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expirement10K14
2008-07-29, 03:06 PM
I got an idea for a more open adventure than I usually run.

It would take place in a large city that caters to all. The city has a large mountain to the north, which acts as the norther wall, with forest all around southern and eastern sides of the city, and a much less dense area to the west that is used for wood, with open plains after about a quarter of a mile into the dense area. A swamp resides in the woods, home to trolls, but there is an agreement- the city allows the trolls to control the swamp without question and stay away from that area of the forest, and the trolls leave the city alone. A few fights have occured in the past, but are mended mostly with diplomacy and tribute (mostly livestock)

Most of the city is urbanized, and this area is home to humans, halflings, and half-elves, and the alchemist gnomes, along with some of the other races. Tunnels into the mountain face lead into mines. The used up mines closer to the city make homes to dwarves, along with a small (about 100) kobolds that live in the city. The area of forest within the walls is home to the elves and druids, with homes ranging from huts on the ground to homes in the trees linked by bridges, creating a two-tier section of the city. Other races live in different sections of the city, but do not make up enough of the population to give themselves their own are. Many of them have small communities of twenty to thirty, or in case of the kobolds, around one hundred at any time. These sections are not exact, but are general. Some elves mine, some kobolds live in the forest, some humans live in the caves, racial mixing was a plan during the cities creation. Some people even live in the large sewer system below the city, but this has been becoming more and more dangerous (see below).

The idea for the campaign is that the city is slowly becoming dangerous. The sewers are now plagued by were-rats and a few were-crocodiles. They keep to the sewers, but have been attacking a few of the small groups that live in them. There is a guild of some sort that is based in the sewers, it is secretive so not much is known, that has been left alone by the lycanthropes, are they working together, or is it based on bribes and payments? There has also been a few raids on the mines by underdark excursions made up of Drow, Duergar, Svirfneblin and some goblins. The tunnels they used have been sealed, but they could be re-opened or others could be created. A third problem is a orc stronghold has popped up about a mile from the city, hunting in the plains and forest. Intelligence says that this group of almost a thousand has been moving closer and closer to the city, but it is unknown if they plan on attacking, and there is a chance they may reinforce. There is also a problem in the city that is unidentified. People have been found dead in their homes with no sign of forced entry. The only thing linking the murders is that a red dagger is left next to each. There is about one murder each week, which worries the cities government. There has also been many reported kidnappings or missing persons, although if the two events are related is unknown.

The PC's will be high level, and will be hired to fix the problems. What I am wondering is if this seems forced. With so many things going wrong at once it could seem to be like a forced plot. My original idea is to link them all into one conspiracy (inspired by The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde), but now I'm thinking to link them indirectly, although I am not sure.

An example is the orcs and underdark excursions are working together to take the city. Someone inside the city is killing trackers so they cannot locate the excursions, and another is kidnapping people that know of the cities defense. The orcs hunting is for tributes to the trolls, so they will join in on the attack. The lycanthropes are trying to clear out the sewers, and the guild is helping them in return for being spared by the invasion. The sewers are going to be used as an entry point for the orcs, which stand to gain an entire city for themselves, with the underdarkians gaining control of the mountain for a large hive-like city. The trolls will be given free reign of the area surrounding the city, as long as they leave merchants alone.

Does this sound like a good idea? Any ideas to add to it?

For government I was thinking of a King and a council, in a balance of power, with goveners of each area of the city (mountain, forest, city).

Occasional Sage
2008-07-29, 03:17 PM
I don't know what your group is used to, but to me it feels like it came out of a box. Dropping in as high-level characters and a pre-set city-wide plot is... forced. My personal preference, if I were in the game, would be to start at a lower level and interact with these plots on the way up. Even if there's no *real* effect, the players will reach the point you describe and get the feel of "Oh man, the things we did 17 sessions ago caused this!" and that's a great feeling for the players. They feel like a real part of the story rather than pieces on a board.

expirement10K14
2008-07-29, 05:51 PM
I don't know what your group is used to, but to me it feels like it came out of a box. Dropping in as high-level characters and a pre-set city-wide plot is... forced. My personal preference, if I were in the game, would be to start at a lower level and interact with these plots on the way up. Even if there's no *real* effect, the players will reach the point you describe and get the feel of "Oh man, the things we did 17 sessions ago caused this!" and that's a great feeling for the players. They feel like a real part of the story rather than pieces on a board.

I was thinking of making it a one shot adventure, but your idea seens to work better. The orcs are seen, but the PCs are asked to look into the restlessness of the trolls. While there they discover a few orc bodies. Back at the city they are attacked by someone, and discover he has been bringing bodies into the sewer, where they are attacked by were-rats. The party has options at the beginning which chooses how they find out about the grand scheme of things, but still have choices on how to try and stop the conspiracy.