For my campaign that I currently have in the works, That features Fire Giants as the "Overlords" of a slave group that work in coal mines for the forged of the fire Giants. The Fire Giants rule over a duergar city, with the duergar being direct underlings/slaves of the Fire giants, treating them like some form a feudalism. The duergar's then do the Fire Giants bidding managing the mines and flow of materials, with the duergar having their own slaves doing all the grunt work and other services. The players shall be some of the slaves working in the coal mines. I plan on having the first few levels 1-5 (or so) being directly in the mines, with players working towards a rebellion/escape from the duergar's. The mines will be a main location and I suppose this is a secondary question, but would it be a good idea to map out the mines, as they will most likely be a few miles deep of vast interconnecting tunnels, or at least have sections of the mines layout, like where the rebels have hidden their own networks of passages to hide materials, weapons, or slip from under the eyes of their watchers. I have run myself empty now at this point, and can't see to think of a good job/mission. I was thinking along the ideas, of having to go either got some form a magic item from deeper into the underdark, or from the duergar themselves. Finding a way to sabotage the anti rebellion devices instilled above the mines (the mines are near/under a volcanoes [cause fire giants], and they have pipped/directed the lava so if there's a rebellion, open the valves and let the lava flow into the mines). As well also having task for them to do, such as bringing up a certian amount of coal, ores, gems, and other minerals up to the duergar to make it seem like they are still being obedient. I suppose now that I have typed it out these are some good ideas, but I would love to have some help on advancing them or new ideas.
To your first question about mapping, I think it would be a good idea to create maps of any areas where the party would run into an encounter during their escape. I wouldn't worry about overdoing it and trying to map the whole network of mines - most of that stuff may not even come into play. Instead, you can narrate most of the layout and if the party decides to take certain avenues, you can have premade maps ready for possible encounters.
In regards to coming up with some other ideas, it sounds like you are inclined to have the players be in the Underdark for a while. So, to avoid the mines becoming stale, perhaps you have a drow regiment arrive at the mines in order to make deals with the giants and deurgar. If at some point you feel that the campaign is getting too stale, or if the players haven't made any progress and seem to be stuck, you can always have the duergar sell the slave PCs to the drow. Then you can have the drow escort them out of the mine tunnels and the PCs can now begin to plot their escape from the dark elves.
I do like the idea of the Drow being incorporated into that, through trades and other services. Have been thinking as well having other giant coming and going whether serving or receiving the other giants depending on their rank in the Ordaining. The section that this empire is seated in is the main if not only known Entrance to the Underdark. Set in the time period of when the Gaints ruled all. Drow conflict for claim of the entrance or trade would be an interesting development into the story, adding some great world perspective to the subject. The through of the party being sold off would be interesting, perhaps only one member gets sold off, now they have to go get him back or something, or perhaps (if agreed upon by the character) the player makes a new character.
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For my campaign that I currently have in the works, That features Fire Giants as the "Overlords" of a slave group that work in coal mines for the forged of the fire Giants. The Fire Giants rule over a duergar city, with the duergar being direct underlings/slaves of the Fire giants, treating them like some form a feudalism. The duergar's then do the Fire Giants bidding managing the mines and flow of materials, with the duergar having their own slaves doing all the grunt work and other services. The players shall be some of the slaves working in the coal mines. I plan on having the first few levels 1-5 (or so) being directly in the mines, with players working towards a rebellion/escape from the duergar's. The mines will be a main location and I suppose this is a secondary question, but would it be a good idea to map out the mines, as they will most likely be a few miles deep of vast interconnecting tunnels, or at least have sections of the mines layout, like where the rebels have hidden their own networks of passages to hide materials, weapons, or slip from under the eyes of their watchers. I have run myself empty now at this point, and can't see to think of a good job/mission. I was thinking along the ideas, of having to go either got some form a magic item from deeper into the underdark, or from the duergar themselves. Finding a way to sabotage the anti rebellion devices instilled above the mines (the mines are near/under a volcanoes [cause fire giants], and they have pipped/directed the lava so if there's a rebellion, open the valves and let the lava flow into the mines). As well also having task for them to do, such as bringing up a certian amount of coal, ores, gems, and other minerals up to the duergar to make it seem like they are still being obedient. I suppose now that I have typed it out these are some good ideas, but I would love to have some help on advancing them or new ideas.
To your first question about mapping, I think it would be a good idea to create maps of any areas where the party would run into an encounter during their escape. I wouldn't worry about overdoing it and trying to map the whole network of mines - most of that stuff may not even come into play. Instead, you can narrate most of the layout and if the party decides to take certain avenues, you can have premade maps ready for possible encounters.
In regards to coming up with some other ideas, it sounds like you are inclined to have the players be in the Underdark for a while. So, to avoid the mines becoming stale, perhaps you have a drow regiment arrive at the mines in order to make deals with the giants and deurgar. If at some point you feel that the campaign is getting too stale, or if the players haven't made any progress and seem to be stuck, you can always have the duergar sell the slave PCs to the drow. Then you can have the drow escort them out of the mine tunnels and the PCs can now begin to plot their escape from the dark elves.
I do like the idea of the Drow being incorporated into that, through trades and other services. Have been thinking as well having other giant coming and going whether serving or receiving the other giants depending on their rank in the Ordaining. The section that this empire is seated in is the main if not only known Entrance to the Underdark. Set in the time period of when the Gaints ruled all. Drow conflict for claim of the entrance or trade would be an interesting development into the story, adding some great world perspective to the subject. The through of the party being sold off would be interesting, perhaps only one member gets sold off, now they have to go get him back or something, or perhaps (if agreed upon by the character) the player makes a new character.