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The_Dead_Legion
2008-02-28, 05:31 PM
I'm a bit more down to earth when it comes to campaign plots. It typically involves something much less precarious than the destruction of all life as we know it and the complete downfall of the multiverse. So...

I'm planning a one meet campaign that will last maybe 4 hours with a small amount of effort on my part, but hopefully huge enjoyment for everyone. Here goes:

Map a small farming island with a castle by a cliff overseeing it's one major port. By small I mean, in one day starting at the center with no interuptions, you could cross it on foot in any direction before nightfall.

There are only humans as a player race, and almost no magic. Magic is dreadfully powerful and usually evil. We all like dinosaurs too.

What I'm asking is: Does anyone have input or ideas on a plot that will entertain 3-5 players for 4 hours? Starting at first level.

Lappy9000
2008-02-28, 05:40 PM
Start off with some monsters that are less cliche' than the usual "Oh no [Koblods, Goblins, Orcs] are attacking us!" If they're non too savvy with the Monster Manuels, you can feel the glee as your players wet themselves when you throw a Windrazor (MMIV) or Bladeling (MMII) in their direction.

Varags (MMIV) and Gnolls are less exotic, but are still less used compared to Kobolds and goblins.

NorseItalian
2008-02-28, 05:59 PM
Redcaps make amazing low level encounters, but they're more powerful than goblins.

Stiz
2008-02-28, 06:01 PM
INVASION!!!!!
makes me wonder.... do you have any Vikings in your world? <evil laugh> While it isn't world shattering.... it definitely has the potential to change life as your young PC's know it and alter the lives of everyone on the island for years to come.

If that still sounds a bit bigger then you wanted then you could go with a new group of bandits or pirates that have come to the island looking for easy loot. If the PC's live in the first village that is attacked then the session could start with them on the run, just fighting to survive! but hopefully ending with them turning the tables on t he invaders/attackers.

I would put them in serious fear for their lives for the first couple hours of the game, but make sure to set it so that once they reach the half way point of the game they have a good chance to turn the tables.
Let them find an advance unit of the islands military or police force coming to assist the villages. Have it be a weak force, or one that has already taken serious casualties from the superior and unexpectedly strong enemy force.
It could be that the PC's have to convince the military/police force to continue in the face of adversity as they wait at least a full day, or even two for a much larger force to come and deal with the threat.
Measure the success or failure of the PC's by the amount of damage done by the enemy to the island. Write out before hand the entire battle plan of the attackers and how you think it will go with out the intervention of the PC's. At the end of the night you can share that with the PC's to see just how much they prevented the attackers from

Uncle_Putte
2008-02-29, 12:02 PM
I'll give my personal favorite in the category of entertaining, short and easy-to-wing campaigns: Revolution. First, the PC's wander over to a local village, and due to a shortage of supplies or some other trivial reason, but wind up spending some time with the hospitable locals. Bonding ensues, and they'll undertake a small side-quest or two along with likeable local npc's, on the lines of monster or bounty hunting. Then, the local rulers start showing signs of oppressiveness, over time escalating to a point where people the PC's hopefully have grown a liking for start to suffer severely, which will propably put the PC's into the head of a small-scale uprising. This will lead into a chain reaction in which the PC's will eventually put the whole political structure of the island on it's head in an attempt to just keep their friends alive. Heck, who knows, maybe they'll even be part to forming a whole new kingdom. This setting gives the players a lot of choice of affecting their surroundings, and it's actually very intresting to see what kind of a place they'll form. A word of warning, though - the times I've done this, the result's often been comparable with nuclear wasteland.

Lappy9000
2008-03-01, 09:18 AM
INVASION!!!!!
makes me wonder.... do you have any Vikings in your world? <evil laugh> While it isn't world shattering.... it definitely has the potential to change life as your young PC's know it and alter the lives of everyone on the island for years to come.

Stiz's got a point. PC's could definitely handle skirmishes with 2-3 level 1 warriors (has to be the NPC class). And if you're into boss battles at the end of the adventure, just give the boss-man 3 levels in fighter (or 2 with some minions). It's more work for you than just throwing in monsters, but this has its advantages as well.

You could always just go here (http://www.dndadventure.com/html/adventures/adv1.html).