidnapped some of the goblin children.

[Emperor Demonking]

If so, I think that the goblin village should be in the low mountains, with elves in the forests further down, and the undead hobgoblin lord in a semi-buried fortress further up.

What are people view on this.

Yes: 3

[Shas aia Toriia]

Agrees: 3

I like that landscape.

[Xuincherguixe]

How about a farce game, that makes fun of all the fantasy cliches? The players frequently questioning why things are the way they are.


Also, it might start with the BBEG destroying all the bars under the assumption that adventurers couldn't meet up to thrawt him. Also he hasn't decided what evil deed he's going to do by the time the players get to him.

[Emperor Demonking]

Farce game
Yes: 1
No: 2

Type of undead, hobgoblin is
Lich: 1
Deathknight: 1
It isn't undead: 0

Elves kidnapping children:
Yes: 1
No: 2

Type of elf
Highelf: 1 (2?)

[Laurellien]

Put another bullet in the farce idea (no). While it may be good to challenge some preconceptions like goblins being evil, elves being good, it would be better if we didn't make an adventure specifically to poke fun at them.

I think that the elves shouldn't be kidnapping goblin children, they should perhaps have just chased a group of goblins hunting in the forest back to the town, killing most of them on the way and stopping outside of bowshot.

Perhaps this means that the elves lump all goblinoids together. This suggests that they are basic elves IMO.

[Emperor Demonking]

One thing, in this adventure what are the PCs goal.

[Laurellien]

The goal is to save the village from the two warring factions, certainly by eliminating the hobgoblin, and probably by eliminating the elves too.

As to what sort of undead the hobgoblin is... I can't see him being a lich in a low-level campaign. The hobgoblin I think should be perhaps a death knight as these are martial undead. He should definitely have a second in command, they perhaps could be an undead necromancer (necropolitan or mummified hobgoblin perhaps?)

[Emperor Demonking]

The goal is
To kill the hobgoblin: 1

The leader of the elves is.
A fey: 2
An elf: 0
Something else: 0
They have no leader: 0

[Laurellien]

I vote for a kill the hobgoblin goal, and also for killing the elves, carnage is fun after all

I vote for a fey to lead the elves.

[Laurellien]

Now, the first encounter...

1) Where
2) Who
3) When
4) What
5) Why
6) How

1) Outside the goblin village, perhaps on the edge of the woods
2) An elven scouting force
3) Mid-afternoon, shortly after the goblins have returned to work
4) 2-4 elf warriors, a level 2 druid or ranger, a wild boar or bear
5) Chasing off goblin hunters/foresters/gatherers when they encounter the PC's who must be intruders
6) The elves and PC's are surprised by each other's presence, and so the elves do not ambush or otherwise plan for the PC's, merely attack them in a disorganised manner until they are out of the woods or dead. They should flee if the character and the animal die.

[TRM]

I think the PCs should merely have to remove the threat to the village by any means, not necessarily complete and utter destruction (unless it involves nukes :smalltongue: )



1) Outside the goblin village, perhaps on the edge of the woods
2) An elven scouting force
3) Mid-afternoon, shortly after the goblins have returned to work
4) 2-4 elf warriors, a level 2 druid or ranger, a wild boar or bear
5) Chasing off goblin hunters/foresters/gatherers when they encounter the PC's who must be intruders
6) The elves and PC's are surprised by each other's presence, and so the elves do not ambush or otherwise plan for the PC's, merely attack them in a disorganised manner until they are out of the woods or dead. They should flee if the character and the animal die.
I like this. Perhaps the PCs could have an opportunity to ambush the elves?

Thought:
What is the characters' motivation? Why are they here?

[Hopeless]

Well you want an adventure so here goes!

