PDA

View Full Version : Role-Reversal mini-Campaign Ideas



BlackOpal12
2008-05-14, 01:54 PM
So, I've volunteered to DM a relatively short (at least, at this point, I expect it to be short) role-reversal campaign. Namely, the PCs are all playing members of a kobold tribe, defending their warren against a normal sized party of "skilled adventurers."

The fluff is fairly mundane (well, mundane for D&D, at least) - they're kobolds, living in a warren that forms part of the outer layer of a mountain containing a young-ish dragon. They venerate the dragon, and, as expected, on good days, the dragon couldn't give two copper about them - on bad days, they're snack food. As it stands, though, their warren is the easiest route between the outside world and the dragon's lair - which means that all the would-be dragonslayers/princess-savers/horde-stealers tend to come knocking about the warren at inconvenient times. The party are 6 kobolds that, by virtue of surviving for a surprisingly long time, have learned some fairly neat tricks.

The crunch is likewise fairly straightforward - all PCs must be kobolds, ECL 5. Sources are basic core (PHB, DMG, MM1), with specific clearances given by me for other WOTC products (i.e., one of the players is using the Cloistered Cleric variant from UA). They've got character wealth by level, explained via "bits salvaged from prior adventures."

What I'm specifically looking for here are ideas about the actual adventuring party in question - the group is pretty light-hearted, although there's a lot of really twisted humor, as well. I'm trying to think of fun concepts for the invaders, who I peg as being a few levels higher, for the sake of their survival (I don't doubt my players' abilities to create a "Tucker's Kobolds" kind of situation, but they're not powergamers, so the game is more about flavor than maximum damage output).

Right now, I'm framing the group around the primary dungeon-crawler, conceptually, a Gnomish Were-Badger Ranger (Favored Enemy: Kobold, of course). I like this guy - not only does he reinforce the idea that all gnomes are horrible, horrible little monsters, but he might actually make for a real challenge... innate burrow speeds are really cruel in an underground warren :smallamused:

Anyone have other fun for adventurers that are playable, interesting, and just far enough from normal to be surprising?

Istari
2008-05-14, 03:07 PM
A really smart half-orc barbarian?

Lorn
2008-05-14, 03:35 PM
Many Drizzt clones?

A halfling TWF ranger with a wisdom score normally reserved for lemmings?

A wizard who completely refuses to use any spell lower than the highest possible level on account of them not being big, flashy, or generally badass enough?

Cleric of Sune who beats people to death with a flail while confessing his/her deep, undying love to them? Add in enough nastiness with flails...

The list is endless. Steal off webcomics, anything funny in the rules you can find...

Azerian Kelimon
2008-05-14, 03:47 PM
Or, of course, hit them with the Awakened Gazebo of Doom. If they don't run and look as if you had just shot their mother, you're not doing it right. :belkar:

BlackOpal12
2008-05-14, 04:31 PM
Or, of course, hit them with the Awakened Gazebo of Doom. If they don't run and look as if you had just shot their mother, you're not doing it right. :belkar:

This is made of win! :smallcool: Unfortunately, I'm not certain how they would encounter it in their own warren. However, if they do pull this off, I may set them up with a retributive attack against the local gnome village. Which could certainly have an Awakened Gazebo of Doom. And very likely will. :belkar:



Cleric of Sune who beats people to death with a flail while confessing his/her deep, undying love to them? Add in enough nastiness with flails...

I may use this - I have to see whether or not any of them remember to actively take Common. Because otherwise, I'm totally setting them up as entirely unsure as why, exactly, these pink tallfolk keep trying to kill them. Given that they probably will, though, I may just add "while weeping uncontrollably" to that description. Because there's nothing quite like being crushed by a crying priest.

Hal
2008-05-14, 04:50 PM
Or, of course, hit them with the Awakened Gazebo of Doom. If they don't run and look as if you had just shot their mother, you're not doing it right. :belkar:

As long as the gazebo is a mount for an evil, evil gnome, I think you've got a winner.

TheLogman
2008-05-14, 06:41 PM
A bat-man type wizard, the kind that has little/no Hp or Dex, no Con, and no damaging spells, just status effects. Get close to him and he is dead, since hes still a low level.

Stiz
2008-05-14, 06:46 PM
http://goblinscomic.com/

This is a great web-comic based on the lives of a group of goblins that decide to become adventures to help defend their tribe from the random groups of adventures that are always comeing along and trying to slay them all.
It's great and I have no doupt that you can get alot of ideas from it.

Good luck!

Randel
2008-05-14, 08:52 PM
A really serious gnome ranger who shuns the crazy trickey manner of his chaotic kin while still keeping enough of their mysterious charm. Stat-wise a ranger who two-weapon fights and has an animated gazebo with him. Either as some kind of animal companion or a variation of a figurine of wonderous power. A drizzt clone in gnome form.

A dwarven ninja-pirate, basically a rogue who wears a black pirate suit. Wields a dagger and a hand crossbow (or just a regular crossbow, there arent ny flintlocks for a decent pirate to use)

A halfling wizard with glasses, a scarf, a scar on his forehead, messy hair, and used pseudo-latin as verbal components in all his spells. Plus, he mysteriously has Contingency at a lower level than he should have it... if he's about to be defeated then something weird happens to save him and one of his team mates has to loudly explain that some rare event that totally makes sense but will never happen again just happened to save him... but then he can just be killed after he loses his contingency.

A barbarian-monk with black spiky hair, when he rages his shirt disappears, his hair turns blond, and he glows (which gives him a -30 penalty to hide checks) he also calls out every attack he makes even if hes just attacking normally. If anyone tries talking to him he stops whatever hes doing and talks back to them, even in the middle of combat (though his rage doesn't time out while he's in conversation).

A cleric-bard who heals during combat and tries to convert the kobolds to his religion.

A fighter who constantly complains about the loonies he has to work with.

BlackOpal12
2008-05-15, 07:53 AM
A really serious gnome ranger... A drizzt clone in gnome form.

A halfling wizard with glasses, a scarf, a scar on his forehead, messy hair, and used pseudo-latin as verbal components in all his spells...

A barbarian-monk with black spiky hair...

A cleric-bard who heals during combat and tries to convert the kobolds to his religion.

A fighter who constantly complains about the loonies he has to work with.

Randel, I think I've just found a good portion of the adventuring team. Brilliant!


http://goblinscomic.com/

This is a great web-comic based on the lives of a group of goblins that decide to become adventures to help defend their tribe from the random groups of adventures that are always comeing along and trying to slay them all.
It's great and I have no doupt that you can get alot of ideas from it.

Good luck!

I absolutely love this webcomic - I read it at work all the time. Most of my players do to, judging by some of their character concepts :smallbiggrin: