Hello friends! Please help me complete the above sentence!
A brief summary, this is the fourth campaign for this group of characters. We began in the remote Antarctic region of Thu Knick Khan, where the characters were born. The winter was lasting far longer than normal and the populace was on the brink of starvation. They battled the elements, winter wolves and other baddies and eventually killed a group of hags that was keeping the land covered in snow.
They sailed North in late spring, with a group of merchants they befriended in TNK. After several misadventures the ship sank, and the party swam to a nearby island, with sharks munching many of the people in the ocean. Much of their gear and treasure was lost in the shipwreck.
The island was deserted and infested with undead. They found many ruined towers and eventually found out the noble family had died there more than a hundred years ago in a bizarre love triangle that caused the only son to commit suicide and the husband to lock the wife in a cage overlooking a precipice, starving her to death. They discovered the lord's brother has actually had a hand in some of the tragedy and had somehow lived on for more than a hundred years. He was rumored to be on an island with a lighthouse. <In reality he is a lich and the lighthouse draws sailors to their deaths. The gem that shines from the lighthouse is his phylactery, hidden in plain sight.>
After clearing the island, they built a ship over three months and will sail towards the far off port of Squall's End next time. None of the characters have ever been on the continent before and they are all barbarians. I was considering letting the passage be relatively uneventful since the first voyage was anything but dulcet. Other ideas are welcome.
I was thinking of a hook, as soon as they got off the boat. Something jolting! 1. They are seized as wanted criminals and thrown into prison to await a trial 2. Men approach them, telling them they need to pay an entry tax. 100 GP per person plus 1000 for the boat. (Feasible, but lots of money in our economy). They actually aren't affiliated with the government at all and are just swindling them. Fight, RP, something else???? 3. They quickly get wind of an urban adventure. The fighter really needs a magical weapon and they are all greedy (in game greedy, not real life). The urban adventure promises an epic weapon and entails????? 4. They crest the barrier islands to find the city on fire and under siege. 5. Something else???
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Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
I give bonus points for rolling the Lich into the plot somehow. As his general goal is to cause chaos and misery among the living, who he despises, might he be wreaking havoc somehow at Squall's End? Or on the trade routes to and from the port?
When the characters finally face him, I want them to loathe this guy. So he needs to screw them over somehow.
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Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
It seems like all of your plot advancements so far have also been penalties to the players - losing gear, etc. I'd recommend against doing the same thing for the start of this arc, to keep things distinct. I'd avoid your ideas #1 & 2 if I were you.
Do you have anything planned out for the continent? Is it inhabited? Is it wild? Maybe the entire continent is ruled by dragons who are active in everyday politics and roost in the middle of towns in large stone towers.
Or maybe they're noticed as having come from the Lich's general lands/area, and the own marvels that they escaped. Then the townsfolk set about propping their new 'heroes' up while also asking them to return for The McGuffin that they need to restore the health of their elder, or something.
Or maybe it's all undead but like, cool and chill undead. Friendly ghosts and zombies and skeleton merchants and the plot hook is figuring out what the heck is going on.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
The party is approached by a potential ally. I agree with VanZoeren that it's worth trying different approaches. Have you got an NPC who might be friendly to your characters' plight? You can always have the lich kill the NPC later...
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Hello friends! Please help me complete the above sentence!
A brief summary, this is the fourth campaign for this group of characters. We began in the remote Antarctic region of Thu Knick Khan, where the characters were born. The winter was lasting far longer than normal and the populace was on the brink of starvation. They battled the elements, winter wolves and other baddies and eventually killed a group of hags that was keeping the land covered in snow.
They sailed North in late spring, with a group of merchants they befriended in TNK. After several misadventures the ship sank, and the party swam to a nearby island, with sharks munching many of the people in the ocean. Much of their gear and treasure was lost in the shipwreck.
The island was deserted and infested with undead. They found many ruined towers and eventually found out the noble family had died there more than a hundred years ago in a bizarre love triangle that caused the only son to commit suicide and the husband to lock the wife in a cage overlooking a precipice, starving her to death. They discovered the lord's brother has actually had a hand in some of the tragedy and had somehow lived on for more than a hundred years. He was rumored to be on an island with a lighthouse. <In reality he is a lich and the lighthouse draws sailors to their deaths. The gem that shines from the lighthouse is his phylactery, hidden in plain sight.>
After clearing the island, they built a ship over three months and will sail towards the far off port of Squall's End next time. None of the characters have ever been on the continent before and they are all barbarians. I was considering letting the passage be relatively uneventful since the first voyage was anything but dulcet. Other ideas are welcome.
I was thinking of a hook, as soon as they got off the boat. Something jolting!
1. They are seized as wanted criminals and thrown into prison to await a trial
2. Men approach them, telling them they need to pay an entry tax. 100 GP per person plus 1000 for the boat. (Feasible, but lots of money in our economy). They actually aren't affiliated with the government at all and are just swindling them. Fight, RP, something else????
3. They quickly get wind of an urban adventure. The fighter really needs a magical weapon and they are all greedy (in game greedy, not real life). The urban adventure promises an epic weapon and entails?????
4. They crest the barrier islands to find the city on fire and under siege.
5. Something else???
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
I give bonus points for rolling the Lich into the plot somehow. As his general goal is to cause chaos and misery among the living, who he despises, might he be wreaking havoc somehow at Squall's End? Or on the trade routes to and from the port?
When the characters finally face him, I want them to loathe this guy. So he needs to screw them over somehow.
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
It seems like all of your plot advancements so far have also been penalties to the players - losing gear, etc. I'd recommend against doing the same thing for the start of this arc, to keep things distinct. I'd avoid your ideas #1 & 2 if I were you.
Do you have anything planned out for the continent? Is it inhabited? Is it wild? Maybe the entire continent is ruled by dragons who are active in everyday politics and roost in the middle of towns in large stone towers.
Or maybe they're noticed as having come from the Lich's general lands/area, and the own marvels that they escaped. Then the townsfolk set about propping their new 'heroes' up while also asking them to return for The McGuffin that they need to restore the health of their elder, or something.
Or maybe it's all undead but like, cool and chill undead. Friendly ghosts and zombies and skeleton merchants and the plot hook is figuring out what the heck is going on.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
No other ideas?
Velstitzen
I am a 40 something year old physician who DMs for a group of 40 something year old doctors. We play a hybrid game, mostly based on 2nd edition rules with some homebrew and 5E components.
The party is approached by a potential ally. I agree with VanZoeren that it's worth trying different approaches. Have you got an NPC who might be friendly to your characters' plight? You can always have the lich kill the NPC later...