You all wake up it feels like a perfectly normal day in this peaceful town.
All of you have professions and move to go to your everyday jobs and things seem to go on quite unremarkable until midday when a loud explosion draws you outside and a fierce battle between someone you've never seen before and the son of the town's wealthiest family is being waged around the fountain that has a statue depicting the town's most famous hero the founder of said wealthiest family line.
The scion releases a blast that looks remarkably familar to you except you have no idea why and his opponent manages to skip out of the way as the blast hits the statue and then EVERYTHING CHANGES.
The once peaceful and serene town turns dark and ugly yhe scion screams out in rage as he is transformed into some hellspawn beast (okay tiefling ok?) and his opponent is caught in a web of energy he throws at her that also indiscriminately catches others and all of them scream as its bursts into fire.
At this moment you remember part of your past lives and remember a time when you weren't living in the town but this is waging war against the memories that are trying to restrain your brief lapse of recovery.
Memories of your past lives remind you of your abilities (look at your character sheets) and your once town clothing changes into your equipment even as other locals start to turn into monsters some turn undead but many start screaming in fear at the sudden change.
What are you going to do?
Now roll initiative...

How's that?

[Laurellien]

Adventure Hooks: -

1) Merchant caravans have been disrupted in the area by the activities of the elves or hobgoblin, the local merchant guild/wealthy merchant sends the PC's to investigate what is causing the disruption.
2) The goblin's send out a desperate plee for help to the PCs or their local town, the PC's are sent to investigate.
3) The PC's are on their way from A-B when the elves attack. Perhaps they have stopped off in the town and the elves attack while the PC's are on their way.
4) The PC's employer has a friend in the village who has asked for some help, he sends the PC's.

[Laurellien]

Well you want an adventure so here goes!

You all wake up it feels like a perfectly normal day in this peaceful town.
All of you have professions and move to go to your everyday jobs and things seem to go on quite unremarkable until midday when a loud explosion draws you outside and a fierce battle between someone you've never seen before and the son of the town's wealthiest family is being waged around the fountain that has a statue depicting the town's most famous hero the founder of said wealthiest family line.
The scion releases a blast that looks remarkably familar to you except you have no idea why and his opponent manages to skip out of the way as the blast hits the statue and then EVERYTHING CHANGES.
The once peaceful and serene town turns dark and ugly yhe scion screams out in rage as he is transformed into some hellspawn beast (okay tiefling ok?) and his opponent is caught in a web of energy he throws at her that also indiscriminately catches others and all of them scream as its bursts into fire.
At this moment you remember part of your past lives and remember a time when you weren't living in the town but this is waging war against the memories that are trying to restrain your brief lapse of recovery.
Memories of your past lives remind you of your abilities (look at your character sheets) and your once town clothing changes into your equipment even as other locals start to turn into monsters some turn undead but many start screaming in fear at the sudden change.
What are you going to do?
Now roll initiative...

How's that?

Too clichéd, and it removes any mystery about the BBEG. Also, this is a brieze-block adventure, you need to be able to fit it into any campaign, to that end we should keep it nice and generic.

[TRM]

Of laurellien's hooks I prefer 1 + 2 and vote (no) to 3.
Another hook idea: the heroes are goblins or goblin allies living in the village who must defend their homeland.

[Laurellien]

That would restrict the player options a lot though.

Another thing that needs to be decided, BBEG motivations:

Options for elves: -
1) Wipe out the undead hobgoblin and his unnatural blight on the land.
2) Wipe out the goblin town, and its unnatural blight on the land.
3) Bring an end to civilisation and force everybody to livr like hippies.

Options for hobgoblin: -
1) He's starting a kingdom, and to build a kingdom he needs slaves. The town and the elves provide perfect sources for these.
2) The elven woods contain darkwood trees, or a strong vein of mithral or another precious material, he wants this to equip his army with.
3) He needs to claim 1001 souls to complete his dark ritual to animate the dead of a nearby nation/achieve immortality and ultimate power/summon a big, gribbly demon-thingy/bring back a loved one/get a free blender on his Baatormart loyalty card/for fun.
4) He has a grudge against the elves, and will stop at nothing to destroy them, killing or enslaving the goblins if possible.

