The basic question is as above. At the start of the Campaign, the PC’s will be starting in a Prison (Wizards Lab). The prison is inside of a Fortress located on the darker parts of the Astral Sea, abutting the Lower Planes. When the PC’s escape they will end up in a large city of the Prime Material World, a city they have never been before, although the world is their native world. I don’t mind the players knowing they’ll end up imprisoned but they definitely cannot start off knowing anything about the prison they are actually in, which complicates things. One idea that I really didn’t want to go with unless I absolutely had to was that the PC’s were held up and kidnapped by bandits that brought them there. It works, but I really want to avoid it. I also am trying to limit how much I am limiting their agency, and definitely I will not be stepping (stomping) on their backstories. Keep in mind, this is really just an alternative media res scene to starting off in a tavern. The big version question might actually be, “How can I help my Players create a wholly individual backstory that ends with them all being imprisoned (either as a group or individually) in a place they don’t know about, in way that also doesn’t allow them to place the blame on someone of their own creation?” The main reasoning being I already know who’s to blame (including intermediaries) but I want the players to have to figure that out.
Hopefully I’ve cogently explained the issue but it may be that I’m unclear on something or leaving something out, so if there’s any issue I will absolutely attempt to clarify any limitations I am under as far as goes shaping things and such.
This is honestly just a redo of a prior thread I made, but I am sincerely hoping that this time I’ve actually taken what’s in my head and transcribed it here without the confusion I was under last time. Thank you.
It depends on who is to blame (which you know and they have to work out).
Suggestion 1: They wake up in the prison with a gap in their memory so that they have no idea how they got there. (e.g., I bedded down for the night in a hay cart and woke up in prison.)
Suggestion 2: Masked and hooded figures seized them, blindfolded them, and transported them to the prison.
Suggestion 3: They received letters instructing them to report to the Fortress, where they would learn something to their great benefit. (You might be able to tie this into their backstories: e.g., I always thought I looked a lot like the prince, perhaps I am finally going to be officially recognized as an heir.) When they arrived and presented their letters they were thrown in prison, no explanation given.
They could be invited to a party or other function, so that they can find something, meet a person, gain information, etc.. They have a good reason to go, but it’s just a trap. Maybe it’s political and unrelated to them, maybe it’s specifically to catch them and arrest them. Perhaps they need to sign their name to enter, and they didn’t realize they were signing a treasonous document and then they were arrested. Either way, they choose to go to the party and/or sign something that gets them arrested, but because they didn’t have to go to the party or sign the document, but because they chose to, you’re not taking away their agency. Their could be several such parties so that the characters don’t have a chance of meeting until prison.
Maybe the wizard saw that the player characters' souls have some unique property that they hope to study, and have been rounding up any possessed of a Hero's Spark (random thing I made up) and sequestered them away in their Astral prison. The wizard could even have used their powerful magics to abduct them from their beds or wherever they were at the time, leaving them in a prison cell with no knowledge of where they are or why.
Never underestimate the value of "a wizard did it", especially when you already have a wizard bad guy.
Unfortunate but it seems that the best solution to my question is to have them abducted, either by straight up unknown brigands, or by supposed authorities under false colors.
Give them the ole Baulder's Gate 3 treatment. Start it in a Mind Flayer prison colony. xD
Lol, that and the Intro to Baldur‘s Gate 2 were what had me worried about getting called out as a thief. BG2 has you and your friends captured on the road from Baldur’s Gate to some other random location so the Wizard Jon Irenicus can experiment on you and your Child of Bhaal heritage. I plan on giving my players a better cut scene, but they too will be ending up captured. The difference is where the fortress-laboratory is, it’s components, and where the Campaign goes from there. Still, I’m embarrassed at how much of my beginning already shares so much structure with those quality titles.
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The basic question is as above. At the start of the Campaign, the PC’s will be starting in a Prison (Wizards Lab). The prison is inside of a Fortress located on the darker parts of the Astral Sea, abutting the Lower Planes. When the PC’s escape they will end up in a large city of the Prime Material World, a city they have never been before, although the world is their native world. I don’t mind the players knowing they’ll end up imprisoned but they definitely cannot start off knowing anything about the prison they are actually in, which complicates things. One idea that I really didn’t want to go with unless I absolutely had to was that the PC’s were held up and kidnapped by bandits that brought them there. It works, but I really want to avoid it. I also am trying to limit how much I am limiting their agency, and definitely I will not be stepping (stomping) on their backstories. Keep in mind, this is really just an alternative media res scene to starting off in a tavern. The big version question might actually be, “How can I help my Players create a wholly individual backstory that ends with them all being imprisoned (either as a group or individually) in a place they don’t know about, in way that also doesn’t allow them to place the blame on someone of their own creation?” The main reasoning being I already know who’s to blame (including intermediaries) but I want the players to have to figure that out.
Hopefully I’ve cogently explained the issue but it may be that I’m unclear on something or leaving something out, so if there’s any issue I will absolutely attempt to clarify any limitations I am under as far as goes shaping things and such.
This is honestly just a redo of a prior thread I made, but I am sincerely hoping that this time I’ve actually taken what’s in my head and transcribed it here without the confusion I was under last time. Thank you.
It depends on who is to blame (which you know and they have to work out).
Suggestion 1: They wake up in the prison with a gap in their memory so that they have no idea how they got there. (e.g., I bedded down for the night in a hay cart and woke up in prison.)
Suggestion 2: Masked and hooded figures seized them, blindfolded them, and transported them to the prison.
Suggestion 3: They received letters instructing them to report to the Fortress, where they would learn something to their great benefit. (You might be able to tie this into their backstories: e.g., I always thought I looked a lot like the prince, perhaps I am finally going to be officially recognized as an heir.) When they arrived and presented their letters they were thrown in prison, no explanation given.
They could be invited to a party or other function, so that they can find something, meet a person, gain information, etc.. They have a good reason to go, but it’s just a trap. Maybe it’s political and unrelated to them, maybe it’s specifically to catch them and arrest them. Perhaps they need to sign their name to enter, and they didn’t realize they were signing a treasonous document and then they were arrested. Either way, they choose to go to the party and/or sign something that gets them arrested, but because they didn’t have to go to the party or sign the document, but because they chose to, you’re not taking away their agency. Their could be several such parties so that the characters don’t have a chance of meeting until prison.
Maybe the wizard saw that the player characters' souls have some unique property that they hope to study, and have been rounding up any possessed of a Hero's Spark (random thing I made up) and sequestered them away in their Astral prison. The wizard could even have used their powerful magics to abduct them from their beds or wherever they were at the time, leaving them in a prison cell with no knowledge of where they are or why.
Never underestimate the value of "a wizard did it", especially when you already have a wizard bad guy.
Unfortunate but it seems that the best solution to my question is to have them abducted, either by straight up unknown brigands, or by supposed authorities under false colors.
Give them the ole Baulder's Gate 3 treatment. Start it in a Mind Flayer prison colony. xD
Enjoy your slop. I'll be enjoying good products elsewhere.
Lol, that and the Intro to Baldur‘s Gate 2 were what had me worried about getting called out as a thief. BG2 has you and your friends captured on the road from Baldur’s Gate to some other random location so the Wizard Jon Irenicus can experiment on you and your Child of Bhaal heritage. I plan on giving my players a better cut scene, but they too will be ending up captured. The difference is where the fortress-laboratory is, it’s components, and where the Campaign goes from there. Still, I’m embarrassed at how much of my beginning already shares so much structure with those quality titles.