[kpenguin]

Proposal: the elves are split into two factions:

1) The dominant one, lead by a fey and his small circle of druids, who wish to annihilate civilization.
2) The weaker one, lead by a ranger, who wants to make peace

PCs can try to help Faction #2 out my eliminating key members of the druidic circle or the fey himself in order to alleviate the threat from the elves.

EDIT: Oh, yes, I wish to vote for motivation#3 for the elves (at least for the first faction) and motivation#2 for the undead hobgoblin.

What type of undead should the hobgoblin be? I say death death knight (CR 9). The PCs face him at around level 6.

[Shas aia Toriia]

kpenguin, I think you have the best elf motivation. I nominate we use that.

[kpenguin]

Proposal: There's a mole in the goblin village working for the undead hobgoblin.

[Shas aia Toriia]

And another good idea from kpenguin, but I'm not sure this would work out. Though it would be interesting to have the PC's find out. their infomant is actually a hobo spy.

[goat]

Proposal: There's a mole in the goblin village working for the undead hobgoblin.

"Mrrrgh, not zmmmbie, jsst ssck"

*arm falls off*

"gt Leprsssy"

[Shas aia Toriia]

"Mrrrgh, not zmmmbie, jsst ssck"

*arm falls off*

"gt Leprsssy"

That, my friend, is made of win. Althogh a zombie is mindless and couldn't make those excuses, it would just walk up and eat your brain.

[Laurellien]

If there is a hobgoblin spy, then why is he working for the hobgoblin? What does the hobgoblin want with the village?

[Shas aia Toriia]

Maybe it's a highly strategic location, perhaps unexploited defenses/minerals/wood/other raw materails.

[Laurellien]

Well popular consent has the hobgoblin at war with the elves over resources in the elven woods. Perhaps he is looking for an exploitable workforce near there.

[kpenguin]

Since the village is located in the mountains, I propose that it is located near a key pass between the undead hobo and the elven forest.

Also, the mole should be a goblin who was promised wealth and power by the undead hobo. Maybe a mid-level rogue or bard who also happens to be the owner of an inn.

I'd also like to reiterate my desire for the hobgoblin to be a death knight, CR 9, with the PCs facing him at level 6. This gives them a nice long adventure path, spanning 4 levels.

[Emperor Demonking]

Yeah, I think the idea about wanting to exploit the workforce at the town.
The mole isa good idea.
We still don't know how big the town is.

[Shas aia Toriia]

True, we don't.Though it would be equally interesting for it to big compared to little.

[Thane of Fife]

If I may add my two cents.

Someone mentioned putting the goblin village in an old dwarf stronghold. Using that idea:

Long ago, a goblin tribe drove some dwarves out of a fortress and took it over. Since then, descendants of said goblins have become peaceful, and few know they live in the stronghold.

Meanwhile, the elves are fighting this undead hobgoblin's forces.

Descendants of the dwarf clan ask the PCs to investigate the stronghold and see if it's safe to return. On their way, the PCs are attacked by the elves, who, not knowing about the goblins, suspect the PCs of taking supplies to the undead. Once the PC reach the fortress, they find that the goblins aren't bothering anybody, and shouldn't be killed. They are, however, being attacked by the undead, who need more troops. Similarly, something that the elves are doing is stirring monsters/animals which are now attacking the goblins. The poor creatures need the PC's help, and are willing to pay with gold for it.

This leaves everybody as somewhat ambiguous, with only the undead being clearly evil. It allows the use of numerous creatures, and it fits everything mentioned so far - I think.

[kpenguin]

Mmmmm... I like the idea that the goblin village is built on an old dwarven stronghold. It adds another faction into play: the dwarves. Perhaps another objective for the PCs is get word back to the dwarves so that they can help fight the undead or elves.

EDIT: What should the fey be? Should it even be a fey, or maybe an evil plant?

[Emperor Demonking]

If it is fey, I'd say Dryad. Maybe attatched to an important tree.

[kpenguin]

Dryad is good. Maybe give her 4 or 5 levels of druid, since dryads are only CR 3.